Limited series have become the new wave in television and streaming. Its structure allows for a full narrative story to be adequately told with the time and attention required to properly build a world and develop characters in a way that captures the audience’s attention and creates an emotional connection to both the arc when the people implants in it. Perhaps no show has taken advantage of this format and capitalized on its benefits better than Netflix’s Domestic helpstarring Margaret Qualley as Alex, a mother who has fled her toxic and abusive relationship with her toddler and must find a way to care for both of them.
Numerous limited series have been released on streaming that have managed to captivate their viewers for a limited time, but there are some things Maid does better than any other in its 10-episode run. While shows like Mare van Easttown, Under the banner of heavenand Midnight Mass – among other things – they all have a legitimate claim as possibly the best limited series out there, Domestic help tells a compelling story that is entertaining and heartbreaking while at the same time relatable and understandable to any audience. Here are some of the things that Domestic help does it better than perhaps any other program on television.
Pacing through its episodes
While limited series have the advantage of being able to tell a fully drafted story without having to worry about filler episodes or constantly writing new material to extend a show’s run, some are still better than others when it comes to time management. Domestic help is perhaps the best example of how to take maximum advantage of every possible runtime second.
Throughout its 10-episode total run, showrunner and writer Molly Smith Metzler along with her cast of directors was able to weave an intricate story rooted in reality that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. The story is carefully woven while being told in digestible chronological order. There are plenty of different intriguing plot points implanted into the series to keep viewers guessing and engaged, but it never gets too much for the show.
Domestic help maintains his pace like a veteran marathoner, slowing down at appropriate times to give some of his more compelling moments the scope they deserve. At other points, it keeps progress running to ensure all of its arcs are neatly wrapped with the due attention they command. Many limited series – even with a fully formatted structure – can drag at various points, whether due to poor writing or ill-timed pacing. Domestic help cleverly avoids that pitfall and keeps the audience’s interest piqued at all times.
Builds a complex but believable story
To make a compelling show, the script has to be engaging enough to grab and hold the attention of the viewers. No matter how great the cinematography or actors are, a beautifully shot and skillfully acted dullness is still boring. Domestic help begins with a compelling true story – based on the memoir Maid: hard work, low wages and a mother’s will to survive by Stephanie Land, according to Today – which is executed with talent and care by Metzler, the directors and the entire brilliant cast.
The show, like the book, deals with a host of sensitive and intractable topics such as single parenting, domestic violence, poverty, and divorce, and it spins a story around these topics with compassion and in a way that is extremely relatable and believable. Many media outlets covering these conversation topics can be a little too direct, resulting in a stereotypical afternoon special about right and wrong. Domestic help achieves the difficult balancing act of showing the natural moral progression without telling it, allowing the complex issues to resolve themselves within the flow of the show in a timely and realistic manner.
Character development of the maid
A truly intriguing story features several dynamic characters that develop throughout the storyline. Domestic help has had enough, a handful of interesting players who get woven into Alex’s story as she makes her way out of an abusive relationship into a new life as a successful single mother. Just like in the real world, no character on the show is static, as they all grow in one way or another – except maybe Rylea Neveah Whittet’s Maddy, Alex’s toddler daughter, who shouldn’t be expected to will grow a lot in a few months. that spans the show.
An important task in developing a character is to grow them in a natural progression that makes sense and would be seen in the real world. Domestic help does that beautifully. At no point does a main player suddenly have a drastic heel turn or change of heart. Instead, their steady growth is tangible and visible, and the public can watch their incremental growth over time.
Relay that people are complicated
In Domestic help, as in any story, there are protagonists and antagonists, heroes and villains. That said, the show explicitly shows that people are complicated and the world is gray rather than the stark black and white that most shows end up showing. Alex, the main character, is a very flawed human being. She makes mistakes; she is selfish at times and reckless at others. But she means well and wants a better life for her daughter. Even as she grows and gets closer to her goal, she sometimes falls back into old habits – something all people go through in real life.
Sean Boyd, played by Love, Simon‘s Nick Robinson, is Alex’s ex, the father of her child and her abuser. He’s not just the quintessential villain who is inherently evil and commits one treacherous act after another. He has problems with alcoholism and anger, but he loves his daughter and Alex. He takes harmful actions out of that love, but also grows within the show.
Andie MacDowell, who played Alex’s mother Paula, stole the show as a largely absent and mentally ill woman still trying to find her place in life. She wants to be the best mother and grandmother she can be to her daughter and grandchild, but her bipolar bouts often keep her from achieving that goal. All these reasons make the show the masterpiece it is, and it was recognized as such with three Emmy Awards according to IMDb. Every limited series can learn Domestic help about how to tell a heartbreaking recognizable story in a capped period.