Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer’ Cut a Key Episode About Donny’s Family — Richard Gadd Explains Why
Jessica Gunning’s Marta Scott was nowhere to be found in Baby Reindeer’s deleted episode that could have been some kind of break from all the trouble — it never aired after all.
The tension was getting higher with every new episode of Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, though at some point Richard Gadd’s Donny Dunn could have just, well, escaped.
Released last year, the show closely follows the fictionalised story of Gadd’s own experience of being stalked by a woman, gradually turning into a high-stakes thrilling chase that doesn’t end until the very finale.
Baby Reindeer’s storyline was in fact so intense that the series almost adapted quieter tones after producers’ suggestions — which Gadd, however, rejected for a reason.
Richard Gadd Reveals “Family” Episode Was Cut From ‘Baby Reindeer’
It seems like a logical thing for Donny to take a break from London and Marta stalking him around just by leaving for his Scottish homeland to visit his family.
This was exactly what Baby Reindeer’s execs wanted to blend in the show, considering its tough and pretty disturbing stalking narrative.
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The episode which follows Gadd’s character to Scotland and centres on his relationship with his father was in fact filmed alongside others, yet didn’t make it to the cut.
“When we were developing it, there was the note that kept coming in about the show being too dark. You need to give the audience a respite from it all”, Gadd revealed during his latest appearance at ACMI Theatre (shared by Variety).
However, he then added that Marta’s absence in the episode was only making the whole torture even longer, suggesting that “the sooner you get back to her the better”.
‘Baby Reindeer’ Deleted Episode Featured Mark Lewis Jones’ Extended Role
During the event Gadd also specified that the episode in question was meant to be more about Donny spending some time with his father and thus would explore it even further.
The actor lamented Baby Reindeer’s viewers not getting to see Mark Lewis Jones’ performance as Gerry Dunn, even though the actor still starred in the show’s three episodes.
Eventually, things turned out in favor for Jessica Gunning’s Marta's whose presence. With all of its fear-inducing nature, it was still important to keep Baby Reindeer’s viewership high. This was also the reason why the episode was never included in the show anyway.
