baby reindeer is currently the number one series on Netflix in the US. If you’ve just finished watching the disturbing series, you may have questions about the ending. baby reindeerwhat happens to Martha, Donnie, the meaning behind the final scene, and more.
This limited series stars Scottish comedian Richard Gadd as a fictionalized version of himself named Donnie Dunn. The show is based on Gad’s real-life experiences with a middle-aged female stalker (who goes by the pseudonym Martha in the series) who relentlessly followed and sexually harassed her for years.
The stalking began in Gadd’s early 20s, when Donnie offered a woman free tea at the bar where he worked. That act of kindness seemed harmless, but it set in motion a chain of events that had dire consequences for himself and the lives of those closest to him.
Gadd received 41,071 emails, 350 hours worth of voicemails, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages and 106 pages of letters from the woman, as well as reindeer toys, sleeping pills, a woolen hat and boxers. I remembered that he had sent me some strange gifts, such as pants. She even harassed his loved ones, including his ex-girlfriend, his parents, and Teri, a trans woman he was dating.
But one of the series’ most shocking moments has nothing to do with Martha at all. A flashback in episode 4 depicts Donnie’s relationship with Darian, an older, successful TV writer whom he met at the Edinburgh Fringe. Darian promises to help Donnie with his career, but Darian takes advantage of him and sexually assaults Donnie during a drunken blackout.
“It was difficult to go back to these things,” Gad told Tudam about episode 4. “A lot of people who worked on the show found it incredibly difficult to read and to do. I never admitted any part of it to anyone. I didn’t believe in sexual abuse or anything like that. I think I obviously said that I’ve been through all kinds of terrible things before, but I didn’t go into that. [level of] It was very confrontational, down to the last detail. ”
baby reindeer Ending explanation
If you’ve watched all seven episodes of the limited series, check out The Ending on Netflixbaby reindeerincluding what happened to Martha, the meaning behind her strange nickname for Donnie, and the final scene at the bar. (Warning: Contains spoilers.)
Will Martha be arrested?
Yes, Martha is finally arrested after finding the threatening voicemail that Donnie used to further the case against her. Martha was arrested and charged with three counts of stalking and harassment. She pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to nine months in prison. Donnie is also given a five-year restraining order.
It is unknown what happened to the real Martha.In an interview with times, Ms Gadd suggested the stalker did not go to prison, saying: “I didn’t want to put someone of that level of psychosis in prison.” He said he had “mixed feelings” but that “the situation has now been resolved.”
how baby reindeer end?
When Martha finally passes away, Donnie and his ex-girlfriend Keeley are reunited. She suggests he move back in with her mother Liz. There, Donnie discovers an old script filled with notes from the rapist Darian, so he decides to pay a visit to his former mentor.
It turns out that Darian watched Donny’s confession video that went viral and called it “brave.” He also offers him a job, but Donnie, overwhelmed with emotion, leaves to process everything and collapses on the street. For solace, he turns to Martha’s old voicemail. This voicemail is neatly organized into categories such as angry, sad, happy, pain, and compliments.
“I love that sequence. I love the surprise when I get back to Darian’s door. I love the surprise when I hear the voicemail. There’s a deep psychology to it, and I love the idea. I think he is,” Gadd told Tudam. “Someone feels so alone and isolated that they decide to listen to their old stalker’s voicemail.”
What does “baby reindeer” mean?
At the end of episode 7, Donnie listens to Martha’s voicemail at the pub. He opened up a name he had never heard before. That includes the meaning of Martha’s creepy nickname for him: “Baby Reindeer.”
In the voicemail, she said: “When I was little, I had this little stuffed animal. It went everywhere with me. I think my earliest memory was around Christmas. This old photo shows me with a paper hat on its head. He was sitting there with his head on, and next to him was a baby reindeer. Anyway, this reindeer was very fluffy and cuddly, with big lips, big eyes, and a very cute butt. I had it.”
Martha continues: “I still have that. That was the only good thing about my childhood. I embrace it when they fought. And they fought well, you know? Well, you know. It’s that reindeer’s spit. It’s the same nose. It’s the same cute butt. It means so much to me.”
When Donnie starts crying, the bartender asks if he’s okay. When he gets his drink, Donnie realizes he forgot his wallet. The bartender kindly says drinks are on the house, sparking a full-circle moment that pays homage to the opening scene with Martha.
baby reindeer Now streaming on Netflix.