A young mother flees an abusive relationship and finds herself cleaning houses to make a living, all the while, fighting to provide a better future for her and her daughter.
Maid is a recent release on Netflix that’s been in the top 10 for a few weeks. I didn’t really know anything about it going into the show but assumed that the premise would be lower class vs. upper class. In way I was right, but actually, this show deals with so much more.
We follow Alex (played by Margaret Qually), a young mother who is in a relationship with Sean (played by Nick Robinson). Sean and Alex end up in an argument one night where he throws a glass towards Alex. Although it doesn’t directly hit her, glass shatters and that situation is enough for her to fear for the safety not only of herself but of their daughter, Maddie.
Alex ends up in a shelter for domestic violence victims and gets a job as a maid. Not only is she now struggling with becoming financially independent but also, she’s having to navigate being a single mother. Her mother, Paula (played by Andie MacDowell), is unreliable since she is an artist who depends on being in a relationship to feel fulfilled. Alex’s relationship with her mother is that Alex is more like the mother and feels a duty of care towards Paula. Alex’s relationship with her dad is a tense one, which is explored later in the series.
Along her journey, Alex has to deal with depression, abuse, unemployment, poverty, being kicked out of homes, men expecting things in return for assistance, and unreliable friendships. Alex faces so many adversities that at times, it can be incredibly disheartening. But one of the things the series does is show how Alex overcomes each thing. What’s even more amazing is that it’s all based on a true story. It’s based on the books by Stephanie Land which depict her life as a single mother and a maid. There are also so many similar stories.
One of the themes that’s really interesting is that emotional abuse is not taken seriously by society. Because Alex was never hit by Sean, it was harder for her to prove he was abusive and that he was a danger to their daughter. The only people that understood were victims themselves.
Perseverance is also a big theme through the series. Alex fights so hard to get away from Sean and that toxic lifestyle, only to end up back there again. She has to start from literally nothing and find a way to live. She has to push forward even when people are treating her terribly. But out of that perseverance, she ends up with fantastic friends and finds her own path in life. It’s an inspirational story to say the least.
Just as a show, the pacing was great. Sometimes they episodes felt a little long, but overall, I was surprised how much happened in the story. The only reason some parts We’re probably more boring is because they had no real impact on the main story. However, if it’s based on real events, then it makes sense. Not every single thing to happen in your daily life will amount to some big plot point.
The ending was perfect. *chef’s kiss*. Part of me wanted a typical romance but because of what this show represents, the ending is done beautifully. Basically all of the questions are answered and we know what happens to each character. This show was intended to be a limited series so the rest is up to our imagination but thankfully there are no cliff hangers.
There aren’t many negatives but I guess because of how many episodes there are, it’s not something I’d watch again. As I already mentioned, there are some slow bits so I think it could have been condensed a little. Although the ending was perfect, there was a part of me that would have loved a fast forward scene like 10 years into the future. But that’s just personal preference.
Overall, it’s definitely worth watching for a multitude of reasons. The main being that it’s a fantastic insight into how a number of people have to fight just to survive and so many of us take our luxuries for granted.
My Rating - 7.5/10