Maid is an American drama[1][2]limited series created for Netflix by Molly Smith Metzler. The series is inspired by Stephanie Land's memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive. Its story focuses on a young mother who escapes an abusive relationship and struggles to provide for her daughter by getting a job cleaning houses. It premiered on Netflix on October 1, 2021.[3][4]
Alex leaves her abusive boyfriend, moves into a shelter with their toddler daughter, and gets a job cleaning houses for Value Maids. The show follows Alex's struggle to raise a young child, deal with an abusive ex-boyfriend and her own dysfunctional family, and navigate the red tape of government assistance, while working as a maid and dreaming of a future as a writer. The story takes place near Seattle with Alex frequently taking a ferry to the fictional Fisher Island.
Cast and characters
Main
Margaret Qualley as Alexandra "Alex" Russell,[4] a young mother who leaves her emotionally abusive boyfriend, taking her two-year-old daughter Maddy and getting a job working as a maid.
Nick Robinson as Sean Boyd,[6] Alex's abusive ex and the father of her daughter, Maddy.
Alex Russell, a young mother living in Port Hampstead, Washington, leaves her alcoholic, emotionally and physically abusive boyfriend Sean in the middle of the night, taking their two-year-old daughter Maddy with her. Forced to sleep in a car and with almost no money, Alex meets with a social worker, who informs her that she needs to present two pay stubs to qualify for subsidized housing. The only available job is at Value Maids, a cleaning company, and she is hired by the owner, Yolanda. Her first cleaning job is at a lavish home on Fisher Island owned by the wealthy Regina. Alex has her manic, freewheeling mother Paula - who works as an artist out of her boyfriend's RV - babysit Maddy. Halfway through her shift, Alex faints. She returns to the mainland to find that Paula has returned Maddy to Sean. Alex returns to Sean's trailer and takes Maddy back despite his protests. Yolanda calls to report that Regina was not satisfied with Alex's standard of cleaning; Alex opts to return to complete the job, but she and Maddy get into a car crash on the way there. Alex has her estranged father Hank drop them at the ferry station and waits there with Maddy.
2
"Ponies"
John Wells
Molly Smith Metzler
October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
T13.22652
Flashbacks show Alex first meeting Sean while reciting some of her personal writing at a restaurant. In the present, Alex is contacted by Sean's lawyer, who informs her that Sean has filed to claim full custody of Maddy. Alex's social worker advises that she take refuge at a nearby domestic violence shelter. While there, Alex befriends Danielle, a fellow resident. Alex loses her court case and Sean is granted full custody of Maddy until the court reconvenes in seven days. Danielle learns that Regina never paid Alex for her cleaning shift, and helps Alex steal Regina's dog. Regina is initially irate and threatens to call the police, but Alex stands up to her. Regina later sends the full payment. Danielle leaves the shelter to return to her ex; the shelter's owner Denise tells Alex that most women only commit to their stay after several attempts. In her journal, Alex recounts the souring of her relationship with Sean after she chose to not have an abortion.
Denise introduces Alex to a lawyer who advises that, while the legal system does not equate emotional abuse with domestic violence, her claim may still grant her joint custody of Maddy. After a particularly grueling cleaning shift, Alex finds Sean drunk at a bar with friends and chastises him for his negligent parenting. Alex attempts to obtain a statement from her mother Paula as a character witness to attest to Alex's fitness as a parent, but Paula is inattentive and the two have a bitter argument. Alex learns that Sean missed a bartending shift for the first time and discovers him intoxicated on the beach, reeling from the breakdown of their relationship. She reminds him of the responsibility of being a parent and brings him home. The next day Sean drops his court case and agrees to share custody of Maddy. Alex and Maddy arrive at their new subsidized housing unit and find that Paula has painted it for them.
