The new show on Netflix, “Maid,” is a dark and twisted take on the classic Cinderella story. It depicts the struggles of three young women working as housemaids in Japan who are forced to endure abuse and violence from their employers and society at large.
The devious maids season 4 episode 8 is a review of the TV show Maid. This show follows the lives of four women who work as maids in Beverly Hills. It’s a drama about love, friendship, and working life.
On Netflix, the miniseries format is an anomaly; the majority of programs are meant to be long-running series, and even those that are supposed to be one-season series wind up having many sequels. The majority of these follow-up seasons fall short of the quality of the first, but that hasn’t been enough to deter them. With the popularity of programs like Queen’s Gambit and Squid Game, one-season shows are becoming more popular. Maid is made with that mentality in mind, and it aspires to be much more than the typical Netflix production.
The series is based on Stephanie Land’s book “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Woman’s Will to Survive,” which recounts the tale of a young mother and her two-year-old daughter fleeing an abusive relationship. To make ends meet, she works as a maid, cleaning people’s homes. The story primarily focuses on the mother’s efforts to provide a roof over her daughter’s head and food on the table, as well as the many roadblocks that she faces.
Maid is classified as a comedy/drama in some places, and although there are a few chuckles sprinkled throughout, it is obvious that Maid is a full-fledged drama. Each episode is an hour long, yet Maid goes at a blazing speed due to some excellent cinematography, a compelling narrative, and outstanding performances from all of the characters. It is always providing fresh developments for its central heroine and the circumstance in which she finds herself.
Margaret Qualley, of course, is the show’s primary attraction. The young actress has been on a roll, starring in a number of high-profile films like Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood as a young hippie who is a member of the Manson family and Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding as one of the major protagonists. Qualley was the center of attention on this occasion. She is without a doubt the show’s star, as she demonstrates in each episode. Qualley’s portrayal is equal parts powerful, sensitive, desperate, lovely, and tragic. The actress is capable of navigating the whole emotional range in a single episode, and the program wouldn’t be the same without her.
Qualley is a young actor, but it doesn’t stop her from stepping into the character of a mother who would go to any length for her kid. When faced with characters with so much emotional weight, Qually never goes into overacting mode, as many other actors do. She is constantly sympathetic, and her predicament seems to be comprehensible and consistent with her choices throughout the program. Even when her character makes a heinous error, you can’t help but wonder what was going through her mind at the moment. Let’s hope the awards season remembers the event next year when it comes time to hand out the prizes, particularly one for Qualley and her incredible performance.
The rest of the cast is strong and promising as well. Nick Robinson starts off as an unsympathetic violent parent, but as the program progresses, the narrative creates a picture of him that is more understandable and sympathetic, never attempting to excuse his violent acts. Andie McDowell, who is Margaret Qualley’s mother in real life, plays the protagonist’s mother, and she is everything you could want in a mother. The 80s icon still has the charisma and skills to portray a woman who, although not as mentally stable as she would want to be, manages to find time to be creative and motherly.
Anika Noni Rose makes an appearance in a few of episodes, while Billy Burke makes an appearance in a minor but significant part. The program is very fortunate to have such a talented cast.
The program has a basic look to it. None of the filmmakers dared to give the episodes any kind of visual flair. While this helps to create the impression of a realistic TV show, it may also be tedious at times. It would be a lie, though, to claim that the program isn’t nicely filmed.
The show’s most enjoyable elements come from the writing itself, as Qualley’s character sometimes engages in intense daydreaming sequences in which she imagines everything she wishes to have and be. This fantasizing sometimes spills over into actual life, resulting in some amusing, if not gloomy, situations.
The show also understands how to serve its narrative in many levels by turning into a criticism of various social assistance programs in the United States. All of them are full of great individuals who wish to assist others but lack the financial means to do so. Or are simply halted by various layers of bureaucracy that have little regard for the individuals who are really suffering from these dreadful circumstances. The program communicates its message, but it never attempts to be propaganda or to go over someone’s head too many times. Everything in this part of the narrative is done in a very naturalistic manner.
Maid’s thrilling promise of educating casuals about the competitive world of chess is overshadowed by the terrible possibility of teaching about the tragic world of homeless and mistreated individuals. Nonetheless, the program is very well-made, and those who take a risk on it will discover that the emotional trip is well worth their time.
