Why I Think Maid is the Best Series Ever

PEOPLE, we need to talk about the show Maid. This show is hands down the best show that I have ever watched. The series is created by Molly Smith Metzler and inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive. I watched the first episode and couldn’t stop watching until I finished the entire series. The reason I love the show so much is because there are so many different messages in the show that stood out to me and the way that the series was produced makes the audience feel the protagonist’s struggle. There were times when I was visibly frustrated for the protagonist. Warning though, this show is deep and emotionally challenging. It shows how hard life can be. In my opinion, though, the protagonist’s resilience is what makes this show stand out the most. 

Summary

Alex, played by Margaret Qualley, is the mother of three-year-old Maddy who turned down going to college to be a mother and maintain her relationship with her alcoholic boyfriend, Sean. After being abused by her boyfriend for long enough, she leaves the trailer park, seeks a roof at a domestic violence shelter, and becomes a maid to make money. Alex experiences problems with government support, mental illness, inconsistent and low-paying work, child care, and as mentioned, an abusive boyfriend. She falls into a cycle of bureaucracy. She can’t get child care without a job, she can’t get a job without child care. This is just one example of the difficulties that she faces when trying to escape her old life and form a better one for herself and her daughter. Overall, the series tackles many tough subjects and themes in such a masterful way.

Themes

There are so many themes present in the series such as poverty and economic struggles, domestic work, single motherhood, and problems with the welfare system, but I’d like to look directly at a few themes that stood out the most to me and had the biggest impact on me. 

Domestic Violence

One thing that is admirable about the show is the way that it explores forms of abuse other than physical. Many people, including Alex, feel that without a bruise it’s impossible to find help. But the show proves that isn’t true. Other forms such as financial and emotional abuse are both present in the series. I think this is a theme that is important to explore because not everyone is aware of the different forms of abuse or sees them as being legitimate. 

The show also shows many examples of how hard it is for people to escape abuse. A woman who took Alex under her wing when she first got to the DV shelter is shown as strong and independent until one day she doesn’t return and Alex finds out that she returned to her abuser. Alex also struggles with escaping her abuser at times. After all, they share a child, she needs to work, a roof, and someone to take care of their daughter while she works. The series shows how easy it is to fall into old ways where you may not be as happy but things may be easier. 

We also see how PTSD affects Alex greatly. From her abuse, she experiences flashbacks and emotional distress that are triggered by certain things. She even experiences PTSD from her mother’s own experience with abuse. 

All of these are examples of the toll that abuse takes on whether it be physical or any other form. Maid admirably demonstrates so many different ways that abuse affects people. 

Mental Illness

Another theme present in Maid is struggles related to mental illness. Alex’s mother, Paula is an undiagnosed bipolar hippy living in a van while her boyfriend, Basil, is renting out her house and collecting the rent money for himself. With just this character alone, we see struggles with medication, pride, stability, and depression.

The series also put strains on how mental illness can affect one’s relationship with family, friends, potential lovers, and especially as a mother. We see Alex struggle with mental illness but she keeps her daughter as her utmost priority.  

Perception of Success

As Alex cleaned houses that were owned by wealthy families, I felt frustrated with the privilege and power that they had. For example, she cleans the house of a wealthy lawyer named Regina. Regina isn’t the nicest to her. In fact, she doesn’t pay her for some of her cleaning. This represents the power struggle between the wealthy and the impoverished. 

Additionally, the material wealth and comfortable lifestyles that are shown through these houses may seem like a notion for success. However, Alex challenges this perception by suggesting that success is multifaceted and not simply determined by wealth. She recognized this by pointing out other people’s struggles. For example, they may not be emotionally successful because they lack the perseverance that Alex has. Maid does a wonderful job at tying in this theme at the end of the series.

Along with the perception of success, there are many other themes present within Alex’s role as a maid such as humanizing and bringing empathy to the working class. 

Personal Growth and Self-Discovery

My favorite part of the series is the resilience and self-growth that Alex endures. This show reminded me of how fortunate I am, and Alex’s perseverance is so inspiring to me. There are so many little challenges that we all face daily and sometimes they seem much bigger than they are but seeing Alex persevere through it all and then take her struggles and learn how to grow from them is a reminder to me that these smaller challenges should be viewed as a learning experience rather than a detrimental situation.

Breaking the Silence

Finally, one of the best parts of Maid is how it breaks the silence around all of these topics. That is what makes it so hard-hitting. It shows the inside feelings and situations that a single mother leaving an abusive relationship with virtually nothing. It shows how hard it is to get out and form a new and better life. It shows the economic, governmental, and societal challenges that are present for people who aren’t privileged. 

How This Show Changed Me

First, Maid forced me to recognize my privilege. I’ve always been aware of my privilege but this really makes me want to do more about it and self-reflect more often. Some sources that I looked at to do more research and donate to are The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Helping Hands For Single Moms, and Mercy Housing. 

Additionally, on a more personal and emotional level, I’ve learned to take obstacles that I face and truly look at them in a positive light. The other day, I faced an obstacle that at first had me upset, and then mad, but then I started reflecting more and I realized that I learned three very important lessons. The most important one and one that I want to share is to never lose track of your path to whatever you are hoping to achieve. In Alex’s case, it’s a happier and healthier life for her and her daughter, free of negative influences like her abusive boyfriend. In my case, it’s simply more self-love and confidence. Alex showed a lot of perseverance which inspired me to look at my challenge and decide that with it, I am learning perseverance which is a necessary skill when trying to achieve something. While my journey now is leading to self-love, my journey later may be much harder and I’m lucky that I’m learning perseverance now rather than later. 

In Conclusion

When I finished the show, I ugly cried. I didn’t think a show or movie had ever made me ugly cry before but this one did. It is so beautiful and I recommend everyone to watch it. Even if you’re not hoping to reflect and learn more about yourself, it’s just masterfully put together and the acting is phenomenal.

Sources

https://time.com/6101999/maid-review-netflix/

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/21/maid-netflix-how-the-devastating-drama-become-a-word-of-mouth-smash