RUSSIAN DOLL Ending and Timeline Explained! 

UPDATE: I have a RUSSIAN DOLL Season 2 video out! Link is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FnAFTso6GU4.html Thanks for watching everyone! This vid mainly focused on the ending and timeline but if you want to learn more like the meaning of "Russian Doll" or what the heck was up with "Emily of New Moon" you can check out Screenrant's article here: screenrant.com/russian-doll-netflix-ending-explained-time-loop/3/

gotta get up, gotta get out

I liked this very much, yet at the same time I kind of hope there isn't a season 2. It felt complete and resolved. It was less like a tv series and more like a long movie.

*Sweet birthday baby*

Hmmm. So I watched it through twice and feel like there are some valid points you make, but some that are missing. Of course, this is my take on it for what it's worth: Nadia and Alan actually ARE in purgatory. They actually did die the first time they were hit (where we see Oatmeal slink through the fence - I believe that is the only "real" version we see). What they're re-living is a purgatory brought about by being suicidal. Alan's version of suicidal is the lonely on the inside, clingy on the outside, manifesting through OCD and "I'm fine." He eventually does what most people *think* suicidal people do, which is jump to ease his own pain. Nadia's version of suicidal is the jaded "don't care" and "what happens will happen, Oh well." She manifests this by pushing everyone away from her so that she doesn't feel pained, while at the same time, doing anything and everything short of killing herself outright in order to numb what is within. (Ruth mentions this when she says that she's watched Nadia chase death at every corner). The homeless man and Oatmeal (after the first death) are angels. If you remember her going to the Synagogue, the receptionist says after her prayer that angels are all around us. Horse undergoes a transformation that I have yet to figure out, but I feel is the symbology from death to life - black shoes, no shoes, white shoes. Regardless, he continually tries to transform Nadia every time they meet (Let me cut your hair) - even says when he jukes Alan that "We've got another one..." (Lost soul). In the end, he is up on a pedestal holding Oatmeal. He even says to Oatmeal "You choose her." He repeats this at least three times. If Oatmeal is an angel, for me, it explains why he disappears out of Nadia's hands well before anything/anyone else starts vanishing - he is leaving her because she has to learn not to pin all her trust on him, but needs to learn the lesson of trusting other people. Horse (possibly as a version of archangel Gabriel or Uriel) returns one of Nadia's original angels to her waiting hands, but the relationship is altered for the better. The end parade, for me, is a spirit parade. You'll notice the giant skeleton puppet, the stag head (for me like a forest/protective spirit), etc. They are heading *down* into a tunnel and even pass their alternate selves (after taking a torch bearing light). Then, even though they should be crossing doing in two different directions (one up, one down as they are back to back), they pass on even footing, and come out going *up* from the tunnel. It screams of rebirth, the descent and journey of the Hero, (nevermind the name of the episode being the name of the Goddess of mazes and puzzles), but also - for me - says that they have crossed over finally and have joined the spirits to become their own versions of guardian angels - Nadia is Alan's, Alan is Nadia's. My two cents. Sorry so long. :)

I don’t know if anyone mentioned this. She only ate chicken the whole show (except one time which i’ll explain in a bit). Chicken for her birthday, leftover chicken, raw eggs with hot sauce. Most importantly chicken noodle soup in the flash backs when her mom had a complete mental breakdown. It has to represent something. The same thing over and over never changing. Maybe her habits. Now the only time I can recall her eating something else is those gluten free crackers at B’s house. They make it clear she’s eating something different. And in that moment she acted differently too. She “stuck out her neck” for somebody else. Trying something new. I’m not sure if she ate the cake in the last episode. If she did my idea still works. She’s helping people. Being totally selfless. It was an interesting detail that at first i noticed because i thought it was funny she only ate chicken, but now realize was a totally intentional thing.

That didn't "explain" anything. It was just a synopsis of the plot.

Horse is like Charon, he takes payment (Nadia's Krugerrand and Alan's engagement ring, both intrinsically linked to their pain in life) and takes them through an underworld (the tunnel) to their afterlife. The tunnel leads uphill, so they are being lifted out of a hell or purgatory. It's White Shirt Nadia and Scarf Alan emerge, which is the healed versions of themselves.

