I’ve watched a lot of TV. One of my dreams is to become a writer on a TV series, so I consider watching TV my career. And because I’ve watched an endless amount of shows, especially Netflix originals, I know that Maid is one of the best shows Netflix has ever released. It may possibly be the best.
Maid follows Alex (Margaret Qualley), a newly single mother who escapes an abusive relationship and raises her daughter while dealing with poverty, homelessness, and family struggles. And, as you can probably guess by the title, she becomes a maid to try to pay the bills.
Inspired by Stephanie Land’s book Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive, Alex’s struggles are based on what Land went through herself as a young mother and maid. And although Alex’s experiences in the show are fictionalized, they are still loosely based on Land’s life.
Maid is incredibly heartbreaking and heartwarming all at the same time. I’ve watched Alex deal with her abusive boyfriend (Nick Robinson), raise her beautiful daughter (Rylea Nevaeh Whittet), struggle to take care of her mother (Andie MacDowell), and just try to get through life. I’ve cried with Alex as she hit her lowest lows, I’ve gotten angry with her when the world just sucked, and I’ve smiled with her as she had moments of true joy. I have little to nothing in common with Alex’s character, but I just feel like I get her, you know?
When I found out that Qualley is Andie MacDowell’s daughter (which I should have realized sooner because they look so similar), it all clicked. Both of these talented women make Maid what it is — simply outstanding. It is a true joy watching the mother-daughter duo work side by side.
Both Qualley and MacDowell deliver beautiful performances. Both convey such deep emotion, and even though I cannot really relate in the slightest to what either of them is going through, I could feel their pain and joy through the screen. This show has some of the best acting I’ve ever seen, and it is a pleasure to watch.
I never thought I would enjoy watching someone vacuum floors and clean toilets, but watching Alex’s adventures in each home she cleans is a true insight into people’s lives. This show has opened my eyes to the world of a single mother, and I will never take anything I have for granted ever again now that I have seen what Alex and her daughter went through.
For me, Maid is the best Netflix original I have ever seen simply because of its touching story. It’s not overdone or cheesy or predictable. It’s real and refreshing and unique. If you’re looking for a show to start, please watch this one. You won’t regret it.
Netflix, please make more shows like this one.
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