Created by Lucy Gaymer and Siân Robins-Grace, the great horror-comedy limited series The Baby premiered just earlier this year and is a must-see for a good laugh, yet might also change your mind about having children.
When Natasha is unexpectedly burdened with a baby in her late 30s (through a series of violent, strange mishaps), her lifestyle as she knows it, of doing what she wants, when she wants changes in the blink of an eye. With its violent and controlling abilities, the baby turns Natasha’s life into a living hell. Without a clue on where he came from, Natasha can’t waste time and must go to extreme lengths to get her life back because even though she doesn’t want this baby, he definitely wants her. The Baby’s approach to this comedy-horror adventure is brilliant, so let’s find out why people should be watching it.
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The Baby Makes Horror Funny
HBO International
Elements of horror and comedy are closely interlinked. The Baby will keep you on the edge of your seat and creep you out, but deliver big laughs all the way through. The series does a brilliant job of keeping the tension high to bring in the typical horror feel that we all love, especially when the baby begins going on a killing spree (of sorts).
The viewers are initially shocked but begin to associate what could otherwise be innocent or silly moments with foreboding horror. For example, when the baby has a wide-eyed gaze or begins to cry, we know the characters are in big danger and can expect something violent to occur. This is a great example of something that is related to horror, but is also something that can be extremely comedic.
Natasha’s uneasiness with stroking this cute infant feels forced, which results in some very awkwardly comedic physical moments. As Natasha, Michelle de Swarte is excellent at being extremely organic and natural in her total discomfort and frequent disgust at babies, while also being genuinely terrified and concerned about the child. What adds to the comedy is that the baby will always come back, and she just can’t get rid of it, which is equally tense and hilarious.
Motherhood is Terrifying
The occasionally hilarious TV show does not romanticize motherhood in any way whatsoever, which is where both the comedy and the horror lies. The horror doesn’t even necessarily come from the baby’s actions and his brutal killings; it comes from the presentation of motherhood and how genuinely terrifying it can be to have that responsibility. The audience is shown the behind the scenes of what motherhood is like, which may also create some nervous and scared giggles from viewers.
At its core, The Baby is ultimately about motherhood before anything, and the different ways in which having a child can change your life; in Natasha’s case, it’s not for the better. The series exemplifies the raw and frustrating reality of the societal pressures that women experience regarding motherhood, but also delves into the difficulties children experience with their own mothers. Nobody is really to blame in The Baby for the horror (and comedy) of motherhood; terrified mothers were once babies with terrified mothers, and both parents and children alike make massive mistakes and cause endless headaches.
Natasha is adamantly opposed to having children and does not enjoy being around them in any way. It’s her worst nightmare when the baby arrives in her life (quite literally dropped from the sky); even her identity become tied to this child, which is something she’s extremely cognizant of and critical of all mothers for. Natasha does not want this baby in her life, and perhaps, as one of the show’s comedic elements depicts, it’s because the strong-willed Natasha is actually just as immature as the baby, which sheds light on how some people just don’t relate to parenthood as well as others. The baby’s presence in Natasha’s life represents the all-consuming nature of parenthood and how it forces you to mature and grow up.
The Baby, Unwanted Pregnancies, and Abortion
Though, the deeper message of The Baby calls to women who are forced to carry unwanted pregnancies or have no desire of becoming a mother, both of which should be normalized. The fact that Natasha also does not eventually discover her love for being a mother or develop maternal skills is also extremely enlightening and is important for society to understand, that motherhood does not always come naturally. This can also be seen in the way the 2021 film The Lost Daughter deconstructs motherhood.
After the death of one person and before the deaths of several more, the baby randomly falls into Natasha’s arms. The central joke is that people who come into contact with the unnamed and insufferably cute infant tend to meet horrific ends — except for Natasha, the only one who doesn’t want him but can’t seem to get rid of him (which sounds a lot like a woman trapped in an unwanted pregnancy, in a state which does not permit her an abortion).
It goes to show the darker side to parenthood and that, for those who do not want kids, it may become unbearable. So, of course Natasha tries to ultimately unburden herself as hard as she can, trying first to leave the baby at a police station. When that doesn’t work, she ends up moving on to more violent solutions, where killing the baby becomes an extreme metaphor for abortion, or what women are driven to in the absence of protective rights and legislation.
The Baby consistently scores points for the realities and struggles of motherhood, showing that sometimes it becomes so hard, all you want to do is escape it. A mysterious woman who has been tracking the baby’s bloody behavior tells Natasha: “He’ll bulldoze your life, destroy your relationships, and when he’s got you completely to himself, he’ll destroy you. It’s what he does," which sounds fairly accurate, even about non-demonic murder babies.
Not only is the series extremely funny and horrific, it is also actually quite educational and enlightening about the societal pressures of being a mother, and normalizes the choice that all women deserve: to not want children. The Baby is streaming now on HBO Max.