4
"Cashmere"
Nzingha Stewart
Rebecca Brunstetter
October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
T13.22654
Alex's acquaintance Nate, who is recently divorced and living on Fisher Island, provides her with a car. Alex is grateful but politely declines Nate's romantic advances. On Thanksgiving Day, Alex works a shift at Regina's house while Regina is away with her husband. After the job is complete, Alex drinks some of Regina's wine, tries on her clothes, and invites a Tinder date, Wayne, to the house, claiming it to be her own. Regina returns home that night and Wayne sneaks out. Regina is miserable after being asked for a divorce by her husband. She shares with Alex that she struggled to become pregnant and that she and her husband are expecting a child with a surrogate. She advises Alex not to let anyone take advantage of her. Alex writes in her journal about how even the wealthy may be deeply unhappy. Prior to picking up Maddy from Sean's care, Alex texts Wayne with the truth about her circumstances.
Alex struggles to pay tuition for Maddy's daycare, and Maddy becomes ill from black mold at the subsidized housing unit. They are forced to vacate and Sean is working, so Alex reluctantly takes Maddy to the home of her estranged father Hank, who has since remarried and yearns to help Alex. While cleaning a house in the woods that once belonged to an infamous local thief ("Barefoot Billy"), Alex briefly gets trapped in a crawlspace and suffers a panic attack. She later learns that her mother is missing and searches for her. She encounters Danielle, who pretends not to know Alex once her boyfriend appears. Alex deliberately reenters the crawlspace in Barefoot Billy's house after the cleaning job is complete, and recalls that she and Paula fled home because Hank was physically abusive to Paula. Alex immediately removes Maddy from Hank's home and goes to stay with Paula, who has returned after spontaneously marrying her boyfriend, Basil.
Alex searches for a new home, but struggles to find a landlord willing to accept a TBRA voucher. She grows closer with Regina while sharing mothering advice for Regina's surrogate child. After witnessing negligence at Maddy's daycare, Alex decides to find Maddy a better daycare center. Nate puts her in contact with a Fisher Island nursery school, where Alex learns she will be eligible for a needs-based scholarship if she can provide proof of residence on the island. She finds an apartment on Fisher Island whose landlords agree to let Alex barter for half the rent by providing landscaping services, and they offer Alex the use of their home for Maddy's third birthday party. Sean becomes intoxicated at the party, breaks into the house, and falls asleep on a couch. Alex is forced to leave, and she and Maddy temporarily move into Nate's house.
7
"String Cheese"
Helen Shaver
Rebecca Brunstetter
October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
T13.22657
After Yolanda refuses to give her extra shifts, Alex visits a Value Maids client herself and offers a cheaper cleaning rate. Alex learns that Basil disappeared with his trailer and rented out Paula's family home under his name, leaving Paula homeless; Paula temporarily takes refuge at Nate's home. During dinner, Nate confides his feelings for Alex, but Alex believes the unequal balance of power in their friendship would make a romantic relationship untenable. Sean interrupts, having recovered Paula's mortgage papers and learned that the property she owns is facing foreclosure. Alex, Sean and Paula track down Basil to a casino, discovering that he is a con man and gambling addict who recently lost all of Paula's mortgage money. A heartbroken Paula takes out her anger on Alex and vanishes; Alex and Sean find her attempting to break into her family home and realize she has severely cut her wrists on broken glass. Paula is rushed to the hospital while Sean comforts a traumatized Alex; the two return to Sean's trailer and have sex.
Nate has Alex move out of his house after learning she had sex with Sean, but allows her to keep his car. Alex and Maddy move back into Sean's trailer. Sean is learning carpentry from Hank, who is also his AA sponsor. While cleaning Regina's house, Alex receives a call from the University of Montana informing her that she is allowed to reapply for her previous creative writing scholarship. Yolanda fires Alex for stealing business from Value Maids but Regina offers Alex weekly shifts and a ferry pass, which Alex accepts. Alex learns that Basil discharged Paula from psychiatric care. While at her friend's wedding, Alex is overjoyed to learn that she has been accepted for the scholarship, but Sean is enraged that she is deciding to move away with Maddy without asking him. The following morning, Alex learns that Sean returned Nate's car, effectively trapping her with him, and breaks down crying.
