Baby Reindeer’s confusing and symbolic ending explained: What happens to Donny and Martha?

If you’ve binged Baby Reindeer over the last couple of days, you’re probably wondering a lot of things. Is the whole thing based on a true story? Yes, it’s all based on Richard Gadd’s (the main actor and writer) real experiences. Are all the emails from the show real? Another yes and it’s very creepy. Why is it called Baby Reindeer? All the answers are waiting for you here. And finally, what on earth was that ending?

So here is the symbolic Baby Reindeer ending explained:

What happens to Donny?

So at the start of episode seven, Donny is on a high after his comedy video goes viral. But, this is soon brought to a stop after Martha gets his number and calls him, threatening to tell his parents about the video.

Via Netflix

So, he goes back to Scotland where he tells his parents about Martha, Terri, him being assaulted, his sexuality and more. “I didn’t want you to think less of me as a man,” he says to his parents, to which his father replies, “Would you see me as less of a man?”

He adds that he grew up in the Catholic Church, alluding to him also being assaulted. Then, Donny and his parents hug and he goes back to London feeling better.

What happens to Martha and does she get arrested?

So Donny goes to the police and yes, Martha was arrested the day after sending Donny the voicemail and was charged with three counts of stalking and harassment. In court, her charge is read out, and covers the period of time from 14th August 2015 to 22nd March 2017.

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She pleads guilty to the charges, which also include harassment charges against Donny’s parents. She sees Donny across the court for one last time, and we hear from Donny’s narration that she was sentenced to nine months in prison. A five-year restraining order was also issued on the same day of the trial, meaning that would be the last time that Donny would see Martha.

Via Netflix

After Martha goes to prison, Donny falls into a dark place to which his housemate calls Keeley and she visits him. Here, she sees his investigation into Martha and encourages him to move back in with her mum, Liz, which he does.

What happens with Donny and Darrien?

At Liz’s house, Donny finds an old script with notes from his assaulter, Darrien, which causes him to visit him. Here, Darrien calls Donny’s viral confession “brave” and offers him work by saying “it won’t be like last time”. Donny agrees, but leaves and emotionally collapses.

He then starts listening to some of Martha’s flattering voicemails for some kind of comfort and ends up in a pub, where we finally learn what Martha’s pet name for Donny means.

In one of her many voicemails, Martha tells Donny that she had a cuddly toy of a baby reindeer when she was a child that she kept for all of these years. She said the toy was the “only good thing” about her childhood and said she would hug it when her parents fought. Then, she says that Donny is the spitting image of her toy reindeer and that it means so much to her, as does Donny.

Donny cries and goes to pay for his drink, but then realises that he doesn’t have his wallet. The bartender then says it’s on him which echoes back to the very first episode of Donny paying for Martha’s drink, triggering the whole saga.

Baby Reindeer is available on Netflix now. For more like this Baby Reindeer ending explained and all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Inside Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd’s life: The real man who the show is also based on

• Here’s where to watch Richard Gadd next if you’re obsessed with Netflix’s Baby Reindeer

•  Okay, we finally know whether Martha’s emails in Baby Reindeer were actually real

Featured image via Netflix.