I really liked this series and I think it's worth watching twice just so you can see the differences you didnt see in the first run through. I think it was really well made and it was something new. Perfect for groundhog day too Haha!

I think the most significant and the most easily missed part is that in the final shot the version of Nadia and Alan are interchanged, as in, in the final shot we see Nadia is the version of herself that knows she died 15 times (wearing Maxine's white blouse) and Alan is the version of himself that knows he died 15 times (wearing the good karma scarf). At the time, I thought the scene where Maxine throws her drink on Nadia's face was pointless but now I'm sure it was written in so that Nadia ends up wearing a different outfit so that we the audience don't miss out to notice that in the final shot both versions of Nadia and Alan are the ones that know they have gone through this time loop thing.

so nobody is gonna analyse the hobo parade? seriously?

This is more of a video trying to recap the series instead of explaining the ending.. i clicked on this vid in hopes of a detail explanation of the ending, not a recap.

Is no one going to address the Title? There is one moment where Nadia encounters an actual Russian Doll, and I've been thinking about why that is the title of the show ever since. Here's my take: A Russian doll consists of multiple dolls nested within each other, with every doll you take away, you get to a next doll until you reach the centre. I think this symbolized the people and objects disappearing in every loop (each loop = shell of the doll). More specifically, every loop is a layer peeled away, slowly getting to the core of the issue. with each doll shell that you take of, you get closer to the center of the doll. Similarly, with every loop that Nadia and Alan experienced, the irrelevant things around them were stripped away, bringing them closer and closer to the real issue. Which, by the way, turned out to be entirely an internal/mental issue, in the same way that that the smallest doll is inside all the other shells.

i also think when Horse said "we got another one" he meant like "we got another version of allen coming through" and when nadia approached them and made sure she got allen out of there, Horse put on his horse parade hat as in to say, "nadia finally made it, the parade is happening tonight, they are going to make it."

I've been watching reviews of this. And no one is focusing on the costume change that occurs when Nadia grabs the hobo lantern. The 'destructive' selves seem to vanish the moment that Allen shouts with excitement. It's as if the timelines converged, and deleted the original selves that were unaware of the 15-death cycle. The reason this sort of sticks out to me, is because it seems to explain who/what/how this phoenemona occured in the first place. In each case, the two of them were looking into a mirror at the exact same moment. Then, they met each other at the exact same moment, then they died at the exact same moment. So, there seems to be some kind of modern sci-fi magic happening here. Similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the homeless man is seen as some kind of prophet, or mystical being aware of timeless space. Horse, the deus ex machina leader of the homeless community in New York seems to be taking Allen and Nadia's pain as tribute. In Allen's case, his money, and in Nadia's case, her cat. In that final timeline, Oatmeal is not found. It is fairly clear to me that there is something mystical going on with Horse and Oatmeal. The cat lives at the deli with Farran, another person that connects Alan and Nadia. Mike also connects them, but he seems to be something else, a benefactor as well. He arrives with a child that we knew he had, but we didn't care about; Nadia: 'oh jesus, don't show me a fucking picture.' Mike: 'it's not a picture, its a text' (from Beatrice). We learn at the end that Mike was also on a distructive path, perhaps with Beatrice, and peace with her as a stable rock, a good mother for his child, perhaps his life is saved as well. In addition, There are many deaths prevented in this story, including Horse, and Ruth. People continued to dissappear. What was happening when the world continued to lose function? were they in hell? were these people dying? I am obsessed with this concept. It was done beautifully, and I can't imagine it paying off any better than it did when Alan screamed, and Nadia held the lantern with shaking expression on her face. Beautiful work. That costume change is real. loves! subcribed.

I think the whole show is about the concept of mental health and how we sometimes have problems but we still need to help others ESPECIALLY when they're unreceptive or refuse to accept our help, just like in the end it wouldn't have meant much if Alan was waiting for her to help him or if she was waiting for him, but despite being told off many times they still persevered and refused to go away until they made sure that the other person was safe. I thought that was very beautiful. Well, that's my take on it anyway

You missed the most important part. The ACTUAL ending. The parade. The two versions come at the tunnel from two directions, one up the tunnel, and one down. You see them actually PASS BY each other at the end. They are at once oblivious and apart, and yet together. They are two separate people, but now part of a single whole...

