Alex's father is the worst character... You saw your daughter being abused right infront of you and didn't utter a word... And refused to testify... Shame
That's because he saw himself in Sean--the boyfriend. He felt like if Sean is guilty, then he is guilty for what he did to Alex's mom. I've seen this happen in my own life with the relationship between my older brother and my ex-husband. It's sickening.
@@Joan_Cato but he's a looser... How can you ask your daughter to forgive you and give you a chance promised that you changed and when she needed you the most you bow out on her... He's a douche
@@badmanno.1650 Yeah, it felt like he chose his relationship with Sean over his own daughter. A father's number primal responsibility is to protect his daughter. He's weak sauce! He might be the type to be tough towards a woman but a coward to another man.
I realized that the whole series really makes us go through the pattern of abuse with her. Even though it’s obvious Sean has abused her, there were moments the show made it feel like he was actually going to change himself and was a better person now. And then they throw us back into the abuse but then back to him seeming redeemable.
How about the fact that she’s an unskilled laborer that let a day drinker fill her up like a water balloon? How about both getting her toddler in a high speed crash and sleeping in a train station in the same night? How about her daughter being unsupervised while playing with a vape spitting distance from sea cliffs?
When you said Sean seems like he could be a sweet guy, that’s they the series is so good. That’s how it is in real life. They show you glimpses of how it could be and that’s what keeps you in the toxic cycle.
It's tiresome and annoying seeing irresponsible come dumpsters popping out kids with scumbags, then playing the professional victim role... The ONLY victim is the child being raised by a single mother.
@@sticksnstonespatriot1728 If women were more responsible with their reproductive wombs then no one would be born. lol Most men are not going to reveal their true selves until he has the women completely under his spell or control.
@kpop elixir that is an incredibly unfair way to simplify A guy who has his daughter abducted and then went against his family to give joint custody then goes on a detox and recovery program with some success for a time. He wants to change for his family but when he finds out she doesn’t want him back he pulls back to the coping mechanism that he grew up around. At the end she gets full custody and doesn’t even say thanks. Nobody in this show is perfect unless you do it like a feminist
@@derekahill7414 all she hears is legal chat when in reality they will have been speaking in typical lawyer talk that us “average people” do not understand. Very cleverly done as I rewatched a few times & finally got it. It happens a few times throughout the series but is added in a subtle way
I lost it. I can relate to everything a single mother myself. Faced everything she faced in different ways. I lost it cried four times. Ending was everything I needed at the moment.
I especially like the fact that it highlights emotional abuse. Because it's quite easy for a filmmaker to have a guy hit a girl, call it abuse, say "this guy's a monster" and "this girl's a victim", and we can all nod and agree that that's the case. /SPOILER warning here/ But in the later episodes, when she goes back to Sean, and he descends into more and more abusive behaviours as soon as she's dependant on him, that descent is exactly what emotional abuse is. Yes, it takes the physical violence for her to see the harm it'll do to her daughter, but we see it long before then, and I think that's very cleverly done by the show. And Sean doesn't see it, not then, and maybe not even at the end of the show. The same way her father - whose assholiness is not redeemable at this point, I admit to wanting to hit him in the face xD - does not admit to having abused anyone. I think this show is maybe my favorite of 2021.
Yes i agree the highlight on emotional abuse! In the beginning when he punched the wall by her head. I said. Wow he didnt hit her but the emotions were heavy..
Alex did ask Sean to start back bartending that made him go back to his heavy drinking when she came back the second time.. I think she should take some responsibility for that. What the father said about her being on his side as he was in hers is absolutely true
@@nikeyaa2614 Didn't he go back bartending because he took her car back to that dude Nate which meant she couldn't work. If she still had her car she could have gotten work and they might have more money...
I'm currently watching this and I'm at episode 8 and the mental exhaustion is definitely there. I was so empathetic that i became bogged down. It really feels like she just can't get a break but it definitely feels like it's paced super well. I only hope that after my break that i can finish it. Loved the review. ❤️
Im a 48 year old man & this series made me cry tears of happiness. It is one of the best I've ever seen. Please don't miss out on it. Andy & Margeret are mum & daughter in real life. Both are beautifully Superb. 10/10
This show means a lot to me and my mom. for a long time my father was verbally and physically abusive to my mother and seeing this show brought back a lot of memories .long story short when i was 13 i finally stood up to my dad and me my mom and my sister never looked back its been 9 years since my mom left my dad and things are going fine she has a new boyfriend who's good to her and shes a job she likes
When I stood up to my dad at 14 my father was 6'5 246 pounds of muscle. There was no standing up to him. He got away with abusing my mother and sisters physically and the last guy that stood up to him ended up dead in gang violence by some of his groupie friends. He switched and left jail early and is making alot of money in Miami. Once I grew up to 18 I moved out alone my mom committed suicide and my father is somewhere out there probably getting drug money. Moral of the story is not everyone gets justice and revenge.
@@melvingenao550 yeah of course it is i am a sister not a brothet by the way🤣 but Remember everything happens for a reason and of course life is never fair thats why we have death hell and heaven and lets hope he rots in it
@@ashleydavis2124 I couldn't hold back my tears honestly🥺 he saw how he grabbed her and told her sit down and eat. Didn't standup for his daughter then and now he wants to say he didn't do right by her but wants a chance with his granddaughter🙄 write that paper 📃 and be a witness or stfu😒
This is why poor people stay poor. The elite fund these series to breed misery. The first episode alone is nothing but Stress. For anyone hating to clean toilets or rooms, this is so exhausting.
@@eduardochavacano what 🤨 this is literally about a single mother struggling from abuse and dealing with a system that is difficult af it is based on a whole real story
This series brings to light the reality of what women have to endure in domestic abuse. The system abuses them all over again. So sad and glad there is a platform where people can see both the system and the denial of abuse victims 😢
Men and women endure domestic abuse, but the insidious detail overlooked is the overrepresentation of one over the other. The protagonist , I think, worsened Sean’s predicament, and the devil is in the details when you evaluate things through a pragmatic lense
@@AbramHadnot She said it herself, she's not responsible for his alcoholism. That dude decided that the best thing to do with a women in shock and barely responsive was to take her back to his house and have sex with her? That made me hate him as he fully manipulated that situation to get her back under his control. Yes men face abuse too but women often find it a lot harder to leave an abuser and abuse from a man to a women is more likely to be physical or deadly. Women are more likely to be the one running away with a child. I like that the mother in the show is messed up and wasn't a suitable parent but it really does sound like her father was any better of a parent at the time they left. Why aren't there stories about men about abused is something I don't know. But women talk about their stories of abuse and it seems men don't other then complaining about the imbalance in the narrative.
This show is special. As a survivor of trauma and abuse I’m so impressed by the writing and the performances. It is very true to life minus most of the happy moments believe it or not.
The best part of the series is that how abuse is multifaceted and it takes a hell lot more than determination to get out of an abusive situation. I have seen so many abused people in life and surprisingly many of the realities highlighted in this series happen with many people in such relationships.
I thought I was the only one feeling that way about the show. This show was so heavy for me. I couldn’t binge watch it. In the last couple of days I felt exhausted, sad, depressed and I didn’t knew where it was coming from. It was definitely the “Maid”. I cried during the last two episodes and it’ll remain one of the most sincere, honest and raw shows I’ve ever seen.
I just finished this series and I really appreciated how it ended. She was her own hero and got herself out of an unhealthy situation which is a great message to people who may be stuck in similar circumstances.
she's a good actress, but I feel like they didn't give her much to work with and as a result was confused on how portray the emotion of some scenes. imo
i would definitely re-watch this, this really hits home for me, since my parents stayed in an unhappy marriage throughout their lives, my dad was abusive to my mom many times, and I could really feel connected to Alex and the scene where Maddy hides in the cupboard, and also how Alex stays in the room with Maddy (hiding from Sean), these were like things that were taken out of my life. Also , Huge crush On Nick Robinson, with how he is in interviews, you would Never think he could portray a role like this, and the conflicts I had, where I was actually rooting for him to be better for Alex and Maddy, at some point I realized that this is how it is to be in an abusive relationship, it is not always going to be bad, but when it goes down south, hell breaks lose.
