It\u2019s why TikTok sleuths pounce on any unsolved mystery with a complete disregard for police protocol. It\u2019s why Kate Middleton\u2019s prolonged absence from the spotlight sparked countless theories which had defamation lawyers on standby. And it\u2019s why Baby Reindeer<\/a>, currently the nation\u2019s most talked-about show, has served as a siren call for every fervent armchair detective to do their worst.<\/p>\n The remarkably dark comedy, which has been sitting at the top of Netflix\u2019s<\/a> most-watched chart for the past week, draws heavily upon the traumatic experiences<\/a> of its creator and leading man Richard Gadd, namely the sustained harassment he suffered at the hands of a female stalker, and the sexual assaults he was subjected to by a male TV writer.<\/p>\n Gadd \u2013 who plays his fictionalised self Donny Dunn \u2013 initially insisted the culprits in the show, Jessica Gunning\u2019s Martha and Tom Goodman-Hill\u2019s Darrien, were too far removed from their real-life counterparts to inspire any credible sleuthing.<\/p>\n After all, he\u2019d candidly addressed the same issues in two hit Edinburgh Fringe shows without anyone\u2019s identities being compromised.<\/p>\n But getting candid in front of a few thousand festival-goers is wildly different to getting candid in front of a worldwide streaming audience of 2.6 million<\/a> and counting, which has prompted a notable percentage to leap on the trail of breadcrumbs Gadd inadvertently offered.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Case in point: the real \u201cDarrien\u201d, with amateur investigators scrutinising IMDb to find parallels with the show\u2019s timelines.<\/p>\n One accused figure has publicly come out fighting, tweeting that the police are currently investigating the threatening messages he\u2019s received. And he also shared Gadd\u2019s Instagram plea<\/a> to stop such damaging behaviour (\u201cpeople I love, have worked with, and admire are unfairly getting caught up in speculation\u201d).<\/p>\n That\u2019s a noble sentiment, yet one which could be argued is the equivalent of shutting the stable doors after the horse has bolted.<\/p>\n During an interview with Time Out<\/a>, Gadd admitted he was expecting a backlash of some sorts following Baby Reindeer\u2019s premiere.<\/p>\n And while the critical reception to the show itself has been unanimously rapturous, the comedian is now coming under fire from certain sections of the press<\/a> for failing to provide a duty of care, particularly for the \u201cunwell\u201d and \u201cneeding help\u201d woman who he\u2019s claimed is just as much a victim.<\/p>\n Could Gadd have done more due diligence beforehand? After all, we\u2019re living in the age of Don\u2019t F*** with Cats<\/a>.<\/p>\n By explicitly stating the series was based on a true story, it was always inevitable that every single detail, whether grounded in facts or simply a case of artistic licence, would be meticulously raked over.<\/p>\n Even Fleabag<\/a> \u2013 a show never once presented as autobiographical and nowhere near as inflammatory \u2013 prompted mass speculation, enough to make Phoebe Waller-Bridge acknowledge<\/a> she\u2019s failed to shield her family.<\/p>\n Whether Gadd needed to better edit his own life story or not, Baby Reindeer\u2019s viewers still hold the ultimate responsibility for the witch hunts that have ensued.<\/p>\n The stand-up has continually shown empathy for the stalker who sent his life spiralling out of control. That can\u2019t be said for those gleefully knocking up side-by-side comparisons and resurfacing videos from the purported real individual. Furthermore, their apparent \u2018quest for justice\u2019 undermines the man who actually suffered the abuse depicted.<\/p>\n Indeed, in the final episode, Donny visits Darrien at the same flat where he was repeatedly drugged and assaulted. Instead of the heated confrontation expected, however, he allows the writer to commend his bravery for speaking out and offer him a job, stating, \u201cIt won\u2019t be like last time.\u201d<\/p>\n Donny, still clearly showing signs of the psychological trauma inflicted and the feelings of attachment which can result, gratefully accepts. It\u2019s not the cut-and-dry resolution we\u2019re used to, yet it\u2019s a searingly honest one.<\/p>\n But those determined to out the real Darrien, potentially putting entirely innocent men at risk, are essentially arguing Donny didn\u2019t deal with the situation in a satisfying or correct manner.<\/p>\n Only time will tell whether the typical mindset of \u2018act first, think later\u2019 will spark any further real-world consequences. One thing\u2019s for sure, though: As both Gadd and Gunning<\/a> have pointed out, by adopting the very same obsessive traits that made Martha such a threat, such armchair detectives have entirely missed the point of the show.<\/p>\n\n
![\"Donny](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/donny-baby-reindeer-547e83e.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Baby")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>![\"Donny](\"https:\/\/images.immediate.co.uk\/production\/volatile\/sites\/3\/2024\/04\/baby-reindeer-netflix-82fafe9.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413\" "\\"Baby")
\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>