Netflix has picked up its sardonic time traveling drama, Russian Doll, for another season. The series is helmed by comedian Natasha Lyonne — who also co-created the series with Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland. The streamer confirmed the bigs news via Twitter, after the star hinted at the series renewal as well.
Aside from being an actress since the 90’s, Lyonne is also a writer and producer best known for her portrayal of Nicky Nichols in Netflix’s critically acclaimed series, Orange Is the New Black, from 2013 until now. Through her work on OITNB she received an Emmy Award nomination in 2014 — other roles include a part in the American Pie film series from 1999 up until 2012, as the character Jessica.
In Russian Doll, the comedienne plays Nadia, “a hard-partying software engineer who keeps dying while celebrating her 36th birthday and reliving the same night over and over again, Groundhog Day-style.” The cast is rounded out by Elizabeth Ashley, Greta Lee, Yul Vazquez, Rebecca Henderson and Charlie Barnett.
Since its premiere on February 1st, the series has gained a considerable following throughout its eight-episode freshman run and has garnered a large amount of critical buzz as well. Lyonne and the series are also expected to be nominated for different categories in this year’s Emmys after the official list’s big reveal next month.
On entertainment website Rotten Tomatoes, the series currently holds a 96% approval rating with an average point score of about an 8.5 out of 10 based on a total of 82 reviews. Critical consensus claims, “Russian Doll may be stuck in a time loop, but this endlessly inventive series never repeats itself as it teeters on a seesaw of shifting tones – from fatally funny to mournfully sad – that is balanced with exhilarating moxie by an astonishing Natasha Lyonne.” Meanwhile, Metacritic has assigned the series a score of 89 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating “universal acclaim.”
Below some of the show’s best lines can be viewed: