The Cleaning Lady Review: The Crown (Season 1 Episode 10)
The Cleaning Lady Season 1 Episode 10, “The Crown,” the show’s season finale, closes one book and immediately opens a new one with potential for a second season.
Even though the season ends in one of the worst ways a freshman TV show can (on a cliffhanger), there’s more to it than just bad writing practices.
Some issues are closed, locked, and buried on “The Crown,” and others are left a bit too open-ended to find comfort in them.
Fire Garrett Miller 2k22
The Cleaning Lady takes a fairly basic approach to the season finale, which isn’t necessarily bad.
By basic, I mean that even though there are incredibly high stakes, the audience knows everything will be alright.
Unfortunately, this can mean different things based on the character, like Garrett, who’s been on forced leave before, who was almost fired because he broke the law without consulting his boss.
Knowing he would have a happy ending dims the episode a bit more than it should. However, seeing him getting the happy ending, and possibly the girl? Ugh. We probably should have put him in jail.
Garrett will undoubtedly be on Thony’s back again if we’re granted a Season 2 despite Arman making it part of his deal to leave Thony alone.
This does make me wonder how the FBI will tie into the story in the future. Of course, cleaning money means you’re likely to be investigated as well, but surely not by Garrett and Russo.
Maybe this will give the show a chance to expand to new, healthier written agents to look over and work with Thony.
Marco! P(hillippines)olo!
Unfortunately for anyone who hates annoying people, Marco is still around, and he is still moping — until he isn’t.
Marco complains to Thony incessantly, upset that she’s created a life separate from his in the Philippines, upset that she’s found a place to make her happy that isn’t his home.
And that’s what it is at the core: Marco has realized he cannot be the one to solely provide Thony’s happiness anymore, and he doesn’t know what to do with his feelings about it.
Marco creates his problems and then gets angry at other people for calling him out over his gambling or insufficient fathering of Luca.
It’s clear that even if Marco doesn’t honestly believe he’s the right person for Luca, he believes that he can prove this to Thony.
Given how close Fiona and Thony are, it’s pretty disappointing to see Marco isn’t giving Fiona — or her children — the respect they deserve and have shown him.
Though I’m glad Marco is (finally) gone, this does make Luca unable to return to the USA unless he is a citizen, which I believe is an evil thing for Marco to do.
Speaking of Fiona, I would have loved to learn a bit more about her as a person instead of her as Thony’s sister-in-law and Marco’s sister. But if we get a Season 2, that’s something the writers will need to dive into.
The Girlbossification of Thony De La Rosa
Thony De La Rosa has become someone you should be afraid of — which is a far cry from the Thony we knew at the beginning of the season.
She’s entirely on board with Arman’s shady plan, and she’s even still working for him under Nadia while Arman is in jail.
Further, Thony introduces an idea to Fiona: starting their own business cleaning Arman’s money by hiring their own people. Gaslight, gatekeep, girl boss; Thony has finally achieved all three!
However, with Luca gone, there are questions of what personal stakes will be on the line if FOX renews The Cleaning Lady.
Luca shouldn’t be sick anymore, Chris is looking to become a legal citizen, and Fiona sold those drugs — these are the plot holes left open that need to be closed next season. First, however, what will Thony be facing? And why, in reality, will she need Arman?
There are many directions the writers could take this show, and hopefully, FOX gives them the chance to show us exactly what else they have to say.
Stray Thoughts:
- Despite this episode moving a mile a minute, it’s effortless to keep up with, and that’s good. Even with a lot going on, there’s still enough focus on our characters that they are not lost in a sea of actions.
- Marco claiming that Thony has a “never enough” attitude is rich coming from someone who later kidnaps their child for attention. Weirdo.
- That jail scene was hotter than any kiss Thony and Arman have shared thus far.
—
What did you think of this episode of The Cleaning Lady? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
The Cleaning Lady airs on FOX.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Laura Wanberg
Laura is a homebody who loves everything about TV. Some of her favorite shows include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Parks and Recreation, and The Morning Show. With her ever-growing list of new shows to watch and books to read, her favorite thing to do is to cuddle up with her cat and get lost in someone else's world.