Netflix’s “Baby Rena” series is based on a true story; understand

Just over a week after debuting on Netflix the series “Baby Reindeer” it's already among the most viewed on the platform . The plot, written and starring Richard Gadd follows the relationship between a comedian and a woman who becomes obsessed with him and starts chasing him.

Not only is the story based in reality, as it was with Gadd who had problems with a stalker during a period of his life, and was bombarded with messages from the woman daily.

“It’s a true story” he said in an interview with Netflix.

“In a strange way, I started to feel like this might make a good story during the ordeal itself. It was one of the most intense periods, when I heard these voice messages [da stalker]. I would go to sleep at night and these voicemails — the words would bounce off my eyelids. I remember thinking, 'God, if I ever talked about this on stage, I would shoot those words. I would put the voicemails into a big cacophony and go off,” Gadd said.

Precisely because he had been through this, Gadd was concerned about portraying the story in a human way, without classifying the characters as good or bad.

“I think life is a dramatic comedy. In some of the darkest places I've been, I've found laughter somehow. And some of the funniest places I've been, including backstage at comedy clubs with other comedians, can also be the most depressing places. I always thought that life is a mixture of light and shadow. So, I wanted 'Baby Rena' to be a mix of both,” he said.

In the series, the first interaction between the characters — comedian Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) and the woman who will become obsessed with him, Martha (Jessica Gunning) — is friendly.

While working as a bartender, Donny is kind to Martha, a woman who is seemingly vulnerable. However, this kindness triggers an unhealthy obsession, and Martha begins to pursue him.

“Stalking on television tends to be very sensual. It has a mystique. It's someone in a dark alley. It’s someone who is very sexy, very normal, but then gradually becomes strange,” said Gadd. “But stalking is a mental illness. I really wanted to show the layers of the chase with a human quality that I had never seen on television before. It's the story of a stalker turned upside down. She takes an idea and turns it upside down.”

The writer and protagonist of the series also made it clear that he didn't want to portray his character just as a victim: “I think art is quite interesting when you don't know who you're on your side with. I wanted that [a série] it was layered and captured the human experience. The human experience is that people are good, but they also have some bad things and make mistakes.”

The series is available on Netflix since April 11th.