Review
Legendary author Stephen King isn’t shy about sharing his opinions on movies and TV shows, often spotlighting the best new entries in the horror and thriller genres. So when the master of horror takes to social media to sing the praises of a show, fans tend to pay attention. It’s not unusual to see him recommend something spooky, unsettling, or psychologically intense — but when he endorses a show that steps outside the boundaries of horror, it carries even more weight. That’s exactly what happened recently with a buzzy, emotionally raw Netflix series that garnered plenty of critical acclaim on its own.
The real twist? The show in question isn’t about ghosts, ghouls, or supernatural evil — it’s grounded in disturbing reality. Still, this didn’t stop Stephen King describing it as “one of the best things” he’s ever seen on television (via The Times). The fact that he went out of his way to endorse the show, which isn’t even in his usual wheelhouse, speaks volumes. The Netflix show in question is Baby Reindeer, and it showed Stephen King (and many others) that the truth can be just as terrifying as fiction.
Stephen King Had High Praise For Netflix's Baby Reindeer Miniseries
The King Of Horror Called It A Masterpiece And Fans Are Listening
Stephen King has seen his fair share of twisted stories (he’s written his fair share of them, after all) but even he seemed genuinely shaken by Netflix’s Baby Reindeer. The seven-part miniseries, created by and starring Richard Gadd, became one of 2024’s biggest breakout hits, and King’s ringing endorsement only helped fan the flames. “Brilliant, nightmarish, and all too real,” King wrote on X (via Forbes), before declaring: “One of the best things I’ve ever seen.” Coming from a man with over five decades of storytelling experience, that’s no small compliment.
Stephen King’s words weren’t just a passing comment, either, nor was it limited to a single Tweet. The author went on to write an entire essay on Baby Reindeer for The Times. He emphasized the raw power of the performances, especially from creator Richard Gadd, who plays a fictionalized version of himself in the semi-autobiographical drama. Baby Reindeer tells the harrowing story of a struggling comedian and his increasingly dangerous relationship with a female stalker. It’s an intense exploration of trauma, obsession, and the lingering scars left by abuse — and King was clearly struck by how unflinchingly real it felt.
Critics have echoed his sentiments. Baby Reindeer currently holds an impressive 99% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences similarly captivated by its honest storytelling and gut-punching performances. However, the show’s appeal goes beyond standard critical acclaim. Much like King’s own work, Baby Reindeer finds horror not in the supernatural, but in the deeply personal — and it’s that uncomfortable truth that seems to have resonated so strongly with him.
This thriller loved by Stephen King doesn’t rely on jump scares or genre tropes. Instead, it leans into raw human emotion, exploring issues like vulnerability, masculinity, and psychological trauma with remarkable nuance. For all his supernatural creations, King has always understood that the scariest monsters are the real ones. That ethos is alive and well in Baby Reindeer, and his passionate praise suggests he sees a kindred spirit in Gadd’s storytelling.
How Stephen King Compared Baby Reindeer To His Stalker Novel Misery
King Saw Chilling Similarities Between Baby Reindeer And His Own Classic
When Stephen King praised Baby Reindeer, it wasn’t just as a casual viewer — it was as the author of one of the most iconic stories about stalking ever written: Misery. In his social media posts and -up interviews, King drew direct comparisons between the two, pointing out the emotional and psychological parallels between Richard Gadd’s real-life inspired miniseries and his own 1987 novel.
The connection makes sense: both stories revolve around a creative man trapped under the obsessive grip of a disturbed fan. But as Stephen King acknowledged, Baby Reindeer takes things to a new, deeply unsettling level. As the author himself put it in his Baby Reindeer essay:
“My first thought was to thank God my novel [Misery] came first, or people would assume I’d stolen it from Richard Gadd, who wrote and produced the seven-episode series and also stars in it.”
