“Realistically Queer”: Queer Connection and Interdependence in Russian Doll

Abstract

By examining the ways that Nadia and Alan—the two protagonists of Netflix show Russian Doll—experience gender, madness, and interdependence, this article argues that Russian Doll encourages open normativities and highlights the importance of relations beyond hetero-or homonormative coupling. While both Nadia and Alan fail at gender and fail to properly accept help for their mental distress, their growing ability to connect to their surroundings and to the other characters allows them to heal from the trauma of living and of dying. Using queer theory, including understandings of vulnerability, interdependence, and gesture, I argue that even though both main characters are seemingly heterosexual, Russian Doll is “realistically queer” in its insistence on queer temporality. Key words: Russian Doll; queer theory; open normativities; temporality; interdependence.