Why should Russian Doll season 3 be green-lit? Reasons explored

The popular dark comedy series Russian Doll, created by Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, and Leslye Headland, premiered on Netflix on February 1, 2019. Audiences were hooked by its clever concept and great acting. The show has already aired two seasons, and fans are now eagerly waiting to hear if a third season is in the works.

Natasha Lyonne plays Nadia, a sarcastic woman stuck in a time loop during her 36th birthday party in Russian Doll. The show also includes Charlie Barnett, Greta Lee, and Elizabeth Ashley in other roles. Headland and Lyonne work together as directors and showrunners.

Russian Doll has been getting a lot of love from critics and fans alike for its unique storytelling, great writing, and Natasha Lyonne's acting. It's got a 97% score on Rotten Tomatoes and has become a top hit on Netflix.

Though Netflix has yet to renew the show for its third installment, fans are excited to see what happens next in season 3, especially with all the unanswered questions from the first two seasons.

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Reasons why Russian Doll season 3 needs to be released soon

1) Explore the future and Nadia's role as a mother

Season 1 was all about the present, season 2 took us back in time, so it makes sense for season 3 to look ahead to the future. This could bring some new plotlines for Nadia, like her experience as a mom raising her younger self. It would keep exploring the show's themes of generational trauma and healing in a new light.

In a Variety interview published on April 20, 2022, Lyonne hinted at this possibility, saying,

"Without saying too much, that thought has occurred to me, as well. The show is always going to be a philosophical, psychedelic meditation on the nature of time, mortality, and so on."

Watching Nadia handle motherhood and her future could be a nice way to wrap up her character's journey.

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2) Provide closure to Nadia and Alan's story

Season 2 wrapped up Nadia's issues with her mom, but it left us hanging on what happens to Nadia and Alan. A third season could tie up all those loose ends and give us a clearer picture of their time-traveling shenanigans.

Lyonne mentioned to Variety that she'd like to keep the story going in 2022, saying:

"I don't think I'll ever be done with this show. It depends a lot about appetite and reception."

Wrapping up the characters' stories in a third season would give the show a proper ending instead of leaving it hanging.

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3) Expand the supporting cast and world

A potential third season of Russian Doll could bring in some fresh faces and open up new possibilities for the show. We might see characters like Nadia's time-traveling daughter, a mysterious mentor, a rival time traveler, or a love interest thrown into the mix to spice things up and take Nadia and Alan on some unexpected adventures.

Russian Doll Season 2 was about Nadia, but a third season could shake things up with some new characters and storylines. The show has proven it can develop side characters like Alan, Maxine, and Lizzy well. Introducing some fresh faces to mix things up with Nadia and Alan could give the writers some exciting new material to work with.

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4) Capitalize on the show's critical acclaim

Russian Doll has been a hit with critics ever since it first came out, racking up 13 Emmy nominations for season 1 and holding a solid 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Season 2 got mixed reviews from audiences, but the show's unique vision is still highly respected. Critics like Alicia Lutes, Alan Sepinwall, James Poniewozik, and Haleigh Foutch have all praised Russian Doll for its storytelling, writing, and Natasha Lyonne's acting.

If Netflix renews Russian Doll for a third season, they'll be able to make the most of its popularity and loyal fans. It would show that they trust the creators to keep delivering fresh and engaging content just like they've done with other successful shows like Stranger Things, The Crown, Ozark, and The Witcher.

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5) Provide a showcase for Natasha Lyonne's talents

Russian Doll lets Natasha Lyonne show off all her skills as an actress, writer, and producer. She owns the role of Nadia and a third season would just let her keep doing it. If they make a third season, it would give her a chance to dive deeper into Nadia's character and show different sides of her.

In an interview with Deadline, published in 2023, Lyonne opened up about her show and said:

"I think I'm seeing Russian Doll more and more as a Fire Walk with Me or something like the Twin Peaks journey, so you can have this kind of legacy to it. And then you're allowed to kind of make a movie about it whenever you want, on your own timeline."

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But we're not sure what's next for Russian Doll yet. Leslye Headland mentioned she hasn't heard anything from Netflix about a third season, and Natasha Lyonne's show Poker Face on Peacock might affect when a potential season 3 could happen.

While fans await the arrival of Russian Dolls season 3, the first and season seasons can be streamed on Netflix.