By: Emma Magit — Correspondent

Although recently released on October 1, 2021, Netflix’s new series, Maid, has already won over viewers and critics alike. The show depicts a tough-to-watch but all too real scenario of domestic violence and emotional abuse. Maid is a 10-episode drama based on Stephanie Land’s memoir, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive.

The series starring Margaret Qualley takes inspiration from real life events. Qualley stars as single mother, Alex, who escapes her abusive partner, Sean (played by Nick Robinson) and gets a job as a maid in order to make a better life for her daughter, Maddy (played by Rylea Nevaeh Whittet).

Viewer of the show, 78-year-old Bernice Weiner, says she was impressed by Alex’s devotion to her daughter while going through such a hard time in her life. “As a mother, I was utterly impressed by her devotion to her daughter and that she would do anything, despite how demeaning it was, to try to provide for her daughter,” she said.

As a senior citizen, Weiner says that the show can be watched by many ages as it touches many topics relating to a broad range of age groups. “Younger people who have not yet reached the age of motherhood can also identify with Alex because she is close in age to them and can relate to Alex’s plight. Maid is so well watched because it reaches a broad spectrum of the population,” she said.

SHS senior, Emily Maron, says the show was really powerful as it touched real world problems. “I really liked that the show seemed realistic. It’s a show that people watch and can relate to whether or not they are going through the same thing as Alex. Also, it could give them courage to get out of a hard situation like Alex did,” she said.

In a one-on-one interview with Collider, an entertainment website, Quallay touches upon the fact that everything that Alex went through was so unfortunate, but domestic abuse and being a single mother is something that people actually go through in their life.

 “The scenes that I have when we’re talking about trying to get food stamps or get housing, the amount of hoops you have to jump through, in order to even qualify, are outrageous, and then it’s like winning the lottery to actually be chosen to have this thing that is not even so great to begin with. The amount of work that she has to go through is really wild,” she said.

Andie MacDowell, plays her mother on the show and Qually says that it was her first time ever working with her mother, but she had so much fun and loved it.

 “… the role of my mom was still open, and it dawned on me that I’ve always wanted to work with my mom… It was one of the more surreal experiences of my life. Across the board, there’s the comfort of having your mom in the same place when you’re in the middle of a pandemic and you’re away from home for nine months,” she said.

Maron says that she highly recommends the show. “Maid is a really great show to watch if you are looking for something quick. I recommend people watch it,” she said.