Russian Doll repeats almost every episode, but its originality and plot twists make it more refreshing with every repeat. Her strong personality and the events that happen to her allow the show to explore themes of vulnerability, trauma, and even life and death.
Russian Doll can be summarized in what Nadia screams later that night: “the universe is trying to f*ck with me, and I refuse to engage”. The story restarts, at the same birthday party, staring at herself in the mirror. But on her way out of the bodega, she is hit by a car and dies. So far everything seems normal (in a New York-hipster kind of way). Nadia hooks up with a guy and they stop at a bodega on the way back to her place. On her way out, she finds a friend who hands her a joint laced with cocaine, “that’s how the Israelis do it” her friend says. Her story starts at her thirty-sixth birthday party looking at herself in the bathroom mirror. Nadia is a game developer and proud aging hipster living in New York. In its unpretentious nature, Street Food feels euphoric. It’s about food stripped away from any marketing or showbiz. The show is mostly about middle-aged to senior women, and people who do not make that much money. And in the best way, it connects the story of the food makers to the food. It doesn’t showcase kitchens where only the rich eat, like Chef’s Table often does, but stalls that are accessible to everyone. It’s only 30 minutes long per episode, so it doesn’t indulge in egos or stray into unrelated stories.
Street Food might be similar to other Netflix cooking shows, but it’s also better than them in almost every way. It uses the same slow-motion takes of food, the same close-ups on chefs and the same style of interviews. I can’t say that Street Food is a different format. They’ve made so many that when I want to bring up an episode with a friend I forget if I saw it in Ugly Delicious, Chef’s Table, Salt Fat Acid Heat or others. When I learned about Street Food the first time, I was reluctant to sit through yet another Netflix cooking show.
0 kommentar(er)
