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If you’ve not watched Baby Reindeer, then what have you been doing?
This shocking story touched viewers’ heart strings after retelling a horrific stalking experience led by comedian Richard Gadd a decade ago.
The story follows Gadd's ‘warped relationship with his female stalker and the impact it has on him as he is ultimately forced to face a deep, dark buried trauma’ in this 2024 Netflix mini-series.
The unconventional stalking story isn’t depicted like you’d usually see on TV, it’s not violent or explicit. However, it’s mind warping and manipulative, and it shows a very unwell woman by the name of Martha who increasingly becomes obsessed with the comedian.
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Viewers who watched it have been raving about it ever since and have even taken to X (formerly Twitter) to talk about how it impacted them.
From sleepless nights to frustrated rants, it appeared that everyone had something to say about the show.
But one thing that was continuously repeated was its likeness to another hit television series with a strong plot of adult themes.
I May Destroy You is a show like no other, though it does resemble the same vibe as Baby Reindeer.
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Created by Chewing Gum star, Michaela Coel, this BBC show questions sexual consent in a shockingly real way after it tells the story of her character, Arabella’s assault when she was drunk in a toilet stall.
Loosely inspired by Coel’s own tragic experience, it navigates what a victim goes through after having something horrid happen to them. It shows them attempting to come to grips with the trauma, while also digesting the self-doubt and misplaced guilt.
This 2020 series was an immense hit when it aired and fans were submerged in justice for Arabella, and utter vigilante hatred for her perpetrator.
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Although both stories are different, fans enjoyed the way that they dug deep into the psyche of those who have been placed in an awful situation and questions what it means to be a victim or a villain in your own story.
One person wrote about the show, begging people to watch both: “Baby Reindeer is incredible.
“I thought it would just be a kooky story about a stalker and it ended up being the most poignant story of sexual abuse I’ve seen since I May Destroy You. But it’s also so much more than that. Richard Gadd is brave as hell for doing this.”
Another chimed in: “I stayed up last night binge watching Baby Reindeer on Netflix. It’s definitely up there with I May Destroy You for me in terms of being one of the few pieces of media I’ve seen that accurately depicts how incredibly messy being a victim/survivor is.”
Someone else penned: “#BabyReindeer manages to bring to screen something so complex. I haven’t felt this way since I May Destroy You in regards to telling a story about SA. You’ll feel disturbed, but you will also be so intrigued that you’ll want to watch the entire thing. Incredible work.”
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Another wrote: “One of those all-too rare shows that come out of nowhere and bludgeon you by it's audacity. A mature, uncomfortable and yet funny television series carrying the same potency reminiscent of a ‘Fleabag’ or ‘I May Destroy You’.”
Lastly: “Baby Reindeer keeping me up. Haven’t felt this way about a series since I May Destroy You. Riveting, unsettling and revelatory all at once.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Featured Image Credit: BBC/NetflixTopics: Crime, TV, BBC, Netflix