This article includes mentions of domestic abuse. Please proceed with caution.
Spoilers for Sirens are ahead!
Netflix’s new black comedy,Sirens, has quickly become a hit with fans, and it serves as a perfect reminder to watch Margaret Qualley’s highly-rated miniseries from 2021. With only five hour-long episodes,Sirensis a quick and easy watch that will be over before viewers even realize it. It doesn’t even include the typical eight to ten episodes that have become commonplace for limited series. AlthoughMeghann Fahy is open toSirensseason 2, there’s no reason to believe a sophomore season will happen.
After all, it’s advertised as a limited series, and the story’s ending proves the narrative is cyclical. Theoretically, another young woman would come into the picture and replace Simone, and then another young woman would replace that young woman. Luckily, othergreat shows likeSirensexist to fill the void. One show that’s perfect to watch afterSirensis Molly Smith Metzler’s first Netflix miniseries,Maid, which stars actor Margaret Qualley.
Maid Is Molly Smith Metzler’s First Netflix TV Show Before Sirens
Maid Is A Powerful Miniseries About A Single Mother Escaping Abuse
Four years before Molly Smith Metzler releasedSirens, she created the Netflix miniseriesMaid. Based on the true storyMaid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Surviveby Stephanie Land, the show followsa woman named Alex who makes the daring choice to leave her abusive boyfriend, taking her three-year-old daughter, Maddie, with her. She must build her life from the ground up, taking on a job as a maid to survive, living in a DV shelter, and fighting to keep custody of her daughter. Sadly, navigating poverty and the lacking social systems won’t be easy.
Maidis difficult to watch, especially for survivors of abuse, but it’s also an extremely moving story that’s worthwhile. The tearjerking performance by Margaret Qualley makes it even more powerful. Unsurprisingly,Maidwas nominated for 3 Emmys, 3 Golden Globes, and 2 Critics Choice Awards. The show holds a 94% Tomatometer score with an average critic score of 8.3 stars out of 10 onRotten Tomatoesand an 82 out of 100 critic score onMetacritic. As a little bonus, the runtime forMaidis the same asSirens, making it just as binge-able as the 2025 show
Sirens Has Similar Themes To Maid About Class & Gender
Maid & Sirens Feel Inextricably Related Because Of Their Themes
On top of having the same creator,SirensandMaidexplore the same themes despite having very different tones.Sirensexplores the differences between the working class and upper class, showing how a character’s background can influence their outlook on life and the world around them. Pretty much everycharacter inSirenscharacter is unhappy with their place in life, but Simone seems especially desperate to escape her working-class background, even if that means compromising her morals.
The similar messages and shared creator makeSirensandMaidtwo sides of the same coin.
Similarly,Maidlooks at class differences, focusing on the way that people below the poverty line interact with a world that’s built for those with money. It’s challenging to watch Alex have to throw out perfectly good food from her rich client’s kitchen when she can’t even afford breakfast. The sight of her pretending to be wealthy on Thanksgiving also has a tinge of sadness, knowing she will soon have to go back to reality. The 2021 miniseries also adds parenting into the mix, whichSirenstouches on in a different way.
The episodes ofMaidlook at the way society reacts to newly single mothers compared to newly single dads. Everyone infantilizes Sean, even though he’s the abusive person, because he’s a single dad. Meanwhile, everyone expects Alex to have it all together as a single mother despite the fact that she was being financially and mentally abused. In the 2025 show, Devon and Simone’s mom is dead, so the daughters have to take care of their dad, who is living with dementia. Ultimately, the similar messages and shared creator makeSirensandMaidtwo sides of the same coin.
