User Reviews

Donny moves to London, to try and find success as a comedian, but when it doesn't work out, he lands a bar job. There he befriends fantasist Martha, who takes a massive shine to him, unfortunately he doesn't quite feel the same.

Ooh this is going to be good, this is one of those shows, where even just by the first episode, you know it's going to be good. This is a cracking first episode, it's terrific.

There's a real depth to this, a humour, a sadness, a true sense of empathy, both characters offer so much, each has damage, wounds, and they've found eachother, but will they help or hinder one another?

I could very easily binge watch the whole thing, but I'm going to spread this one about, it's quality.

Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning, wonderful combo.

9/10.

I have only seen the first episode of this, so my feelings may change as I work my way through this series.

Richard Gadd (as "Donny") has an incredibly vulnerable face. In his eyes you can see a lot of real life pain. He does not strike me as ever having been a comedian, because he seems to have an inner well of sadness. But, since he is an actor, that might just be a nod to his acting talents.

That said, I started to watch this because, like "The Queen's Gambit" (which I thought was brilliant), "Baby Reindeer" has had such an overwhelming response, I thought I should check it out.

First off, I am completely unclear why "Martha" (Jessica Gunning, brilliant) is calling Donny "baby reindeer." I don't get it. Second, Martha kept saying that she was a lawyer and worked with top clients, so how is it that she could not afford a cup of tea in a pub? Why is it that Donny doesn't question her once directly about that? He has a distinct opportunity to question her when the two of them go to the cafe for a coffee. By the way, Donny only orders a coffee. Martha, after first saying she'll only have tap water, orders up a hearty round of pastries once Donny says he'll pay for it (instead of saying, "I thought you said you were a lawyer. Why can't you afford a cup of tea?). However, when the waitress returns with the order, she puts a plate of food down in front of Donny -- but he didn't order any food.

Also, while perhaps Martha does clue in that Donny is a survivor of some kind of abuse, and perhaps that touches Donny in a unique way, why does he take things further? After seeing her have an episode of rage in the cafe, and after doing some online research, discovering that she has a record as a stalker, including being imprisoned for it, why on God's earth would he accept her friend request on Facebook? It makes no sense to, none.

I did not find this to be the stone cold brilliant show that everyone is raving about, but I did find the two leads intriguing. I just wish I could understand some aspects of the show better.