“Hard work, low pay and a mother's will to survive.”
After fleeing an abusive relationship, a young mother finds a job cleaning houses as she fights to provide for her child and build them a better future.
Where to Watch
Streaming, rent and purchase options
Episodes
1. Dollar Store
Fleeing in the night with Maddy, Alex seeks help from social services and lands a job with Value Maids, only to find her problems are just beginning.
2. Ponies
After a long night on the floor of a ferry terminal with Maddy, Alex finds shelter, but custody issues and an unhappy client push her to the edge.
3. Sea Glass
While navigating the complex government assistance system, Alex wrangles with Sean over Maddy's care and tackles a cleaning job that nearly breaks her.
4. Cashmere
Cleaning Regina's gorgeous house on Thanksgiving, Alex imagines what it would be like to live in such luxury before taking the fantasy a step further.
5. Thief
A job cleaning out the childhood home of a notorious local thief triggers memories for Alex, who also discovers what's causing Maddy's worrying cough.
6. M
Determined to send Maddy to a better preschool, Alex desperately searches for a new place to live, a process complicated by her government benefits.
7. String Cheese
Alex writes about her clients, including a couple living separate lives, as she juggles her tricky housing situation and Paula's fragile mental state.
8. Bear Hunt
Amid a crushing series of setbacks, Alex explores the possibility of college while dealing with Paula's health crisis and offering Regina a helping hand.
9. Sky Blue
Back at square one, Alex reaches out for a safe harbor and legal lifeline, realizing how much of herself she's lost along the way.
10. Snaps
Gaining strength and support from a creative writing therapy group, Alex fights for her future by facing off with Sean over custody of Maddy.
Cast & Crew
Margaret Qualley
Alex Russell
Nick Robinson
Sean Boyd
Andie MacDowell
Paula Langley
Rylea Nevaeh Whittet
Maddy Boyd
Story & Production Details
Reviews & Thoughts
Heads up: it's not an easy watch. Not for those who've been there and certainly not for people who think socialism is a bad word. It shows what you get when you build a social safety net, which assumes it's going to be abused by people who don't need it. It shows that people who work in the system, know that asking for help for those really in need, means showing up. That they already had a long fight behind them and plenty more battles ahead of them and that you need to nudge them to accept help. Push them over the numerous little hurdles that society has created for them, being fully aware that they may not make it this time. The series stands out in it's little quirks, like the ammount of cash available, the substitution of legal jargon with the word "legal" and Alex lying at the bottom of a pit. It brilliantly conveighs the state of mind. How Alex perceives things. How somebody in that situation, has to deal with all of society's bullshit. The second thing that stood out, is how Sean can be a really likeable, stand-up guy at times. If you've ever wondered why abused spouces go back, this is the one to watch. If you've ever wondered if you're really an "abused person", if they never hit you - again, this is the one to watch. But, make no mistake: it is very hard to watch at times, because it has little ups and deep downs. And the hard thing is that you care enough about Alex and Maddy that you _don't_ want to see happening, what you see unfolding and know _is_ going to happen. But stick with it. If only, to enrich your soul.
Another stupid American show with its racism problems and stupidity. Only shows like these you hear offending and racist words like "white trash" coming out from a white person's mouth (to make them even dumber) and words like that normalized in their society, sadly shows how racist US became towards white people... But besides this ugly reality that show shows us, main character is very stupid, making mistakes after mistakes and never learning her lessons. You watch it and think "why the heck did she do this?". She is so stupid, that this show will leave you frustrated.
