What was supposed to be enlightening entertainment about mental illness and sexual violence turned into a manhunt. My Little Reindeer has had such significant consequences that some people are wondering if this series, somewhere between reality and fiction, was really a good idea.
My little reindeer should it have seen the light of day ? The question is frontal, however, many fans of the series are asking it, as reported The Guardian. Among critics and the public alike, the most viewed series on Netflix in recent weeks is hailed for its psychological density, its original approach to mental illness and its denunciation of sexual violence.
The series is inspired by the story of Scottish comedian Richard Gadd, creator and main character of the program. His character, Donny, is a bartender aspiring to become a comedian, without success. One day, he offers a cup of tea to a woman, Martha. This simple gesture of empathy triggers an obsession in her that lasts 3 years, during which he will receive thousands of emails, letters, messages, and will be followed to her home and workplace. In the series, Gadd showed harassing messages taken from real emails or text messages sent to him.
The problem is that the series had a such psychological impact on the spectators that it provoked human and legal consequences unprecedented. The series resulted in a wave of investigations about characters on social networks like Reddit, Facebook or X. A worrying reaction for many specialists.
Why are these investigations harmful to justice?
In an article which dissects this phenomenon of taking charge of a very real investigation by the spectators of a fictionalized program, The Guardian collected observations from Mark Stephens, a media lawyer. He explains that these amateur investigations could have disastrous consequences on the work of real investigators :
“This new culture of trying to solve crime by calling ourselves detectives on the Internet is extremely dangerous. Sure, the show makers like to say it’s a true story, but it’s only a matter of time before an investigation be ruined by amateurs, perhaps by destroying a crime scene or damaging evidence.
“Martha” and “the producer” taken by storm
These concerns arose after users launched in a hunt for the real Marthawho received a wave of insults and death threats. She announced that she would file a defamation suit against Netflix and Richard Gadd. Jessica Gunning, who plays the stalker, urged fans to stop trying to track down the woman. “It’s really a shame, because it shows that they didn’t watch the series properly” she lamented, as reported The Guardian.
But Martha is not the only target of this hunt. On social networks, users have developed the theory according to which the goal of the series is to show that the real culprit is not Martha but “Darrien“, a powerful man in the entertainment world who sexually assaulted Richard Gadd. The character may have been changed in the series, but viewers combed through Gadd’s career to guess who this man was. Their search led them to Tony award-nominated actor, writer and director, Sean Foley. The latter also announced that he had filed a complaint:
“The police have been informed and are investigating all defamatory, abusive and threatening messages against me. »
Towards a “do not investigate” warning at the start of a series?
For Mark Stephens, series creators and platforms must take action radical measures so that such a phenomenon does not happen again. After the warning messages announcing a “Any resemblance with facts and people existing or having existed would be purely fortuitous and could only be the result of pure coincidence”or ” not recommended for the most sensitive », the lawyer suggests:
“Perhaps we have reached the stage where crime entertainment based on a true story must be preceded by a warning: Please don’t investigate it yourself.
The creators of these shows may also have to go further to change the characters, changing their identities a lot and not just the names. »
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