Ep 4. Ruski Business

Russian Dolls is a Netflix original series that follows the life of Nadia (Natasha Lyonne), a young woman who finds herself trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day over and over again. In episode 4, titled 'Ruski Business', Nadia continues to try and figure out the reason behind her constant cycle while also trying to help those around her.

Nadia wakes up, yet again, in the bathroom of her friend Maxine's apartment on her 36th birthday. She's spent countless days in this same routine and is growing increasingly irritated with her inability to move past it. As she leaves the bathroom, she remembers that her ex-boyfriend John (Yul Vazquez) is having an art show that night and decides to go to make good on their friendship. On her way out, Maxine (Greta Lee) warns her not to "screw up the timeline" but Nadia isn't sure if that's even possible.

As Nadia walks through the streets of New York, she continues to play out the same patterns and meets various people along the way. She sees a homeless man she's seen before and decides to help him out; he gives her a few clues that may help her figure out how to break the cycle. She also runs into a former co-worker, Ruth (Elizabeth Ashley), who begs Nadia for help in buying her grandson a special toy for his birthday. Nadia decides to help her, only to find out that it's much harder than she anticipated.

While trying to complete Ruth's request, Nadia runs into Alan (Charlie Barnett), another person who's in the same time loop as her. They have a brief conversation about their experiences and Alan mentions that he's figured some things out that might help them both get out of the cycle. Nadia is skeptical but agrees to follow his lead. Together, they go to a deli to try and find a specific type of candy that he believes will trigger something to break them out of the loop. However, their attempt is thwarted when the owner of the deli recognizes Nadia from a previous loop and kicks them both out.

Frustrated with the lack of progress, Nadia decides to head to John's art show to take her mind off things. There, she runs into an old acquaintance, Farran (Ritesh Rajan), who she immediately recognizes as being in the loop with her. They discuss their experiences and Nadia starts to feel like she's not alone in this strange phenomenon. However, she's quickly interrupted by John, who wants to confront her about his art piece - a picture of her vomiting in a toilet. Nadia is understandably upset but is reminded by Maxine that the only way out of the loop is to confront and resolve all of her issues.

As the night winds down, Nadia is back at Maxine's apartment with Alan. She decides to open up to him about her childhood traumas and her mother's untimely death, something she's never talked about with anyone. Alan, who's been trying to figure out his own issues, is moved by her story and they both agree to support each other in their attempts to break free. Just when they think they've made a breakthrough, something unexpected happens and Nadia finds herself back in the bathroom of Maxine's apartment. However, this time, she notices something different about her surroundings and knows that she's made progress.

'Ruski Business' is a moving and introspective episode that delves into the emotions and struggles of the characters. It's a powerful reminder that everyone has their own battles and that coming together can help overcome them. As Nadia and Alan work to figure out the reason behind their time loop, they're forced to confront their past traumas and come to terms with their own identity. Will they finally break the cycle and move forward, or will they be stuck in this endless loop forever? Only time will tell.