If Nadia Vulvokov and Theresa “Tree” Gelbman met in the women’s bathroom at a party, they would see little in common, standing side-by-side looking into the mirror: 36-year-old redheaded game designer next to 22-year-old blonde co-ed, the latter too good for this and the former too checked-out to care. But these women are linked by time, by death, and by one Phil Connors.
Over twenty-five years ago, Groundhog Day introduced one of the best-known interpretations of the time loop story, with a particular focus on self-improvement via existential crisis and some morbid humor. A quarter-century later, thanks to one-off TV episodes and a growing number of entire movies and TV series dedicated to the premise, the time loop is a veritable subgenre—and Phil’s near-infinite journey of self-discovery has provided the blueprint for new narratives to riff upon, to subvert, and, most importantly, to gender-swap.
