‘The Baby’ Episode 3 Non-Spoiler Review – “The Bulldozer”

Let’s just have fun while it lasts, okay? The third episode of Lucy Gaymer and Siân Robins-Grace’s HBO/ Sky horror-comedy limited series, The Baby, is titled, “The Bulldozer”. It is written by Sophie Goodhart, with Stacey Gregg (Here Before) returning to the director’s chair.

In this review, I will be discussing The Baby Episode 3. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any possible revelations.

Plot Synopsis

According to WarnerMedia’s pressroom, here is the logline for The Baby Episode Three—“The Bulldozer”.

Despite Mrs. Eaves’ (Amira Ghazalia) shocking solution to her baby problem, Natasha (Michelle de Swarte) finds herself willing to do anything in exchange for her help – even if it’s the herculean task of nap time. Meanwhile, Bobbi (Amber Grappy) and her partner Sam (Gensis Lynea) prepare for an important meeting with their adoption social worker.

WarnerMedia Pressroom

Discussion

NOTE: It should be known that I got to view the first six out of eight episodes of The Baby early two times before the publication of this article. This will be my third time having seen the episode.

Following last week’s “The Seduction” episode, The Baby continues to deal with how Natasha “Tash” (Michelle de Swarte) must resolve the issue surrounding the Baby (Albie Pascal Hills and Arthur Levi Hills). While one comment I have seen online in response to the show is “Why [Tash] hasn’t tossed that baby off the cliff by now”, there is no difference between how the Baby could be killed as opposed to how the dog at last week’s Crookies Cookies was killed.

We learn more about Tash’s backstory and Mrs. Eaves’s role in this episode. While the premiere episode, “The Arrival”, teased Tash’s background, we now meet her younger sister, Bobbi (Amber Grappy), who is sweeter and kinder as a human being and more deserving of parenthood. In spite of that, Tash is still a person who has compassion for others and is not psychologically prepared to take the life of another (and way younger) human being. The writers have written Tash to be a type of character that still cares despite the bitterness that appears on the surface. For example, in the premiere episode, she chooses not to smoke in front of Mags’s (Shvorne Marks) child.

The Musical Aspect of the Episode

The music in this episode has remarkable tracks, including one I liked listening to, which plays as Tash and Eaves walk into the playhouse in search of Mags. I found Nina Simone’s song — which plays towards the end — to be a good choice as well. The three or four songs that I took note of add to the different moods that change throughout the narrative of the episode, going from raving to childlike to a reminder that the situation is still happening. With that said, I must call upon a larger issue of the episode to which people must pay attention.

The Roles of Parents

On one hand, we have Bobbi who is not a mother but is looking to adopt. In her first full appearance in The Baby, we see that this character is cautious and wants everything to happen the way she planned; but unfortunately, this is not how life works — things will enter the picture unexpectedly.

On the other hand, we have (white) mothers recklessly drinking alcohol at a children’s birthday party as kids run rampant around the room. The mothers discuss how children — specifically boys — need to have a father figure in their lives to serve as the male model in the traditional family dynamic. This upholds the idea that men should play authority roles so as to mold and guide the development of children… so then where are the fathers at this party? Ironically, some of the mothers berate Tash for not being a good parent figure, but I see that she is trying.

Furthermore, this prompts me into thinking that Bobbi is definitely way more deserving of being a mother. Yes, she is trying too hard and goes so far as to appear as desperate, but I do believe she has what it takes to be that type of person to a potential child. Having seen the following three episodes of The Baby, I can tell you that we will see this concept play out in next week’s episode and importantly in Episode 5.

The Crew of The Baby

The Baby is created by Lucy Gaymer and Siân Robins-Grace.

Lucy Gaymer serves as the producer of the limited series. Naomi de Pear, Jane Feathersome, Carolyn Strauss, Siân Robins-Grace, and Nicole Kassell serve as the executive producers. Katie Carpenter serves as the co-executive producer, while Emma Parsons is the co-producer.

