You Won’t Believe Why Everyone’s Obsessed with ‘Baby Reindeer’ – It’s Not About Nuance!

Welcome to the Screen Gab newsletter, perfect for everyone who has recently been intrigued by “Baby Reindeer”.

There must certainly be algorithmic factors contributing to the rapid ascent of the British miniseries to the top of Netflix’s charts, but in this week’s Catch Up, Matt Brennan, our editor, wrestles with the artistic elements that have captivated audiences — and disputes one of the most commonly stated reasons.

In this 131st edition of Screen Gab, “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Camilla Luddington joins us to share her own TV fixation, along with streaming recommendations for your weekend from the experts at The Times.

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The stand-out red carpet styles from Met Gala 2024, ‘The Garden of Time’: Photos and analysis of the most audacious celebrity outfits from this year’s Met Gala, benefiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute in New York.

A recent documentary includes new allegations against Kevin Spacey. Our takeaways from ‘Spacey Unmasked’: ‘Spacey Unmasked,’ premiering Monday on Max, outlines misconduct allegations from 10 men against the actor, nine of whom have never spoken publicly before.

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Must Watch

Picks from the movie and TV experts at The Times

“Conan O’Brien Must Go” (Max)

This eccentric travel show, a less predictable, less journalistic, more comedically forceful successor to the “Conan Without Borders” specials from O’Brien’s TBS talk show days, is a cross between Eugene Levy’s “The Reluctant Traveler” and Anthony Bourdain’s “Parts Unknown.” Norway, Thailand, Argentina, and Ireland form the itinerary, and in each country, O’Brien visits one or more ordinary person who has called into his podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan.” He records and performs with a Norwegian hip-hop group, socializes with Viking cosplayers and Argentine football players, “hallucinates” from spicy Thai food, dances the tango, and visits the site of his ancestors’ former home. He frequently appears in costume, including once as a horse. Always ready to play the fool, he mocks and is mocked in return (even in Ireland, he’s teased as a redhead), and everywhere he gives as good as he gets. — Robert Lloyd

“Stop Making Sense” (Max)

When a remastered edition of Jonathan Demme’s 1984 concert film “Stop Making Sense” was re-released last year, reports of spontaneous dance parties erupting in theaters were widespread. Now the recording of Talking Heads at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre is available at home for anyone who may have felt too timid to let loose in public. As the number of musicians on stage grows from one to nine, the music also expands, culminating in joyous, funky performances such as “Burning Down the House,” “Girlfriend Is Better,” and “Once in a Lifetime.” The movie’s reputation as one of the greatest concert films ever is entirely deserved, and having this sparkling edition so easily available (including on Blu-ray and 4k UHD) may actually provide a path to joy and happiness with just a few button presses. — Mark Olsen

Get Up to Speed

All you need to know about the film or TV series everyone’s discussing

A loathsome character and his stalker enter a pub: If the premise of Richard Gadd’s deeply disturbing miniseries sounds like the start of an inappropriate joke, the punchline is that “Baby Reindeer” — despite having no stars, no apparent marketing, and no concern for the viewer’s comfort — has become Netflix’s latest unexpected hit. In seven episodes marked by explosive laughter and harsh reproaches, a seemingly harmless encounter between Donny (Gadd), a failed comedian, and Martha (Jessica Gunning), an eccentric customer at his London pub, spirals into a life-changing crisis.

What “Baby Reindeer” most certainly is not is “nuanced.” This frequent justification for its unexpected rise to the top of the streaming platform’s most-watched chart — often compared against the platform’s preference for broad, flashy television — doesn’t align with the series’ embrace of extremes. In the moment, scenes and sequences often get lost in the flurry of emails, Facebook messages, and nagging comments Martha sends Donny, and which Donny occasionally encourages in return; the penultimate episode, the weakest of the season, even devotes its supposed climax to rehashing developments managed more skillfully, and with more emotional resonance, in the previous five entries.

