The Arc: The Intellectual Equal (Season 3)
Perry is arguably Kimmy’s most significant romantic relationship in the series, and he is introduced during the St. Petersburg era. He is a fellow student at the college where Kimmy works.
The central romantic axis in her St. Petersburg arc is with Dimitri — a brooding, idealistic artist she meets during the White Nights. Their chemistry is electric but doomed from the start. The Arc: The Intellectual Equal (Season 3) Perry
Why fans love it: It’s painfully realistic. No villains, just bad timing and emotional walls.
In a shocking turn, Kimmy briefly develops romantic feelings for her captor again during his trial. This is not a retcon but a deep dive into complex trauma. Why fans love it: It’s painfully realistic
In Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the setting shift to St. Petersburg in Season 3 serves a specific narrative purpose. New York City represented the overwhelming, chaotic freedom of her new life. St. Petersburg, by contrast, represents a "waiting room"—a place that is sunny, slow, and full of older demographics.
Romantically, this setting forces Kimmy into a different gear. In New York, her love life was often about catching up on lost time (the "skanks" phase). In St. Petersburg, her storylines become about compatibility, agency, and the search for a partner who understands her specific kind of brokenness. and full of older demographics. Romantically
Here is a breakdown of the key romantic players during this era: