Animation
Good Times
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
Alex wasn’t always this way.
She wasn’t always afraid. She wasn’t always wondering when she might be attacked or screamed at for forgetting a few dirty dishes in the sink.
But she is this way now.
So, in the middle of the night one night, she watches her boyfriend, Sean, sleep. She carefully calculates the exact time it will take to silently slip on her shoes, pick up her sleeping toddler, Maddy, rush to the car, buckle her daughter in and drive away from a home that has now become a living nightmare.
She escapes. Sort of. But life on the other side is not easy. The state of Washington’s social system is broken. Turns out, you can’t receive shelter from an abuser if you can’t admit that you’ve been abused.
To Alex, real abuse looks like bruises and blood and scrapes, the kind of wounds she saw on her own mother when she was a kid. But then, what is it called when someone verbally degrades you, manipulates you and causes you to fear for your life and the life of your child?
Alex can’t admit it yet, but she’s been abused for years. And as she fights for sole custody of Maddy, she learns that the life she desires for her daughter won’t come without hard work, deep pain and somehow finding the sort of healing she’s craved her entire life.
If you’ve been looking for a show that honestly examines the mental state of those abused, as well as the tactics of abusers, you’ve found it. Welcome to Netlflix’s Maid.
This TV-MA miniseries is both brutally honest and, at times, difficult to watch. I will tell you from the very beginning that if you’ve experienced any sort of abuse in your life, this show could be triggering. The show contains all manner of problems in almost every content category, and it’s certainly not suitable for families. But the show’s content has a purpose, too. Watching Alex deal with her horrific circumstances might just help viewers struggling with their own abusive relationships.
That’s a bold statement, I know. Especially when every situation is so incredibly complex and different and things are never as easy as they’re portrayed on television. But the point is that although there’s a lot of content to deal with here, some viewers will feel a sense of freedom at the end, just as Alex does. But you’ll have to wade through thick layers of murky water to get there.
Cyclical abuse is the first layer. Alex not only watched her mother being abused as a child, but she then entered into a relationship with an alcoholic man that also witnessed abuse and alcoholism his entire life. Additional layers include manipulation, mental illness, neglect, drug use, codependency, deep dysfunction, sexual content and heavy language.
Yes, there are problems galore and this series is far from family friendly. But by the end viewers aren’t left in a state of hopelessness. And that in itself is a big positive.
Alex flees from her abusive boyfriend in the middle of the night, taking her young daughter, Maddy, with her.
We hear that Alex’s boyfriend, Sean, came home at night and flew into a rage, punching a wall and throwing a glass that nearly hit Alex’s head. Alex and Maddy get into a car accident and Alex walks away with scratches on her face.
Alex’s mother tells Alex that identity is subjective. Alex’s mother also says she is deeply connected with her lover and later falsely accuses Alex of exposing her breasts, thus driving her lover away. Sean sleeps shirtless and walks outside in boxers.
We hear that Maddy plays with a vape while in the care of her irresponsible grandmother. A group of men and women sit around a fire, drinking and smoking. A social worker asks Alex if she’s under the influence of drugs and alcohol (although she’s not).
The f-word is heard nearly 25 times and the s-word is used five times. Other profanities used include “a–” and “b–ch.”
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
Netflix takes a classic sitcom, Good Times, and turns it into a vulgar, violent, sexually-charged TV-MA show.
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