The End of Baby Reindeer Explained: Who Has Donny Become?

The end of the Netflix miniseries Baby reindeer Sees his protagonist Donald “Donny” Dunn (Richard Gadd) come full circle. Over seven episodes, the drama series explores Danny’s complex relationship with his stalker, Martha (Jessica Gunning), and his connection with other facets of his life. Written and created by Gadd himself, Baby reindeer is based on a haunting true story of stalking and abuse he faced by a woman over four years, and is adapted from His solo stage production of the same name.

After an attempt to disassociate herself from Martha once and for all, the stalking reaches a crescendo when Martha finds Danny’s new phone number and, instead of sending more misspelled messages, threatens to stab Danny’s parents. This is the last straw for Martha from a legal perspective, and she is arrested after Danny goes to the police. Martha is finally brought to court, and after pleading guilty, she is sentenced to serve time.

Baby reindeerThe final scene sees Danny ordering a Vodka Coke, perhaps in memory of Martha, who would always order a Diet Coke in his pub. However, he realizes that he left his wallet at home. The bartender, a handsome redhead, looks at Donny with the same mix of pity, sympathy, and compassion that Donny looked at Martha when she first walked into his bar, and says, “Don’t worry about it. It’s on me.Danny looks up at the bartender, moved by his kindness and generosity, but also with a possible hint of longing.

The last scene of Baby Reindeer: The free drink and what it means to Danny explained

Did Danny become Martha?

After Danny’s interaction with the bartender, the show cuts to black and the end credits roll, with Danny came full circle and was in a similar position to Martha at the start of the series. The open ending could suggest that Danny has become like her, in a relationship with Martha and spending weeks obsessing over her voicemails and emotions: a messed up and mentally ill stalker. The ending would be in line with the constant blurring of the lines between victim and perpetrator and its focus on the toxic dynamic between Danny and Martha, fueled by both their respective traumatic pasts.

however, The ending may also signal Donnie’s own growth and coming-of-age Over the course of the show. He confronted his trauma of sexual assault, sharing it not only publicly but also with his parents. He owned up to his mistakes and his own toxic patterns. Perhaps he looks at the bartender with a deep sense of self-awareness about the fact that he is in a similar position as Martha was, but that he has the power and agency to act differently, to exercise better judgment, and to curb his worst. . Potential impulses. It is for the viewer to decide.

The origin of the “baby reindeer” name explained

It reflects Martha’s traumatic childhood

When Danny enters the pub in the final scene, he is listening to one of Martha’s voicemails, which he has coded as “cheers,“As he continues to seek validation from her words. Then switches to the “Not listening” category, where Martha shares the origin of the title “Baby Reindeer” name and why she calls him that. She explains that as a child, She used to have a small, cute, fluffy children’s rendering toy. – with “Big lips, huge eyes, and a cute little bum” – That she would wear everywhere and still has to this day.

Martha recalls an early childhood memory during Christmas, a photograph of her sitting with the baby reindeer toy next to her, which she describes as the only good thing about her childhood. She would hug it every time her parents fought, which was very often, and would seek immense comfort in it. Danny reminds her of the baby reindeershe says, withThe same nose, the same eyes, the same beautiful face. Donnie’s eyes fill up when he hears this, and he starts to cry as he gets a deeper insight into her childhood and the origins of her complicated psyche.

What Happened to Martha: Why She’s Not a “Villain”

She is a deeply troubled soul with a mental illness

If the origin of the name “Baby Reindeer” is any indication, Martha is a deeply troubled soul who suffers from a traumatic childhood. The creator, Richard Gadd, has spoken extensively about how he thinks the real-life Martha is a victim rather than a villain, and should not be blamed. Gadd criticizes media depictions of stalking and stalkers, arguing that they have created unfounded stereotypes of a stalker as a shadowy figure lurking in the dark, when in fact it is often an acquaintance, co-worker or someone from a past relationship, in which the existing relationship . Intimacy and familiarity only complicates matters further.

more important, Gadd sees stalking and harassment as symptoms of mental illness. Painting Martha as a villain would seem unfair to him, considering her mental health struggles. God believes that the system has failed her. He regrets that Martha never received the basic mental health support she needed, leading her to project her trauma and suffering onto him for over four years. The end of Baby reindeerThe end reflects Gad’s opinion, how Danny related in a strange way to Martha, her insecurities and fears, and until the end she felt a strange combination of fascination, empathy and guilt.

Rather than painting Martha as a villain, The series portrays her and Danny as two sides of the same coinTwo distressed and damaged people who get caught up in a toxic dynamic as they project their past traumas onto each other. While Martha is unfortunately unable to break free from the harmful nature of nature, Baby reindeer suggests that Danny may be able to. This idea is at the heart of the series’ themes and is also the basis of its ambiguous ending.

What happened to Martha in Baby Reindeer

Her illegal activities finally catch up with her

After Martha was arrested, She admits and pleads guilty to all separate counts of stalking and harassment Against Danny and his parents. Martha spends nine months in jail while Danny also gets a lengthy restraining order, and he supposedly never sees her again. Although Martha may be out of Danny’s life forever, she still has an impact in the form of the hundreds of voicemails that Danny saved.

