Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Drugs, sex, language, strong women in terrific show.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Russian Doll
What's the Story?
RUSSIAN DOLL's Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) is going through a particularly hard time in her life, crystallized the night of her 36th birthday, when a party thrown by her friend Maxine (Greta Lee) turns into a nightmare that Nadia can't escape. As layers of truth emerge, and all of the people who inhabit her life react, staying in touch with reality could prove to be hardest thing of all.
Is It Any Good?
By turns funny, scary, and surprisingly profound, this wild mix of black comedy and tense drama is unlike any other -- and it's better the less you know. Suffice it to say that Nadia is a wisecracking smart NYC character in the mold of Abbi and Ilana, but she's dealing with far heavier situations and questions. There's a central mystery to her life that emerges more strongly as the season goes on -- and shifts in tone and time -- but for a while we just get to enjoy watching this singular woman relate to her friends and colleagues, who are all in delightfully different situations and stations: artist friend Lizzy (Rebecca Henderson), last seen heading off to make "blood jelly" for an art performance about a religious protestor, Ruth (Elizabeth Ashley), her therapist aunt who works with traumatized patients, the homeless man Horse (Brendan Sexton III) who may hold the key to Nadia's problem.
New York itself emerges as a terrifically quirky character too, with Nadia running uptown and downtown seeking answers at synagogues and underground drug labs and bodegas. It's clear that Lyonne (who co-wrote and -created Russian Doll along with Amy Poehler and indie director Leslye Headland) has deep affection for her city -- and a love of a great line, most of which belong to her in her show. When Max answers a call with an impromptu lecture on Dolores Huerta, Nadia asks "Is this some sort of a Wikipedia-sponsored voicemail greeting?"
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether knowing the storyline of Russian Doll makes watching the unfolding action less enjoyable. Is it a spoiler to reveal her dilemma? When did the idea of spoilers, and criticism for sharing them, come about? Do you ever share spoilers? Do you mind others doing it?
Nadia and other characters use drugs frequently, heavily, and casually. Nadia also says she smokes two packs of cigarettes a day and smokes almost continually onscreen. Is it damaging to viewers, particularly young people, to see this use depicted? Does anyone suffer consequences from their use? How can parents prevent their children from smoking? Does anyone suffer consequences from the casual sex characters engage in, either?
Would it surprise you to learn that this show is written and directed by an all-female team? Are shows created by women more likely to focus on them as main characters? Why? Can you think of examples of male creators who made shows about women, or female ones about men?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 1, 2019
- Cast : Natasha Lyonne , Dascha Polanco , Charlie Barnett
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : November 22, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate