Darrien O’Conner (Tom Goodman-Hill) is a recurring pivotal character in the Netflix limited series drama Baby Reindeer (2024).
The show was written and created by Richard Gadd, with him in the starring role of Donny Dunn, a fictionalized version of himself. The seven hourlong episodes of Baby Reindeer is based off of a one-man show by Gadd, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and eventually did a run in the West End in London before getting adapted for the streamer. It follows as Donny, a bartender and aspiring standup, deals with being stalked by Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), a woman he once pitied when she came crying into the bar that employs him. As the series wears on, it becomes clear Donny must face a long-buried truth that influences how he is facing Martha’s continued harassment.
Darrien appears primarily in Episode 4 and the final episode. It’s important to mention that the show, especially his key episode, includes a lot of challenging content, covering most major trigger warnings.
Darrien is a TV writer Donny admires who quickly gives him tips on how to elevate his small show at a comedy festival. He describes himself as a “buddhist, polyamorous pansexual with a taste for the finer things in life”. Pansexuality falls under the Bi Umbrella, as it covers attraction to more than one gender.
However, as time goes on, Darrien takes advantage of their power dynamic and mentorship, and begins to gaslight, groom, and then eventually drug, sexually assault, and then ultimately rape Donny.
This predatory character has few redeeming qualities and reinforces many harmful bisexual stereotypes — he lies, manipulates, and takes advantage of others, using his social status and power over Donny to get what he wants. While he serves as a necessary catalyst in the story, he’s a flat character with little development, ultimately representing a terrible example. However, the show balances this with a main character who provides a more nuanced and important portrayal of bisexuality.