“I think that was almost the most truthful scene”: Baby Reindeer Ending Left Viewers Stunned Because it Was Closest to the Real Truth According to Richard Gadd

Spoilers ahead!

Since premiering on Netflix this month, Baby Reindeer has taken the world by storm, following its shocking, hilarious, painful, and devastating narrative. While a work of fiction, the story took inspiration from the series creator and lead Richard Gadd’s real-life experiences of being stalked and abused during his 20s, and his one-man stage show.

Per Gadd, the ending of the show is the most truthful scene in the acclaimed drama, as the actor stressed that it delved into a side of abuse that isn’t often explored in television.

Baby Reindeer’s Ending Is the Most Truthful Scene in the Entire Series

In her final voicemail, Martha, Donny’s stalker, revealed that she too was a victim of abuse herself, as she grew up in a volatile household. Martha recalled that a small stuffed baby reindeer used to comfort her during this period of her life, and claimed it looked similar to Donny, which led her to create the nickname for him. This confession prompts Donny to cry profusely in the end.

Speaking with GQ, Richard Gadd stressed that it was the most truthful scene of the series, which delved into a side of abuse that isn’t generally showcased on television. The Against The Law star explained that abuse, both physical and psychological, leaves an imprint, explaining that there’s a pattern of abuse victims feeling the need to get back to their abusers.

He explained:

“I think that was almost the most truthful scene of the entire show. What abuse does is it creates psychological damage as well as physical damage… Abuse leaves an imprint. Especially abuse like this where it’s repeated with promises. There’s a pattern where a lot of people who have been abused feel like they need their abusers. I don’t think it was a cynical ending, it was showing an element of abuse that hadn’t been seen on television before, which is, unfortunately, the deeply entrenched, negative, psychological effects of attachment you can sometimes have with your abuser.”

While the show has been received extremely well among fans and critics, one viewer wasn’t too thrilled about the portrayal of Gadd’s stalker in the Netflix drama.

Real-Life Martha Accused Richard Gadd of Bullying Her

Although Baby Reindeer opted to use fictional names for its characters, the real-life Martha has finally spoken out about the show and the portrayal of Martha onscreen. While her name hasn’t been made public by The Daily Mail, she told the news outlet that the actor is “bullying an older woman for fame and fortune.” She further alleged that she never owned a baby Reindeer in real life, and had no conversations with the series lead about a childhood toy.

She was quoted saying:

“He’s using Baby Reindeer to stalk me now. I’m the victim. He’s written a bloody show about me. I’ve never owned a toy baby reindeer and I wouldn’t have had any conversation with Richard Gadd about a childhood toy either.”

From hilarious to heart-wrenching moments, the Netflix drama has succeeded at pulling fans’ heartstrings, which has been sitting at the top of Netflix’s charts since its debut.

Baby Reindeer is available to stream on Netflix.