Episode 83: Natasha Lyonne & Alice Ju, "Russian Doll"

<p>Host <strong>Geri Cole</strong> talks about the Netflix series RUSSIAN DOLL with co-creator, writer, producer, director, star <strong>Natasha Lyonne</strong>, and writer-producer <strong>Alice Ju</strong>. They discuss how the series uses religious philosophy to work on both literal and metaphorical levels, taking the show from "Groundhog Day" to "Quantum Leap", and exploring the nesting doll of dealing with grief. Warning, there are spoilers.</p> <p><strong>Natasha Lyonne</strong> is a New York-based actress, comedian, director, writer, and producer. Her diverse career in film spans cult classics such as SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS and BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER to smash hits like the AMERICAN PIE franchise. Her first foray into television was on the critically-acclaimed Netflix comedy-drama ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK from 2013 to 2019, in a role for which she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy. She is a co-founder of the production company Animal Pictures.</p> <p><strong>Alice Ju</strong> is a New York-based writer and producer. She has worked as a staff writer on the critically acclaimed series THE OTHER TWO.</p> <p>Their current project is the Netflix series RUSSIAN DOLL. The series follows a cynical game developer named Nadia, who is struck by a car and dies leaving a party that's being thrown in her honor. In an instant she is alive again and transported back to the party earlier, only to die again moments later. She tries to find a way out of this strange time loop, eventually encountering another person experiencing the same thing. In Season 2, Nadia is 10 days away from celebrating her 40th birthday when the 6 Train sends her back in time to 1982. She soon discovers she is trapped inside the body of her mother, who is pregnant with her. Nadia decides to pursue the gold Krugerrands her mother lost that same year, to change the course of her family’s history.</p> <p>--</p> <p><strong>Read shownotes, transcripts, and other member interviews:</strong><br /> <a href="http://www.onwriting.org/">www.onwriting.org/</a></p