Reviewing Lifetime’s Devious Maids
There has been a lot of talk on the social media streets about Lifetime’s new show Devious Maids, and I was lucky enough catch that first episode before it airs on June 23rd. Lifetime is sponsoring this post to hear what regular Latinas think of the first episode, as well as to get the word out to De Su Mama readers about the show’s premiere.
Devious Maids Deceives My Expectations
Devious Maids is a big deal. Never in history has this many Latina actors been featured as main characters on English television. While not new for telenovela viewers, Devious Maids promises to usher in the Latino perspectives to mainstream American families in a subversive way that only entertainment can do. That’s the magic of tv, right?
Right off the bat, I’ll admit I wasn’t crazy about the show. If the image of 5 Latinas holding brooms cast as maids, coupled with the culturally flippant 1 minute trailer, was the cover, I definitely was judging this book to be grossly over-generalized and not at all empowering. When I agreed to take on this review, I made sure that only my honest opinions would be published. And they are. The thoughts and opinions in this post are 100% my own. Even still, Devious Maids managed to completely deceive me and my expectations. I recommend all my readers to, at the very least, catch the first episode to create their own opinion. In the meantime, here are a few things I liked, disliked and even one perspective very close to my heart that I LOVED about the show.
What I Liked About Devious Maids
Whereas at first I thought the show looked one dimensional and perversely classicist, Devious Maids was much more dynamic than I expected. The 5 main characters, with unique ambitions, goals and agendas, truly create a diverse fabric of the Latina perspective. Each Latina character expressed the varying embodiment of what the experience is here in the States – some of the maids had accents, some didn’t. While all of them united by the job, being a maid was pretty much their only commonality.
I found myself understanding each of the characters on different levels, but my favorite role of the show is Valentina – the daughter of one of the other maids. Watching Valentina navigate between her American youth and her Latino reality made me shift in my seat with anxiety, as I know that awkwardness all too well. Hearing her mother tell Valentina that “rich boys never fall in love with the help” is relevant to how many bicultural Latinas live. I am anxious to see how Valentina’s beloved Remmy conducts himself once he learns of her adoration.
Without giving away too many details (visit Lifetime’s website for Devious Maids for clips about each character), I just really loved watching a bunch of women that looked and sounded like me and my family on television. Is that so bad to admit? Their stories of music, their Spanglish, their mannerisms towards each other, their values and, yes, I enjoyed that they were fiesty and sexy too – although those traits are not toted as politically correct because of the stereotype – are enough for me to tune in weekly and support the show.
What I Disliked About Devious Maids
With Eva Longoria as the Executive Producer, along with the creator and writer of Desperate Housewives, Marc Cherry, Devious Maids most certainly feels like the Latino version of the original. Not that its a horrible thing, as the new show carries its own twist and story lines, but I wasn’t a huge fan of Desperate Housewives. The editing and sound is really over-the-top theatrical. And, you know everyone is thinking, “what maids actually look like those ladies?” Much like Desperate Housewives, Devious Maids is meant for pure entertainment value, and while taking on some real cultural and class related societal issues, the show deliberately has a comedic tone. Perhaps I’m just too serious. If you are interested in reading more of Eva Longoria’s thoughts on the show, check on her post on Huffington Post. I enjoyed her reading vision and admire her mission.
What I LOVED About Devious Maids
Oh man, I really don’t want to give too much away, but the single best part of this show (for me) is that someone is FINALLY highlighting bicultural Latinas and mixed life. As I mentioned, Valentine is this beautiful young girl falling in love with her employer, with her mother working alongside her. After making a plee to her child to stay away from rich boys, she makes a quick statement that made me jump in my seat – “Trust me, I know.” Instantly, I wondered if we would learn later on that Valentina is actually the daughter of one of Zoila’s old employers, and thus mixed. And it happened again with Marisol’s character, but I will let you find that one out on your own. The mixed Latino story is definitely one that has me excited about the show.
I LOVE that Devious Maids is challenging what Americans think Latinos look like. I love that the show makes you realize that brown skin and white skin can actually have the same lineage, culture and language. I LOVE that they cast two very beautiful, very brown Latinas… ones that look so much like my Alina. Like I say so often at De Su Mama, growing up Latino in America is inherently bicultural. I am 100% Cuban and 100% American, making me 100% bicultural. And if art imitates life, then Devious Maids has done a fun job at depicting the bicultural perspective.
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