I'm really surprised that there are not that many people talking about this show. Because its just so greatly executed. As an viewer you start thinking, that maybe he did change. Because he is trying so hard and getting help and he's there for her. And she ist struggling so hard, so you start thinking maybe she should give him another chance. But then the moment she was back in the house he isolated her and made her dependent on him completely once again and just fell back into his old patterns if not even worse. And you feel kinda stupid as a viewer for buying his act. Even though thats what abuse is they always feel sorry afterwards,if there is a possibility that you maybe leave this time, and they might get their act together for a short period of time, but it never stays that way. Maybe Sean gets his act together now for his daughter, maybe he falls even deeper into alcoholism. But one thing is for sure things would have gotten only worse for Alex and her daughter if they would have stayed.
I don't know if anyone else can relate, but as a woman who recently left a DV relationship that mirrored exactly the one portrayed in MAID (minus the child), it was actually comforting to watch. Of course, it was emotionally draining and I cried a lot as well but the comfort I felt was almost equal. I am not exactly sure why, but my guess is because it reassured me that I wasn't crazy. That a person can be just as sweet as they can be malicious. That emotional abuse and physical abuse often tie together. Most importantly, that leaving was the best decision.
I am hooked on this show. Watched the 10 episodes in 2 days and cried for the 2 days. The emotions I had throughout this show, I've never experience in my life. Love the show and the characters each person played. It was very eye opening that this is reality for most people. I love the fact that you can see the love and the care in each person in different light. I love the fact that she tried so hard to leave the life that she had to make the life that she needed and wanted not only for herself but also for her daughter. I would recommend the show to anyone hands down. I would love to see her life in college, raising her daughter and working. Showing her ups and down and problems that may come with it. Love the last scene when she was speaking on what her happiest day would be. Also, the scene where she's just in her head slipping into the couch and the hole that she was in. Love the fact that when she came out you actually see when she get up and looks like she is about to climb out. The way she tells her story, the way you can visualize what is she talking about, how she feels, is amazing. Love to see what season 2 brings.
OMG! I definitely binged the series. I related so much to the lead character, Alex. I'm glad she got the heck out of that town and ended up moving to Montana to further her education. She's on to better and bigger things. I really hope they bring a second season.
she'll end up like her mother. her mother turned down the one dude who was willing to give her a stable relationship and treated Alex right, as shown by him now being married with kids, in favor of the chaos she lives now. alex turned down nate, the one dude who could give her stability and treat Maddie right in favor of chaos. Alex is all talk, but her actions shows she loves the drama. Alex's mother's present, is Alex's future.
@@terran2kk So you think that a woman's only opportunity to be stable is obtained through a man? Wow. You seriously didn't grasp anything that this series was about. Let me explain . . . The whole time Alex was fighting for her independence. Her freedom to choose her own life for herself and her daughter. She will not end up like her mother because she chose not to give her power away like her mother did. She broke the cycle and found her own way. I find it incredibly sad that you think her answer to her issues was another man.
@@terran2kk SPOILER ALERT... Nate was low-key creepy to me. He thought if he gave Alex everything she needed, he was entitled to sex and an intimate relationship. Not so. Yes, I thought he was sweet at the beginning, but the way he acted entitled when she slept with Sean and then proceeded to kick her out and leave her and her child homeless was so infuriating. He was not helping from pure intentions.
Íve just watched the first episode and I`m already ashamed of how I live. There is a roof over my head and food in my fridge and I watch this on a fricking IPad. This show hits HARD
This show reminded me of Marriage Story, which I recently watched for the first time. Obviously, Marriage Story has far different circumstances, but the acting and story felt just as real and in depth as Marriage Story. As someone who was in an emotionally abusive relationship with a trainwreck of a person for about a year, and thank God I eventually pulled myself out of that awful, dark, destructive hole, I felt so much of what Alex was going through. The way Sean would lure her back in with glimpses into what he could be, and how Alex just wanted him to be a nice, caring person and not the monster he became when he could see that her guard was down enough, all of that felt so real. Incredible performances by every single person in this show.
As soon as I saw the trailer yesterday, I knew this is going to be good and I have to be prepared for it. Reminded me of 'Unbelievable', which is a great mini series imo. Portraying topics which are hard to watch and digest is a big challenge and a fine line to walk, especially when the story goes about a longer period of time. My first language is german and in the german YT world I already had my favorite reviewer...... ....know I have my favorite reviewer in the english speaking YT world. I like the way you talk about screen art
Alex is both antagonist and protagonist in the story. Every issue in her adult life is directly related to her choices. Shows how important good/bad choices can shape your life. Couldn't stand her, she ended up being the typical self destructive personality.
Me too, however I think it was vital to the story line because it’s such a great representation of the reality of domestic abuse victims. Normal and kind feels scary because it’s not the norm. Chaos feels safer bc it’s what she’s used to😔
@@amynicole_3331 does that also make you leave your child at someones house and not say anything about when you’ll be back? Or leave your car parked on the meridian of a highway with your kid? I get that going back to your abuser is a cycle that is hard to break for some women, but if it were my child, I would deal with that scary feeling to keep a roof over their head. She even could’ve been upfront about it and honestly told the guy she wasn’t into him but still needs help. She is just so irresponsible with her child. I’m really trying to understand her struggles, but it’s difficult with her poor choices.
@@Lauren-cu6ht no it looked like she was using him for a baby sitter while she got back with her ex After she told him she would never get back with him. He helped her get into daycare, gave her a car even after kicking her out, was a good friend to her, etc. Yes he liked her a lot and she wasn’t ready for anything but that is a lot of women’s downfall. You meet a very great guy and you can’t leave these losers alone and later on in life you’re wondering why you can’t find a good man.
Same. I absorbed everything and i was mentally sad seeing this series. It affected me emotionally. I was quiet and sad. And i had a maid sister and after watching this series. I went into the kitchen and gave her the wheat cake we made full of stomach
Oh My goodness!!!! This is exactly how I feel about MAID. I'm searching reviews after I made mine cause I wanted to see what other people think. You explained everything spot on. I got triggered a bit even, had to take breaks. Wow Thanx for this. I'm not alone.
I'm on episode 8 and I'm waiting for it to get better. It was probably draining for me because I can't relate. At some point it seems that folks would stop allowing misery in their lives. I am going too see it through since I'm this far into it.
This series was phenomenal. Definitely emotionally draining. I often caught myself screaming “Seriously, mom?! No way!” Or “Ugh, don’t do it Alex!!!” And that is often the hallmark of a good series- I felt emotionally invested in these characters. Andie MacDowell should get awards for her performance. As someone who had a family member with similar mental health conditions- she is 1000% spot on.
This show hits home because i grew up in a house like this. Edit: houses, we never lived in 1 place for long, we always got evicted because the cops would be called on my mom and dad too much, landlords didnt like it Im a mom now and I dont want want my son to go through what I went through. My heart and prayers go out to the people in abusive relationships ❤️
As a single mom for 2 years where I had to chase my baby daddy, loosing my shit after giving birth to my son and finding out my baby daddy is having an affair... Every moment of Alex where she had to stay strong for her child. Finding help from others. All I did is cry my heart out remembering how I was in the same deep hole 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I didn’t love Alex’s character. While I was rooting for her, I wearied of her continually awful decision-making: having the party at the new island apartment; sneaking the Tinder date into her employer’s house; asking AA-attending Sean to take a second job at the bar; moving her mother into Nate’s; sleeping with Sean while Nate did child care. I know we’re supposed to see her as the innocent victim, but she threw quite a few opportunities in the garbage can.
Yeah, she frustrated me as well, but I think that was the whole point. In real life we are all guilty of making stupid decisions. Sometimes we do things that make no sense. It's all a learning process.
I agree with this with only two exceptions: the couple basically forced her to have the party at the house. She declined multiple times but ultimately gave in because they were doing she a favor and she insisted, and she didn’t know all those people or Sean would cause such a problem. And her mom didn’t have anywhere else to go during that time so I kinda get that.
