Summary
Nadia hunts for her family’s gold in a fun and inventive episode. Natasha Lyonne is great as the hilarious yet vulnerable lead, trying to rewrite wrongs.
This recap of Netflix’s Russian Doll season 2, episode 2, “Coney Island Baby,” does not contain any significant spoilers.
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In season one, Nadia approached her implausible dilemma systematically, trying to solve the torturous scenario in a structured manner. Well, in season two, Nadia the detective is back. Episode two continues this new storyline with the added bonus of new cast members and many Easter egg titbits for fans of the show to seek out.
Russian Doll season 2, episode 2 recap
Nadia, well technically Lenora, or shall we say Nadia channeled through Lenora, wakes up in her mother’s bed. Her grandmother is furious that the Krugerrands (gold coins) have gone missing, in actuality stolen by Nora and her con man boyfriend Chez the day before. Nadia sees the coins as her inheritance, her birth right, vowing to return them to her grandmother. She time hops back to 2022 to do some research on the thief and her mother’s latest lover.
Exiting the train, Nadia’s phone explodes with messages. Ruth’s already been discharged from the hospital and Nadia wasn’t there to help. Luckily friends Maxine and Lizzy were on the case. Back at Ruth’s and the whole gang are reunited. Maxine is concerned for her friend and explains that they found a lump in Ruth’s neck. Nadia tries to clarify where she was exactly and why she missed this important moment. It makes for a hilarious segment, as Nadia tells the unbelievable truth, but Maxine sees it as mere sarcasm. Season one used a similar gag with the time loop antics.
Nadia does a background check on Chezare Carrera, hunting him down to his tiny apartment in the city. Now an elderly gent, Sharlto Copley is dolled up in old man makeup, appearing both fragile and pathetic. She questions the thief about the stolen money and he talks of the ‘Coney Island’ excuse. Stating that the coins were an ‘If Only’ from Lenora’s past, if only they had the money their lives would have turned out so much better. Detective Nadia spies a photograph of Chez from 1982 at a squash tournament, the next clue in the case.
Back in the eighties, Nadia waits to interrogate her mother’s detestable boyfriend. He’s now sporting a black eye and is shocked to find Nora in the men’s changing room. Nadia asks about the money and Chez says she got her share last night. With the help of an old friend, Nadia retraces her mother’s steps to see where her shopping spree took her. This friend in question is none other than Ruth, a younger version played by Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy. These throwbacks feel a little like fan service, but in a fun way, allowing for back story to flesh out the characters from the present.
The ending
Meanwhile, our other time traveler, Nadia’s time loop pal Alan, is caught driving on the G-train with a suspicious smirk on his face. It looks like Alan has stepped into his own past as well. I’m sure this subplot will mean significant consequences for the whole stability of time, but for now Nadia has more pressing matters at hand.
“Coney Island Baby” delves deeper into the narrative of Lenora’s past, as Nadia tries to rewrite history. Russian Doll continues to play with the concept, creating as much fun as it can from the boundaries of this story. There’s lots of hidden details for fans to explore and some hilarious observations, which you’ve come to expect from the series. Another strong episode from a surprisingly unpredictable show.
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