When Nadia picks up the Russian Dolls it symbolized the multiple loops each was trapped it. It also symbolized that each person has multiple dimensions but our physical eyes only see the outer one called the physical.

That scene where Ruth and Nadia are talking about her being a seed in the darkness looking for the light made me ball. it felt like I was being confronted for my own struggle with severe depression and it, like a lot of the movie, was so genuine I will be shocked if it doesn't get nominated for some awards next year.

No ones talking about how at the end of the parade scene the Nadia(wearinga white blouse) and the Alan(wearing the good karma scarf Lizzy's girl gave him) we get to know thoughout the series 'crossover' together side by side. Nice little detail

Not that it matters but I didn't get the impression Nadia was an alcoholic. Self destructive maybe but she did spend the majority of the film at a party.

"A cynical, self-absorbed New Yorker." So a New Yorker then?

When people are vanishing from the looped timelines and Maxine is the only one left, Nadia begs her to leave and Maxine responds, “I can’t”. I think that Maxine represented something larger, same with Oatmeal and Horse.

One of the best series on Netflix bar none other than this.

I died 13 times during this video before I finally got to the end but it was worth it

Such a strange feeling I get from the show, almost like feeling the interdimensional nature to it and a sort of deja vu feeling or an affinity feeling as if what happens in this show actually happens.

Binged this past weekend!!! It was great!!! When they both woke in separate timelines, I was kind of sad for them. But, they don't get off that easy and still have to work to make the destructive Alan/Nadia into the balanced Nadia/Alan.

Thanks for basically regurgitating the exposition they give us in the show. You should consider changing the title to "Russian Doll Recap" lol

I also noticed in the last episode the title was Ariadne. I googled Ariadne, and Ariadne is usually involved with labyrinths and mazes. Allen and Nadia are in a eternal maze or labyrinth of death. So Minos put Ariadne in charge of a labyrinth were sacrifices for reparations which means the making of amends for a wrong one has done, by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged. Which references to Nadia and Allen doing wrong when they live relive their lives again and later on helping each other from making the mistake of dieing.Also, when both of them overcome their deepest fears, in the Ariadne myth Ariadne helped Theseus overcome the Minotaur and save sacrificial victims. This is when Allen and Nadia are sent to their past selves and help each other overcome death. Which means they are both Theseus saving each other before becoming victims of reliving the same day(s) Hoped that made sense this my first time making something like this :3

Great video and summary but u didn't actually explain the ending at all... In the end there is a third version of them and the all walk past each other. You didn't explain that... 🤔

Another allegory regarding the rotten fruit is how we as people age on the outside but can remain ripe on the inside depending on how we view time.

I feel like this needs to be emphasised: Most Kruger Rands,like the one Nadia wears; have a golden buck on them. It's super symbolic when Horse puts the golden buck headpiece on right after they speak about the Kruger Rand. So, this shows how Horse was the ultimate and final connection between the 2 time lines.

*Happy death day has left the chat*

One of the few shows where the ending was so satisfying that i don't expect or demand a second season... but if they're offering, i'm definitely not opposed to it.

I think when they plan to recreate their first meeting to "make things right" and help each other the universe tells them (through Nadja seeing her younger self) that a way out of the loop hole is by making things right for themselves and not for each other. Alan came to that conclusion by talking to Nadja but he knows they have to make things right on their own to be at peace with themselves . When they finally meet again in the deli they seem really worried when Nadja knows Alan but Alan doesn't remember her and the other way round in another timeline. But that's the only way it makes sense because if they would just recreate their first meeting knowing each other they wouldn't need each others help because they knew what was going to happen. If they would meet in the deli where neither of them remembers their story they wouldn't help each other either because they both wouldn't know the importance of helping each other out.

Love this show so much

Also you forgot to mention the very last shot of Nadia and Alan walking with the parade. It shows them both as their 'healed' selves, both the Nadia and Alan that knew each other and had overcome their problems. Alan is wearing the red scarf and Nadia is wearing the white blouse. Neither of them were in their original destructive clothes.

"hey, Netflix whats this show about?" "its a long story involving multiple deaths." "you had me at multiple deaths." so they had you when they finish their sentence?

I can’t stop watching Russian Doll over and over again. Alan and Nadia are both such compelling characters. I can’t imagine what season 2 will be about, but I hope it’s just as good.

