Like many episodes of the Hitchhiker, "Hired Help" plays on the same tired tropes common seen many times before and undoubtedly many times after. In fact, this isn't even the only episode of the show to feature some karmic revenge against a "selfish" or "greedy" factory owner/manger/etc although it's certainly the most insipid (for comparison's sake, you also have "Made in Paris" in season 6 which also features a factory, illegal laborers, and a curse). The story is basically threadbare and compelling elements non-existent.
People looking back today might view "Hired Help" as being progressive for its day simply for addressing illegal immigration---no doubt a hot topic it crib-noted from the critically acclaimed El Norte which came out just a year or two before and received an Oscar nomination. The difference between the two is rather staggering: while El Norte was a thought-provoking character drama that addressed all the ills of illegal immigration, "Hired Help" does nothing to actually address illegal immigration. Instead they're just workers slaving under seemingly cruel management, a theme as old as the industrial revolution or even as old as the pyramids.
People looking back today might view "Hired Help" as being progressive for its day simply for addressing illegal immigration---no doubt a hot topic it crib-noted from the critically acclaimed El Norte which came out just a year or two before and received an Oscar nomination. The difference between the two is rather staggering: while El Norte was a thought-provoking character drama that addressed all the ills of illegal immigration, "Hired Help" does nothing to actually address illegal immigration. Instead they're just workers slaving under seemingly cruel management, a theme as old as the industrial revolution or even as old as the pyramids.
