Rosie O'Donnell is credited in every episode of Russian Doll season 2 — but why? Russian Doll boasts an interesting array of guest, recurring, and main cast members, from Natasha Lyonne's Orange Is The New Black co-star Dascha Polanco to Annie Murphy of Schitt's Creek. However, O'Donnell's episode credits raise an interesting question, especially since her character isn't seen in the show.
Russian Doll, the Netflix comedy-drama created by Natasha Lyonne, Amy Poehler, and Leslye Headland, focuses on Nadia Vulvokov, a software developer played by Lyonne. Russian Doll's first season focused on Nadia being stuck in a time loop where she keeps reliving her 36th birthday every time she dies. Nadia soon meets Alan (Charlie Barnett), who's also in a loop, and the two work together to find a way out of this bizarre situation. The show became a big hit when it premiered on Netflix in February of 2019, and a second season was quickly greenlit a few months later. Russian Doll season 2, set four years after the finale, also features time travel, but this time Nadia and Alan are stuck in the 1980s.
The reason why Rosie O'Donnell is credited in every episode of Russian Doll season 2 is because she has a guest-starring role as the train announcer in the background of each episode. Russian Doll is set in New York City, which is known for its bustling subway system, so it's understandable that there would be a train announcer in the story. Since Nadia is stuck in a time loop again, it would make sense that the voice of the A League of Their Own actress appears frequently throughout the season. O'Donnell also has a distinctive voice, which is good for an announcer role. Though her character is not actually seen throughout Russian Doll season 2, it is still a role worth crediting Rosie O'Donnell for because it does play a part in the overall story.
However, this does still raise the question as to how Rosie O'Donnell got involved with Russian Doll season 2. Natasha Lyonne and O'Donnell first met each other in 2008 while working on Love, Loss, and What I Wore, an Off-Broadway play written by Nora Ephron (who previously wrote the screenplay for and directed Rosie O'Donnell in the classic 90s romantic comedy Sleepless in Seattle) and her sister Delia. From then on, the two struck up a friendship, so it's not surprising that Rosie O'Donnell was offered a role in Russian Doll. O'Donnell also wrote a tribute to Lyonne in 2019 (via Variety) where she talks about how she admires the actress and praises Russian Doll season 1. With this in mind, it makes sense that O'Donnell would accept the chance to be a part of a show, as she was already a fan of it.
Rosie O'Donnell may only have a guest-starring voice role in Russian Doll season 2, but it's fascinating to see how it came to be. It also provides a fun mystery for viewers, as it's easy to miss what her role is in the show - and yet this detail still serves to improve Russian Doll overall.