We don’t have an answer to why she calls him nipple.
Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Baby Reindeer.
The Big Picture
-
Baby Reindeer
is a harrowing and gripping Netflix drama based on real-life stalking experiences. - The show delves into themes of privacy, obsession, and the consequences of social interactions.
- The relationship between Donny and Martha is complex, tragic, and filled with moments of dark humor.
Baby Reindeer is one of the year’s most harrowing and beautifully crafted Netflix dramas. Created by and starring Scottish comedian Richard Gadd as the show’s fictional lead character Donny Dunn, this hard-hitting seven-part series is based on Gadd’s real-life experience dealing with an obsessive stalker. Martha (Jessica Dunning) is a fictionalized version of Gadd’s real-life stalker, who relentlessly pursued him in an invasion of privacy that spanned 41,71 emails, 350 hours of voicemail, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages, 4 fake Facebook accounts, and 106 pages of letters. In a masterpiece of modern television, Baby Reindeer depicts a turbulent and destructive trail of events spawned from one man’s seemingly innocent gesture of a free cup of tea. This unique, gripping, and profoundly honest show has even seen viewers try to track down the real Martha, which Richard Gadd wants to avoid.
Baby Reindeer (2024)
In a dark and gripping narrative, a young man’s life spirals into chaos when an innocent encounter at his bar job leads to an obsessive stalking by an older woman. The film skillfully explores themes of privacy, obsession, and the boundaries of social interaction.
- Release Date
- April 11, 2024
- Cast
- Richard Gadd , Jessica Gunning , Danny Kirrane , Nava Mau
- Main Genre
- Drama
- Seasons
- 1
- Creator(s)
- Richard Gadd
- Writers
- Richard Gadd
- Streaming Service(s)
- Netflix
- Directors
- Weronika Tofilska , Josephine Bornebusch
What Does ‘Baby Reindeer’ Mean?
Throughout the series, Martha regularly refers to Donny as “Baby Reindeer” or simply “Reindeer”. Audiences can initially be forgiven for thinking this was merely a bizarre term of endearment from a woman who is slowly losing her grip on reality, but the truth runs much deeper. Just like Donny, Martha also seems to have suffered some form of abuse, or a severely troubled childhood. In her final voicemail to Donny, Martha’s now soft and eerily distant voice can be heard explaining:
“Basically, I had this wee cuddly toy when I was young. It went with me everywhere. This reindeer was a cuddly, fluffy thing with big lips, huge eyes, and the cutest wee bum. I still have it to this day. It was the only good thing about my childhood. I’d hug it when they fought, and they fought a lot. Well, you are the spit of that reindeer. The same nose, same eyes, same cute wee bum. It means so much to me. You mean so much to me.”
As Donny listens to the voicemail, he begins to break down and is visibly distraught by Martha’s words. This voice note is key to understanding Martha’s behavior and the way she processes things. It could also explain some of her more disturbing and abusive actions. For example, the non-consensual scene where Martha sexually assaults Donny by grabbing his crotch may stem from some form of learned behavior, developed from abuse endured in her own past. This is certainly open to interpretation by the viewers and poses many unanswered questions that further heighten Baby Reindeer’s harrowing themes throughout. What remains vehemently clear is that Martha sees something familiar in Donny that reminds her of the toy she once cherished. In her mind, his warm and non-judgemental nature and his seemingly familiar characteristics give her the right to stake some sort of claim on him.
It’s clear that Donny also initially feels a similar way towards Martha. According to Richard Gadd himself, Baby Reindeer is ultimately a story of two broken people, whose lives will never be the same without each other. This is reflected perfectly during the end scenes when the two lock eyes in the courtroom, forcing viewers to feel their underlying sadness seep out through the screen. Nothing about this bizarre and volatile relationship is simple or straightforward, and that’s where the show’s true brilliance lies.
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Why Does Donny Take So Long To Report Martha?
Donny makes the controversial decision not to immediately report Martha to the police. Instead, it becomes clear that he’s thriving on the attention Martha gives him. Having someone at the other end of the bar who offers him pure adoration is exactly what he needs at this point in his life. She makes him feel special, seen, and wanted. There is also an air of loneliness surrounding both characters. When Donny sees Martha sitting at the end of the bar, sad and dejected, he feels empathy towards her as he can relate to what he thinks she’s feeling. The complexity of both characters comes into play when Martha becomes obsessed with Donny, visiting the bar religiously every day and placing expectations on what she believes their relationship is. What started as Donny getting a boost from Martha’s affection, quickly turns into something far more sinister. Suddenly, she’s everywhere he is, even going so far as to invade his personal space by turning up at his home and creating a fake persona to wangle her way inside.
After being sexually abused by a trusted mentor in a position of power, Donny is at a point in his life where he can’t connect with people as he doesn’t truly know who he is anymore. He has completely disassociated himself from life and appears lost and distant. It is only when he opens up to his parents about everything he’s been through and receives their unwavering support, that he finds the strength to stand up to his abuser and subsequently take action against Martha, regaining his privacy. Even at this point, Donny remains empathetic towards Martha and wants her to get the help that she also so desperately needs.
Is ‘Baby Reindeer’ a Comedy Show?
The show itself isn’t designed to be a comedy, especially given its hard-hitting topics, because Richard Gadd himself is a comedian, it does have some darkly comedic moments. In a behind-the-scenes look at Baby Reindeer, Gadd explains that humorous undertones are deliberately placed throughout the series to provide viewers with a release. He knew that, without laughter along the way, it could have been a very dark experience. One of the best examples of humor breaking up a scene is the moment when Donny finally decides to report Martha to the police. After detailing the extent of Martha’s harassment of him, he pulls up a random email from her and shows it to the police officer. Unfortunately for Donny, this email simply reads: “i jusst had an egg.” which isn’t quite the threatening content that he’d hoped to have showcased!
Baby Reindeer has proved itself to be one of the most jarring and bingeworthy shows on Netflix, cementing itself as an instant classic. Richard Gadd must be praised for giving such an incredibly honest and vulnerable portrayal of a dark time in his life. Give Baby Reindeer and its fantastic cast all the awards, please!
Baby Reindeer is available to stream on Netflix in the U.S.
This article was originally published on collider.com