Hello, my sweetest of Unicorns! I hope everyone is doing fine and dandy today. While the way we talk about TV shows may have changed, there are still some that manage to capture our attention and dominate conversations. One such show is this year’s Baby Reindeer (2024), a British drama that took Netflix by storm and just snapped up a couple of distinguished Emmys for its prestigious run. But why am I writing about it here? Read on, dear Unicorn, read on.
But before I get into the hairy details of this critical darling, I should go over a heap of disclaimers — possibly more than I’ve ever done for anything else I have reviewed in this column. First and foremost, there will be SPOILERS regarding the plot and content of this television series.
Regarding content and trigger warning, Baby Reindeer requires a TON of them, including (but not limited to:) stalking (online and in person); verbal, emotional and psychological harassment; transphobia internalized and explicit; biphobia internalized and otherwise; heavy drug use; sexual coercion; toxic masculinity; child sexual abuse (referred to but, thankfully, not seen); grooming; multiple scenes of sexual abuse; and rape.
This. is. a. heavy. show. Please make sure you are mentally and emotionally ready to take on these heavy issues before watching.
Finally, if this is your first time visiting the Scale, two things: 1) I’d only have this be your first foray if you’re ready for some very dark subjects, and 2) if you still want to go down this path but want to know a bit more about our metric, you can learn more here, or check out our Media entry on the series here.
All set? Are you sure? Ok, let’s get to it:
Baby Reindeer (2024) is based on Richard Gadd’s autobiographical one-man show, which premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe before being optioned for television (fun fact: this is also how Fleabag (2016-2019) started). The dark comedy, partly fictionalized, follows Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd), a freelance comedian in London who works as a bartender by day. Donny’s life takes a turn when he offers a free drink to a customer, “Martha” (Jessica Gunning), who claims to be a lawyer and comes into his pub in tears. This act of kindness sparks a long ordeal as Martha becomes his stalker, stirring up painful memories for Donny.
What I Liked:
It’s hard to say that I loved this show, but it has definitely stayed with me for weeks after watching. More than anything, I deeply appreciate what it’s trying to explore and achieve. Although less common than its counterpart, cases of women harassing and stalking men are a valid subject that deserves attention. The unfortunate reality of sexual assault and rape, where men are the victims, is also an important — though triggering — issue that needs to be addressed.
Baby Reindeer benefits tremendously from multiple factors: excellent performances, great writing, high production values, and extremely careful handling of very touchy subjects — and, in my seasoned opinion, I believe it delivers on these delicate matters. In lesser hands, these issues would have been mishandled and the entire narrative could have been easily dismissed and minimized, but fortunately, that does not happen here. It is an arresting, bracing, often darkly funny tale that gets a proper treatment.
Donny’s bisexuality is central to his character, though not the sole reason for his existence — it’s a key to understanding him. While Donny eventually uses the term “bi” to describe himself multiple times, this realization comes after he is sexually assaulted by his mentor and producer, Darrien O’Conner (Tom Goodman-Hill). It’s not necessarily the discovery of his queerness that sends Donny into a downward spiral, but the fact that this realization came in the wake of his assault. This leads him to question if there was something about him that Darrien sensed. This psychological turmoil is the focus of Episode 4 and, unfortunately, is an experience many queer men can relate to, as nearly half of queer men in the UK have reported experiencing sexual assault.
What I Didn’t Like:
It’s tricky to pin down if there is anything I didn’t like because part of the nature of Baby Reindeer is about the nature of sexual violence. Yes it is difficult to watch and hold space for, yet I think as tough as it is, there is an argument that its portrayal is, while heavy, almost necessary for the telling of this story. It is at the heart of everything (not to be confused with the Heart, the fictional bar where much of the story takes place) — a source of Donny’s insecurity, self-esteem, and warped ideas of fame, attention, and masculinity.
The Rating:
I won’t lie: Baby Reindeer is a really tough watch, and it will likely be even harder for queer men in the audience. However, I believe it’s important viewing — not just for showcasing young bi male representation, but also for shedding light on some all-too-common, and harrowing, experiences that queer men endure. This is important representation, but it’s far from comfortable.
In Gadd’s Emmy acceptance speech for his work, he noted that telling a story like Baby Reindeer is a risk, but one worth taking:
I know the industry is in a slump right now, and I know it might put pressure on networks and stuff to tighten the purse strings and broaden the slate. But I do believe no slump was ever broken without willingness to take risks.
If Baby Reindeer has proved anything, it’s that there’s no set formula to this — that you don’t need big stars, proven IP, long-running series, catch-all storytelling to have a hit.
Frankly, I have to agree with him.
It took me a long time to finish writing this review. Weeks, in fact. But I realized that I’d never really be done writing about it because I will probably never be done thinking about Baby Reindeer. But I think I can live with myself by coming to this conclusion: I give it four unicorns but, due to its touchy nature, I am tacking on a serrrrrious warning to this one before viewing. But I do think it is very much worth the watch.
