TRIGGER WARNING: DOMESTIC ABUSE
Maid is a Netflix series that focuses on a young mother named Alex who is navigating a toxic relationship with the father of her three-year-old daughter, Maddy. In an attempt to get away from Sean, the father, Alex, and Maddy flee to a women’s shelter where Alex must get a job as a maid to be able to support her and her daughter. After watching all ten episodes, here are some of my thoughts.
The show did a great job depicting what most domestic abuse cases look like. As stated in Maid, abuse isn’t always visible. Many times women don’t think they are being abused because they don’t have a bruise to “prove” it. Abuse comes in many forms however and oftentimes it is verbal more than anything. Victims are often gaslit, manipulated, and belittled to the point that they don’t even understand what their reality is.
Another objective that they got right is that the victims usually end up back with their abuser. There are many reasons for this to happen. As an outsider, it is easy to say that they should leave and never look back but when you are in the situation yourself it is harder than it seems. Having a child with the abuser adds another layer to it as well.
Another type of relationship that the series tackled was with Alex and her mother. Paula is a crucial piece of the puzzle. Not only is she a victim of domestic violence herself, but she also has a very unhealthy codependent relationship with her daughter. Alex stated many times that she believes her mother is undiagnosed bipolar who refuses medication or treatment. This just adds another layer to the difficult choices that Alex must make for those she cares for.
Overall, this show was difficult to watch. It was hard being on the outside looking in, knowing what the right thing to do was but knowing she wasn’t able to do it. For those who have survived domestic abuse, it shows the real and raw sides to the story.
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233