When is Russian Doll season 2 being released? The long-awaited follow-up season to the original Netflix series, which stars ‘90s movies and Orange is the New Black actor Natasha Lyonne, will soon be upon us after an agonising three-year wait.
Like the horror movie Happy Death Day, the premise of Russian Doll is Nadia (Lyonne) meeting a grisly end on her 36th birthday before becoming stuck in a time loop and having to relive that same birthday party: over, and over, and over again. The sci-fi series has proved to be a hit with audiences and critics alike. As well as earning a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Russian Doll has won three Primetime Emmys: Outstanding Cinematography, Outstanding Production Design, and Outstanding Contemporary Costumes.
As well as being the lead actor in the TV series, Lyonne also executive produces Russian Doll along with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler. Now that the wait for Russian Doll season 2 is nearly over, here’s everything you need to know about the cast, plot, trailer, release date, and more.
Russian Doll season 2 release date: When is Russian Doll season 2 out?
Netflix finally announced that Russian Doll season 2 would be hitting the streaming service on April 20, 2022. The company made the announcement in style with a trippy, mind-bending teaser trailer that shows Nadia waking up on a New York subway train into the void, before then walking up from the ground through a graveyard.
The second season of Russian Doll was announced back in summer 2019, with the camera initially set to start rolling in May 2020, according to Production Weekly. Although coronavirus restrictions meant that filming (in New York, no less) didn’t eventually start until a whole year later than planned, season 2 of Russian Doll having an April 2022 release date seems to be set in stone now.
Russian Doll season 2 plot: What happens in Russian Doll season 2?
The second season of Russian Doll is set to take place four years after the first one, with Nadia finally getting past her 36th birthday (!) Whether or not Nadia will be plunged into another Groundhog Day-like loop remains to be seen, but it looks like the crux of the show is still existential, as she and fellow time-looper Alan (Charlie Bennett) discover a time portal in New York.
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“Discovering a fate even worse than endless death, this season finds Nadia and Alan delving deeper into their pasts through an unexpected time portal located in one of Manhattan’s most notorious locations,” the official Netflix synopsis reads.
“At first they experience this as an ever-expanding, era-spanning, intergenerational adventure, but they soon discover this extraordinary event might be more than they bargained for and, together, must search for a way out.”
— Russian Doll (@RussianDoll) February 11, 2022
On Twitter, Netflix has released stills from the upcoming season, suggesting that some of it may take place in the ‘80s as well as various other time periods.
Russian Doll season 2 trailer: Does Russian Doll season 2 have a trailer?
As mentioned above, Netflix was kind enough to drop a teaser trailer that hints at the big time loop theme of the season and shows that Nadia’s dark humour and cutting remarks aren’t going anywhere.
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After falling into the time loop on the subway train, which also shows the dreaded bathroom door from her 36th birthday party, Nadia is later seen falling down a flight of steps in the subway, and raises a glass to the universe to declare, “When the universe fucks with you, let it.”
It remains to be seen if a more full-length trailer for Russian Doll season 2 before it drops on Netflix, but either way, it’s not very long to go!
Russian Doll season 2 cast: Who is in Russian Doll season 2?
Of course, Natasha Lyonne and Charlie Barnett are returning as loop buddies Nadia and Alan, as are Greta Lee and Rebecca Henderson as Nadia’s friends, Maxine and Lizzy.
A couple of new, exciting additions to the cast this season include Schitt’s Creek’s Annie Murphy and District 9’s Sharlto Copley. While these two new cast members’ roles are not yet clear, Lyonne told Entertainment Weekly that Carolyn Michelle Smith, another newcomer, would be the “core component and the heart of the season” who helps Nadia explore “the nature of mortality.”
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Russian Doll season 2 cast
- Natasha Lyonne as Nadia
- Charlie Barnett as Alan
- Greta Lee as Maxine
- Rebecca Henderson as Lizzy
- Annie Murphy in an undisclosed role
- Sharlto Copley in an undisclosed role
- Carolyn Michelle Smith in an undisclosed role
How many episodes will Russian Doll season 2 have?
When Russian Doll was released in February 2019, all eight episodes dropped on the platform concurrently. We know that Netflix likes to keep things uniform so it’s likely there will be eight episodes again, and given the fans have waited so long, they won’t torture us any further by dropping one episode a week as opposed to their usual binge-able format right? Right?
How can I watch Russian Doll season 2?
As a Netflix original, season 2 of Russian Doll, like season 1, will be exclusive to the platform. You know the drill. However, we know Netflix isn’t opposed to a DVD and Blu-Ray release or two, and given it’s released season 1 on these formats, it will be surprising if it didn’t do the same for season 2 at least somewhere down the line. It might be a bit of a longer wait than just watching on Netflix, however.
If you want to catch up on season 1 of Russian Doll, you can watch all eight episodes on Netflix now. Or, if you’re in the mood for some other wibbly wobbly timey-wimey fun, check out our guide to the best time travel movies.