@Plant Based Thank you for this. I'm late to the party, but just watched the first two episodes with the lady, and I was trying to figure out why she likes this girl so much(?)
Just watched this show, I never thought I could hate a main character more. She really made the worst decisions possible when ever she got a chance. Alex and her mom stayed the same basically throughout the series, despite everyone else around her either doing better because of the choices they are making(Sean and her Dad) or turning down help from people who literally only want to help them. She really didn't deserve anything because she was her own biggest enemy and the best thing she did was leave Sean because that actually made him turn his life around for the better.
I had to really be educated during this show. I found myself so aggravated by Alex at many times. Her situation was real but she had so many opportunities to turn it around but she was so prideful and emotional that she stayed stuck when she didn’t have to. Idk I just wish she was more strategic- I wish I was this characters friend! She was poorly guided and frail but I guess that’s the point of the character. Im going to finish the show and remain open to understanding
Yes!! She made countless mistakes all throughout the show. Like he said, I was also literally yelling at the tv "What the hell is she doing??" She seemed dedicated to seeking help from people who didn't want to help her (her mother and baby daddy). And constantly turned down help from people who genuinely offered it (her dad and guy friend). She was definitely her own worst enemy. And she was WAY too emotional, which made it difficult for her to made rational decisions. It was only after she got a pro bono lawyer that her situation started to improve. And I am SO glad she FINALLY let go of her mom. Her mom was a broken crutch that she was constantly leaning on for support. Only to be let down time and time again. The mother was clearly mentally ill and emotionally abusive towards her adult daughter. I ended up becoming very angry with myself that I even decided to watch this series in the first place. I myself escaped an abusive marriage and I had a very hard time connecting with this story. It's actually very upsetting and confusing that anyone is giving this series any sort of praise.
@@rlflyer226 you said it best. I couldn’t believe how ineffective she was moving. Especially when she left her kid on the car. I’m like you tell your daughter what to do not the other way around. I was so pissed her energy was so misguided a lot of the times. Hearing your story makes me think I wasn’t wrong for judging her when it came to her ill prepared escape plan. I’m glad you made it out!
@@rlflyer226 Glad you got out. I was aggravated by a lot of the characters, though I appreciate the complexity showed. I see much of Alex's irrational decisions as a result of the tremendous PTSD she had from being raised by her mom and then the Sean situation aggravated it. Every decision Paula had ever made was irrational, with the exception of leaving Alex's dad.
I have never watched anything that brought back memories, or more memories of feelings, not same events. I have the same mom i.t.o. personality and I feel like she went trough many of the same things when I was little. Just me and her. Words can't describe what this show meant to me..
This is one of the most heart warming stories I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Glued to my TV. Margaret Qualley is phenomenal. She captures your heart from the first scene all the way until the "wooooo" on the mountain. Brilliant series and worth watching again one of these days down the road. Domestic violence is very real and if you're in the midst of it, you have options. There is help and good people waiting for you to find them. Kudos for shining a light on a very dark topic and caring enough to show a path to better days. I loved this story. Thank you!!!!
The character of the mother makes me AGRESSIVE. I know it’s the way she was written but still. She doesn’t talk when she needs to but doesn’t stop talking when she should shut up. Her acting reminds me of Kristen Stewart.
Loved your review; very similar viewing experience. Very emotional experience, especially if you’re a single Mom that went on a similar journey. Great chemistry between all of the characters, but particularly between real mom and daughter Andie MacDowell and Margaret Qualley. Margaret was great in The Leftovers, a dark drama on HBO.
This show absolutely nailed some of the things that other shows struggle to get right. Firstly, it did a beautiful job displaying the reality that abusers naturally have a better support system than their victims. Everyone around Alex was telling her to stay with Sean. Secondly, the showed what it is like when you're poor. Being poor makes you hyper aware of you basic necessities and your amount of money you have. It also showed how women are forced to chose between one bad option and another.
It’s so interesting to me that you find the show emotionally draining. I grew up in a violent DV situation. Also experienced emotional abuse into adulthood. I found the show emotionally invigorating! Her perspective felt so familiar and beautiful to me. I appreciate that it wasn’t just a generic “victim who’s not a victim” story. It was gritty, gross, and vulnerable… just like real life!
This was a great series! It felt more than watching …I got the same feelings like I was reading a great book .. i cried at the end but through out the series I was on the end of my seat bc Alex couldn’t catch a break …really really good!!
Alex had two perfect opportunities to go on the straight and narrow. The fact that she ruins both opportunities for herself because she makes bad choices made me lose respect for her. The performances were phenomenal. There really isn't anything about this show that I didn't like. Ultimately I want to root for Alex but when she makes the choices that ruin everything, I just can't. In my humble opinion I think it shows how damaged women that experience domestic violence are. It makes me angry that another human being can do that to someone. The psychology of it is fascinating to me. She is unwilling to accept help from males. She notices flaws in other women and proceeds to then eventually make the same mistakes herself. It's like if you told her, "Here is a box with all of your problems solved and here is a box that will make everything 100% worse and you could make it clear as day what box to choose and she's still going to mess everything up. The show does leave you with hope. I like to believe that her daughter will break the cycle. I have to believe that is possible.
why? He did everything he could for her? Picked her up, took her in, searched for her. He didn't see abuse so he wouldn't lie for her. Her dad was amazing.
I feel for Alex, mainly because everyone treats her like crap throughout the series. I feel like they really want the audience to feel bad for her, which I do. But she’s also self sabotaging. I can’t help but think she’s making all the wrong choices, and it’s the most frustrating thing to watch. There were so many opportunities for her that she just ignored. I have someone like this in my life- not nearly as sweet as her, but constantly making the wrong decisions which get the nowhere.
Just finished and your review was spot on.This show is heavy!.,but sooo good the writing , acting!! I love how she cares for her mom! I love how she kept pushing through When Sean gave away Nates car and she seeemed soooo lost and the visual of being at the bottom.of a hole..was soooo deep.
I binged watched it. It was something about Alex I had to see how she survived every situation. She is resilient. Awesome movie it was like watching a good book.
Everytime i i think i know how a character in this series works it completely changes up again. Like alexs dad was a nice guy at first turned out to be an asshole and her ex changing from asshole to kind to asshole again
The series was so good. Emotionally draining as you said, but incredibly catching with such good character writing. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone tries to be good sometimes, nobody is black or white. Everyone has shades. This series does that so very well. And a protagonist who starts by zero and works themselves up and even with setbacks and mistakes, continues to grow. THAT is how you write a strong (female) character. Not Mary Sues who can do everything from the beginning or an empty shell whose main character trait is to be enticing. Such a good show.
Some people in this comment section are definitely on the defensive about their own actions of abuse or definitions of abuse. While Sean is also a victim of abuse, he is not a victim of abuse by Alex but by his mother(don't recall hearing about his father, but having no male role model would also play into his emotional regulation and general development). He abused her not only emotionally but also economically, socially through their 'shared' friends and through the volatility/repression/distorted sense of reality of both her mom and dad, which if you don't notice, there are many hints that he might be abusing his new wife even though it might at first seem like the only thing at hand is Alex' resentment for him is due to him being happy with a new family instead of taking care of her. Sean also physically abused her although in a minor sense relatively speaking when he used his physical presence to instill a physical threat toward her as they were about to say grace in the trailer. There is a lot to unpack in this show, amongst them the societal pressure upon Sean to overcome his white trash(I think that's how he himself puts it) upbringing and present himself to the world in a way that makes him feel valued. Oh yeah... did anyone notice Nate the simp saviour? Self-proclaimed 'good guy' ready to pull the rug if she doesn't comply with his emotional whimsy. Don't fool yourselves... abuse is multifaceted and this guy as a character could have been another journey down the rabbit hole for Alex. Of course we shouldn't forget how Sean took advantage of Alex being in shock to satisfy his sexual desires. I can't speak for the U.S. since you've got some whacky rules, but in my country that's straight up rape. That's a bit like raping a handicapped person and saying: well, they didn't resist, did they?
