Written by Richard Gadd
Directed by Weronika Tofilska And Josephine Bornebusch
Donny: "Ladies and gentlemen, this is, uh, my stalker. Say hello to Martha."
Ah, Netflix. This month you spoil us with two shows focusing on male protagonists and very different ones too. While Ripley revelled in a cold and chilling turn with a murderous main character, this show went in a darker route without murder on the table.
The premise seemed simple. You had aspiring comedian Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) working in a pub where one day he showed a bit of kindness to a sad woman named Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning). It was a kindness that Donny would soon regret when Martha would become fixated with him, a fixation that got extreme as the seven part series progressed.
Throughout the series, we saw Donny both try to fend off Martha's volatile advances while somewhat being fascinated by her obsession with him. However with Martha revealed as a lawyer with a history of stalking and a better knowledge of the law that Donny, it was hard for the latter to get the authorities to take his plight seriously. That's often the most frustrating but realistic part of this series.
Martha's obsession with Donny not only had him suffer but the loved ones around him. Throughout the series we get to see his relationships with an ex girlfriend named Keeley (Shalom Brune-Franklin) and her mother, Liz (Nina Sosanya) as well as his parents, Gerry (Mark Lewis Jones) and Elle (Amanda Root) and the effect Martha's reign of terror would have on them as well.
A big relationship that was emphasised was Donny's relationship with a transwoman named Teri (Nava Mau). It's a beautiful relationship, sadly marred by Martha's presence but also one where Donny got some insight into his bisexuality. There's a gorgeously written coming out scene that Donny had with his parents in the last episode, coupled by a funny moment where Gerry encouraged his son to win Teri back.
The highlight of the series though came at some of the most brutal moments and they stemmed from Donny being mentored by TV writer Darrien (Tom Goodman-Hill), with the former being sexually assaulted by the latter. There's a scene where Donny broke down at a competition and went into painful, raw detail about his attack to a moved crowd that might contain one of the best performances I've seen in a long time.
By the time the series came to its conclusion, Donny's life had gotten better through getting work and Martha being charged for her relentless harassment of him and his loved ones but the end scene. That scene really added a very complicated sting to a compelling series.
- The series was largely based on Richard Gadd's own experience with a stalker. I did like how he's talked about giving Martha layers as a character.
- The title for the show got explained in the finale. It involved Martha having a toy Reindeer that gave her comfort as a child.
- Donny gave Martha a cup of tea as well as free diet Coke when she visited the Harp. A barman gave Donny a free double Vodka and Coke.
- At least two of the episodes have the link www.wannatalkaboutit.com
- Throughout the episodes, there's a lot of emails shown onscreen between Donny and Martha.
- Chronology: August 2015 to March 2017, detailing Martha's obsession with Donny. Edinburgh and London based.
Baby Reindeer might easily be the best series of 2024 so far and there's still eight months left in the year. Star making performances from Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning along with an unflinching look into stalking, mental health, sexual assault and coming to terms with sexuality, this show's an absolute must see.
Rating: 10 out of 10
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