Russian Doll spoilers follow.
The universe has come up with a new way to eff with Nadia in season two of Russian Doll, but serving time as a prisoner of death in season one seems to have fortified her attitude.
This time instead of fighting the cosmos she goes along for the ride with as sunny a disposition as Natasha Lyonne can muster and a 'Let it [f**k with me]' attitude.
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Season two has Nadia Quantum Leap-ing her way through the past as she attempts to change the fate of her family by recovering their lost fortune in gold Krugerrands.
Man, is she barking up the wrong tree. She quickly realises the past is fixed and who is there to help her piece together the clues? Well, yes, Alan (Charlie Barnett) – of course he's there, but we're actually talking about Horse (Brendan Sexton III).
Yes, Horse. The homeless dude with no shoes from season one is back again. Albeit in a more pared-back role, but his presence is still very much felt.
If you've watched both seasons you'll have figured out that Horse is always just lingering around at the most interesting of moments and we can't help but think that this is no mere accident.
Is it possible – and stay with us on this one – that Horse is responsible for these freak supernatural occurrences happening to Nadia and Alan?
A very intriguing Reddit theory by TJ_Fox has resurfaced and we can't help but think they may have a point.
Fox believes that Horse is a shaman helping lost souls navigate their loops, but what if he's more than that? What if he's the one creating the loops he steers them through?
The clues have been there from season one and carry right the way through to the end of season two.
The first time Nadia sees Horse in season one he is standing outside a park. Nadia is convinced she knows him and they stare at each other pensively from across the street in some sort of eerie silent exchange.
No more occurs in that particular scene but later on in the episode Nadia spots her missing cat Oatmeal outside of the same park and rushes over to get to him. It is then that she is hit by a car and dies, triggering the first loop as Oatmeal slinks off into the park.
You're probably thinking 'Big deal.' Well, yeah, it is a big deal because during Nadia's second encounter with Horse she asks the vagrant if they know each other and he kindly tells her to f**k off. The scene then cuts to Nadia before panning back to the place where Horse had been standing – but instead of Horse there's Oatmeal the cat again.
Creators aren't usually so random with their choice of scenes and so it's possible that Horse is using Oatmeal to lead Nadia.
This point is further corroborated when Nadia makes it through her first night without dying. She is holding Oatmeal, feeling a sense of relief when the cat literally disappears into thin air. His disappearance precedes yet another death warning her that the cosmos is not finished with her just yet.
The show is stuffed to the brim with little clues like this but none more significant than when Horse cuts Nadia's hair. Not to get too spiritual on you here, but hair has many symbolic meanings.
One theory links hair to mortality and immortality because of its sturdiness and slow rate of decomposition.
While cutting her hair Horse gestures to the severed locks and says to Nadia: "This the old you. This is who you were day after day after day after day but it's gone now. Cause this," he continues, stroking her head, "this is the new you."
Now, we may be reading a little too much into this but we're theorising here so jump aboard. Horse cutting Nadia's hair implies he's in control of her mortality. He wants to bring about change within her – heavily insinuated by his words – thus guiding her through this supernatural hell.
She later gives him the gold Krugerrand necklace she wears draped around her neck, telling him it's too heavy. What is the second season centred around? The retrieval of the Krugerrands.
The whole premise of season two is to get Nadia to let go of the past and to accept that things unfolded the way they were always meant to. Horse is trying to lighten her mental and spiritual load. This was always the path for Nadia after the death cycle of season one, and was foreshadowed when he accepted the Krugerrand.
As mentioned before, Horse doesn't appear a lot in the second season but he is purposefully placed.
We first see Horse at the subway right before Nadia gets on the train and wormholes her way to the 1980s. His maniacal laugh sounds right as the trippy time-travel music plays but if you listen carefully (and the Netflix subtitles are to be believed) Horse calls Nadia by her mother Nora's name.
Not so coincidentally she steps into the '80s in the body of her mother.
Horse later appears at the end when a frazzled Nadia and Alan attempt to return baby Nadia whom adult Nadia kidnapped after giving birth to… well… herself. In the past. They can't find the train at the station, but who is there to shepherd them towards it? Horse.
For the first time (in Horse's presence) Nadia mentions the make and model of the train: R32 66 22.
We don't mean to bang the symbolism drum again but let's get numerological. The number three has been known to represent mind, body, and spirit and birth, life, and death – all themes brought up in this season.
The number two is duality – in this instance the split between the present and the past – and when imbalanced can also be destructive. Nadia does kind of break time so that's pretty destructive.
Six on the other hand brings us right back to Horse, as six in numerology is attributed to 'the caretaker' – Horse's role in this madhouse. To care and guide Nadia as she weaves her way through the loony bin that is space and time.
Ergo, Horse is Russian Doll's equivalent to the Trojan Horse. Planted there in a less sinister way to steer Nadia in the right direction. Hence the reason he is always there at the beginning and near the end of her supernatural journey in both seasons.
Unless this is all a huge misdirection and Oatmeal is the real wizard behind the curtain pulling all the strings. No wonder he makes several versions of himself in this season. We're on to you, Oatmeal!
Russian Doll season 2 will premiere on Wednesday, April 20 on Netflix.
Netflix/Left Bank Pictures The Crown season 3 with Amazon exclusive box artwork
TV writer, Digital Spy Janet completed her Masters degree in Magazine Journalism in 2013 and has continued to grow professionally within the industry ever since. For six years she honed her analytical reviewing skills at the Good Housekeeping institute eventually becoming Acting Head of Food testing. She also freelanced in the field of film and TV journalism from 2013-2020, when she interviewed A-List stars such as Samuel L Jackson, Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson. In 2021 she joined Digital Spy as TV writer where she gets to delve into more of what she loves, watching copious amounts of telly all in the name of work. Since taking on the role she has conducted red carpet interviews with the cast of Bridgerton, covered the BAFTAs and been interviewed by BBC Radio and London Live. In her spare time she also moonlights as a published author, the book Gothic Angel.
