Comedian-wannabe Donny Dunn, played by Alex McNicol, is the bartender at a London pub. One day, there, he saw Martha, a very lonely-looking woman, and gave her a free cup of tea. What began as a basic act of charity, even a noble one, quickly degenerated into a nightmare when Martha became obsessed with Donny, following him everywhere on the Internet, constantly sending him emails and seemingly becoming almost part of his life even though he couldn’t stand her.
At the beginning, Donny feels flattered by the fact that he seems to be the only person she notices. She even reacts to his stand-up performance with laughter, which boosts his confidence. However, things turn can go wrong even when a person is doing well. She becomes too severe in her struggle to find him and keeps on stalking him at work and messaging his mailbox to the point of drowning in his own tears. She even makes up stories about them being a couple, lies to him and calls them such. Martha begs him not to leave, and even though Donny is insistent to tell her that they need space, Martha strangely continues her stalking and online attacks on him, thus making everything even more unbearable.
During that time, Donny is confronted with an issue from the past. Once he is counseled by a well-off TV scribe named Darrien O’Connor, who promises to find him a place in the industry, their relationship mutates into a toxic one. Darrien manipulates Donny, hooks him on drugs, and even goes as far as to rape him while he is still asleep due to his addiction. As a result of his lack of confidence and being driven by a strong desire to become a star, Donny becomes a willing victim to the abuse thinking that is the way to make his career successful.
Donny’s present life starts to unravel and it evolves slowly from there. While Martha throws herself to every nook and cranny of his life – at his very own home, she even finds herself initiating a slander spree of his father and the worst of all is she is harassing his ex-girlfriend Keeley. When Donny complains to the police about her, they don’t take his complaint serious and this shows that they don’t see how distressing Martha’s actions are. As Martha launches her escapades, she becomes physically abusive to Donny’s new lover, Teri, a transsexual psychologist he met through the dating site.
Unable to free himself, Donny becomes oddly obsessed with Martha, who is desperately imprisoned by her own fear. Beyond that Donny thinks that final feelings of peacefulness would come when Martha is caught and sentenced to nine months, he discovers that he is emotionally adrift, as he feels imprisoned by his thoughts. It is very unpleasant for the person who is completely open to the force of such an experience, but most often one who has the disposition of looking into his or her very nature often grabs such a chance for the experience of personal growth.
The second development has a weird tone as Darrien comes into the picture and proposes a second opportunity for the two to work on a TV project together. Despite having seen the harm Darrien did to him, Donny decides to leave without a word. While walking out, he receives a call from Martha on which she tells him about her childhood stuffed animal that she named her ‘baby reindeer’ and which was her companion through an unfortunate time. This is the moment that makes Donny burst into tears, after he has realized that Martha is the one who thinks of him as a 'baby reindeer.' She is the one who depended on him, while she destroyed his life.
The series ends with Donny alone at a bamboo bar, directionless, as the barman gives him a drink for free-the same act of kindness he once gave Martha. The whole scene shown marks a very romantic full-circle event.
Baby Reindeer (2024) SeriesDirected by Weronika Tofilska & Josephine Bornebusch
Character Details:
Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd)
A character trying to find his way into a showbiz life while also working in a local bar and is the new object of Martha's adoration. Donny unsure of himself, much hurt, and heedlessly clings to self-destructive behavior trying to get the others' approval. He is the person caught in an emotional catastrophe, the plague of Martha's not only deliberate stalking but also the past physical abuse he received from Darrien.
Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning)
A mentally ill woman undergoing IF Donny as a client in therapy. She is a person who is in fact a pathological manipulator. She oscillates between the poles of love and anger. Although she may be threatening to Donny, her painful past points out that she is also a sufferer of profound trauma.
Teresa "Teri" (Nava Mau)
A transgender counseling therapist who is Donny’s interest in love. In truth, Teri is far kinder than Martha or her boyfriend Darrien. Teri does genuinely care for Donny's recovery, no matter what they have been through to each other. The couple's parting is connected to Donny's issues with emotional over-attachment.
Darrien O'Connor (Tom Goodman-Hill)
A Donny's acting teacher initially and then his major victimizer. Darrien's manipulation is more tacit: he uses Donny's ambition to make career advancement seem like the only possibility through stoically enduring the pain. The last scene implies that Donny is doomed to get stuck in abusive relationships due to his inability to recognize safety and wellbeing.
Keeley (Shalom Brune-Franklin)
Donny’s cautious friend, who wants to support him but whose presence becomes another target for Martha when she takes control of his life.
Liz (Nina Sosanya)
Keeley’s mom (landlady of Donny's) is the one who welcomes him after Keeley goes away. It goes without saying that She takes care of him as her own which helps keep him in line, however, it is the Donny's downhill that puts a strain on the relationship with her.
General Greggsy (Michael Wildman)
He is the one who owns the pub that Donny works in. His first reaction was to brush the whole thing off. Lastly, he had to act because of the harassment by Martha.
Gino (Danny Kirrane)
He is the colleague of Donny’s who occasionally provides humor, he is also the bad egg in the bar, laughing at Donny, and treating his issues with those around him as child’s play which really ticks Donny off.
Detective Culver (Alexandria Riley)
The detective investigating Donny’s case, who ultimately sees the seriousness of Martha’s stalking.
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