Baby Reindeer is still topping the charts on Netflix almost two weeks after it’s debut – and for good reason.
The gripping seven-part series, which is a fictional version of Richard Gadd’s real-life stalking ordeal, has managed to make viewers laugh, cry and deeply reconsider certain relationship dynamics.
The harrowing true story focuses on the actor’s ‘warped’ dynamic with his female stalker, while also delving into a range of other hard-hitting issues such as sexuality, abuse and sexual assault.
‘Speechless‘ is the word which has cropped up the most in conversations among viewers about their reaction to the show.
It’s no wonder really, seen as though Gadd has bared his soul to turn his trauma into art while creating and writing Baby Reindeer – as well as bravely starring in the Netflix series himself.
The comedian reenacted the suffering he endured at the hands of a woman – who has been given the pseudonym Martha in the show – for six long years, before police finally intervened.
He was bombarded with 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 106 pages of letters and a jaw-dropping 350 hours of voicemail by his stalker, who also turned up to his gigs, workplace and home.
Gadd relived the horrifying experiences through his character Donny Dunn, putting on a performance which has earned him international acclaim just 12 days after Baby Reindeer dropped.
And seven heartbreaking words in one of the emotional final scenes might have gone over some people’s heads, but those who understood what was meant by the remark said they were left ‘sobbing’.
Here’s some fair warning – there will be a few spoilers ahead.
Richard Gadd has received praise for his raw performance (Netflix)
As the rollercoaster of emotions that is Baby Reindeer seemed to be wrapping up, Gadd slipped in an extremely vulnerable moment between him and his on-screen father.
In the seventh episode, Donny is on cloud nine after his stand-up video goes viral, but his high doesn’t last for long.
He’s soon brought back down to Earth when Martha gets hold of him and threatens to inform his parents about the contents of his gig, which includes jokes about his sexual assault.
Keen to reclaim his power, Donny decides to go back to Scotland and sit down with his mum and dad to spill his guts about everything – his stalker, the sexual assault, and all the chaos in between.
He confesses that he was raped by a man, before saying: “I didn’t want you to think less of me as a man.”
And Donny’s father, played by Star Wars star Mark Lewis Jones then responds: “Would you see me as less of a man? I grew up in the Catholic Church.”
The moment, which sees Jones allude to the sexual abuse his character suffered throughout his childhood at the hands of the church, managed to leave viewers lost for words.
A scene in the final episode of Baby Reindeer really resonated with viewers (Netflix)
One said: “OMFG this moment in Baby Reindeer took me a minute to get it… speechless.”
Another wrote: “I thought this scene was obvious but I’m glad the dots are being connected now. Because it was a very powerful moment. Chills.”
A third added: “That was a smack in the face. The one man he was scared to tell knew exactly how he felt. After the shock, came the relief. In that moment, he was safe at last.”
And a fourth commented: “Actor nailed it. All the pain behind a long held wall. The hug and pride for his son doing something he couldn’t: talk about it. Unforgettable scene.”
Gadd revealed that his parents were his ‘biggest fans’ and that his dad was ‘chuffed to bits’ during an interview with GQ where he discussed the emotive scene.
He said: “They’ll do what they’ve done whenever I say, ‘Oh mum I’m going up to Edinburgh to do a show about sexual abuse — by the way I was sexually abused, I’m going to be running on a treadmill for an hour getting chased by a giant monkey…’
“They’ll say, “Okay no worries see you up there!”… My dad’s chuffed to bits.”
