Parents' Guide to

Devious Maids

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Maid drama is mature, soapy fun, with some stereotypes.

TV Lifetime Television Drama 2013
Devious Maids Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 17+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Helen M.
Helen M. Adult
May 4, 2018
age 17+

Mature Drama not intended for young audiences

Parents need to know right off the bat that this show is in every way a glorified Lifetime movie that combines the mystery of Desperate Housewives with the sex and female-centered storytelling of Sex and the City, but geared towards minorities. As such, sex, sexual dialogue, and sexual situations abound here, with parents main concern being the vast range in which these situations are portrayed. Scenes range from generally mild, to somewhat steamy, to flat out spicy, and there is no way of knowing what a scene will be before hand. Additional themes include prostitution, rape, and infidelity. A character in season 1 has a side "hobby" that borders on human trafficking. Consumerism may be another concern for parents as many characters are shown to be extremely materialistic [one such character is a woman who loses her money and sleeps with her ex for a million dollars, instead of getting a job]. Many characters smoke and drink excessively and are shown to be strong bigots; mild racial dialogue often ensues. Several characters are openly gay throughout the series and have a variety of relationships. Aside from its very soapy side however, lays a surprisingly well written drama, with an array of strong characters, ethnic diversity, and compelling intrigue that attempts [albeit subtly] to address the complicated intersection of race and privilege.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
practicalpositive
practicalpositive Parent
August 13, 2013
age 17+

Sexy soap opera intended for older teens and adults

Program has likeable beautiful characters, a soap opera with many sexual fetishes, drugs, violence all wrapped around a nice cushy consumerism. Let your young teen watch this if you want them posting videos on the internet of themselves having bondage sex while doing drugs... otherwise make them wait till they are not so impressionable.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

DEVIOUS MAIDS is a dramatic comedy series about the lives of five tight-knit maids working in Beverly Hills, California. It stars Paula Garcés as Flora Hernandez, whose employment at the Powell household ends with a mysterious violent death. Meanwhile, Zoila Diaz (Judy Reyes) is anxious to keep her current employer, Genevieve Delatour (Susan Lucci) from going over the deep end, while keeping tabs on her daughter Valentina (Edurne Ganem), who has a crush on Delatour's son, Remi (Drew Van Acker). At the Rubio household, the sexy and rather self-absorbed Carmen (Roselyn Sanchez), is trying to get her boss, singer Alejandro Rubio (Matt Cedeño), to help her boost her own musical career, while Rosie (Dania Ramirez) is working at the dysfunctional Westmore home while struggling to find a way to bring her young son from Mexico. New maid Marisol Duarte (Ana Ortiz) has begun working for the newly married Stappords, and uses her day off to help the Powells keep their house clean, and to find out more about Flora's death. From cleaning up spills to helping their employers keep secrets, these women have the brains and the guts to use their positions to get what they want.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

Devious Maids, which is produced by Eva Longoria and Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry, is loosely adapted from the popular Mexican telenovela, Ellas Son La Alegría del Hogar, and offers a similarly dramatic-but-humorous look the world of the domestic employees and the privileged people who hire them. It underscores how frequently domestic employees are seen as invisible commodities, and successfully uses this phenomena as a vehicle to create narratives in which each character can use this to her advantage.

Like its sister show, viewers are reminded of the class distinctions that are associated with domestic workers, as well as the many attitudes that exist about both them and their employers. But these themes are offered here within a larger American context, which highlight (and sometimes reinforce) racial/ethnic stereotypes that specifically surround Latina maids in order to create some funny and/or uncomfortably tense moments. But outside of this, the overall series is both well-written and entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about stereotypes. How can the media highlight aspects about specific cultures or communities without making generalizing and/or judgmental statements? Can the media be used to diffuse stereotypes?

  • How have domestic workers been portrayed in films and on TV over the years? How many of these portrayals have come in the form of lead characters? Do you think these portrayals are accurate? Does this show serve to challenge or reinforce stereotypes about domestic workers?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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