Some people are so strong, like the way she was taking care of her daughter, mom and Sean.I don' think I would have been able to if I were in that situation. This series actually made me realize what people actually go through.. I wonder if it's selfish to have a daughter if you can't fend for her..cause it becomes like a poverty cycle
I don’t think Sean was a bad person. Like Alex, he had experienced trauma and abuse during his adolescents. By the series end, he recognizes the cycle between he and his mom and now with Alex and Maddie. I don’t think her dad was bad either, clearly the man had issues with alcohol and from what we can see as viewed DV. Alex is upset because her dad didn’t recognize the emotional abuse between her and Sean an because he didn’t remember or own up to the DV with Paula. It’s quite possible he really doesn’t remember. What gets me is that Alex is willing to invite her mom to Montana. Her mom was also an emotional abuser. One might argue that Paula was mentally ill, but Alex was the one who invited her. I think that points to how much trauma she suffered though out her life and how difficult it can be to break the cycle
Well said. Sean was honorable in realizing his limitations with Maddy as he bounced around in his own recovery. He didn't want to become his mom and in realizing he had become just like her, he made a choice at great expense to himself for the sake of his daughter.
The show was fantastic and super realistic, the only part that just doesn’t play is there’s no way in hell a $400 Jeep Cherokee makes it 9 hours to Montana yikes . 👀👀. No but seriously it was great 👍
Just happened upon your channel and really like your reviews, especially the large range of content you are covering. I find it really hard to find anything I want to watch on streaming services. There are a lot of low quality "Gen-Z" Tik Tok audience shows being pushed to me on Netflix recently and these reviews of yours are the first I have heard some of these normal shows.
I'm glad that they're helpful in finding stuff to watch! I am pretty eclectic in what I watch, which hopefully gives you a good variety of shows/movies to check out.
Put it on just out of bordem really. I've never watched anything on netflix that has provoked such emotional reaction in me. He's right about throwing shit at the TV. P.S I'm just a blue collar guy that typically enjoys a good thriller or well crafted fight scene, but this had me watching till 3am before I realised I had to get up for work at 5:30. Watched the last episode when I got in. I will say this, all the men in this show are assholes. Even the guy who seemed to help Alex the most was only really doing it to be a knight in shining armour and get in her pants, in a very creepy desperate sort of way.
I appreciate the nuances in this show. They have some bad qualities but also likeable in moments too. That is true to real life. No one is 100% bad or 100% good.
One baffling thing about this show is how many people I see siding/sympathizing with the abuser. Shows you even more how emotional abuse is not taken seriously at all. It's honestly scary.
I finally watched Lars Von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark" That movie pissed me off. I love how Margaret Qualley would sometimes pause and give the camera a look at her facial expressions. I love the "legal" scene and the "clean up on aisle "Poor"" scene at the grocery store check-out.
I get bothered by comments in regards to Nate. People saying that she should have just dated Nate. She did not want to date him. Maybe she didn't find him attractive (even though I did), maybe she was skeptical about why such a good guy was divorced with a toddler or maybe she just wanted to be single and not worry about men after getting out of a relationship with a nut. I just don't like how people try to push if a man is attractive or if he offers you something then you have to sleep with him or date him. 🥴🥴
@@Lauren-cu6ht I don’t think it’s fair that people who express their true feelings get called toxic. He spoke his truth. He never pressured her. He never asked for anything in return. He let her keep the car and he looked out for her. He needed to have that boundary for himself. It wouldn’t be right for her to let her entire family stay at his house for free while she still sneaks off all night to sleep with the man Nate is trying to protect her from.
I thought it was just me I was like wake up this man actually loves you and wants to take care of you! Especially when her problematic mom pointed out she didn’t even have to spread her legs and men were just lining up to help her she Alex knew that hence why she had that guilty look on her face I also felt she was using him because she knew he liked her but she still allowed him to help and took the piss and rather than let him know she was still into her ex she played Nate along rather than expressing herself about how she really felt about her ex and being in love with him but with abuse victims I realise they have a strange dynamic to help them cope by going back to what’s not good for them 🤦🏽♀️ In some cases they just go back like my mom did years later and be friends cleaning her ex’s house because he has health issues and for whatever reason likes sitting in his company having him give her expensive vases but it’s sad to hear what people go through watching this made me realise how brave my mom was in her first marriage to leave her ex and attempt to leave with her two kids but not being able to but having custody years later and she’s been married to her new guy for 30 years so there’s always a way out it just depends on when and where.
@@bigblue4579 I mean I think it’s healthy to have boundaries with the people you are trying to help out of a bad situation. She literally went back to the man he was helping protect her from. It is what it is 🤷🏼♀️
i can really relate with the scenes where she had to take care of her unstable mother. brought back all these old feelings that i pushed aside!! loved this show but now i need to watch spongebob or something 😂😂 i need good vibes
Alex's father is the worst character... You saw your daughter being abused right infront of you and didn't utter a word... And refused to testify... Shame
That's because he saw himself in Sean--the boyfriend. He felt like if Sean is guilty, then he is guilty for what he did to Alex's mom. I've seen this happen in my own life with the relationship between my older brother and my ex-husband. It's sickening.
@@Joan_Cato but he's a looser... How can you ask your daughter to forgive you and give you a chance promised that you changed and when she needed you the most you bow out on her... He's a douche
@@Joan_Cato Very strong point! In a sense, Alex also subconsciously chose someone like her father too.
@@badmanno.1650 Yeah, it felt like he chose his relationship with Sean over his own daughter. A father's number primal responsibility is to protect his daughter. He's weak sauce! He might be the type to be tough towards a woman but a coward to another man.
A thief cannot give a moral lecture to another thief.
Mother and daughter that play the main characters on screen are real mother and daughter in real life. First time they have acted together
Wow she did amazing work with her mother
I was wondering lol
Thought they casted very well, since they look alike haha
Yes the great Andie McDowell and Margaret Qualleys mom!! Amazing ❤️
so its a show geared towards the poor, who want to see the actors rather than characters.
I realized that the whole series really makes us go through the pattern of abuse with her. Even though it’s obvious Sean has abused her, there were moments the show made it feel like he was actually going to change himself and was a better person now. And then they throw us back into the abuse but then back to him seeming redeemable.
At least sean had the sliver of decency to give full custody to alex and clean himself up.
How about the fact that she’s an unskilled laborer that let a day drinker fill her up like a water balloon?
How about both getting her toddler in a high speed crash and sleeping in a train station in the same night?
How about her daughter being unsupervised while playing with a vape spitting distance from sea cliffs?
When you said Sean seems like he could be a sweet guy, that’s they the series is so good. That’s how it is in real life. They show you glimpses of how it could be and that’s what keeps you in the toxic cycle.
It's tiresome and annoying seeing irresponsible come dumpsters popping out kids with scumbags, then playing the professional victim role...
The ONLY victim is the child being raised by a single mother.
@@sticksnstonespatriot1728 If women were more responsible with their reproductive wombs then no one would be born. lol Most men are not going to reveal their true selves until he has the women completely under his spell or control.
@kpop elixir that is an incredibly unfair way to simplify A guy who has his daughter abducted and then went against his family to give joint custody then goes on a detox and recovery program with some success for a time. He wants to change for his family but when he finds out she doesn’t want him back he pulls back to the coping mechanism that he grew up around. At the end she gets full custody and doesn’t even say thanks. Nobody in this show is perfect unless you do it like a feminist
@@sticksnstonespatriot1728 When does the child switches from a victim to a dumpster? Enlighten us.
@@average_coverage wtf are you talking about?
“Legal legal…legal legal legal” I was like what? Then I got it 😂
Loved this show! Binged it! Yes it’s claustrophobic but also addictive!
I didn't get that part. What does it mean?
@@derekahill7414 all she hears is legal chat when in reality they will have been speaking in typical lawyer talk that us “average people” do not understand. Very cleverly done as I rewatched a few times & finally got it. It happens a few times throughout the series but is added in a subtle way
Not able to get past Alex's character. She was soo good
@@iqbalkiran I’m gonna watch this again over Christmas. Phenomenal acting👍🏻
That prt was genius
I lost it. I can relate to everything a single mother myself. Faced everything she faced in different ways. I lost it cried four times. Ending was everything I needed at the moment.
