The Story Of Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer,’ Explained

Netflix’s latest viral hit, Baby Reindeer, is provoking strong reactions from viewers and critics, pulling off a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.

The seven-episode limited drama series was written and created by Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, who stars as an alternate version of himself, Donny Dunn.

The series follows Donny on a downward spiral, as he meets a lonely woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning) who morphs from friend to stalker. Donny attempts to escape the grip of Martha’s obsession, while trying to navigate the lingering effects of past trauma.

From the very first scene, Baby Reindeer hooks the viewer in, with a visibly desperate Donny struggling to get a policeman to take his situation seriously.

Is ‘Baby Reindeer’ Based On A True Story?

Richard Gadd told Variety that the series is “emotionally 100% true,” with the events of the story “borrowed from instances that happened to me and real people that I met. But of course, you can’t do the exact truth, for both legal and artistic reasons.”

It’s one of those stories that is stranger than fiction; Baby Reindeer doesn’t sugarcoat the messy realities of life, and isn’t afraid to show the vulnerability of flawed people, or the flaws of vulnerable people.

Gadd doesn’t reduce the story to that of stalker and victim, but emphasizes the humanity of all involved, and is brutally honest about his own mistakes in handling the situation.

Gadd was careful not to paint the character of Martha as "a monster" because he believes "she's unwell, and the system's failed her", he told The Independent.

Who Stars In Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer?’

Baby Reindeer revolves around a handful of strong, perfectly cast characters; Richard Gadd’s quiet charisma grounds the series, but Jessica Gunning’s performance as Martha is remarkably nuanced, as unsettling as she is sympathetic.

Gunning’s Martha uses joy and laughter as a mask, always on the verge of slipping. She’s constantly on guard for signs of rejection, visibly struggling to contain her rage, always writhing below the surface.

Nava Mau plays Teri, a trans woman who struggles to date Donny during his most volatile, dispiriting days. Teri is surely the most well-adjusted character here, but even she is drained by the stresses and trauma that emanate from Donny.

Tom Goodman-Hill gives a deeply chilling performance as Darrien, a successful writer who appears to be a thoughtful mentor to Donny, before revealing his true intentions.

Darrien is soft-spoken, composed, and capable of keeping kindness in his voice even as he violates Donny, in increasingly horrifying ways.

There Is No Moral To The Story Of ‘Baby Reindeer’

Baby Reindeer covers many sensitive subjects without ever preaching to the audience. It’s about loneliness, obsession, delusion, and how male victims of sexual violence struggle to be taken seriously, by society or even themselves.

“When a man gets stalked it can be portrayed in films and television as a sexy thing,” Gadd told The Times. “Like a femme fatale who gradually becomes more sinister. It doesn’t carry as much threat of physical violence, is less common and can be trivialised.”

Above all, Baby Reindeer is a story about the radioactive, corrosive nature of trauma, and all the messy ways it manifests in one’s life. The show never tells us how to feel about these things; it just depicts the fallout.

The story isn’t quite as simple as a nefarious stalker hunting a tragic victim, but a man who makes the mistake of enabling a delusional, dangerous woman. Donny certainly doesn’t deserve to endure Martha’s stalking, but he makes the situation worse by withdrawing from confrontation.

Donny makes terrible decisions throughout the series, and is all the more human for it; he’s always comprising to pursue greatness or avoid awkwardness, only to invite more chaos into his life.

Martha displayed red flags from their very first interaction, but Donny was at a low point and enjoyed her ridiculous flattery. Even at her most unhinged and obsessive, Donny is genuinely fascinated by her.

Gadd told The Guardian: “People are afraid to admit they made mistakes, and I think a lot of mistakes by humans are made through people-pleasing. You stay in a lie because it’s easier to circumvent the tension of a situation.”

The Ending Of Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer,’ Explained

While Gadd draws a parallel between his character and Martha from the beginning, it’s made clear that Donny is still a functioning member of society — Martha is not.

By the final episode, the similarities between the two are stronger than ever. At this point, Martha has been sentenced to a few months in prison and given a restraining order, but Donny is still obsessively listening to her voicemails.

In one of those messages, Martha alludes to an abusive childhood in which she remembered her only comfort — a toy reindeer, the titular “Baby Reindeer.” At heart, Martha is desperately lonely and traumatized, just like him.

With the series closing on Donny in a similar situation to Martha, Gadd suggests that there is a fine line between artistic eccentricity and deep societal alienation.

Worse, Donny returned to his abuser and didn’t deliver some kind of righteous vengeance, but shared a civil conversation before accepting a job offer from him. Donny has done exactly what he feared he would, having chosen to pursue his dreams over his dignity and self-worth.

The ending is left ambiguous, as Donny has a chance at success by working for the man who raped him. Maybe he even has a shot at real happiness, but he’s still carrying the trauma that destroyed his life, and has placed himself back under the control of his abuser.

He might end up becoming Martha, if he hasn’t already.