DISCLAIMER: This recap of the Russian Doll episode “Coney Island Baby” has spoilers. Proceed at your peril.
Welcome, time prisoners! Russian Doll‘s second episode introduces the always-delightful Annie Murphy as none other than young Ruth. Murphy knocks it out of the park, utterly disappearing into the role. She’s a far cry from Alexis Rose, that’s for sure.
“Coney Island Baby” boasts solid performances from the leads, more sci-fi intrigue, delightfully dark humor and a relentlessly tough-as-nails New Yorker spirit. I’m here for the tumble down the rabbit hole!
Ready to dig deep into “Coney Island Baby”? Let’s get to it.
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We open Lenora, a.k.a. Nora (Chloë Sevigny), sleeping in bed in 1982. Vera (Irén Bordán) barges into the room, demanding to know where her Krugerrands are. We see Nadia (Natasha Lyonne) respond to Vera’s unexpected entrance, referring to her as “grandma,” even though she’s Nora’s mother.
Vera rants about her daughter always taking and never giving and emphasizes the importance of those Krugerrands. After receiving the brunt of Vera’s verbal abuse, Nadia stands up for herself, reminding the former that, technically, the gold is her inheritance. Not Nora’s, not Vera’s — Nadia’s.
Nadia doles out an epic burn before embracing her grandmother and departing. Lyonne is a connoisseur of delivering expletives in an endlessly listenable voice (alongside Shohreh Aghdashloo on The Expanse).
Next, Nadia flips through a phonebook, searching for Chez’s phone number. She approaches Derek (Ephraim Sykes) at the Guardian Angels headquarters, hoping he can help her find Chez. Nadia explains that Chez robbed her. After some consideration, Derek offers to track him down, claiming it’ll take two weeks. That’s too long!
Later, Nadia returns to 2022 and reunites with Maxine (Greta Lee), Ruth (Elizabeth Ashley) and Lizzy (Rebecca Henderson). Nadia apologizes for not picking up Ruth from the hospital. Lizzy takes Ruth to her room while Maxine chastises Nadia for her absence. Of course, Nadia can’t explain her situation, as it’s too whacky to comprehend.
Nadia finds an address for Chez and knocks on his door. Chez (Sharlto Copley) answers, looking significantly older than when we saw him. Nadia gets down to brass tacks. Hey, our gal doesn’t beat around the bush. She demands to know what he did with her grandmother’s stolen gold.
Chez claims he’s trying to move on from the past and be a better person. He urges Nadia to forget about the Krugerrands. She asks Chez what he did next after absconding with the gold. However, Chez evades her line of questioning, slithering past her like the snake he is.
Nadia spots a photo of Chez in 1982 after he won a squash tournament. Chez hits on Nadia, even though he banged her mother 40 years ago. That’s not weird at all.
Then, Nadia revisits 1982, hitting up the rec center young Chez frequents. Nadia spots him checking in with the receptionist and flags him down in the locker rooms. He doesn’t understand why she’s asking about the gold. Chez reminds Nadia that she — well, Nora — has the duffel bag in her possession. He gave her the Krugerrands. Which begs the question: What did she do with it?
Nadia spots her mother’s sleek crimson sports car parked on the street. Bingo! But Vera cut Nora off from the family funds, and we see movers removing Nadia’s mother’s things from her apartment. Delia (Athina Papadimitriu) explains that Nora’s recklessness with the gold got her in this situation.
Meanwhile, Nadia encounters a familiar face — young Ruth (Murphy). Nadia persuades Ruth to take her back to the dealership so that she can return the car in exchange for the Krugerrands. Fun fact: while at the dealership, Nadia learns she was named after one of the employees.
Unfortunately, Nora paid for the car with cash, so she blew the gold on something else. After accepting the money for the vehicle, Nadia pops open the trunk to find a bevy of exquisite fur coats.
Our dynamic duo heads to the pawnshop, where Nora purchased the furs. However, Nadia only receives a portion of the gold in return, so Ruth pawns her wedding ring so that Nadia gets the rest. Ruth’s husband passed away, but Nadia assures her she’ll marry many more.
Later, Nadia and Ruth chat at a diner, smoking up a storm. Knowing the health problems on Ruth’s horizon, Nadia urges the former to stop smoking. Of course, Ruth thinks she’s speaking to a pregnant Nora, so, you know, pot, meet kettle. Nadia comforts Ruth when the latter has a breakdown. It’s a touching moment.
Then, Nadia utilizes a payphone to call her mother. She explains she’s Nora’s daughter and proceeds to scold her mom for being a crappy parent. Nadia plans to return the gold, which should mend Nora and Vera’s strained relationship.
Next, while en route to 2022, Nadia spots Alan (Charlie Barnett) on the train next to her. She calls out to him, but he doesn’t see her. Nadia returns to her seat to find the duffel bag missing … again. We see Nora in the reflection of the windows as she panics over losing the Krugerrands.
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“Coney Island Baby” utilizes time travel to delve into intergenerational trauma, as Nadia simultaneously grieves her mother and tries to heal. It’s an exciting angle, grounding the sci-fi elements and weaving them into the real-life narrative.
I was hoping we’d get a glimpse of Alan in 1982, but perhaps the Powers That Be are saving his escapades for a later episode.
Who do you think stole the Krugerrands? Will anyone else from Nadia’s past resurface? Keep your eyes on this space while I recap Russian Doll, only on Geek Girl Authority.
Russian Doll Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
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What I do: I'm GGA's Managing Editor, a Senior Contributor, and Press Coordinator. I manage, contribute, and coordinate. Sometimes all at once. Joking aside, I oversee day-to-day operations for GGA, write, edit, and assess interview opportunities/press events.
Who I am: Before moving to Los Angeles after studying theater in college, I was born and raised in Amish country, Ohio. No, I am not Amish, even if I sometimes sport a modest bonnet.
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