I enjoyed it too. Being a single mom is hard work. Keep going strong over there.
If you faced everything she faced you shouldn’t be able to vote.
God help your young one.
I especially like the fact that it highlights emotional abuse. Because it's quite easy for a filmmaker to have a guy hit a girl, call it abuse, say "this guy's a monster" and "this girl's a victim", and we can all nod and agree that that's the case. /SPOILER warning here/ But in the later episodes, when she goes back to Sean, and he descends into more and more abusive behaviours as soon as she's dependant on him, that descent is exactly what emotional abuse is. Yes, it takes the physical violence for her to see the harm it'll do to her daughter, but we see it long before then, and I think that's very cleverly done by the show. And Sean doesn't see it, not then, and maybe not even at the end of the show. The same way her father - whose assholiness is not redeemable at this point, I admit to wanting to hit him in the face xD - does not admit to having abused anyone. I think this show is maybe my favorite of 2021.
Yes i agree the highlight on emotional abuse! In the beginning when he punched the wall by her head. I said. Wow he didnt hit her but the emotions were heavy..
Alex did ask Sean to start back bartending that made him go back to his heavy drinking when she came back the second time.. I think she should take some responsibility for that. What the father said about her being on his side as he was in hers is absolutely true
@@nikeyaa2614 Didn't he go back bartending because he took her car back to that dude Nate which meant she couldn't work. If she still had her car she could have gotten work and they might have more money...
I'm currently watching this and I'm at episode 8 and the mental exhaustion is definitely there. I was so empathetic that i became bogged down. It really feels like she just can't get a break but it definitely feels like it's paced super well. I only hope that after my break that i can finish it. Loved the review. ❤️
I'm on episode 8 too!! She is the dumbest "mother" and didnt need custody in the first place.
I definitely needed a break too. The mental exhaustion was real.
Yes I take frequent breaks. It made me sleep at time. The show is melancholic. It’s good but not binge worthy.
Im a 48 year old man & this series made me cry tears of happiness. It is one of the best I've ever seen. Please don't miss out on it. Andy & Margeret are mum & daughter in real life. Both are beautifully Superb. 10/10
This show means a lot to me and my mom. for a long time my father was verbally and physically abusive to my mother and seeing this show brought back a lot of memories .long story short when i was 13 i finally stood up to my dad and me my mom and my sister never looked back its been 9 years since my mom left my dad and things are going fine she has a new boyfriend who's good to her and shes a job she likes
When I stood up to my dad at 14 my father was 6'5 246 pounds of muscle.
There was no standing up to him. He got away with abusing my mother and sisters physically and the last guy that stood up to him ended up dead in gang violence by some of his groupie friends.
He switched and left jail early and is making alot of money in Miami. Once I grew up to 18 I moved out alone my mom committed suicide and my father is somewhere out there probably getting drug money.
Moral of the story is not everyone gets justice and revenge.
@@melvingenao550 omg i am so sorry😞 your story is devistating may allah make it easy for you ❤️
@@sararae5994 thank you brother, some are dealt with certain situations but it doesent mean we can't persevere. Strength is a huge mental game.
@@melvingenao550 yeah of course it is i am a sister not a brothet by the way🤣 but Remember everything happens for a reason and of course life is never fair thats why we have death hell and heaven and lets hope he rots in it
I loved the whole Nate storyline. There’s always that guy who wants to be the hero.
The actress who played the black wealthy woman gave an Emmy winning performance in her one monolog.
Her name is Anika Noni Rose 🌹
I clean houses I have a two year old and I’m trying to make it… this is not a show it’s real life for a lot of moms
I cried alot😭 at the end I loved everyone but was very disappointed in the grandpa... also I love how we can see her money $
No fr I thought he was going to do it but then he said no and I’m like yup we out
@@ashleydavis2124 I couldn't hold back my tears honestly🥺 he saw how he grabbed her and told her sit down and eat. Didn't standup for his daughter then and now he wants to say he didn't do right by her but wants a chance with his granddaughter🙄 write that paper 📃 and be a witness or stfu😒
@@FoxyR right like u claim to be good now it was hypocritical af
This is why poor people stay poor. The elite fund these series to breed misery. The first episode alone is nothing but Stress. For anyone hating to clean toilets or rooms, this is so exhausting.
@@eduardochavacano what 🤨 this is literally about a single mother struggling from abuse and dealing with a system that is difficult af it is based on a whole real story
This series brings to light the reality of what women have to endure in domestic abuse. The system abuses them all over again. So sad and glad there is a platform where people can see both the system and the denial of abuse victims 😢
Men and women endure domestic abuse, but the insidious detail overlooked is the overrepresentation of one over the other. The protagonist , I think, worsened Sean’s predicament, and the devil is in the details when you evaluate things through a pragmatic lense
Word men never go to abuse. Glad this show showed us how women got everything bad un this patriarchy
@@AbramHadnot She said it herself, she's not responsible for his alcoholism. That dude decided that the best thing to do with a women in shock and barely responsive was to take her back to his house and have sex with her? That made me hate him as he fully manipulated that situation to get her back under his control.
Yes men face abuse too but women often find it a lot harder to leave an abuser and abuse from a man to a women is more likely to be physical or deadly. Women are more likely to be the one running away with a child. I like that the mother in the show is messed up and wasn't a suitable parent but it really does sound like her father was any better of a parent at the time they left.
Why aren't there stories about men about abused is something I don't know. But women talk about their stories of abuse and it seems men don't other then complaining about the imbalance in the narrative.
This show is special. As a survivor of trauma and abuse I’m so impressed by the writing and the performances. It is very true to life minus most of the happy moments believe it or not.
The best part of the series is that how abuse is multifaceted and it takes a hell lot more than determination to get out of an abusive situation. I have seen so many abused people in life and surprisingly many of the realities highlighted in this series happen with many people in such relationships.
Good review. You know that MacDowell is Qualley's mother in real-life, which explains why their scenes together are fascinating.
I thought I was the only one feeling that way about the show. This show was so heavy for me. I couldn’t binge watch it. In the last couple of days I felt exhausted, sad, depressed and I didn’t knew where it was coming from. It was definitely the “Maid”. I cried during the last two episodes and it’ll remain one of the most sincere, honest and raw shows I’ve ever seen.
This show really tested my patience, and I'm the most patient person according to my parents. Just goes to show you how good this series was.
I watched the entire series in one night. It was incredible and ridiculously binge worthy!
I just finished this series and I really appreciated how it ended. She was her own hero and got herself out of an unhealthy situation which is a great message to people who may be stuck in similar circumstances.
Margaret Qualley is amazing in this!
She absolutely is.
she's a good actress, but I feel like they didn't give her much to work with and as a result was confused on how portray the emotion of some scenes. imo
i would definitely re-watch this, this really hits home for me, since my parents stayed in an unhappy marriage throughout their lives, my dad was abusive to my mom many times, and I could really feel connected to Alex and the scene where Maddy hides in the cupboard, and also how Alex stays in the room with Maddy (hiding from Sean), these were like things that were taken out of my life. Also , Huge crush On Nick Robinson, with how he is in interviews, you would Never think he could portray a role like this, and the conflicts I had, where I was actually rooting for him to be better for Alex and Maddy, at some point I realized that this is how it is to be in an abusive relationship, it is not always going to be bad, but when it goes down south, hell breaks lose.
kudos To Margaret and Nick, and everyone else. and My Nick Robinson has grown lol :)
Me to rooting for Sean to get better...I don't want to end up in a abusive relationship.
I'm really surprised that there are not that many people talking about this show. Because its just so greatly executed. As an viewer you start thinking, that maybe he did change. Because he is trying so hard and getting help and he's there for her. And she ist struggling so hard, so you start thinking maybe she should give him another chance. But then the moment she was back in the house he isolated her and made her dependent on him completely once again and just fell back into his old patterns if not even worse. And you feel kinda stupid as a viewer for buying his act. Even though thats what abuse is they always feel sorry afterwards,if there is a possibility that you maybe leave this time, and they might get their act together for a short period of time, but it never stays that way.