In Stephen King’s Misery, the horror comes through the fictional lens of novelist Paul Sheldon, who’s held captive by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes. While it’s terrifying, there’s always a layer of exaggeration that separates it from reality. Baby Reindeer, however, strips away that layer. Gadd’s portrayal of his stalker, based on a real woman who harassed him for years, is grounded in authenticity and pain. As King noted, Baby Reindeer is “ten times more real” than Misery — and all the more horrifying for it.
What shocked Stephen King most wasn’t the violence or the mental instability on display — it was how Baby Reindeer captured the deeply complex emotions involved in such a toxic dynamic. Unlike Misery, where the villain is a clear-cut psychopath, Baby Reindeer portrays Martha (played with haunting intensity by Jessica Gunning) as someone both terrifying and pitiful. The Netflix miniseries explores how trauma breeds trauma, and how victims can find themselves emotionally entangled in their abuser’s world. It’s a nuanced take that resonated with King, who’s long explored similar themes of psychological dependency and moral ambiguity.
For a thriller loved by Stephen King to leave him shaken as well as entertained, it has to be something truly special.
Stephen King also recognized Gadd’s bravery in telling such a personal story. In Baby Reindeer, the protagonist, Donny, doesn’t come across as purely sympathetic — and that’s intentional. The show reveals how Donny’s own guilt, shame, and unresolved abuse contribute to the chaos in his life. King praised this complexity, calling the show brave for its refusal to offer simple answers. That moral murkiness echoes the best of King’s own writing, where heroes and villains often exist in shades of gray.
Ultimately, King’s comparison between Misery and Baby Reindeer highlights just how powerful the latter is as a work of storytelling. It’s not just a thriller or drama — it’s an examination of obsession, complicity, and the hidden costs of survival. And for a thriller loved by Stephen King to leave him shaken as well as entertained, it has to be something truly special.
Why It's Best That Baby Reindeer Season 2 Doesn't Happen (Despite Its Acclaim)
The Story Ends Where It Should — And That’s What Makes It Unforgettable
Even with its massive popularity and Stephen King’s enthusiastic endorsement, Baby Reindeer is not getting a second season — and that’s a good thing. Creator Richard Gadd has been clear from the beginning that the series was conceived as a self-contained story. Unlike most prestige dramas that jump at the chance to keep the momentum going, Baby Reindeer closes its narrative loop in a way that leaves nothing more to say. It’s a painful, harrowing, and ultimately cathartic journey, and extending it would likely diminish the raw emotional power that made it so gripping in the first place.
Richard Gadd’s insistence on keeping the show to one season stems from the fact that Baby Reindeer is intensely personal. The Netflix miniseries is based on his real-life experience with a stalker and the years of abuse, shame, and trauma that . Every moment of the show feels handcrafted, and that emotional authenticity would be hard to replicate in a sequel. In real life, there’s no season two to trauma recovery, no clean episodic progression that a new arc could . To continue the story would risk turning something deeply real into something performative.
Sometimes, the bravest creative choice is to end the story exactly where it should — and Baby Reindeer does just that.
Critically, Baby Reindeer ends on a note that balances closure with discomfort. It doesn’t tie every loose end, but it offers emotional resolution, particularly through Donny’s confrontation of his past abuse. It’s a moment of reckoning that doesn’t offer a neat, happy ending, but does offer a sense of truth. That’s why the series has resonated so powerfully with audiences and critics alike. A second season would have to invent new conflicts, likely fictionalizing what is already a highly personal story. That shift could break the fragile spell Baby Reindeer casts.
Even Stephen King, who often enjoys long-form storytelling and sprawling character arcs, seems to appreciate the show’s singular focus. He hasn’t suggested that the story should continue — and that’s telling. Like many of King’s own best tales, Baby Reindeer works because it knows when to stop. The horror lies not just in the events, but in how they linger after the credits roll.
For this TV show loved by Stephen King, that lingering dread is part of the magic. While fans may want more, Baby Reindeer stands stronger as a one-and-done masterpiece. Its restraint is its strength, and its impact wouldn’t be the same if it tried to outdo itself. Sometimes, the bravest creative choice is to end the story exactly where it should — and Baby Reindeer does just that.
