Imagine living through each day with thousands of emails, messages, and voicemails; that is what Richard Gadd had to live with for a while. A rising Netflix Original Series, “Baby Reindeer,” has been skyrocketing in the television industry for its compelling and captivating storyline. Throughout the months of April and May, the show has become a hot topic in many countries and streaming platforms, charting Netflix’s Global Top-10 TV Shows. The mini TV series, “Baby Reindeer,” is narrated by a failing comedian and bartender named Donny Dunn who encounters a pitiful customer, Martha Scott, during his work hours at a pub. After offering the lonesome woman a free cup of tea he shortly starts to find himself being stalked.
Donny Dunn is played by Richard Gadd, a writer, actor, and comedian, who was also the writer/creator of “Baby Reindeer.” The series was based on his own experience with a female stalker and the story behind it. The series unveils the same way as the real story: in a bar.
Dunn’s lifelong dream of pursuing a career in comedy takes an unsuccessful turn as he winds up working at a bar, The Heart. As Dunn attempts to serve vulnerable Scott, his generous service grabs her heart and attention in a way she hadn’t experienced before. She enjoyed every aspect of Dunn and would come to the bar every day to chat with him. Their conversations brought the two closer until Scott grew overwhelmingly attached to him. Besides chatting at the pub, their other source of communication was through the internet, however it’d usually only be Martha communicating. With over 41,071 emails, 350 hours of voicemail, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages, four fake Facebook accounts, and 106 pages of letters sent from Martha, Dunn was terrified.
Martha Scott is portrayed as a psychotic stalker who is possessive towards Donny and every aspect of his life. She interferes with personal relationships with his parents, girlfriend, colleagues, etc. Once Scott started to act recklessly and dangerously, Dunn attempted to report her to the police. However, he felt troubled to properly report the incident as he was reminded of past experiences that mortified him. Dunn was previously sexually assaulted multiple times by a powerful figure in the writing industry that he looked up to and this impacted him and the situation greatly. The series drags on with suspense about how Dunn will figure a way out of such a gruesome situation.
The show’s name, “Baby Reindeer,” is shown repeatedly throughout the series as it is a nickname Martha Scott uses to refer to Donny Dunn as. As a child, Scott adored a reindeer stuffed animal and she found that Dunn was a spitting image of it. Donny Dunn’s character development throughout the series is admirable as he was able to put an end to Scott and face deep trauma buried inside him. The show presents a variety of characters, all filled with different backgrounds and personalities.
The series, a true story, has caught the eyes of many people interested in uncovering the truth, despite Gadd asking the audience not to speculate on his Instagram. Still, viewers identified the “real Martha Scott” as Fiona Harvey. Having been identified by viewers online, she stepped forward in an interview with Piers Morgan saying that she knew Gadd was referencing her when he named it “Baby Reindeer.” While she admits to a few details of the show being true, she claims that other details are untrue. Harvey claims that certain details in the show, such as the amount of emails and tweets and offenses the character Martha was charged for, are all incorrect and are defamatory to herself. When Morgan asked about the number of emails, tweets, Facebook messages, and letters, she said, “That’s simply not true. […] I don’t think I sent him anything. […] I think there may have been a couple of emails exchanging but that was it, just jokey banter emails.” She claims that she didn’t send any Facebook messages or voicemails and did not go to jail, let alone accused of the crimes Martha was at the end of the show. Harvey is threatening to sue Netflix and Gadd for the allegations and defamation, claiming that they are “making money out of my misery.” This may lead “Baby Reindeer” to face legal issues. Even so, it’s difficult to find the truth in it all because Gadd himself said that certain scenes were dramatized in the production of the series.
Gadd is very reflective of himself in interviews about the series. He says that he may have led “Martha” on at certain times, appreciating her company and reactions, and believes he is somewhat at fault for the situation as well. The actress for Martha Scott, Jessica Gunning, also describes the characters Martha and Dunn as “lost.” Both characters are flawed and despite the audience’s reaction to Martha’s seemingly antagonistic character, Gadd says in interviews that there is no true antagonist.
This psychological thriller teaches an important lesson to not feel restrained from trying to seek help when in a dangerous situation. Furthermore, this raises awareness among people, indicating that it is not okay to be victimized and feel invalidated no matter the situation or circumstances, similar to Donny Dunn. The production is RATED-16 as it can be discomforting to view for a younger audience unless supervised by adults. The show can be both refreshing and interesting to watch when in the mood for a dark and raw show.
“I was shocked that such a story has been adapted into such [a] form of media,” Ricardo Padillo, a sophomore, says. “ It is refreshing to see different struggles and themes being put into a project.”