Mini-series - 7 episodes
Watch Baby Reindeer on Netflix
Created by: Richard Gadd
Starring: Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning, Nava Mau
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer
Plot
Adapted from writer and performer Richard Gadd's one man show, a warped relationship with a female stalker impacted his life, forcing him to face dark buried trauma.
Verdict
This is a deep dive into trauma; how it affects people, and follows them through life. Donny's unresolved trauma is a major influence in his life, and it's the reason he gets into an unhealthy relationship that spirals out of control. He has trouble setting boundaries which is a huge issue when he meets someone that has no problem crossing boundaries. While Donny eventually confronts his trauma, he never directly addresses it. This series is uncomfortable at a minimum, if not disturbing. Even at the end, neither of these characters have addressed they're underlying problems.
It depends.
Review
I saw so much discussion and many headlines about this show that I felt compelled to watch. Being based on a true story makes this more intriguing.
Episode one begins with Donny (Richard Gadd) trying to report his stalker to the cops. Closeup shots makes this feel awkward. The cop asks Donny why it's taken so long for him to report it, and that leads to a flash back to how this started.
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| Richard Gadd plays Donny Dunn |
Donny felt sorry for Martha (Jessica Gunning) and gave her a cup of tea. Knowing what this show is, it's easy to guess what that becomes. It's unfortunate how he was punished for his act of kindness. That one act leads to Martha coming into the bar on Donny's shift every time. He's nice to her because he pities her. It's clear her life is sadder than she would admit. While she claims to be a lawyer, neither the audience nor Donny believe her. He's too nice to call her on it. Her stories are a way to make her life better, not to others but to herself. She's so lonely. Donny doesn't want to upset her, but he's also uncomfortable with how she's latched on to to the first person that showed any interest.
Donny doesn't know how to get away from Martha. She sees his protests as obstacles, not the roadblocks he hopes they are. The one insight she has is that Donny is dealing with trauma. Her advances cross boundaries and become violent. This is is what finally prompts Donny to report her, but that also causes him to face his past trauma.
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| Richard Gadd, Jessica Gunning play Donny Dunn, Martha Scott |
Donny was seduced at the promise of career advancement. Donny hopes that despite the assaults it will still help his career, but his attacker uses that to render him powerless. It's terrible. Donny doesn't want to upset anyone, continuing to put himself in distress. It's a tough episode as Donny spirals. Instead of hating his abuser, he hates himself. By admitting Martha crossed a boundary, he has to admit that his previous assault was also a violation. He hasn't dealt with his trauma, and he doesn't know how to feel about it. He's never set boundaries, and because of everything he's experienced, he craves abuse.
Donny breaks down during a show, talking about how he feels and admitting what happened to him. His past trauma and his stalker are linked. Donny wanted someone to flatter him, he wanted affirmation. Martha gets his phone number and starts leaving him voicemails. He begins listening to all of them, relenting to her all over again.
This show is a difficult conversation. By the end of this, it doesn't seem like Donny is over the trauma. He's admitted to it, but he's not over it. All his destructive tendencies and self-loathing are still present. This shows us how unaddressed trauma lingers and how it affects every facet of life. It doesn't show us how to overcome it. Donny still needs help.
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