Aisha Bywaters serves as the casting director. Kate Reid is the episode’s director of photography. Mike Holliday and Gary Dollner serve as the editors.

Lucrecia Dalt composes the music for the show, while Peter Saville and Zoë Ellen Bryant serve as the music supervisors. Ed Hamilton serves as the music editor.

Paulina Rzeszowska is the production designer. PC Williams serves as the costume designer, while Misty Dee Griffiths is the assistant costume designer. Kate Benton serves as the hair and make-up designer; while Robert Worrall and Lily Sumner are the hair and make-up artists.

Steph Odu serves as the art director; while Illia Boccia is the assistant art director. Rachel Garlick and Rob Pybus serve as the storyboard artists. Hannah Spice is the set decorator. Kitty Katalina Lyons-Walker serves as the assistant decorator.

The Cast of The Baby

Michelle de Swarte portrays Natasha “Tash”. Albie Pascal Hills and Arthur Levi Hills play the titular baby of the show.

Amira Ghazalla plays Mrs. Eaves, while Amber Grappy portrays Bobbi.

Genesis Lynea appears as Sam, Bobbi’s partner. Rokeebat Agaba plays an individual running the Universe of Fun Passport Control.

Shvorne Marks returns as Mags. Zharae Jones Duncan and Rakye Jones Duncan appear as Raffi, Mags’s baby. Kimberley Nixon and Jessie Cave play Claudia and Amy, Mags’s friends from her baby group. Tommy Daley plays a child named Angus.

Polly Kemp plays Patricia, Bobbi’s social worker. Sophie Reid and Angela Yeoh appear as their respective characters, Lydia and Yolanda Ray. Leslie Davidoff appears as Lester.

Performances and Character Developments

I like the dynamic that Tash forms in this episode with Mrs. Eaves and Bobbi. This is something I have been waiting to discuss for over a month, and now we are finally here. Mrs. Eaves is not one to care about what happens to the Baby, just as long as “it” (the pronoun she uses in at least one scene) dies. There is a deeper reason why she holds much contempt for the Baby, which is teased next week but will be explained in more detail in the fifth episode.

In contrast, we have Bobbi, who is kind and creative but even she needs to find purpose in the family triad of child-parent-parent, especially after having grown up without two parents in the same home. She has Sam as her lesbian partner, but Sam does not express as much concern about the circumstance as Bobbi is. Grappy performs well in this episode, and I love what she brings to the table in the few episodes that follow.

Finally, we have de Swarte’s Tash, who is in the middle as a character. She has some negativity about the Baby, partly because she rejects wanting to play a part in any family dynamic and does not favor children and their sentiments at all. However, a part of her is much like her sister where she longs for the company of a familial figure. This is why she keeps in touch with her father when she can — a minuscule yet crucial detail about her that we see in the premiere episode.

Final Thoughts on This Week’s Episode of The Baby 

“The Bulldozer” is a good episode of The Baby and presents some growth in the narrative as the overall story plays out. Not only is the limited series a show in the comedy and horror genre, but it identifies underlying themes such as the patriarch versus the matriarch along with how the cycle of traditional Western domesticity can be broken. Going back to the comment that the Baby should be thrown off a cliff, I think it is proper for Tash to be in her right mind about not going such a route. She shows she still has a conscience when she displays hesitancy in killing the Baby, that she still has an emotional grip on things. Here, I must state that it could very much be that motherhood plays a stronger role when it comes to parenting children.

My next question, then, is: what does the Baby represent, or what is his/ its role? I am curious to know what that is as the next few episodes take us on a journey into a new setting located in an entirely new area tonally different than these first three episodes. This is where the story takes on a much darker tone and the comedy begins to fade away a bit…

Stay tuned. I have much more to say about this show’s excellence!

The Baby is now airing on HBO and Sky!

Have you seen this limited series yet? If so, what will you be expecting? Let us know! For more comedy and horror-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!