Netflix's Russian Doll: What Does The Ending Really Mean?

9. The Way Out And Ariadne

Russian Doll Natasha Lyonne
Netflix

The ending really begins in Russian Doll's seventh and penultimate episode, The Way Out which, as the title suggests, is where Nadia and Alan discover how they can find their way out of the death loops.

At this point, the loops are eroding most of what they know of the world around them, with Nadia leaving the bathroom to find the party almost completely empty. It's this that forces them to face their fears, and confront their trauma head-on. Alan opens up to Beatrice about his feelings of self-loathing and emptiness, while Nadia speaks to Ruth about her mother's death.

Nadia then goes on to pass the book she dearly loved as a child - Emily of New Moon - on to another young girl, before dying for the final time. Her younger self appears again, telling her "She's still inside you." It's a reference to their mother, with Nadia pulling out the shard of glass, like the mirrors her mother broke, before dying, but also the little girl who wants to live. It's making peace with the past so she can have peace with the present.

Finding this way out seems to be the answer, but it's only part of the puzzle. In the finale, when Alan and Nadia return again, they're split into different timelines. The title of the finale - Ariadne - is a reference to Greek mythology. Ariadne plays a key role in the story of Theseus and the Minotaur: she gives him the sword to kill the monster, and a ball of string so he can find his way out of the labyrinth. In the finale, Alan and Nadia have to serve as each other's sword, with their clothing the ball of string that allows us to keep track of each one.

Both titles, and indeed episodes as a whole, are linked to the idea of the maze, which loops back round to the idea of Russian Dolls - it's not just about escape, but about making your way to the centre or end for a sense of discovery.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.