‘Stay Close’ Takeaways: Why abuse of any kind is toxic

Netflix recently came out with a new miniseries entitled Stay Close, and while it doesn't sully-up anything new in terms of crime thrillers, it does have a few lessons about the toxicity of abuse and control.

For those who are yet to see the series, Stay Close is a crime-thriller centered around Megan Shaw, whose dark and abusive past resurfaces to wreak havoc on her and her family. Her history of abuse, specifically from a Stewart Greene, comes back to haunt her and the spiral of toxicity is reignited.

Here are the main takeaways from the miniseries.

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The Takeaways of ‘Stay Close’

Victims of abuse may never emotionally heal

Cush Jumbo as Megan/Cassie (Image via Netflix)

The show continually talks about how Megan’s past life has been full of abuse and secrets. When she was working as a st***per under the name Cassie, she would get a regular client named Stewart Greene, who was incredibly obsessive and abusive.

It is later revealed that the nightclub owner, Lorraine, killed Greene and Megan/Cassie stumbled upon the body. Her then- boyfriend, Ray, hacks up the body and gets rid of evidence as he believes Cassie is the killer.

This toxic cycle of abuse is repeated when other men, eventually Lorraine's victims, are seen harassing and beating women. The mental/emotional toll for the victims is almost crippling and the trauma, for some people, may linger with them until they die.

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Secrets only strain relationships

Megan in her wedding gown in 'Stay Close' (Image via Netflix)

Throughout the series, Megan has been hiding her past from her husband and children. After a couple kidnap her daughter Kayleigh and Megan’s family is forced to move to a différent home, her fiance Dave suggests that, after all the drama blows over, they take some time away from each other.

The mini-series shows what can happen without trust. Relationships retreat into a shell. Partners become strangers and wonder if they ever knew each other in the first place.

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Holding on to something may be bad for your mental health

Richard Armitage as Ray in 'Stay Close' (Image via Netflix)

Ray (Richard Armitage of The Hobbit), Cassie’s former boyfriend, has been holding on to a dream that he would, one day, find his girlfriend and they would be together again. His friend tries to dissuade his efforts by telling him to move on, but Ray is stubborn and refuses to listen.

This idea of holding on to someone or something is just as toxic. When chasing after something that only meets one with resistance, it often leads to disappointment and declining mental health. The only way to fix that issue is to let go of what you want, regardless of how bad you feel in the beginning.