Maybe Sean gets his act together now for his daughter, maybe he falls even deeper into alcoholism. But one thing is for sure things would have gotten only worse for Alex and her daughter if they would have stayed.
I don't know if anyone else can relate, but as a woman who recently left a DV relationship that mirrored exactly the one portrayed in MAID (minus the child), it was actually comforting to watch. Of course, it was emotionally draining and I cried a lot as well but the comfort I felt was almost equal. I am not exactly sure why, but my guess is because it reassured me that I wasn't crazy. That a person can be just as sweet as they can be malicious. That emotional abuse and physical abuse often tie together. Most importantly, that leaving was the best decision.
Yes, a mystery that something can be both draining and comforting at the same time.
The only true victim there was Maddy
And Nate.
I am hooked on this show. Watched the 10 episodes in 2 days and cried for the 2 days. The emotions I had throughout this show, I've never experience in my life. Love the show and the characters each person played. It was very eye opening that this is reality for most people. I love the fact that you can see the love and the care in each person in different light. I love the fact that she tried so hard to leave the life that she had to make the life that she needed and wanted not only for herself but also for her daughter. I would recommend the show to anyone hands down. I would love to see her life in college, raising her daughter and working. Showing her ups and down and problems that may come with it. Love the last scene when she was speaking on what her happiest day would be. Also, the scene where she's just in her head slipping into the couch and the hole that she was in. Love the fact that when she came out you actually see when she get up and looks like she is about to climb out. The way she tells her story, the way you can visualize what is she talking about, how she feels, is amazing. Love to see what season 2 brings.
OMG! I definitely binged the series. I related so much to the lead character, Alex. I'm glad she got the heck out of that town and ended up moving to Montana to further her education. She's on to better and bigger things. I really hope they bring a second season.
Same thing.
she'll end up like her mother.
her mother turned down the one dude who was willing to give her a stable relationship and treated Alex right, as shown by him now being married with kids, in favor of the chaos she lives now.
alex turned down nate, the one dude who could give her stability and treat Maddie right in favor of chaos. Alex is all talk, but her actions shows she loves the drama.
Alex's mother's present, is Alex's future.
@@terran2kk So you think that a woman's only opportunity to be stable is obtained through a man? Wow. You seriously didn't grasp anything that this series was about. Let me explain . . . The whole time Alex was fighting for her independence. Her freedom to choose her own life for herself and her daughter. She will not end up like her mother because she chose not to give her power away like her mother did. She broke the cycle and found her own way. I find it incredibly sad that you think her answer to her issues was another man.
@@terran2kk SPOILER ALERT... Nate was low-key creepy to me. He thought if he gave Alex everything she needed, he was entitled to sex and an intimate relationship. Not so. Yes, I thought he was sweet at the beginning, but the way he acted entitled when she slept with Sean and then proceeded to kick her out and leave her and her child homeless was so infuriating. He was not helping from pure intentions.
@@Joan_Cato Totally correct in my opinion!
Your description is dead on. I absolutely adored this show.
So true on the emotional tiring aspect of the show. Could not stop watching, but felt very exhausted toward the end.
I wonder how you watch so much stuff at once, Chris! Btw great review as always
I sleep very little 😁
I watched this show and I am young. I am a victim of emotional abuse. Having ptsd.
I loved this show.
You forgot to talk about sweet little Maddy 🤱 one of the character watching just made me happier ❤️
Íve just watched the first episode and I`m already ashamed of how I live. There is a roof over my head and food in my fridge and I watch this on a fricking IPad. This show hits HARD
This show reminded me of Marriage Story, which I recently watched for the first time. Obviously, Marriage Story has far different circumstances, but the acting and story felt just as real and in depth as Marriage Story. As someone who was in an emotionally abusive relationship with a trainwreck of a person for about a year, and thank God I eventually pulled myself out of that awful, dark, destructive hole, I felt so much of what Alex was going through. The way Sean would lure her back in with glimpses into what he could be, and how Alex just wanted him to be a nice, caring person and not the monster he became when he could see that her guard was down enough, all of that felt so real. Incredible performances by every single person in this show.
As soon as I saw the trailer yesterday, I knew this is going to be good and I have to be prepared for it. Reminded me of 'Unbelievable', which is a great mini series imo. Portraying topics which are hard to watch and digest is a big challenge and a fine line to walk, especially when the story goes about a longer period of time.
My first language is german and in the german YT world I already had my favorite reviewer......
....know I have my favorite reviewer in the english speaking YT world.
I like the way you talk about screen art
Thank you!! Yes, Unbelievable was powerful too!!
Alex is both antagonist and protagonist in the story. Every issue in her adult life is directly related to her choices. Shows how important good/bad choices can shape your life. Couldn't stand her, she ended up being the typical self destructive personality.
I really wished she would have given Nate a chance. I can’t stand Sean even when I felt a little compassion For him he messed it up
Me too, however I think it was vital to the story line because it’s such a great representation of the reality of domestic abuse victims. Normal and kind feels scary because it’s not the norm. Chaos feels safer bc it’s what she’s used to😔
@@amynicole_3331 wow. These are amazing words
@@amynicole_3331 trust I know, it’s a cycle abused women/men go through that’s why during those times self love and healing is crucial.
@@amynicole_3331 does that also make you leave your child at someones house and not say anything about when you’ll be back? Or leave your car parked on the meridian of a highway with your kid?
I get that going back to your abuser is a cycle that is hard to break for some women, but if it were my child, I would deal with that scary feeling to keep a roof over their head. She even could’ve been upfront about it and honestly told the guy she wasn’t into him but still needs help. She is just so irresponsible with her child. I’m really trying to understand her struggles, but it’s difficult with her poor choices.
@@Lauren-cu6ht no it looked like she was using him for a baby sitter while she got back with her ex After she told him she would never get back with him. He helped her get into daycare, gave her a car even after kicking her out, was a good friend to her, etc. Yes he liked her a lot and she wasn’t ready for anything but that is a lot of women’s downfall. You meet a very great guy and you can’t leave these losers alone and later on in life you’re wondering why you can’t find a good man.
Binged it. Loved it. Cried my eyes out. The first episode, I WAS SO STRESSED out I almost didn't keep going. But I'm SO glad I did!
Same. I absorbed everything and i was mentally sad seeing this series. It affected me emotionally. I was quiet and sad. And i had a maid sister and after watching this series. I went into the kitchen and gave her the wheat cake we made full of stomach
Oh My goodness!!!! This is exactly how I feel about MAID. I'm searching reviews after I made mine cause I wanted to see what other people think. You explained everything spot on. I got triggered a bit even, had to take breaks. Wow Thanx for this. I'm not alone.
I'm on episode 8 and I'm waiting for it to get better. It was probably draining for me because I can't relate. At some point it seems that folks would stop allowing misery in their lives. I am going too see it through since I'm this far into it.
This series was phenomenal. Definitely emotionally draining. I often caught myself screaming “Seriously, mom?! No way!” Or “Ugh, don’t do it Alex!!!” And that is often the hallmark of a good series- I felt emotionally invested in these characters.
Andie MacDowell should get awards for her performance. As someone who had a family member with similar mental health conditions- she is 1000% spot on.
I am a man and I learn so much how we can hurt woman and we should change our way because it really sad life.
This show hits home because i grew up in a house like this.
Edit: houses, we never lived in 1 place for long, we always got evicted because the cops would be called on my mom and dad too much, landlords didnt like it
Im a mom now and I dont want want my son to go through what I went through. My heart and prayers go out to the people in abusive relationships ❤️
Rooting for you with your son. He is a good motivation to break the cycle you grew up with. 💕
Alex was the real villain of this show. This is an insult to actual DV victims. This show enraged me. I felt bad for Sean, Nate, Maddy and her dad.
As a single mom for 2 years where I had to chase my baby daddy, loosing my shit after giving birth to my son and finding out my baby daddy is having an affair...
Every moment of Alex where she had to stay strong for her child. Finding help from others. All I did is cry my heart out remembering how I was in the same deep hole 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I didn’t love Alex’s character. While I was rooting for her, I wearied of her continually awful decision-making: having the party at the new island apartment; sneaking the Tinder date into her employer’s house; asking AA-attending Sean to take a second job at the bar; moving her mother into Nate’s; sleeping with Sean while Nate did child care.
