Review: Maid on Netflix

Clear your schedules, grab a box of tissues, and prepare for one badass saga.

(Netflix mini-series Maid consists of 10 episodes and is based on the book “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive” by Stephanie Land).

Show Themes

Chaos and order, desire to escape, empowerment, identity crisis, loss of innocence, manipulation, necessity of work, self-reliance, wisdom of experience, coming of age, power and its imbalance, family.

Brief Plot Summary

Maid captures the story of Alex Russell, a young mom making desperate attempts to escape her abusive relationship and sheltered lifestyle in Washington. Her ex-boyfriend and child’s father, Sean Boyd, is a mean and intimidating alcoholic who throws a plate at Alex’s head in the first episode- thus prompting her swift departure in the middle of the night with their two year old daughter, Maddy. With mere dollars and cents to her name- $18, to be exact- Alex becomes a cleaning maid in order to support the pair; forced to cover the high cost of gas and cleaning supplies, only to be paid an insufferable rate of $12 per hour. When Sean files an emergency custody order to get his daughter back, Alex faces the fight of her life as she grapples with homelessness, family court, childhood trauma, domestic violence, government assistance, an unmedicated bipolar mother, and rebuilding a long-forgotten future.

Praise for “Maid”

• Margaret Qualley deserves the utmost praise for her performance as the lead role of Alex Russell. Her inflection throughout the entire series made her character and the show itself feel vivid, wholesome, and above all, real. While the plot itself is based on a true story, Margaret Qualley was able to reach her arms out of the television and pull me into Alex’s world, with her every emotion taking profound affect on my own; I laughed, sobbed, rejoiced, and shook alongside her. As an actress, she flawlessly personified the meaning of “beauty in the struggle,” never once breaking character during the most chaotic of scenes.

• Though Sean Boyd was amongst my least favorite characters in the series, Nick Robinson knocked it way out of the park with this one. The levels of intensity that he reached were almost petrifying; the bloodshot eyes, shaking hands, and fierce rage he presented on-screen mirrored that of a violent alcoholic in every manner. He refused to skirt around the discomfort that comes with playing such a ghastly character and I respect that wholeheartedly. In Sean’s brief moments of subtle redemption, we are shown how skillfully Nick Robinson is able to fluctuate between who Sean really is, versus who he wants to be. This casting choice was phenomenal and I commend Nick on an unsettling job well done.

• Andie Macdowell unleashed her inner beast in her role as Paula Langley, Alex’s mother. Perhaps it is because Andie is really Margaret’s mother, but the two shared an on-screen connection like no other. While Paula refused to grow up, acknowledge that she needed help, or to accept the general state of her life, her daughter was left to do as she’d always done; mother her own mother. Paula’s animated personality shined on the manic days of her untreated bipolar disorder, but her cruelty cut like knives on the days she had a depressive episode. The sheer fire in Andie’s performance was glorious, sensational, and positively undisputed.

Personal Take

From start to finish, I was immersed in this series. Each actor, from the leading roles to supporting and background characters, displayed unwavering authenticity, conscientiousness, fragility, and grit in their character portrayals, and I imagine they’ve made Stephanie Land and the production team very proud. While this show has a definitive melancholy tone to the plot, I cannot emphasize enough what an inspiration Alex’s journey may be for those in her same position. This is a story about survival, redemption, and the mission to create a life worth living.

Everyone deserves relationships free from domestic violence. If you or a loved one is experiencing DV, confidential help is available by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, texting START to 88788, or by using the live chat feature on their website at thehotline.org.