Danny’s final meeting with Darren and the Cottonmouth Job

It represents another full-circle moment for Danny

While Danny is spiraling down the rabbit hole of trying to decode Martha’s voicemail, his ex-girlfriend, Kiley, pays him a visit and sees how much of a mess he is. He even told her that he had given up on his comedy career, only after she finally took off her clothes. Out of concern, she invites him to move back into her mother’s house, where He finds a full draft of a script titled harry harry what He wrote to Darrin, the man who drugged, groped and sexually assaulted him.Back in 2011.

This prompts Danny to pay Darren a visit, perhaps in a bid to seek some form of catharsis or closure. They have a bittersweet conversation, where Danny initially apologizes for disappearing, but Darien addresses the elephant in the room: that he watched Danny’s viral video, and found it brave. Instead of apologizing or taking no accountability, however, Darrien offers Danny a writing job on an upcoming Cotton mouth RebootAssure him that it”It won’t be like the last time.” Instead, it will be paid, formal, and will catapult Danny’s career. Danny reluctantly accepts, and immediately breaks down after leaving.

Danny’s meeting with Darren also signals a full-circle moment, however Danny is no longer powerless and self-loathingnor vulnerable to exploitation. When he enters Darren’s house, he notices different aspects of it, remembering the drug-induced abuse he faces. Although there was no explicit acknowledgment of what Darrien did to Danny, the interaction definitely provided a bit of closure to give Danny’s journey to healing and feel more assertive.

What happened to Danny’s father and how it reflects on Danny’s past

Danny’s father was also sexually abused as a child

When Danny’s stand-up video goes viral and his career finally takes off, he accidentally gives Martha his number, and she calls him threatening to reveal his sexuality and sexual assault to his parents. This forces Danny to visit his parents in Scotland, where he sits them down and tells them everything. He comes out to them at first, before he shares that he was cheated by a writer. While Danny worries that they will judge him and think less of him as a person, the conversation ends up being completely healing And set for him.

Not only his parents offer him empathy, however His father also shares that he, too, was sexually abused growing up. He does not claim this explicitly, but claims that he grew up in the Catholic Church. It takes Donnie a moment to understand what his father is saying, but once it dawns on him, the family shares a deep moment of intimacy. What Danny fears would be a moment of shame and judgment ends up being immensely cathartic. It makes him feel lighter, and helps him shed his deep sense of shame and self-hatred.

How accurate is the ending of Baby Reindeer compared to the true story?

It captures the essence of the resolution between Gad/Danny and “Martha”

in Baby reindeer, Martha is arrested and charged with three counts of stalking and molestation. At her trial, she pleaded guilty to all charges: the stalking and molestation of Danny and the molestation of his parents. Martha owns up to her crimes so much, she is sentenced to 9 months in prison, and a five-year restraining order is issued against her. It’s the last time Danny ever sees her. The ending captures the emotional truth of what happens in reality, although the specifics are slightly different.

In fact, Richard Gadd was reluctant to incarcerate someone struggling with such severe mental health issues. But even in reality, the situation is largely resolved. About two and a half years into the stalking, God managed to get a hearing against the real Martha. However, the real Martha Scott continued to freely roam the streets and, until recently, persisted in harassing his family and friends. Baby reindeer So it takes some cinematic liberties to provide more closure and a sense of justice than the true story, although it captures the essence of the resolution between Martha and Gad.

What the creator of Baby Reindeer said about the ending

The ambiguous ending is his favorite part of the series

the creator, Richard Gadd, deeply appreciates the ambiguous ending of Baby reindeer. In fact, it’s his favorite aspect of the series. Hesitant to impose a specific interpretation on it, Gad believes that it can be understood in various ways and is meant to be open to multiple interpretations. In addition, the actor Jessica Gunning, who plays Martha, revealed that the most important moment for her character was the voicemail, where she shares the origins of the name “Baby Reindeer”. This captured the essence of Martha for her.

Gunning added that Baby reindeerThe ending doesn’t have a clear “winner”.But it was about how the toxic dynamic left both Danny and Martha hurt and scarred in different ways. Looking beyond the moral implications of the narrative and the gender-related discussions surrounding stalking and harassment, Gadd aspires for Baby reindeerA deeply personal and autobiographical piece, to resonate with audiences on an emotional level. He hopes that it offers comfort and catharsis to those who have encountered comparably traumatic traumas. Undoubtedly, it fulfilled that role for him.

Will there be a Baby Reindeer Season 2?

At this point, it seems unlikely

While Baby reindeer is certainly a major hit for Netflix, It seems unlikely that there will be a second seasonAt least not as a continuation of the story of Danny and Martha. Series creator Richard Gadd has been very open about how difficult it was to revisit the disturbing events that inspired some of the show’s most difficult-to-watch sequences, so it’s not hard to imagine he doesn’t want to. Return to the health. Again.

It’s possible that the show is coming back in an anthology sense, with the Baby reindeer Title acting more like a brand name than a direct narrative reference. This is also unlikely given the highly personal nature of the show’s content; Keeping these Baby reindeer The title on a different story feels like it would be inappropriate In this regard. There may be no justifiable way to continue the series, meaning that the “limited series” designation of season 1 is likely to stick.