It's the beginning of that timeless joke: "a stalker walks into a bar..." Maybe that's not the classic version of the joke, but "Baby Reindeer" almost treats it like the messed up joke that it ultimately is. The weird position of someone who doesn't have any status in the world at all being the victim of stalking by a deranged woman. Of course, that's only a part of the trauma that Richard Gadd lays on display in this very personal show he made with Netflix. The first episode focuses mostly on his interactions with Martha, though, and it's a chilling and very uneasy viewing experience.
Is it the single act of being nice to a person that can turn everything upside down? Possibly, but it probably also helps if the other person is a bit of a maniac. This episode is not nice in its portrayal of Martha, who does come across as creepy and strange. It's clear that the entire act was made out of pity and that Donny Dunn (the fictional version of Gadd) is coming from a good place, but it quickly turns around when she starts showing her true colors. The writing is particularly sharp and it succeeds in never really revealing all the layers and slowly adding more and more crazy to Martha, which just enhances her presence throughout the episode, even when she's not on screen. However, Gadd is also not afraid of taking shots at himself, openly showing himself in his early days of trying to be a comedian and taking advantage of the things he can in order to get a laugh. It adds layers to the main character as well in both ways. The direction is very flashy and the pace of the episode is very quick, and it was surprising that it was as short as it was. Weronika Tofilska seems to have the goods, but the show can't help but feel derivative of many other modern television shows that tries to punch it up with some rapid directorial tricks that doesn't necessarily add anything to the show. It works here, though, and it gives weight to Dunn's internal chaos.
"Episode 1" serves as a solid opening to a show that has a lot of potential and many different directions it could potentially go in. It does a good job of setting up its lead character and his issues, with the writing being very biting and sharp, especially in its treatment of its creepy antagonist.