At least on a structural level, Gadd’s self-flagellating dedication to tearing down every revelation as quickly as it’s constructed is somewhat ingenious, vividly conveying the inner vortex of shame and doubt that’s always threatening to drag us down. And by elucidating Donny’s questionable decisions without toning them down to make him more appealing, the series does distinguish itself from the mindless background noise that constitutes so much streaming content these days. Yet, the term that came to mind while watching “Baby Reindeer” is the decidedly blunt “flayed”: With each new revelation about Donny, another layer is ripped away, eventually exposing the raw nerve endings at his traumatized core. As for Martha, she turns out to be more tool than character, the instrument with which the series performs open heart surgery on its troubled protagonist. Any subtlety must be reserved for a potential second season. — Matt Brennan

READ MORE: Who is the real Martha from ‘Baby Reindeer’? Jessica Gunning says she didn’t need to know

READ MORE: Woman purporting to be the real Martha tells Piers Morgan ‘Baby Reindeer’ is ‘exaggerated’

Guest Appearance

A weekly conversation with actors, writers, directors, and more about their current projects — and what they’re watching

Like many veteran staff at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital, Jo Wilson has had her share of trials. Maybe not stranded-in-the-wilderness-after-a-deadly-plane-crash severe, but certainly intense: In her 12 seasons on “Grey’s Anatomy,” she has been deserted by her husband (via letter, no less), diagnosed with depression, and personally and professionally confronted with the trauma of sexual assault and domestic violence. So far this season, however, ABC’s medical drama has given Jo, played by Camilla Luddington, a bit of a break, allowing her to (mostly) enjoy her new specialty and her relationship with partner Atticus “Link” Lincoln (Chris Carmack). As the show’s strike-shortened 20th season draws to a close, Luddington joined Screen Gab to discuss what she’s been watching, her dream “Grey’s” bottle episode, and more. — Matt Brennan

What have you been watching recently that you’re recommending to everyone you know?

I’ve been revisiting “PEN15” on Hulu recently. It’s a wonderful coming-of-age comedy series, and there are still so many people who haven’t seen it. I absolutely adore Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, the writers. I consider them to be brilliant, and I watch every episode in awe of their commitment to their characters. Comedy is a difficult art, and they nail every single moment.

By the time this interview is published, I will have watched all 427 episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy” that have aired so far. Is there something in pop culture, be it a TV series, film franchise, artist, etc., that you’ve become perhaps unreasonably obsessed with?

The first series I ever became completely obsessed with was “Dawson’s Creek” [Prime Video, Hulu]. It helped that I had just moved to the U.S. for the first time as a high school freshman when it aired. It was my initial introduction to life in the states, and I remember feeling like I was living their lives. I was one of them. It was also the first TV series that led me to buy the CDs of the soundtracks. I actually still have one season’s soundtrack on my phone. It definitely takes me back.

Jo’s OB-GYN specialty gives her the chance to work more closely with Arizona Robbins, played by Jessica Capshaw, who returns to the series this season after six years. What does Arizona/Jessica bring back to the show that was missing in their absence?

Jessica is one of my best friends, so I always missed her energy on set. But during the table read, hearing her back as Arizona Robbins, it really brought home that that character brings a lot of sunshine. Every actor on our show is so distinct, and that’s what makes our ensemble so much fun. But Arizona just exudes charm. It was a seamless reintroduction, and the fans absolutely loved it. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for some kind of return next year.

This is your 12th season on the show. Do you have an ambition as an actor, or for Jo as a character, that you still want to achieve?

I would personally love to do a comedy. I’m ready for a “Bridesmaids” or a romantic comedy. I’m putting that out into the universe.

And for Jo Wilson, I want her to achieve all the success as an OB-GYN. She’s still a resident, but I can see her being an excellent attending and getting the chance to teach. I also want her to take a vacation. Please. Can all the doctors take one group vacation? We’ve never seen them all outside, cocktail in hand, being forced to “relax.” The drama.