Who is the old lady in the baby HBO?

Babies are considered to be the cutest, sweetest, and most puerile beings to ever exist. There are literally tonnes of phrases that compare an incredibly naive and innocent person to a little child. However, that is going to change once HBO’s new horror-comedy The Baby hits the television screens. The toddler in the upcoming limited series is no babe in the woods, and you’d prefer to stay out of his sight.

The series has been produced by SISTER and Proverbial Pictures for Sky and HBO. HBO, Sky, and SISTER have previously collaborated on the award-winning limited series Chernobyl. The Baby plays into the horrors of motherhood often felt by inexperienced mothers, multiplied by the fact that the child is a literal tiny demon (or a cursed entity as we will soon find out), and is seasoned with an appetizing amount of dark humor. The show follows the story of a 38-year-old woman, and how her carefree life takes a horrid turn after the aforementioned toddler literally drops out of the sky into her arms.

The Baby is co-created and written by Siân Robins-Grace and Lucy Gaymer and airing on HBO and HBO Max. Let’s have a brief look at everything we know so far about the cute, dark, and terrifying mystery that will give you goosebumps every time you catch a toddler staring at you in a park!

Image via HBO Max

Watch the Official Trailer of The Baby

HBO and Sky network released the official trailer for The Baby on April 6, 2022. The trailer provides a glimpse of the supernatural and perilous occurrences that are linked to a seemingly innocent little baby and the horrors that await the audience.

HBO had also released a teaser trailer earlier on February 28 for The Baby, which includes a slightly different set of scenes than the full trailer, but the overall theme is the same. Both of them show how the protagonist of the limited series is literally left holding the baby, after a series of funny, cute, and terrifying events.

What Is The Baby About?

The official synopsis for The Baby reads:

Michelle De Swarte (The Duchess) stars as 38-year-old Natasha, who is furious that her closest friends are all having babies. But when she is unexpectedly landed with a baby of her own, her life dramatically implodes. Controlling, manipulative, but incredibly cute, the baby twists Natasha’s life into a surreal horror show. As she discovers the true extent of the baby’s deadly nature, Natasha makes increasingly desperate attempts to get rid of it. She doesn’t want a baby. But the baby definitely wants her.

Both the teaser and the trailer explain a bit about the show’s plot, setting up just enough of a scenario for the story to move forward. In both of the clips, we see how dejected and lonely the show’s protagonist Natasha feels as all of her close friends get busy with babies of their own. She wonders if it is really worth having a baby, as she absolutely despises them and is terrified of becoming a mother herself, giving up her carefree lifestyle.

The teaser sets up the scary atmosphere that surrounds the baby, starting with what appears to be two police officers running away from the crawling critter. This is explained more in the full trailer, where it is revealed that those two actually die a pretty gruesome death, and we get a glimpse of a police car being crushed by a huge boulder.

Some other characters have been shown in the teaser and trailer as well, and we will learn more about them in the next section. The most notable is Mrs. Eaves, a mysterious old woman who looks like she belongs to a cult, is somehow linked to the baby, and knows a lot about him. She goes on to help Natasha with how to deal with the baby.

Who Is in the Cast of The Baby?

Image via HBO Max

The casting process for The Baby began in mid-2021, with Michelle De Swarte, Amira Ghazalla, and Amber Grappy being the first to join. Michelle De Swarte (The Duchess) plays the lead 38-year-old Natasha who’s never made any long-term plans. Her life turns upside down when the Baby unexpectedly lands in her arms and haunts her life with his dark powers. Amira Ghazalla (The Rhythm Section) plays Mrs. Eaves, the 73-year-old enigma who has spent the last 50 years living out of her car. She seems to be everywhere the Baby is and knows more about him than anyone else. Amber Grappy (Wrecked) portrays Bobbi, Natasha’s younger sister, a children’s magician who wants nothing more than to be a parent.

Additional cast members include Patrice Naiambana (Spectre) as Natasha’s father Lyle, Sinéad Cusack (Marcella) as Natasha’s mother Barbara, Shvorne Marks (Endeavour) as Mags, Isy Suttie (Peep Show) as Rita, Tanya Reynolds (Sex Education) as Helen, Seyan Sarvan (It’s a Sin) as Nour, Karl Davies (The Tower) as Jack, and Divian Ladwa (Ant-Man and the Wasp) as Fooze.

The Baby Episode Guide

Image via HBO

Season 1 of The Baby consists of eight episodes, and their titles and brief descriptions are listed below:

1. "The Arrival": Release date - April 24, 2022

After yet another friend makes a surprise pregnancy announcement, a dejected Natasha heads to a remote cabin to get her head straight - only to be confronted by exactly what she sought to get away from a baby.

2. "The Seduction": Release date - May 1, 2022

Inexplicably reunited with the baby, Natasha scrambles to locate his mother and uncovers an alarming pattern of events on a thumb drive. After her friends confuse the situation further, Natasha reaches out to her estranged sister Bobbi.

3. "The Bulldozer": Release date - May 8, 2022

Despite Mrs. Eaves' shocking solution to her baby problem, Natasha finds herself willing to do anything in exchange for her help - even if it's the herculean task of nap time. Meanwhile, Bobbi and her partner Sam prepare for an important meeting with their adoption social worker.

4. "The Mother": Release date - May 15, 2022

With the baby now in Bobbi's hands, Natasha must reunite with her mother Barbara, whom she hasn't seen in fifteen years. While Bobbi discovers an unmatched ability to put the child to sleep, Natasha confronts her family's fractured history, and Barbara celebrates having children and grandchildren under the same roof.

Image via HBO

5. "The Baby": Release date - May 22, 2022

As Natasha and Mrs. Eaves remain trapped in Barbara's summer solstice ritual, the baby's complicated origin, connection to Mrs. Eaves, and trauma-filled path to Natasha are revealed.

6. "The Rage": Release date - May 29, 2022

Desperate to leave the Jupiter House, Natasha, Bobbi, and Mrs. Eaves find their plans thwarted by the chaos and destruction of the other suddenly-possessed children. Later, Bobbi receives the social worker's long-awaited call.

7. "The Curse": Release date - June 5, 2022

In a last-ditch effort to break the curse, a severely weakened yet determined Mrs. Eaves sets off with Natasha in pursuit of Jack. Meanwhile, Bobbi struggles to rally for her audition redo with Sam.

8. "The Possession": Release date - June 12, 2022

Natasha decides to give the baby exactly what he's after amid growing concerns from her father Lyle, Bobbi, and Mrs. Eaves, who each go to great lengths to ensure her survival.