I like how the parade had the large characters of death, skeleton etc, symbolizing the celebration of the death of their old selves, but Horse was wearing a white wedding dress. It was pretty dirty but I think the white dress could symbolize their obvious new birth and the dirtiness of it symbolize that they aren't being reborn as perfect beings, but pretty scratched up, a bit rough, but overall healed of their spiritual wounds/psychological traumas.

This is the sort of series where you can pause at any frame with a lot of things in the shot and chances are you'll find a clue. When I formed this theory, I tested it out in the deli, because that is a place where the 2 main characters return to all the time. Sure enough, in the last episode I paused at a shot where Alan meets broken Nadia as she agrees to come in and buy cigarettes. On the counter is a book. The Four Agreements. There is a passage in that book that reads: "Whatever life takes away from you, let it go. When you surrender and let go of the past, you allow yourself to be fully alive in the moment. Letting go of the past means you can enjoy the dream that is happening right now.” ― Don Miguel Ruiz, The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom " Sound familiar? There is also a scene where Horse takes Alan to where the other homeless people are (for a moment I thought one of them was Nadia's dead mother with hair dye, but that's beside the point). One of the homeless guys, for no real reason that I could discern at the time, holds up a cardboard square sign that just says "P5" on it. Maybe someone else can figure that one out. ;)

somehow all Netflix productions become better after you explain them

To sum things up, this video didn't really explained the ending but from what I've noticed, the fly from Alan's first loop is gone on his last loop and got transferred into Nadia's timeline which foreshadows that there is something off or their timeline has been switch which might be explained later in Season 2

Okay but like... Who else shitted themselves when Nadia saw her young self like I was so scared man...

What about during the hobo parade when she passed two versions of herself.

If you take a closer look at the last ending scene at the tunel, the Alan from the time line where he remembers his past (colored scarf) walks next to the Nadia from the time line where she remembers her past (white scarf), meaning they finally found themselfs in the same timeline.

For those complaining that the uploader didn't _answer_ anything regarding the ending, I would posit that, in your dissatisfaction, his recap has served to awaken the philosopher in us all. There is no one explanation, but there are many fine interpretations in the comments.

It’s a simple logic; She was losing herself, falling apart, and kept dying everyday until she met a dude that was going through the same thing and even though they were totally opposite and didn't match as a couple, they decided to choose to love each other in order to stay alive in the new earth because Love is the only weapon we have to remain our true selves and not as our parallel selves that are slowly fading away along with old earths. New Earth/New Age.

The last scene. The Nadia that doesn’t know Alan, she is intimidating mean! But then I realize that’s whom she’s always been. And the Alan that doesn’t know Nadia is just plain nice to a Nadia.

I hate these “ending explained” videos. They always freaking start with a whole damn explanation of the show, I didn’t need that I need just the ending explained thank you Jesus is it that hard?!?

This show is beautiful... Big up for everyone that involved!

There were moments watching this where I felt like I was watching the most important thing on TV right now. It goes deep.

This actually happens to everyone when they turn 36

Note on the kick ass hobo parade. It reminded me of the Fisher King, with Robin Williams. There was a ton of symbolism there, with the knights and Horse. I think it also showed the 2 different timelines coming together, with the versions of Nadia and Alan merging and becoming one person again. Great show.

I loved this show and hope it isn't forgotten by awards season next year. Everyone played their parts perfectly, and that was one of the best finales I've seen in a while. I do wonder will this show be like an anthology with different people or will season 2 focus on Nadia and Alan in the two timelines. Would be funny that with each season the timelines grow to reflect it.

I'm re-watching the show and noticed that even before her first death (run over by a cab, in the first episode) when she sees Horse, she feels that she had seen him before... Maybe the series starts with the looping deaths already in progress...

I didn’t even know this was a thing, thanks Netflix! But I can assure you, that even if I had watched it first. I still would’ve need you, TS to explain it to me. Great video!

well done!! I appreciate the time it took to put this together and how well you did it!

