What Is the Story About?
Alex (Margaret Qualley) leaves her abusive husband, Sean (Nick Robinson), overnight with their baby. Maid tracks her journey as a single mother surviving the impossible conditions, simultaneously taking care of the baby.
Is there a happy ending to Alex? How does Alex’s equation evolve with her family, and where it ends is the series’ overall plot.
Performances?
Margaret Qualley delivers a terrific performance as Alex. It is a lifetime part, and she nails each emotion perfectly with great compelling quality. The character’s initial inhibitions and lack of understanding of reality and how it grows in confidence are wonderfully articulated and delivered.
A near nine and half hour marathon series runs entirely on the shoulders of Margaret Qualley. She is present throughout the duration and holds the attention. It should be enough to understand how well Margaret Qualley has done. A crucial excellent quality here is that Qualley never lets the act become sappy or overly melodramatic despite the scope for extreme melodrama. The rage, fear, anger, love etc., are all subtly portrayed.
Analysis
Molly Smith Metzler is the creator of the show Maid. It is inspired by Stephanie Land’s Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’ Will to Survive.
Maid draws one instantly with the opening episode. The whole stretch involving Alex leaving her husband at midnight with no thought or plan of future to setting in a DV shelter sets the tone for what is ahead.
There is bleakness at the beginning. It then gets harder to watch as things get more complicated and improbable to stay for Alex with a three-year-old baby. One is hooked immediately to see how she can get out of the situation. How Alex will survive and what lies ahead in her journey instantly connects the viewer.
The slow pace is definitely an issue, especially when personal moments between mother and daughter (of two generations) seem endless. They help in building character and emotional bonding. It helps when the narrative reaches the final stages, but in between is where one gets restless or feels tiring.
Besides the issue of survival, the core issue of domestic violence and abuse is brilliantly executed. More than the ‘violence’, Maid focuses on emotional abuse, which is difficult to put across. The slow pace and realistic making aid the narrative to hit home the message related to these issues.
The generational abuse is also incorporated under-currently. We see that from the perspective of both the male and the female from two generations. It is these layers that make Maid a worthwhile and enriching experience in the end.
The progress of life within one year with all the ups and downs comprises the entire narrative. The way a crazy, whacky unexpected situation follows one happy moment could easily have turned formulaic. The writing and script should get the credit for not letting it happen.
After all that transpires, the ending is beautifully written and executed. There is a warmth and message of hope that is bound to be felt. The uplifting feeling ultimately makes Maid a winner.
Overall, Maid is an emotionally rich, slice of life survival drama with a pertinent theme. The extraordinary compelling performance of the lead is enough to give it a try.
Other Artists?
The series has limited characters, but each one has a well-defined role and arc. We remember every individual whether we like them or not. It makes the world come alive.
Nick Robinson as Sean is good. It is a typical abusive husband part. However, the focus here is on the trying to make up part rather than the abuse. It (the abuse) only comes at the end after all the desperate attempts to make things work. The frustration and anger related to the ‘attempt’ are acted out well.
Andie MacDowell as the free-spirited mother who is broken inside, is beautifully enacted. It goes over the top most of the time, but when it matters, it is delivered. Billy Burk, as the estranged father, is another vital cog in the abusive wheel. His is a critical part that gains importance as the narrative reaches the end. He has done adequately.
Anika Noni Rose represents the somewhat cinematic part of the realistic drama. It is a part that grows, and we come to like it by the end. More than the performance, the character arc shines within the narrative. Tracy Vilar, Raymond Ablack, and BJ Harrison are all apt for their parts and deliver the required with the pitch-perfect portrayal.
Music and Other Departments?
Chris Stracey and Este Haim provide the background music that goes smoothly with the narrative. It perfectly accentuates the vital moments, be it happy or sad. Multiple people handle the cinematography, but a consistent tone is maintained. The editing could have been sharper, but it looks like intentionally done to build the emotion. It is alright. The writing is superb throughout.
Highlights?
Margaret Qualley
Casting
Writing
Screenplay
Ending
Drawbacks?
Slow Pace
Tiring Watch
Meandering Moments
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
Maid Series Review by Binged Bureau