Russian Doll Review: 8 Ups & 2 Downs

6. It Avoids The "Netflix Bloat" Issue

An overwhelming number of Netflix Original shows have a huge problem with bloat, where the streaming platform is so eager for new content that they forget the virtue of "less is more."

The Marvel Cinematic Universe shows are perhaps the most egregious example, with a season typically consisting of thirteen 55-minute episodes, far in excess of the maybe-eight episodes of actual quality storytelling that are on offer.

Thankfully Russian Doll makes no same mistake. For starters, there are only eight episodes and they're only 25-30 minutes each, allowing viewers to binge the entire season in less than 3.5 hours.

Basically, this couldn't be further from a slog or a chore: you can get through it in an afternoon and move on with the rest of your day.

The pacing within episodes is also terrific: the narrative is constantly moving forward to such an extent that you'll likely be surprised by how fast you arrive at the end credits each time.

Fingers crossed the show will pull strong metrics for Netflix and serve as proof perfect that a more concise, bite-sized approach to episodic stories is the way forward.