Netflix's Maid has been making waves for its nuanced depiction of domestic violence and emotional abuse, and Margaret Qualley's sublime depiction of the helpless but courageous Alex has been lauded globally. In fact, the entire limited series is replete with powerful women, and characters who go through so much abuse and adversity to come out to the other side, victorious.
Unsurprisingly, the bravest characters on the show were the ladies, and each had their own distinctive struggles and their ways of handling the difficulties dished out to them by men, red tapeism in the system, and the world in general.
Alex
One of the best characters of Maid, Alex was a likable lead who was made of steel. Leaving an emotionally abusive relationship on nothing but a single car, a handle of cash, and a backpack is easier said than done, and Alex did it not once, but twice. She knew what she was getting into when she left, but knowing that anything was better than Sean's manipulations made her the bravest.
The 25-year-old learned how to navigate welfare systems and forms, got a job which could be revolting at times, and did her best for Maddy by looking for new apartments when the mold made her sick at the transitional housing unit she was in. Sleeping on the ferry station's floor or her car's backseat, Alex knew how to face bad situations.
Regina
The initially cold and uptight Regina seemed awful, especially since she tried to stiff Alex out of pay after getting the job done, but her decency showed once Alex explained her situation, after stealing her dog with Danielle. Regina seemed to be living the perfect life with her gorgeous pad in Fisher Island, her $1400 cashmere sweaters, her full stocked fridge and husband, but she had her silent struggles too.
She struggled to give birth to a child, and her husband had married her because she was young so he could start over in life, especially with parenting. She used a surrogate, and was then left all alone when her husband decided to divorce her. Raising a baby boy with a high stress job was no easy task, and her decision to raise her boy alone was commendable.
Danielle
Alex's first friend at the domestic violence shelter, Danielle was a great friend and a gutsy lady who had left her abusive partner Kyle, and brought along her seven-year-old son to the center. Despite her own adversities, she did not hesitate to help Alex take care of Maddy, get dressed for court, and get her money from Regina by stealing her dog.
Danielle was fearless when she broke out of the cycle of abuse, but doing that the first time is hard, and as Denise said, it usually takes seven tries. The good-natured woman was a great friend and retained her kindness through her ordeals.
Paula
Played by Qualley's own mother Andie MacDowell, Paula was a complicated character who had so many layers, that it was hard to tell when she was being herself and when she was putting on a happy face. She had an undiagnosed bipolar disorder which made her dangerous to her own self, so that meant that she had led her life while she was unwell.
To live that way is difficult, but she had also endured abuse from numerous partners, including Hank, Alex's father. She left with a then 5-year-old Alex and decided to live life on her own terms, which is gumption at its greatest. As her mother, her relationship with Alex was a mix of positive and negative.
Denise
The kindly lady who ran the domestic violence shelter was gentle with the victims she helped — mainly because she had gone through the trauma of having an abusive partner herself. She had made it through a tumultuous and potentially dangerous situation, and then committed her life to assisting other young women like herself.
Denise's bravery lay in her commitment to DV victims, and her desire to keep going with the trauma around her that must have reminded her of her own days of abuse.
Maddy
The cherubic Maddy was no older than 2 or 3, but there is credit to be given to a kid that young being exposed to traumatic situations but still walking around with a smile on her face. Maddy probably didn't understand what she was going through, but her instincts told her to run and hide when Sean got abusive.
She was a good kid who didn't give her mother too much trouble, and almost got killed when the Subaru got run into on the expressway. All she needed was Schmariel, and she was good to go.
Tara
Regina's friend and Alex's lawyer may have made a short and sweet appearance on Maid, but she was a powerful and strong woman who specialized in family court cases. Apart from doing pro bono work which takes real generosity, Tara faced angry dads and family members everyday so that mothers could get rightful custody of their kids, or get the alimony and support they deserved.
Her job as one of the best family lawyers on Maid was one that required courage every single day, and she showed up to work and did her job well. Her work gave joy to many people, and being a woman in a male-dominated field is an act of bravery in itself.