Stephen King Praises ‘Baby Reindeer’, Says Its “One of The Best Things I Have Ever Seen”
Stephen King has penned an essay about ‘Baby Reindeer’ and he shared the news on his official X account earlier this week. The London Times featured King’s piece, and he expressed his surprise at being paid to write about such a captivating show. King admitted, “I can’t believe they paid me for writing about such a cool show, but they did. Of course, I DID pay Netflix.”
In his article for The Times, King delves into the popular Netflix series, which has amassed over 22 million views in just three weeks. The show is an adaptation of a one-man play created by Richard Gadd, who also stars in the Netflix production as a fictionalized version of himself. ‘Baby Reindeer’ unfolds a semi-autobiographical narrative, chronicling the struggles of a comedian named Donny relentlessly pursued by an older woman named Martha.
Also Read: Why Does Martha Misspell Words in ‘Baby Reindeer’
King commended the series for its concise storytelling, remarking that, unlike many streaming shows with lengthy episodes, ‘Baby Reindeer’ delivers short, impactful episodes of about 30 minutes each, akin to sharp stabs from a very keen knife.
The acclaimed author not only lauded the series as “one of the best things” he’s ever seen but also drew parallels between it and his 1987 thriller novel, ‘Misery.’ ‘Misery,’ adapted into a 1990 film starring James Caan and Kathy Bates, revolves around a novelist rescued by a former nurse who gradually reveals herself to be his obsessive fan turned captor. King jokingly noted, “My first thought was to thank God my novel came first, or people would assume I’d stolen it from Richard Gadd.”
King also reflected on one of the show’s poignant themes, noting, “The great gift (I will not call it a trick) of ‘Baby Reindeer’ is that we come to understand why it has taken so long for Donny to report his abuse.” He further elaborated, expressing empathy for Donny’s internalized belief that he deserves his mistreatment and highlighting the audience’s empathetic response towards both Donny and Martha.