I think Nadia’s mom was also in the loop and her fate was suicide because she was trying to save younger Nadia by forcing her to choose Ruth due to her going insane. But her insanity comes with reason. She became obsessed with trying to fix the synchronicities. The mirror obsession: alternate realities that her mom was obsessively trying to keep in order. When she destroys them in the one scene, she’s giving up and changing the synchronization aka Nadia’s fate as well (I believe this scene is the day that Nadia finally made up her mind on wanting to be with Ruth). The watermelons: remember all of the fruit was rotting toward the end? She kept so many watermelons with her at all times to remind her that THIS is the real reality and not the 2D or 3D one that Nadia explains to Alan in the one scene. She was stuck and didn’t know how to “forgive” her purgatory hence leading to suicide. But, like everything else in this amazing show, every decision affects the people around us. Season two will explain a better in depth look into Nadia’s mother, I feel. Sorry if this doesn’t make sense but hopefully someone out there can understand my theory.

Russian doll was an incredible show I watched the whole thing in one night it was so intelligent,funny,hella dark and an all together beautiful story thank you for explaining it in depth

it was her mom who sold the coins not the grandma

do u think there is a connection that the mirrors was gone and that the mother broke the windows?

Thhis is precisely the kind of explanation Alan would have given. So much for metaphysics... XD

Great analysis and video! I personally loved it, one of my all time favorite series. Both Nadia and Alan were amazing, the cinematography and the soundtrack were on point as well, creative story and execution and like able characters

Some of these facts you point out were something that was already obvious. What I want to know is the very end where Nadia passes 2 versions of herself. I can see her passing 1 version which is the destructive version but why 2? Please share a theory for that

I thought both timelines combined in the Hobo parade since both were in their latest outfits and not from the ones in their first death (hard to tell with Alan since he wears the same thing everyday but the scarf). Or even just symbolically, that they found each other and its ok to be damaged but we can all be helped. I thought the series is also very relevant and a very very good depiction of depression and other mental health issues. Netflix did it right this time (looking at you 13 reasons why)

This and haunting of hill house r the best series

I binged this show for the last few hours. Loved it.

every review/ending explained have missed out some interesting details. For instance, when John (Nadia's ex-boyfriend) sees the Jewish man he says that you need to turn away from the physical world and toward the spiritual one. This leads me on to both Alan and Nadia throughout the series giving up what is important to them. The necklace and the ring, which could be symbolic of his romantic relationship with his girlfriend and Nadia's relationship with her mothers. Next..we have the homeless man "Horse". Who is he and is he important. We see him at the end of the series wearing a horse headpiece and parading with his friends down a tunnel. To me, this parade looks similar to the "day of the dead" festival that certain cultures embrace which is interesting since "Horse" is trying to help Nadia within the series. Both Adam and Nadia give Horse the two things (ring and necklace) that really mean something to them...granted different time-loops. I could go into more detail, especially with some of his dialog...but it's possible that "horse" is actually human form of Death. This is also backed up by his name since death is one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. If this theory was to be confirmed by question would then be, was the ending about the death of their former life where Alan was robotic and stuck in a routine, and Nadia stuck in self-loathing and destructive behavior, or was it their actual deaths...and the series was about them coming to good terms about their passing, trying to move on (together). This also fits into what Ruth was saying to Nadia about never being able to accept death. Anyway, share your thoughts. :)

What a wonderful trail. Thank you. The story is beautiful. Kudos to the writer

All I know is Nadia is only wearing the black suit jacket in her timeline while in Alan’s timeline she wears the grey overcoat. Alan is wearing a jacket and the scarf in his timeline while in Nadia’s timeline he only wears the grey sweater. At the very end during the parade Nadia and Alan are wearing their outfits from their respective timelines, Nadia in the black suit jacket while Alan wears the jacket and scarf. This means the timelines are merged, they truly found/recognize each other and for the time being have seemingly fixed themselves and their problem.

Actually Nadia's mother died at 35. She never made it to 36, that's why this was such a big birthday for Nadia

SWEET BIRTHDAY BABY!

Quality video as per usual!

I was waiting on this from you! I'm gonna watch the video now and comment again after. Thank you! ❤️

Years ago I had this in my queue as just a show to plow through. What I ended up seeing was one of the best crafted story I have ever experienced. I always recommend this show. An obscure golden nugget in my playlist.

