It\u2019s the Netflix series that has quickly skyrocketed to the top of the charts and gotten everyone talking, in no small part thanks to the roller coaster journey we go on throughout Baby Reindeer<\/a> \u2013 but also because of that final episode<\/a>.<\/p>\n The finale brought with it many heartfelt moments that have divided opinion, especially over Donny\u2019s (Richard Gadd<\/a>) actions.<\/p>\n But it also brought with it an important moment that shone a light on Martha<\/a> (Jessica Gunning) and her own past of trauma.<\/p>\n In the finale, Donny listens to a never-before-heard voicemail from Martha, which reveals why she calls Donny \u201cbaby reindeer\u201d \u2013 and it\u2019s safe to say it\u2019s an eye-opening and emotional moment for our protagonist.<\/p>\n When chatting about the characterisation of Martha, Gunning exclusively told RadioTimes.com<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s interesting you bring up that voicemail, that\u2019s the thing I always went back to.<\/p>\n \u201cSo in the courtroom scene, in the scene when she\u2019s on her own at the bar, that\u2019s actually the voicemail I read just to get me into that \u2013 I find it so emotional, that final voicemail.\u201d<\/p>\n She continued: \u201cThat\u2019s the thing that I clung to in terms of her past. That voicemail is absolutely the thing I clung to, for sure, because I just found that so emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n In the voicemail, Gunning reminisces about her childhood, which was filled with arguments between her parents. Because of that volatile environment, she would regularly cling to and hug her stuffed animal \u2013 a baby reindeer.<\/p>\n A coping mechanism for the trauma around her, she reveals that the cuddly toy bears a resemblance to Donny, hence why she refers to him as such. But she also ends the voicemail saying how much the toy means to her, and in turn, how much Donny means to her.<\/p>\n Until that point in the finale, viewers have no real idea about Martha\u2019s past and childhood, aside from the headlines and news articles that Donny reads about her former stalking charges.<\/p>\n Through the series, we get an idea of her state of mind and living situation, as Donny follows her back home to a cramped council flat overrun with rubbish and mess.<\/p>\n Read more:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Eventually, Martha is charged with the stalking and harassment of Donny and his parents, but in that court room, she also cries out for her reindeer, not realising that Donny is watching her from across the room.<\/p>\n They lock eyes for one final time, and it\u2019s a sobering final shot of Martha as she\u2019s led away out of the court.<\/p>\n Playing the character also meant getting \u201csucked into\u201d the relationship between Donny and Martha, Gunning revealed.<\/p> She said: \u201cThey meet each other at a time in each other\u2019s lives where they need each other, weirdly. Especially when you delve into Donny\u2019s past in episode 4, you understand him a lot better.\u201d<\/p>\n But Gunning is also adamant that whatever people take from the series, it\u2019s not as clear-cut as the villain character being Martha, saying that \u201cit would\u2019ve been a shame to play her as a villain because I don\u2019t think she is that\u201d.<\/p>\n She also revealed: \u201cIt\u2019s really hard to say \u2018watch something without judgement\u2019 when it could be so polarising or complicated.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s the kind of thing where people will take sides at all, but I think it\u2019s the kind of thing that people will see is a lot more nuanced than just a headline stalker victim storyline. I think it\u2019s a lot more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Jessica](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/baby-reindeer-jessica-gunning-53ceeab.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Jessica")
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