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Baby Reindeer, the newest miniseries from Netflix, premiered on April 11 and brings us an intense and disturbing narrative experienced by the Scottish comedian Richard Gadd. 2b6e6h
At first, the light and fun title may suggest another conventional streaming comedy-drama, but the series stands out for the depth and seriousness of its story. Written, directed and starring Richard Gadd, Baby Reindeer (Baby reindeer, original name) is inspired by real events in his life in 2015, when he worked as a bartender at a pub in London.
The series tells the story of Donny (played by Richard Gadd), an amateur comedian who, when trying to be kind, offers a complimentary tea to Martha (Jessica Gunning), a distressed woman crying on the counter. This gesture triggers a obsession unrequited relationship that leads Donny to face old traumas that he spent years trying to overcome.
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Originally developed as a show for the Edinburgh Theater Festival in 2019, the story was adapted for Netflix after winning some awards. The complexity of the themes throughout the plot and the quality of the performances are impressive, mainly because they deal with delicate situations such as: homophobia, mental health e sex abuse.
Richard Gadd's performance, as himself, is captivating and stands out in several moments of the series, especially in the emotional monologue he delivers in the penultimate episode. The impeccable Jessica Gunning is so convincing in her performance as stalker which makes the viewer laugh and cry almost at the same moment.
Since Glenn Coser in Fatal Attraction, and, most recently, Penn Badgley, in you, you haven't seen an obsessive character so well constructed and played.
Baby Reindeer Each episode is around 30 minutes long, there are seven in total, making life easier for those who like to do marathons on the weekends. Available on Netflix Brazil, the series is, without a doubt, one of the best television productions of the year so far.
Warning: from here onwards contains spoilers and content that may cause triggers
In the first scenes, we are introduced to Martha, who claims to be a successful lawyer and resident of an affluent area of London, who surprisingly has no money to pay for her tea. After Donny cover your small expense, it quickly becomes an invasive and constant presence in your life. In the first episode, the series manages to convey a palpable discomfort through Martha's intrusions, which range from discovering Donny's email and sending 41.000 messages to bombarding him with 350 hours of voice messages, including declarations of love and threats. .
Throughout the series, the complexity of the relationship between Donny and Martha deepens. Donny shows empathy, realizing his serious mental disorders, and ends up not taking the case to the authorities, and, when asking his friends for help, he becomes a laughing stock among them. However, the situation becomes untenable and, when trying to delicately distance herself, Martha misinterprets her actions. She creates illusions about the relationship, feeding unfounded hopes that one day they will really be together.
Martha's obsession escalates when she starts attending all of Donny's stand-up shows and even tries to sabotage his relationship with his girlfriend. Teri, Played by Nava Mau. Realizing that she is being rejected, Martha takes extreme measures. She starts making false police accusations against Donny's family and stalking Teri, as well as other of his ex-girlfriends, heightening the tension and drama of the narrative.
The climax of the series is yet to come. Donny, despite being clearly disturbed by the situation, seems to derive a certain pleasure from the presence of a stalker, raising the viewer's suspicions about his own psychological nuances. At the same time, the narrative takes a trip to Donny's past in Scotland, his birthplace, revealing the true demons that torment him.
During his journey to become a comedian, Donny performs at a bar where he meets Darrien, an influential TV producer played by Tom Goodman-Hill, which also shines on paper. After developing a friendship, Darrien seduces Donny and takes him to his house. It is in the fourth episode that the series gains an even deeper dramatic intensity, when Darrien takes advantage of a moment of Donny's vulnerability. From this point on, the narrative adopts a non-linear structure, interweaving past and present events. This format helps viewers understand the complexities and similarities between Donny and Martha, exploring the depths of their traumatic experiences and their emotional consequences.
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In an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian, Richard Gadd reports that, after six months of being persecuted, his attempt to take the case to the police was not well received.
I was reprimanded for 'bothering' the police with my harassment case
Richard Gadd
Gadd also expressed to The Independent his concern about the representation of Martha – the stalker's fictitious name.
Stalking and harassment are manifestations of a mental illness. It would be unfair to portray her as a monster, given that she is sick and has been failed by the system.
Richard Gadd
This personal experience of Gadd served as the basis for his 2019 show Monkey see, monkey do (Monkey see, monkey do, in Portuguese), where he narrates in detail the entire saga he experienced with his stalker and reflects on the complexities involved.
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The series topped Netflix in 13 countries, including the US, UK and Brazil, with 2,6 million views in the first week and 100% approval on Rotten Tomatoes.
Curiosity about Martha dominates the conversations, often overshadowing questions about Darrien, whose figure as an abusive man, protected by power, goes almost unnoticed. Darrien's identity remains a mystery, and there are calls online to identify the real attacker, who may still be active in the industry.
In the final episode of the series, after Donny manages to prove the danger posed by his stalker, he attends his trial in court, where Martha confesses to all her actions and is sentenced to prison. In contrast, Darrien remains unpunished, illustrating her influence over Donny, who is even offered a job by him, highlighting the power imbalance and moral consequences of this relationship.
In a Reddit thread, the community intensely discusses Martha and Darrien's identities, highlighting the contrast in reception of their stories. While Martha faces the consequences of her actions, Darrien appears to remain unpunished, raising important questions about justice and the visibility of crimes.
Defamation legislation prevents the man who abused Gadd from being publicly identified, although some online investigations suggest his likely identity. However, by making her experience public, Gadd accomplished something potentially more impactful than just revealing the attacker's name. He reduced some of the stigma, which is the most effective tool people like Darrien use to silence their victims.
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Sources: The Sydney Morning Gerald, BBC News
Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim
