Ariadne (Russian Doll)

"**Ariadne**"
"Ariadne"
Russian Doll episode
	Nadia and Alan realize they are in the wrong timelines, meeting their opposite's old self.
Episode no.	Season 1; Episode 8
Directed by	Natasha Lyonne
Written by	Natasha Lyonne
Featured music	Full list "Piano Concerto No. 4" by Beethoven; "Gotta Get Up" by Harry Nilsson; "Migas 2000" by The Limiñanas; "Alone Again Or" by Bryan MacLean;
Cinematography by	Chris Teague
Editing by	Laura Weinberg
Original release date	February 1, 2019
Running time	30 minutes
Guest appearances
	Brendan Sexton III as Horse; Rebecca Henderson as Lizzy; Jeremy Bobb as Mike Kershaw; Ritesh Rajan as Ferran; Burt Young as Joe; Max Knoblauch as a paramedic; Ken Beck as a paramedic; Yoni Lotan as a paramedic;
Episode chronology
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	List of episodes

"Ariadne" is the eighth and final episode of the first season of the American comedy-drama streaming television series Russian Doll. It was directed and written by Natasha Lyonne, who also serves as the show's co-creator and executive producer. The episode was released in the United States, along with the rest of season one, via Netflix on February 1, 2019.^[1]

Plot[]

Believing to have cracked the code of the time loop, Nadia and Alan awaken one final time to regroup and remove the cursed time loop once and for all. They also happily notice that their possessions and surroundings have returned to normal. The pair both arrive at Ferran's supermarket, only to realize that they have both been separated into two different timelines, with Alan meeting a Nadia who does not recognize him, and Nadia meeting a drunk and suicidal Alan.

Realizing that the alternate versions of each other will die without their help, the pair decides to make it their mission to save their opposite's old self. Nadia successfully prevents drunk Alan from committing suicide, and Alan successfully prevents Nadia from being hit by the taxi. In the end, the pair walks happily into a parade led by Horse as the two timelines merge into one.

Reception[]

Critical response[]

The season finale of Russian Doll was highly lauded by critics. Rose Maura Lorre, writing for Vulture, gave the season finale a rating of 5 out of 5 stars, praising both Nadia and Alan's character development, stating that "It’s Alan and Nadia’s self-loathing, and in Nadia’s case perhaps also her self-centeredness, that’s rendered them stuck."^[2]

Accolades[]

Year	Association	Category	Nominee(s)	Result	Ref.
2019	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)	Chris Teague	Won	^[3]
2019	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series	Laura Weinberg	Nominated	^[3]

References[]

^ Shannon Miller, Liz (December 14, 2018). "'Russian Doll': Netflix Reveals Release Date for Natasha Lyonne Dark Comedy". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018.
^ Maura Lorre, Rose (February 2, 2019). "Russian Doll Season Finale Recap: The Maze Runner". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019.
^ Hill, Libby (September 14, 2019). "Complete Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2019 Winners List: 'Game of Thrones' Torches Competitors". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020.

External links[]

"Ariadne" on Netflix
"Ariadne" at IMDb

[1] Shannon Miller, Liz (December 14, 2018). "'Russian Doll': Netflix Reveals Release Date for Natasha Lyonne Dark Comedy". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018.

[2] Maura Lorre, Rose (February 2, 2019). "Russian Doll Season Finale Recap: The Maze Runner". Vulture. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019.

[3] Hill, Libby (September 14, 2019). "Complete Creative Arts Emmy Awards 2019 Winners List: 'Game of Thrones' Torches Competitors". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020.

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