“Distorted Loves”: A Miniseries About Human Vulnerability And The Traps Of Heartbreak
The miniseries stands out for being the result of the same person, both in the script and in the performance, who has shared his desire to achieve fame and the miseries he has faced along the way. Thanks to this, he has achieved the success he so desired, offering a deeply subjective perspective that enriches the narrative of the series.
The complexity of human relationships in ‘Distorted Loves’
The behaviors presented in this miniseries reflect aspects of the human condition. The protagonists amplify certain emotions and situations, such as difficulty interpreting signals, beliefs based on distorted realities, and attachment to people who do not correspond to us. These relationships can turn our lives into real torment and lead us to make decisions that are harmful to ourselves.
Marta, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder and delusions related to erotomania, embodies a distorted view of reality. How many times have we heard people justify heartbreak with rationalizations that, although they seem coherent, turn out to be absurd? They speak of a mutual attraction that they believe rewards and nourishes them emotionally.
Although not all of us reach Marta’s extreme, we all carry within us a germ that can lead us to fall in love with painful relationships and become attached in a negative way, distorting our perception of reality. This miniseries delves into the complexity of human nature and the imperative need to take care of ourselves. Problem situations don’t always start dramatically; Often, they begin subtly.
Donny, a character with very low self-esteem who feels trapped in self-hatred, desperately seeks the reward of attention and love. Emotionally lost, he lacks the ability to set limits and boundaries, constantly approaching the abyss of his suffering.
Exploring trauma and sexuality through Donny
The series features a narrative rich in emotional performances, highlighted in a monologue that poses the question: “What is it to be a man?” and his relationship with sexuality and rape. Human beings are “raped” by culture through the words that are recorded in our psyche, which makes us more or less vulnerable to predators.
Donny begins his monologue with a holding posture, a click and a deep inhalation, gestures that reflect the tension before revealing something deeply hidden. From the beginning, a conflict is established around his masculinity, identity and role, speaking of the man who attacked him as if that experience had marked him, seeking to relive the trauma, as if he had “enjoyed” it..
These extreme situations can have a significant impact on the experience of sexuality, which is already complex in itself. It becomes evident how much time Donny has spent denying and rejecting himself, fighting his own demons and the psychological fallout that arises from the internal dialogues of “my fault-his fault.” These feelings can lead to destructive and self-destructive behaviors, such as psychological abandonment, exposure to fearful situations, substance use, excessive work and exercise, and the unconscious pursuit of self-harm.
The mind seeks to make sense of feelings of guilt, and although these explanations do not always align with reality, they become a way to cope with pain. Guilt and fragility are opposed by a need for control; The more helpless you feel, the more blame you take on.. We need to find explanations for psychological shocks, since a “just because” is more threatening than accepting that we have caused the situation.
The stalker chooses Donny by sensing his vulnerable traits, frustrations, poor social skills, and difficulty setting boundaries. Traumas like this can trigger visceral and impulsive responses, leaving a deep mark on the lives of those who suffer them.
Rigidity in ideas (symbolized by shaking hands with his father) and failure to ask for help result in wandering through life harming himself. All human beings tend to avoid pain and discomfort, whether by chasing dreams, using drugs, or avoiding connecting with our emptiness and with others. The protagonist tried to live an orderly life for years, exercising and eating well, but the emotions are stronger and cry out to be heard; The harder you try to ignore them, the more mechanisms they develop and, after being ignored, can manifest as physical problems.
For Marta, approval has less to do with the device itself and more to do with what it represents: a sense of belonging to a professional class and a world where she was respected and successful. It is an attempt to project an image of stability and normality in contrast to her current life. Signing your emails with ‘Sent from my iPhone’ despite not having one may be a symbolic link to her previous status.
There is a fine line between miniseries and movie; “Baby Reindeer” is a miniseries and the writer considers that each chapter must be coherent with the general story, showing notable professionalism in addressing a story that could have been told in many ways, especially in a personal story.
Marta’s role in the representation of heartbreak and self-deception
The protagonist interacts with Marta, who suffers from a delusion of erotomania, a serious pathology that manifests itself as an unfounded misinterpretation of reality, creating a belief of having a romantic relationship with someone and transforming reality to maintain that belief. Marta turns her delirium around to make the information fit together, a common phenomenon in cases involving famous people..
Marta presents herself with a disheveled, unhygienic appearance, and with erratic and illogical behavior, writing without coherence, lines without commas and capital letters as if she were speaking. She talks about people in her life, the mind prevailing over reality, without separation between the self and the other, defending inconsistencies tooth and nail.
When confronted with these inconsistencies, aggression appears. Delusions are due to fears, experiences and desires, and are based on a strong self-rejection. Donny is also unhappy with himself, lying about his name and inventing his identity on social media; In addition to not accepting himself, he cannot set limits. He says “I’m addicted to hating myself”; Terry reveals her bond with Marta. He expresses: “you don’t give yourself any value, you choose harm like emotional blackmail, abuse”; “What attracts you to Marta is her ability to ruin your life.”
He talks about the permissions that Marta gives him: “you love that she sees you how you want to be seen,” “she has the characteristics that you want,” she has the charisma that he wants to have. He takes refuge in her, gets something out of her situation with Marta when he can’t face her abuser. The self-deception of “I care about someone else” is to avoid taking care of oneself. “She is all the repressions in one person.” Marta expresses all of his emotions, laughs and compliments him on her body and masculinity. He could not denounce Marta because he had to denounce someone else first.
Trauma and Sexuality: The protagonist meets the screenwriter Derriel, and drug use is associated with him. Donny has a complex about his sex life; when he begins to sense the scriptwriter’s intentions, he stays, as if Derriel gave him what Donny doesn’t have. In Donny, the figure of the screenwriter is dissociated, which has a paternal component in addition to the abuse. A restorative moment is his conversation with his father, who also suffered abuse.
Donny feels that people know what happened to him, he begins to experience many types of relationships and seeks out those that recreate the abusive relationship. He continues to have difficulties with his partner until he fantasizes about Marta, with whom he does not feel judged and unconditional; When she stops serving him, he seeks her out. Desire is the desire of the other. Recognizing that the relationship is one of harassment implies recognizing that the relationship with the screenwriter is abuse, which makes him feel less of a man.
The supposed screenwriter in the movie talks to him about Donny’s speech as if he were not the abuser, tells him that he is very brave. This produces a panic attack when faced with a new desired job offer. He then begins to take refuge in Marta’s emails, turning to the person who saw him with her best eyes.
