10 Details That Baby Reindeer Left Out

10 Details That Baby Reindeer Left Out

Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at significant aspects of Richard Gadd’s life that were either tweaked or omitted from the Netflix series “Baby Reindeer.” This naturally entails spoilers.

Gadd’s Other TV Credits

Donny Dunn, the semi-autobiographical version of Richard Gadd, is introduced as a struggling comic whose brand of anti-comedy isn’t breaking the mold as he had hoped. These scenes mirror Gadd’s early struggles in standup comedy, but the series overlooks his various TV gigs. Before the stalker first approached him in 2015, Gadd most notably appeared in an episode of the sitcom “Scot Squad.” During the period when Gadd was being stalked, he received two writing credits on the late-night series “The Last Leg.” Since the stalker exited his life, Gadd has co-written an episode of “Sex Education” and popped up on an episode of “Outlander.” His other acting credits include shows like “Wedding Season,” “Clique,” and “Code 404,” possessing a more impressive résumé than Donny.

Gadd’s Reflections on the Police

Despite the constant harassment from Martha, Donny can’t get the police to intervene until he brings them evidence of a threat. Gadd draws upon his real-life frustrations as he went around in circles with the authorities until action was finally taken. Based on “Baby Reindeer,” one might assume that Gadd hates the police. In a 2019 interview, though, Gadd stated, “It’s not their fault – it’s the lack of funding, the lack of training, the lack of understanding, the lack of support for the victims. Even the police have come out and admitted that their attitudes to harassment are wrong and flawed.” While Gadd believes the institution needs serious changes, he has met “some good police officers [his] my time,” feeling “they did try their best.”

Gadd’s Work with We Are Survivors

“Baby Reindeer” leaves Donny on an ambiguous note, suggesting that he may never be able to move forward after the trauma he’s experienced. While Gadd is still healing, he’s arrived at a more hopeful place. Part of that is thanks to the support he’s received from We Are Survivors, which is dedicated to helping men who have endured abuse. Through this UK charity, Gadd has connected with other male survivors, who shared a crucial piece of advice: “break the silence.” Gadd found that the first step is to talk with someone or write it down if you can’t say the words out loud. While Gadd doesn’t consider himself a professional advice giver, he’s found that “the more you get it out, the smaller it becomes.”

How Many Messages The Stalker Left

By the end of “Baby Reindeer,” Martha has left Donny enough voicemails to fill several podcast episodes and enough printable messages to consume a wall. Donny doesn’t spell out exactly how many times Martha harassed him, however. Gadd, meanwhile, tallied virtually every interaction with his stalker. According to Gadd, the stalker sent him 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, and 46 Facebook messages across four different Facebook accounts. Although “Baby Reindeer” mainly focuses on the digital realm, the stalker also sent Gadd physical letters, amounting to 106 pages. Her voicemails were especially lengthy with 350 hours of tirades to trek through. According to Netflix, every email depicted in the show is real, but given the sheer volume, “Baby Reindeer” clearly only scratched the surface.

“Monkey See Monkey Do”

As “Baby Reindeer” ends, Donny’s career begins to take off, although it doesn’t delve deep into the success Gadd would find over the following years. Gadd naturally went on to create an Olivier Award-winning stage show entitled “Baby Reindeer,” which this series is based on. Three years earlier, though, Gadd worked through his trauma and insecurities in another one-man show, “Monkey See Monkey.” This Edinburgh Comedy Award-winning production put Gadd on a treadmill as he tried to outrun a gorilla, which likely represented something more disturbing. The popularity of “Monkey See Monkey” reflects Donny’s viral breakdown in the Netflix series, which brings Martha back into Donny’s orbit. Likewise, Gadd’s stalker amplified her toxic presence in his life as “Monkey See Monkey” became a breakout hit.

Gifts the Stalker Sent

Baby Reindeer isn’t just a pet name that the stalker gave Gadd. While not depicted in the series, the stalker also sent Gadd a reindeer toy. In the closing scene, Donny listens to a voicemail from Martha detailing the origins of the nickname, saying that she felt a similar attachment to a reindeer toy from her childhood. The toy is never seen in the show, although the symbolism is self-explanatory enough. The same can’t be said about the other items that Gadd received from his stalker, including sleeping pills, a fresh pair of boxer shorts, and a woolly hat. It’s unclear why Gadd left this out of the show, but then again, it’s also cryptic why the stalker sent these gifts in the first place.

The Stalker’s True Punishment

After uncovering a threatening voicemail, Donny is allowed to take legal action against Martha at long last. Pleading guilty to three counts of stalking, Martha is sentenced to nine months in prison while Donny is protected through a five-year restraining order. In reality, Gadd hasn’t gone into the specifics of what happened to his stalker, although he told The Times that it’s been “resolved.” Discussing the outcome, Gadd said, “I had mixed feelings about it — I didn’t want to throw someone who was that level of mentally unwell in prison.” While it’s vague if the stalker actually served prison time, a restraining order was taken out and Gadd didn’t hear from her after the “Baby Reindeer” stage production started gaining attention.

Teri’s Farewell Voicemail

“Baby Reindeer” sees Donny develop a romantic relationship with a trans woman named Teri, played by Nava Mau. After a series of ups and downs, Teri breaks up with Donny for good, finding that his insecurities are holding them both back from happiness. According to Mau, there was originally a more optimistic parting between Donny and Teri. In the script, Teri left Donny a voicemail about five months down the line. Mau took comfort in the scene, but it was ultimately abandoned on the cutting room floor. It’s uncertain why Gadd decided to remove this moment or if he received such as voicemail in real life. In any case, it gave Mau a sense of closure knowing that Teri was in a good place.

The Stalker’s Real Name

Chances are you’ve already Googled Martha Scott, coming up short. Although the series is based on personal experiences, Gadd made a conscious effort not to use his stalker’s real name. He also changed certain aspects of her life, but tried to remain as faithful as possible. Beyond legal reasons, Gadd felt obligated to protect his stalker’s identity, feeling that she was also a victim struggling with mental health. As such, Gadd doesn’t want audiences trying to figure out who the real stalker is, although that hasn’t stopped people from speculating. An anonymous woman claiming to be the stalker has since spoken out about the show, saying that she’s received death threats. Whether or not this woman truly inspired Martha, both are Scottish with law backgrounds.

The Identity of Gadd’s Groomer

Just when the audience thinks being stalked is the worst thing Donny has endured, we learn about his relationship with Darrien O’Connor, a writer who groomed and repeatedly assaulted him. As he did with Martha, Gadd made up the name Darrien and the TV show he worked on, “Cotton Mouth.” Yet, the pain Gadd suffered at the hands of his attacker is all too real. Online sleuths have attempted to deduce the real Darrien, reportedly leading to false accusations with the police getting involved. This prompted Gadd to post online, “People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation. Please don’t speculate on who the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.”

What did you think of “Baby Reindeer?” Let us know in the comments.