Baby Reindeer
Baby Reindeer falls apart as the hypocrisy of its nature constantly pulls it from one mistake to another. It's quite an interesting approach to create a rape-revenge series, where the catharsis comes from the existence of the series as a retelling of true events.
Understanding and acceptance are big themes here, each decision and each sequence is a result of a lack of honesty. Honesty with ourselves, honesty with others, honesty to achieve peace. But what is honesty? On that note, what is objective truth?
Baby Reindeer wants to exist in the "objective truth" of Donny's psyche. This series, after all, follows its creator, it is an extension of itself. Yet, it dips in and out of reality. We can feel Baby Reindeer being tugged to reveal more yet it cannot, I feel Gadd's bias seep into the work constantly, I feel something iffy about it all.
The hypocrisy of being a series about needing this woman's ill attention, whilst accepting you egged it on is not paralleled fated art, it is hypocritical art. I'm happy Gadd could accept this flaw within himself but in this "real" way that puts such a spotlight on himself, in a way that further publicizes and ruins a woman's life...
A bad woman sure, but she's bad for a reason, just ask Baby Reindeer about that idea!
I look into what we are told are the windows to Gadd's soul, this true story is the vehicle for Gadd to finally be understood, so you, hopefully, can too. You must love and appreciate what he has done for us here.
However, in reality, countless soul-bearing pieces of art exist, that do not need to be so egotistical and self-obsessed. Even if you are aware of that nature, it does not rid you of the ugliness.
To move forward and blossom, Baby Reindeer needed to channel these experiences into something other than this. Into something that is not made to be marketable on Netflix.
If Baby Reindeer was made in a fashion that was not so hinged on Gadd's experience with a mad stalker, it would flourish in ways beyond being a dramatized version of any other Netflix documentary.