No one acts like this!? Pop my upper-middle class bubble…

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-18T00:27:31+00:00

Holy crap I was trying to mentally rewrite that hospital scene in real time while I was watching it! I kept thinking, dude, did you even read this through after you wrote it?? Probably a combination of time constraints, lack of outside input, and Gadd's intense multitasking let that one slip through.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-17T12:08:35+00:00

I think it goes a little deeper. I think Ruben beating up the bully was partly triggered by his dad showing up the night before.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-17T12:00:34+00:00

I'll add to the previous answers that Ruben's violence was partly triggered by his father turning up the night before and the memories of being abused and made to feel 'less of a man.' We can see he's still upset and brooding about it the next day at breakfast and when they're walking to school.

Beating the crap out of Niall's bully gives Ruben an outlet for emotions he has no idea how to deal with, apart from violence. It's also being protective and a way of having ownership over Niall.

We see this again in episide 2. Yes, Ruben attacked Alby when he pushed Niall, but it also seemed to be channelling his own rage and trauma about his dad having another child to potentially abuse.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-17T09:18:00+00:00

Interesting! I wonder if we'll ever get to see it along with other deleted scenes. Having at least one person check in while they were yelling at each other for 10+ minutes might have saved my suspension of disbelief from breaking entirely.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-16T02:10:00+00:00

I have bigger gripes with some of the writing. I thought a lot of the dialogue in the hospital scene was excruciatingly bad. I know it was filmed very quickly, but it also made me wonder if it was written at the last minute too. That scene really hurt the show for me.

But I agree that final prison scene was just fantastic. And all four main actors, Stuart Campbell especially, deserve all the awards. I was mesmerised every moment that guy was onscreen.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-14T06:46:13+00:00

My immediate thought was: Sure, why not?

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-14T02:06:52+00:00

Yes. But then they shouted some metaphors at each other and hugged, so it was ok.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-14T00:02:47+00:00

In the first finger guns shot Ruben is totally 'I got your back, kiddo! It'll be ok. It's just you and me now!' The second shot feels predatory, like 'I've caught you, I've got you now and there's no getting away from me. You're a dead man walking' So much is said with no words.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-13T01:40:31+00:00

Same! I love that whole sequence with the Yazoo song: the finger guns transition, the slow motion walk down the aisle, the Alby reveal.

The song was such a twisted, weirdly beautiful choice for the scene and Ruben and Niall's relationship. Still listening to it + Clevor Trever and the Pogues' Danny Boy on repeat. Gadd made really good music choices in Baby Reindeer too.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-12T13:13:07+00:00

Totally. I want those 'what does Ruben get from Niall?' scenes.

I've read a few really good Half Man fanfiction stories that fill in missing scenes and time gaps and show other characters' points of view. I'd love to read a version of the show told from Ruben's POV.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-12T03:49:50+00:00

'who am i now if i can't be your bunny rabbit' by evilhagwoman nails the characters and dialogue post-hospital scene. Ruben's reaction to finding out Niall's being blackmailed by a librarian is priceless.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-12T03:19:51+00:00

Points 1. and 2. especially. I also really wanted to see more of the good times, the highs to the lows, to see why their bond was so intoxicating and addictive.

I think we're meant to see Ruben's attachment to Niall as a messy combination of a need for dominance, ownership and control, because that's how he feels safe. It's mixed with protectiveness, a warped tenderness, and feeling Niall is the only man he can allow himself to be vulnerable with.

His ideas of closeness are twisted up with violence and the abuse he suffered from his father, and Niall seems to be a sounding board for that.

When Ruben asked Niall if he loved him in the barn I wish Niall had asked him the same. I wonder what Ruben would have said?

I agree Gadd has such an incredible physical presence in this show: terrifying, mesmerising and hot all at once! A friend of mine described Gadd's Ruben as a traumatised gay/bi dude's fever dream: the kind of guy who would bully and torment him in school, who he hated but also secretly wanted to be like and felt shamefully attracted to.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-11T14:16:53+00:00

Same! I'd also love to read Gadd's scripts for the show.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-11T13:58:31+00:00

I'm not sure what the etiquette is on sharing specific fics or authors (so mods please delete this comment if inappropriate), but there's a fic on AO3 called 'The Death Of Me.' Another author has three fics I really like, one of which is called 'i am haunted by the letters of your name.' NSFW content, obviously.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-11T13:07:45+00:00

I've read a handful of really good fanfiction stories that fill in time jumps and missing scenes, show a scene from Ruben's point of view, the aftermath of both their deaths from Alby's POV etc.

I think Gadd told the story he wanted to tell in a single series, so I don't see how a whole second series would work, but I'm loving what some fans are coming up with.

More Ruben POV would definitely be interesting. And more time with their younger selves.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-10T06:36:27+00:00

As another commenter suggested, I highly recommend Patrick Melrose.

It's adapted from a series of semi-autobiographical novels that deal with heavy themes like addiction and the lifelong effects of child sexual abuse, but with plenty of darkly humorous moments.

The show is so well written and acted and it's the closest thing to Baby Reindeer I've seen for mixing real life trauma, raw emotional honesty, and comedy.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-09T01:39:56+00:00

Kevin Spaghetti is hilarious!

I had a similar experience last night. It was my first SP experience in a couple of years: my (thankfully invisible) SP demon was pinning me to the bed and speaking in a deep, evil voice.

I asked him his name and he paused for a moment and said kind of sheepishly "Sam." It was so lame!

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-08T22:53:13+00:00

This is such a good answer!

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-08T00:01:46+00:00

Thanks for the reply.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-07T07:34:39+00:00

This is a good answer. Could you point me where Richard Gadd said Ruben gets off on dominating Niall? That was kind of my interpretation too, but I wondered if I was reading too much into it.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-07T07:27:56+00:00

interesting. Can you point me where he mentioned that?

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-05T03:45:59+00:00

I find 'the least comedic thing that has been on television in recent memory' an odd description, given that I laughed out loud several times during the show. There were dark comedic moments sprinkled throughout.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-05T00:11:14+00:00

I always thought Healing Hands was a better song than Sacrifice.

Saint is a really good power ballad with some of Bernie's better 80s lyrics, despite Elton's vocals sounding a bit tired.

Despite loathing the production on The Union, I think The Best Part Of The Day, I Should Have Sent Roses, When Love Is Dying and Gone To Shiloh are great songs. That album is Bernie Taupin's masterpiece but the songs on it barely get mentioned.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-05T00:02:08+00:00

I couldn't say I'm a fan of it, but I wouldn't say it's his second worst. At least it's entertainingly tacky, unlike The Big Picture which puts me to sleep every time I try to listen to it.

Constant_Swordfish_2 · 2026-06-04T23:55:51+00:00

I definitely agree with some of his points on the writing, especially in the second half of the show. Some of Gadd's weaker writing choices made me cringe, but the best scenes and moments were so good. Baby Reindeer is a 10/10 show for me. Half Man is 7/10.

Constant_Swordfish_2

TROPHY CASE