Netflix's Maid has touched hearts with the tenacity and resilience shown by Alex in the face of emotional abuse and the red-tapism that surrounds vulnerable sections of society. The show has been praised by critics and viewers alike and is on its way to becoming one of the biggest shows on the streaming giant, but not everybody loved the show.
Netizens on Reddit had some controversial opinions about Maid, with some of them criticizing the way Alex parented Maddy as well as her decisions after she left Sean.
Redditors bloodbond3 is of the opinion that Alex was a terrible parent who couldn't take care of Maddy well enough. Maddy's illness due to a moldy apartment was viewed as Alex's fault, because she didn't clean the mold herself, and failed to mention the mold to the doctor until the second visit. Her attempts to air out the apartment were also seen as her leaving Maddy in the cold while she was sick. The Reddit user states, "From there, I was all out of sympathy for her struggle. I don't care what you're going through, if you claim to be doing it for your child, you don't get to be so passive with their health."
However, it should be noted that mold is best treated by a specialist cleaner rather than a layperson, particularly the amount that was in Alex's apartment — an apartment that she was forced to move into for lack of shelter to prove herself a fit parent. Viewers see the tight constraints of her budget throughout the show, and it could equally be argued that she did her best as a young mother without a support system.
It took some time for Alex to admit that she was a victim of domestic violence, which was why she denied that she had been abused when the support worker told her to file a complaint. Viewers like HighlightFit were upset that a literate woman like Alex didn't report the abuse that she had been through: "The very first episode, made me hate her. When she left and refused to admit to the social services lady that she was abused and homeless."
This is a harsh take on a delicate topic. Most abused individuals need time to recognize patterns of abuse and come to terms with it, and in a lot of cases, this can require help from loved ones and professionals. Moreover, the point of the show was to highlight that emotional and mental torture is also domestic violence, not just physical abuse, which was a lesson that Alex learned as she left her home and spoke to other women. Alex was a brave character but also fragile because of how she had been treated.
Alex accepted help wherever she could, which included borrowing a car from Nate and even staying in his house when she had nowhere else to go, but she refused to date him. QueenRhaenys thought that it was over-the-top and a bad decision for Alex not to date him because she was attracted to him and could have had an easier life if she gave him a chance. They said that "What bugged me the most is she wouldn't take more help from the guy with the beard... Perfect guy comes along and her pride keeps her from even giving him a shot."
Her decision to not get involved with Nate showed why Alex was the smartest character on Maid. Her dynamic with Nate was not one founded on equality, and she was not interested in jumping from one unbalanced relationship to another. She had made her intentions clear to Nate but he persisted with his advances, while Alex was trying to become self-sufficient. She broke a generational pattern by choosing to be alone than depending on another man in the way her mom, Paula, does.
Redditor bloodbond3 felt that nobody was responsible for Alex's situation but herself. They opined that it was her problem that she made a series of bad decisions in her life, which included her child getting sick and being with an abusive man, so she shouldn't blame anyone else for it. They said, "A lot of her struggles were caused by the girl in the mirror."
Shows like Maid aim to highlight the apathy that female victims of domestic violence can face, and this comment is a testament to the fact. Alex could not control Maddy's illnesses, but she did her best to leave a bad situation. It was commendable that she refused to live in an abusive environment out of habit and to blame the victims of abuse and a flawed system is a part of the problem.
Maddy's third birthday was a big occasion, and Alex's new landladies kindly offered their gazebo for a small party which was ruined by Sean and his wild friends and Paula's antics. SicilianDev on Reddit felt that Alex should not have invited Paula and Sean to the party at all and it was her own fault that she lost her home because of this decision: "That invite to the birthday party is what did it for me. I was like, okay, you are now like everyone else who doesn't succeed."
However, it can be argued that this take lacks nuance because many people would view it absurd to hold a birthday party and not call the father and grandmother of the child. Alex was in a custody war with Sean, and the odds were stacked against her. If she kept him away from Maddy, it only unfairly made his case stronger. She had to play by the rules set by higher authorities and also familial ties that she couldn't forego when she needed support.
Based on the memoir by Stephanie Land, Maid showed Alex's journey as she came to recognize abuse not only by Sean but also by her own father, memories that she had repressed. However, QueenRhaenys on Reddit felt that her father was one of the most "normal" people on the show, and Alex should have taken his assistance when she needed it, instead of refusing based on a flashback she had when she was three. They state: "Her father seemed like the most normal person in the show and she should have taken his help."
Ostracizing her father based on his abusive behavior with her mother was absolutely the right way to deal with the situation. Excusing abusers and giving them a free pass is what enables them, so Alex taking a stand was the most heroic thing she could have done. Hank also later proved himself to be untrustworthy and unsupportive of Alex when he refused to testify for her and stop Sean when he intimidated her.
Many netizens were quick to pounce on the fact that Alex got back together with Sean for a brief time, and picked her apart for her decision. They thought that she acted immaturely and if she was back with him, she shouldn't have treated it as a temporary situation when she had a child with Sean. Lonelygirlxoxo12 felt that he worked and earned for her, so she owed him some permanence for the same: "My only thing I didn’t like that she did was when her mom goes crazy and ends up in the hospital, She ends up going back with Sean to their house and sleeps with him."
Sean and Alex had been through a traumatizing situation with Paula. They were tired, scared, and found comfort in each other. The sad truth about domestic violence is that the victims used to be or still are in love with their abusers. The lapses are inevitable, and it's unfair to berate Alex for a common mistake.
Alex's moment of empowerment came at the end of the series when she reenrolled in college and got her scholarship. Some Redditors judged her decision to write harshly, stating that as a single mother who needed a stable income, Alex should have picked something more vocational. Aureliaarabella said, "Didn't think a four-year course to be a writer is the best decision. It's her passion yes but writing is not the best career for a single mom - I don't like that. She should have taken Regina's job offer."
Alex clearly had a gift for writing, and just because she was a mother didn't mean that she couldn't chase her dreams. A writing course doesn't have to translate to being a struggling artist, it could also lead to a job in journalism, marketing, and many more industries that would provide a stable income for Alex and her family.
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