“Maid” on Netflix: A Brave Look at a Hidden Side of Domestic Abuse

“Maid” shows a side of domestic abuse we don’t often see

Photo by Wonderlane on Unsplash

This article contains spoilers for the Netflix show Maid

I recently watched the limited series Maid, a Netflix original starring Margaret Qualley as a young mother trying to leave her partner after becoming a victim of cyclical domestic violence. It is based on the best-selling memoir by Stephanie Land.

This show has one of if not the most accurate portrayals of alcoholic domestic violence I have ever seen. As someone with an alcoholic father who lived with similar experiences to the ones portrayed in the show it was also one of the hardest, but ultimately most powerful things I have ever watched.

Obviously, every situation is different, but what stood out for me about this series was that it showed that domestic violence/abuse does not have to equal physical violence. That aggression and threats and breaking stuff in close proximity to the victim is also terrorizing and unacceptable abuse. This is something I admit I was confused about for many years.

Growing up as a kid in the 80s I think the only time I ever saw domestic violence portrayed on TV was in the famous mini-series The Burning Bed, starring Farrah Fawcett. I remember watching…