I know we’re supposed to see her as the innocent victim, but she threw quite a few opportunities in the garbage can.
Yeah, she frustrated me as well, but I think that was the whole point. In real life we are all guilty of making stupid decisions. Sometimes we do things that make no sense. It's all a learning process.
I agree with this with only two exceptions: the couple basically forced her to have the party at the house. She declined multiple times but ultimately gave in because they were doing she a favor and she insisted, and she didn’t know all those people or Sean would cause such a problem. And her mom didn’t have anywhere else to go during that time so I kinda get that.
imo she's the worst main character I've ever seen in a show, I felt bad for Sean xD
YEP! Don't forget just how the accident happened...like you're gon' leave your car in the street with your child in it for a DOLL??? WOW
@Plant Based Thank you for this. I'm late to the party, but just watched the first two episodes with the lady, and I was trying to figure out why she likes this girl so much(?)
Just watched this show, I never thought I could hate a main character more. She really made the worst decisions possible when ever she got a chance. Alex and her mom stayed the same basically throughout the series, despite everyone else around her either doing better because of the choices they are making(Sean and her Dad) or turning down help from people who literally only want to help them. She really didn't deserve anything because she was her own biggest enemy and the best thing she did was leave Sean because that actually made him turn his life around for the better.
binged it in one day but i felt so drained and emotionally tired after oh my god
I just binged the whole thing... I feel like I just ran a marathon💀😭ts was so sad
I had to really be educated during this show. I found myself so aggravated by Alex at many times. Her situation was real but she had so many opportunities to turn it around but she was so prideful and emotional that she stayed stuck when she didn’t have to. Idk I just wish she was more strategic- I wish I was this characters friend! She was poorly guided and frail but I guess that’s the point of the character.
Im going to finish the show and remain open to understanding
Yes!! She made countless mistakes all throughout the show. Like he said, I was also literally yelling at the tv "What the hell is she doing??" She seemed dedicated to seeking help from people who didn't want to help her (her mother and baby daddy). And constantly turned down help from people who genuinely offered it (her dad and guy friend). She was definitely her own worst enemy. And she was WAY too emotional, which made it difficult for her to made rational decisions. It was only after she got a pro bono lawyer that her situation started to improve. And I am SO glad she FINALLY let go of her mom. Her mom was a broken crutch that she was constantly leaning on for support. Only to be let down time and time again. The mother was clearly mentally ill and emotionally abusive towards her adult daughter. I ended up becoming very angry with myself that I even decided to watch this series in the first place. I myself escaped an abusive marriage and I had a very hard time connecting with this story. It's actually very upsetting and confusing that anyone is giving this series any sort of praise.
@@rlflyer226 you said it best. I couldn’t believe how ineffective she was moving. Especially when she left her kid on the car. I’m like you tell your daughter what to do not the other way around. I was so pissed her energy was so misguided a lot of the times.
Hearing your story makes me think I wasn’t wrong for judging her when it came to her ill prepared escape plan. I’m glad you made it out!
@@rlflyer226 Glad you got out. I was aggravated by a lot of the characters, though I appreciate the complexity showed. I see much of Alex's irrational decisions as a result of the tremendous PTSD she had from being raised by her mom and then the Sean situation aggravated it. Every decision Paula had ever made was irrational, with the exception of leaving Alex's dad.
I have never watched anything that brought back memories, or more memories of feelings, not same events. I have the same mom i.t.o. personality and I feel like she went trough many of the same things when I was little. Just me and her. Words can't describe what this show meant to me..
This is one of the most heart warming stories I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Glued to my TV. Margaret Qualley is phenomenal. She captures your heart from the first scene all the way until the "wooooo" on the mountain. Brilliant series and worth watching again one of these days down the road. Domestic violence is very real and if you're in the midst of it, you have options. There is help and good people waiting for you to find them.
Kudos for shining a light on a very dark topic and caring enough to show a path to better days. I loved this story.
Thank you!!!!
The character of the mother makes me AGRESSIVE. I know it’s the way she was written but still. She doesn’t talk when she needs to but doesn’t stop talking when she should shut up. Her acting reminds me of Kristen Stewart.
Your review is as good as the series itself. You just gained a subscriber
Loved your review; very similar viewing experience. Very emotional experience, especially if you’re a single Mom that went on a similar journey. Great chemistry between all of the characters, but particularly between real mom and daughter Andie MacDowell and Margaret Qualley. Margaret was great in The Leftovers, a dark drama on HBO.
I watch a lot of ur reviews without subscribing... srry, am now officially team moviesandmuchies
I really appreciate that!
Wow, really enjoyed hearing your review and insights. Similar thoughts on the show....thank you for putting them so well!
This show absolutely nailed some of the things that other shows struggle to get right. Firstly, it did a beautiful job displaying the reality that abusers naturally have a better support system than their victims. Everyone around Alex was telling her to stay with Sean. Secondly, the showed what it is like when you're poor. Being poor makes you hyper aware of you basic necessities and your amount of money you have. It also showed how women are forced to chose between one bad option and another.
It’s so interesting to me that you find the show emotionally draining. I grew up in a violent DV situation. Also experienced emotional abuse into adulthood. I found the show emotionally invigorating! Her perspective felt so familiar and beautiful to me. I appreciate that it wasn’t just a generic “victim who’s not a victim” story. It was gritty, gross, and vulnerable… just like real life!
This was a great series! It felt more than watching …I got the same feelings like I was reading a great book .. i cried at the end but through out the series I was on the end of my seat bc Alex couldn’t catch a break …really really good!!
Alex had two perfect opportunities to go on the straight and narrow. The fact that she ruins both opportunities for herself because she makes bad choices made me lose respect for her. The performances were phenomenal. There really isn't anything about this show that I didn't like. Ultimately I want to root for Alex but when she makes the choices that ruin everything, I just can't. In my humble opinion I think it shows how damaged women that experience domestic violence are. It makes me angry that another human being can do that to someone. The psychology of it is fascinating to me. She is unwilling to accept help from males. She notices flaws in other women and proceeds to then eventually make the same mistakes herself. It's like if you told her, "Here is a box with all of your problems solved and here is a box that will make everything 100% worse and you could make it clear as day what box to choose and she's still going to mess everything up. The show does leave you with hope. I like to believe that her daughter will break the cycle. I have to believe that is possible.
Great review - just subscribed! Agreed with all of your points and I like how you laid them out concisely :)
I hated her dad so much
why? He did everything he could for her? Picked her up, took her in, searched for her. He didn't see abuse so he wouldn't lie for her. Her dad was amazing.
just finished it. Very underrated show. It gets better by the half of the series. Loved it
I feel for Alex, mainly because everyone treats her like crap throughout the series. I feel like they really want the audience to feel bad for her, which I do. But she’s also self sabotaging. I can’t help but think she’s making all the wrong choices, and it’s the most frustrating thing to watch. There were so many opportunities for her that she just ignored. I have someone like this in my life- not nearly as sweet as her, but constantly making the wrong decisions which get the nowhere.
Just finished and your review was spot on.This show is heavy!.,but sooo good the writing , acting!! I love how she cares for her mom! I love how she kept pushing through
When Sean gave away Nates car and she seeemed soooo lost and the visual of being at the bottom.of a hole..was soooo deep.
Nadie McDowell crushed her roll holy cow. Like if I ever met her and she was not like she was in the movie it would throw me off
I binged watched it. It was something about Alex I had to see how she survived every situation. She is resilient. Awesome movie it was like watching a good book.
Everytime i i think i know how a character in this series works it completely changes up again.
Like alexs dad was a nice guy at first turned out to be an asshole and her ex changing from asshole to kind to asshole again
The series was so good. Emotionally draining as you said, but incredibly catching with such good character writing. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone tries to be good sometimes, nobody is black or white. Everyone has shades. This series does that so very well. And a protagonist who starts by zero and works themselves up and even with setbacks and mistakes, continues to grow. THAT is how you write a strong (female) character. Not Mary Sues who can do everything from the beginning or an empty shell whose main character trait is to be enticing. Such a good show.
