Baby Reindeer: I watched hit Netflix show a week ago - and I can’t stop thinking about it

“Is Richard Gadd OK?” has surely now been running through the minds of thousands of people who’ve watched Baby Reindeer. I know I am still wondering about it - and almost tweeted it - a week after watching the hit Netflix show, which dropped onto the streamer in April. 

It’s the semi-autobiographical tale of Gadd’s often complicated relationship he had with his alleged stalker Martha - a woman he gave a cup of tea to, in the London bar he worked in while trying to make it as a comedian. Episode four - oh God, episode four - deals, in harrowing detail, with his sexual assault and rape at the hands of a producer, Darrien. It’s extremely difficult to watch and, by the end of the show, you’re left wondering how anyone could have not just lived through these events, but survived them - and then re-enacted them.

Initially I’d dismissed Baby Reindeer as it looked a bit too much like a horror story. But after seeing the furore over Martha - I didn’t even know about the assault and rape storyline until about three weeks after the programme first aired - I decided to take the plunge and watch it over three nights. 

It turns out it is a horror, but not the killer doll kind. I lunged from intrigue to cringe to trepidation - with a brief moment of wondering where in Fife he’s supposed to be visiting his parents, and why the trains look like they’re from the 1930s - and sadness. 

Jessica Gunning and Richard Gadd, the stars of Baby Reindeer.

There’s been some widespread criticism of the compliance department at Netflix, given how easily the so-called armchair detectives found the real Martha. But unless you’re Marina Hyde or Richard Osman, who discussed this at length on their podcast, you’re likely to be Googling Gadd - as I was as soon as the final credits were rolling. 

It turns out he’s worked with charity We Are Survivors, who’ve reported an 80 per cent increase in calls for support, a statistic they’re linking to the show. Gadd is also no longer mining his horrific experiences - both his Fringe shows and this smash hit deal with what happened. He’s working on a new drama, Lions for the BBC. Baby Reindeer is a searing example of how art can reflect some of the worst aspects of human nature. It’s well worth a watch, but not one I’ll be repeating.