Holy shit i live in NYC and i saw the hobo parade 😂 it was ages ago and i couldn’t figure out what it was but now i know what the hell i was seeing after i got out the bar lol

My only question is: Do they cross back over into the same timeline once again, both knowing everything they've experienced together and each other as they cross through the parade at the end as we see the two true characters (him with the scarf and her in her friends white top) march forward with the parade as we can clearly see two Nadia's fade into the crowd behind our 'real' Nadia?? ❤️

Her dancing at 1:49 is one of the greatest moments in cinematic history!! Haha

I just binged the entire series. It was great, and your video put it all in perspective.

I loved the Russian dolls ... Nadia and Allen ... and I don't know if I want a second season because am satisfied with this ending....

I'm dying to understand the symbolism behind the color yellow, and the fish tank.

THANK YOU! I was so confused watching this series. Everyone said it was brilliant but I didn't get it. Your breakdown is what I needed to help me understand!

I really liked the show, I also liked your explanation, helped clear up some things.

Great show, the ending did leave me feeling weird since the other doesn't know what they went thru, I want them to get back together in the same universe >< The whole thing was creepy scary funny awesome. :)

sweet birthday baaaaaby

The show is awesome and really doesnt need an explanation but I had to see what was being said about it and your synopsis is dead on right and thank you for your time!

Nadia is in a virtual or augmented reality video game she designed, **remember she's a video game designer** Nadia slowly begins to figure out the puzzles or "quest" which is why she has a costume change, there are many things she acquires along the way to show advancement or rewards for figuring out the partial puzzles of the video game. Finally, she solves the puzzles or completes the first quest and advances to the next level of the game. This all takes place on her birthday, which happens to be, wait . for . it, November, 2 the day of the dead or Día de Muertos. The last scene of season 1 is a day of the dead celebration or a parade which shows Nadia advancing to the next level of the game. Can't wait for Season 2.

please what is the music score that keeps playing throughout this video and the tv show at the end of episode 5 and 7???

I think at the end with how you van see 2 nadia's that the 2 original ones that had to work together from the start connected there 2 timelines and deleted the destructive one for the new one

Yeah, I came here to understand why Nadia was alone in the last dew seconds of the last episode... In case anyone else is here for that, this is just a season recap, not an explanation as to why Alan is missing.

Great analysis, man. BIG LIKE!

Was there any significance to the character Horse in the series ?

The thing that tripped me out most was why certain things were disappearing. I guess it was to take away factors that were either meaningful, or didn't matter and cluttered what they really were meant to do. Also the way that flowers and fruits were deteriorating... that confused me.

I think the hobo parade is the collision of the two split timelines. We see the split screen turn to one, the two Nadias also become one Nadia, the same with Alan. I think they had to save each other in separate timeline in order to correct the universe back to its original timeline.

Love this show! Love your channel!!

This sounds like an anime story line.

Honestly, I loved this show because of the execution of an unoriginal idea. ‘Unoriginal’ you think, ‘isn’t that bad?’ NOT WHEN ITS EXECUTION IS THIS FUCKING SUPERB. (To each their own of course, but damn I really enjoyed this show.)

"You've never died on the stairs? What are you, like a fucking superhero?"

I believe the show is about Grief. The two characters are reliving their lives until they can let go. Nadia needs to get over her mom, that’s why mirrors disappear and why she keeps going back to those places, to remind her of her mother and force her to get over it. The homeless man cutting her hair is trying to hold her back, by cutting her hair she is getting rid of what her mother saw good in her. Alan in the other hand needs to get over Beatrice. It is a Purgatorial punishment where the universe is testing them over and over until they can get over what holds them to that place. When they finally do they will be able to achieve peace. Edit: Nadias friends and mirrors disappearing is because she is becoming her mother. She needs to get over that. Since she isn’t she is driving everyone away from her and doing the same mistakes as her mother. Things get worse when Alan kills himself as he is reliving his mistakes and the universe is doubling down on emphasis that he needs to get over it. I think something that really makes me feel this way is when she coughs up glass from a mirror and her young self says “she’s still inside of you” and “are you ready to let her die, this is the day we get free” Edit 2: Holy shit It’s called Russian Doll Because her mother is inside of her Apart of her And that’s the symbolism of the dolls Edit 3: There’s gonna be a season 2 In the last scene you can see another red head walking past Nadia at the parade The iterations of the universe are now one