This was emotionally exhausting.
one of the most amazing and emotional rollercoasters I have experienced
Some people in this comment section are definitely on the defensive about their own actions of abuse or definitions of abuse.
While Sean is also a victim of abuse, he is not a victim of abuse by Alex but by his mother(don't recall hearing about his father, but having no male role model would also play into his emotional regulation and general development). He abused her not only emotionally but also economically, socially through their 'shared' friends and through the volatility/repression/distorted sense of reality of both her mom and dad, which if you don't notice, there are many hints that he might be abusing his new wife even though it might at first seem like the only thing at hand is Alex' resentment for him is due to him being happy with a new family instead of taking care of her. Sean also physically abused her although in a minor sense relatively speaking when he used his physical presence to instill a physical threat toward her as they were about to say grace in the trailer.
There is a lot to unpack in this show, amongst them the societal pressure upon Sean to overcome his white trash(I think that's how he himself puts it) upbringing and present himself to the world in a way that makes him feel valued.
Oh yeah... did anyone notice Nate the simp saviour? Self-proclaimed 'good guy' ready to pull the rug if she doesn't comply with his emotional whimsy. Don't fool yourselves... abuse is multifaceted and this guy as a character could have been another journey down the rabbit hole for Alex.
Of course we shouldn't forget how Sean took advantage of Alex being in shock to satisfy his sexual desires. I can't speak for the U.S. since you've got some whacky rules, but in my country that's straight up rape. That's a bit like raping a handicapped person and saying: well, they didn't resist, did they?
Great review! Plan to watch it! Currently watching Chestnut Man!
Tuesday the 5th The Night House is available on DVD! Very excited to see it!
Some people are so strong, like the way she was taking care of her daughter, mom and Sean.I don' think I would have been able to if I were in that situation. This series actually made me realize what people actually go through.. I wonder if it's selfish to have a daughter if you can't fend for her..cause it becomes like a poverty cycle
Looks like a great show but after squid game I think I’ll watch something light for now.
Lol I watched this series right after squid game. I definitely need something light.
@@bigblue4579 I’m right there with you 😅
I don’t think Sean was a bad person. Like Alex, he had experienced trauma and abuse during his adolescents. By the series end, he recognizes the cycle between he and his mom and now with Alex and Maddie. I don’t think her dad was bad either, clearly the man had issues with alcohol and from what we can see as viewed DV. Alex is upset because her dad didn’t recognize the emotional abuse between her and Sean an because he didn’t remember or own up to the DV with Paula. It’s quite possible he really doesn’t remember. What gets me is that Alex is willing to invite her mom to Montana. Her mom was also an emotional abuser. One might argue that Paula was mentally ill, but Alex was the one who invited her. I think that points to how much trauma she suffered though out her life and how difficult it can be to break the cycle
Well said. Sean was honorable in realizing his limitations with Maddy as he bounced around in his own recovery. He didn't want to become his mom and in realizing he had become just like her, he made a choice at great expense to himself for the sake of his daughter.
JUST BEYOND INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!! ALL DESERVE GOLDEN GLOBES!!!
The show was fantastic and super realistic, the only part that just doesn’t play is there’s no way in hell a $400 Jeep Cherokee makes it 9 hours to Montana yikes . 👀👀. No but seriously it was great 👍
I agree 200% with your review, you described my thoughts on the show exactly. I would, however, watch it again.
Great review....but how you completely omit the on-screen performance of Rylea Nevaeh Whittet as Maddy is beyond me.
The show was so well done being an domestic violence victim it was very accurate with no one helping you. You just have to help yourself.
I sobbed. Like seriously SOBBED.
Just happened upon your channel and really like your reviews, especially the large range of content you are covering. I find it really hard to find anything I want to watch on streaming services. There are a lot of low quality "Gen-Z" Tik Tok audience shows being pushed to me on Netflix recently and these reviews of yours are the first I have heard some of these normal shows.
I'm glad that they're helpful in finding stuff to watch! I am pretty eclectic in what I watch, which hopefully gives you a good variety of shows/movies to check out.
I absolutley loved this series. I just finished it and I find it amazing how they portrait how hard is to end the cycle of abuse.
Put it on just out of bordem really. I've never watched anything on netflix that has provoked such emotional reaction in me. He's right about throwing shit at the TV.
P.S I'm just a blue collar guy that typically enjoys a good thriller or well crafted fight scene, but this had me watching till 3am before I realised I had to get up for work at 5:30. Watched the last episode when I got in. I will say this, all the men in this show are assholes. Even the guy who seemed to help Alex the most was only really doing it to be a knight in shining armour and get in her pants, in a very creepy desperate sort of way.
Damn, this man just blessed us with the best review. 💕
recommend this series 100%, soooo deep strong emotions that at some point you feel you will stop watching it, for 5 seconds!!!
I'm going to watch this, but I won't be binging it. It seems to emotional for me to binge now
this is a very good review, it describes what I did not know how to describe. That black hole though!! And when they zoomed into the forest!!! aaaaa
I appreciate the nuances in this show. They have some bad qualities but also likeable in moments too. That is true to real life. No one is 100% bad or 100% good.
One baffling thing about this show is how many people I see siding/sympathizing with the abuser. Shows you even more how emotional abuse is not taken seriously at all. It's honestly scary.
I finally watched Lars Von Trier's "Dancer in the Dark" That movie pissed me off. I love how Margaret Qualley would sometimes pause and give the camera a look at her facial expressions. I love the "legal" scene and the "clean up on aisle "Poor"" scene at the grocery store check-out.
Going on to season 1 episode 6 and still waiting to find out all the hype.
It such a emotional and wonderful show at the same time! 10/10 ❤️
I get bothered by comments in regards to Nate. People saying that she should have just dated Nate. She did not want to date him. Maybe she didn't find him attractive (even though I did), maybe she was skeptical about why such a good guy was divorced with a toddler or maybe she just wanted to be single and not worry about men after getting out of a relationship with a nut. I just don't like how people try to push if a man is attractive or if he offers you something then you have to sleep with him or date him. 🥴🥴
Binged it, loved it. But come on we need a season 2 for #justicefornate ughhhhh i loved him for her 😭
But I’m guessing it couldn’t happen since they will be in different states. Unless he were to get some fancy transfer to Montana 👀
@@Lauren-cu6ht I don’t think it’s fair that people who express their true feelings get called toxic. He spoke his truth. He never pressured her. He never asked for anything in return. He let her keep the car and he looked out for her. He needed to have that boundary for himself. It wouldn’t be right for her to let her entire family stay at his house for free while she still sneaks off all night to sleep with the man Nate is trying to protect her from.
I thought it was just me I was like wake up this man actually loves you and wants to take care of you! Especially when her problematic mom pointed out she didn’t even have to spread her legs and men were just lining up to help her she Alex knew that hence why she had that guilty look on her face I also felt she was using him because she knew he liked her but she still allowed him to help and took the piss and rather than let him know she was still into her ex she played Nate along rather than expressing herself about how she really felt about her ex and being in love with him but with abuse victims I realise they have a strange dynamic to help them cope by going back to what’s not good for them 🤦🏽♀️
In some cases they just go back like my mom did years later and be friends cleaning her ex’s house because he has health issues and for whatever reason likes sitting in his company having him give her expensive vases but it’s sad to hear what people go through watching this made me realise how brave my mom was in her first marriage to leave her ex and attempt to leave with her two kids but not being able to but having custody years later and she’s been married to her new guy for 30 years so there’s always a way out it just depends on when and where.
@@Golden90960 I completely agree! I was happy he put her out and it was very kind of him to still let her use the car.
@@bigblue4579 I mean I think it’s healthy to have boundaries with the people you are trying to help out of a bad situation. She literally went back to the man he was helping protect her from. It is what it is 🤷🏼♀️
i can really relate with the scenes where she had to take care of her unstable mother. brought back all these old feelings that i pushed aside!! loved this show but now i need to watch spongebob or something 😂😂 i need good vibes
I came in thinking it was a horror thriller but end up crying through out the whole thing
The tittle is maid but why can't she just apply for other jobs