Maid

Parents need to know that Maid is based on Stephanie Land's memoir Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive and stars Margaret Qualley as Alex, a young mother on the run from an abusive relationship who soon learns she can expect little help from others, including from her volatile mother Paula (Andie MacDowell, Qualley's real-life mother). Alex lands a job as a maid, but finds that her miserable pay makes it very, very difficult to keep her and her daughter from becoming homeless. Maid starkly illustrates the slings and arrows of poverty: unexpected fees that leave Alex too poor to buy food, uncaring social service agencies, the Catch-22 of daycare that requires clients to already have jobs before they can get subsidized help. Against this backdrop, some characters have substance abuse issues; we see how they contribute to the issues poverty brings, and the humanity of those who struggle with addictions. One character has rages while drinking; we see scenes of him screaming at his partner and throwing a glass that shatters just above her head. Sexuality is not a main focus, but there are scenes in which characters flirt, and one in which a woman uses vulgar terms to accuse her daughter of flirting with her boyfriend. Cursing includes "f--k," "s--t," and language with racial/socioeconomic dimensions, e.g., "white trash piece of s--t." Main characters are White but other characters are people of color, generally women who also struggle with poverty. The show powerfully illustrates how socioeconomic status can bring about similar experiences, while realistically demonstrating how being White gives Alex more advantages than other characters. Strong messages of courage and integrity in the struggles characters undertake to care for their families.