Bingeworthy Latina Led Shows: Devious Maids
When it comes to great, bingeworthy shows, Devious Maids came quickly to mind. This summer, I found myself absolutely addicted to Eva Longoria and Marc Cherry’s comedy-drama and mystery series. From start to finish, the show is a one-two punch of comedy, drama, mystery, and heart, effectively keeping you glued to your seat.
When talking about Devious Maids it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room: this show starring an all Latina-led cast is about maids. “The maid” trope is one that unfortunately has pervaded within depictions of Latinas in media over the years. Most people can name a stereotypical “Latina Maid” character in shows like Family Guy with Consuela. But here’s what Devious Maids does differently: the maids are all portrayed as real, three-dimensional people whose roles don’t revolve around being a punchline.
Watching Devious Maids, one can’t help but fall in love with its cast of characters. Your heart aches for Rosie, a dedicated mother who just wants to make money to send back to her son in Mexico. Zoila is clearly the moral epicenter of the show, especially where her boss Genevieve Delatour is concerned. Carmen consistently provides laugh after laugh and yet, you root for her to finally get the record deal she wants. Marisol isn’t even a maid, she’s a college professor who’s dedicated to helping her son clear his name. Spoiler alert: Valentina even gets her dream guy, the rich and handsome Remy Delatour. For many young Latina girls, seeing that is a first. A girl like Valentina is rarely seen to get the guy in the end and yet, Devious Maids proves that it is possible. The women are a family and it’s refreshingly heartwarming to see how they come together in shows of support for one another.
The first arc is all about the murder of Flora, a friend of the maids. The women support each other and even address the grim reality of the situation: they declare that the media doesn’t care about Flora because to them, she’s just a Latina maid in LA. But Flora was more than that to the girls who got to know her, and so too is the main cast. They’re women with aspirations, dreams, family, and friends and Devious Maids makes sure you never forget that. They’re the most developed characters in the show and they go through several big character arcs. In Devious Maids, the most overlooked people in society are in fact, the best that society has to offer.
The show heavily relies on telenovela tropes but infuses it with a blend of mystery and comedy. The end result is a show that’s extremely self-aware (and therein lies its charm). You’ll fall in love with the maids almost immediately and the women in the cast play their roles to perfection. Throughout the show’s tragically short 4 Season run, it deals with issues like classism, racism, and sexism, providing a fun yet intriguing watch all the way through.
What about you? Are you like me and still upset we never got Season 5 of Devious Maids? Let us know in the comments below!