9
"Sky Blue"
John Wells
Colin McKenna
October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
T13.22659
Alex spends several days in Sean's trailer in a deep depression, while Sean resumes drinking. Hank visits for dinner, and Alex says that she does not want to eat with them. Sean demands that she join them at the table and Hank does nothing to intervene. Sean is fired from his bartending job, comes home drunk, and, after Alex berates him for spending his scarce money on beer rather than food for their daughter, throws a vase. Alex discovers Maddy hiding inside a cupboard—they flee the trailer on foot and Alex contacts Regina, asking to be dropped off at the domestic violence shelter. The shelter provides her with free clothes and a new phone. Alex left her notebook behind at a cleaning job—Regina reads it and is impressed with her writing ability. She puts Alex in contact with a high-powered family lawyer who can ensure she leaves for college with custody of Maddy. Alex makes considerable money cleaning the homes of hoarders, applies for housing and financial aid at Missoula, and buys a used car. She serves Sean with the relocation papers, but Sean refuses to give up custody of Maddy and decides to take the case to court. Alex meets with her mother - now selling art at a flea market with her new boyfriend, Micah - and informs her she is going to college. She follows Paula's car afterwards and discovers that Paula is homeless.
10
"Snaps"
John Wells
Molly Smith Metzler
October 1, 2021 (2021-10-01)
T13.22660
Sean rejects Alex's ex parte motion for custody of Maddy, citing lack of evidence of abuse. Alex's lawyer informs her that if she loses the court case, she will be unable to move out of state with Maddy. Alex has Paula supervise Sean's court-approved, 4-hour visitation session with Maddy. She visits Hank and asks him to testify that he witnessed Sean emotionally abuse her, but Hank refuses, empathizing instead with Sean's struggles with alcoholism. After yelling at Maddy and causing her to have a meltdown during their visitation, Sean admits to Alex that his alcoholism is endangering Maddy and making him unfit to be a father. He signs over full custody of Maddy and drops the court case. Alex asks Paula to move to Montana with her. Paula agrees but reneges the next day, opting to stay with Micah and encouraging Alex to pursue her future. Alex and Maddy depart for Missoula.
In August 2020, Margaret Qualley and Nick Robinson were cast in leading roles.[9][10] On September 14, 2020, Anika Noni Rose joined the cast in a leading role.[11] In October 2020, Andie MacDowell, Tracy Vilar, and Billy Burke joined the cast in leading roles.[12][13][14] On November 25, 2020, Xavi de Guzman joined the cast in a recurring role.[15]Aimee Carrero landed a role as Danielle, who is a fellow survivor of domestic abuse and becomes friends with Alex, Margaret Qualley's character, at the women's shelter.[16]
According to Netflix, Maid has been viewed by estimated 67 million households,[18] becoming the streaming service's fourth most-watched show in 2021.[19][20] In the streaming rankings for the week of October 4 to 10, Maid doubled its viewing time from the previous week and climbed to second place behind Squid Game with 1.9 billion minutes of viewing time.[21] The series was watched for 469.09 million hours in the first 28 days of release.[22]
Specifically, in the Netflix's Top 10 TV English titles ranking, during its debut week, Maid placed at number two just two days after its release with 61.08 million hours viewed.[23] The following week, it topped the chart and garnered 166.52 million viewing hours.[24] In its third week, it ranked at number two and generated 129.28 million viewing hours.[25] The series remained in the chart for 13 weeks until December 26, 2021.[26]
Critical response
Margaret Qualley's performance in the series garnered critical acclaim and she received several nominations for it.
Maid received critical acclaim. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 8.2/10, based on 49 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Maid takes great care with its sensitive subject matter to craft a drama that is not always easy to watch, but undeniably powerful, grounded by an outstanding performance by Margaret Qualley."[27]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 82 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[1]
Kristen Lopez of IndieWire gave the series an A and wrote, "We need more stories like this and, hands down, Maid deserves all the acclaim it gets."[28] Reviewing the series for Rolling Stone, Alan Sepinwall gave a rating of four out of five stars and said, "Parts of it are deliberately difficult to get through, yet the show is surprisingly watchable given the nature of the story, and at times even light and charming. Much of this is a credit to Qualley, who delivers a movie-star-level performance."[29]
Violence researcher Margunn Bjørnholt wrote that the series has received acclaim for "the way it depicts the violence and for painting a nuanced picture of the violent boyfriend."[30]
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