Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” features a hidden reference to the infamous cursed numbers from the hit TV show “Lost.” The numbers appear in the email address of Donny’s stalker, Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, in the series.
The discovery was made by Jacob Stolworthy, chief culture reporter for The Independent, who pointed it out on Twitter. Stolworthy, who hosts The LOST Boys podcast with Jack Shepherd, wrote: “The ‘random series of numbers like spam’ used in the stalker’s email address are, in fact, the cursed numbers from Lost.”
The cursed numbers, 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42, recur consistently throughout “Lost,” which celebrates its 20th anniversary in September. They regularly appear in the background of flashbacks that show the main characters’ lives before the plane crash.
Other viewers were left stunned after finding out that “Baby Reindeer” is based on the real-life experiences of actor Ricky Gadd. While Gadd has changed many details about Martha’s character to make her unidentifiable, he was a victim of stalking and, like his character Donny, wasn’t taken seriously when he initially reported his experiences to the police.
In The Independent’s four-star review of the series, TV critic Nick Hilton writes that “Baby Reindeer” “is a visceral testimony to the psychological torment that Gadd experienced.” He adds, “This is twisty, mature, self-interrogating stuff that will leave you more troubled than tickled.”
“Baby Reindeer” is now streaming on Netflix.
