The creator of Netflix hit Baby Reindeer has revealed that he “feels sorry” for the stalker character in the show.
The show has been created by comedian Richard Gadd, and is based on his 2019 one-man play of the same name. It depicts a version of the real-life story of his own stalking ordeal.
The synopsis clarifies that the show focuses “on struggling comedian Donny Dunn’s (Gadd) strange and layered relationship with a woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning), whose initially friendly demeanour unravels as she begins to stalk Donny relentlessly”.
“Their first interaction is innocent enough: While working his shift as a bartender, Donny shows an act of kindness to Martha, a customer whose vulnerability is readily apparent,” the synopsis adds.
“But, as the saying goes, ‘no good deed goes unpunished,’ and this casual encounter sparks a suffocating obsession that threatens to wreck both their lives and forces Donny to face his deeply buried trauma.”
In a new interview with Variety, Gadd said that he intended to make the Martha character somewhat sympathetic, based on his experiences.
“Stalking usually is depicted as someone who is kind of evil, whereas I felt like there was a vulnerable person who genuinely couldn’t stop, who for whatever reason had believed the reality that was inside her head and no matter what couldn’t change from that,” he said.
“I mean, it is a mental illness and I wanted to portray that. I did see someone who I felt sorry for.”
The show’s soundtrack features a number of classic rock and pop songs, including tracks from Roxy Music, Dusty Springfield, David Byrne, Peggy Lee, Brian Eno and George Harrison. Read a breakdown of the full soundtrack here.
Some viewers of the show also believe they have spotted a hidden code hidden in Martha’s emails on the show, which appear to reference the show Lost.
