The Cleaning Lady Season 2 Episode 5 Review: The Brit

On The Cleaning Lady Season 2 Episode 5, “The Brit,” we finally get a good look at when, how, and with whom the rest of the season will progress. 

Understandably, there needs to be a story told before we can get far. While the early episodes of the season dragged a bit, getting to where we are now was clearly worth it more than I’d expected it to be. 

Fiona has done a great job of playing Thony’s sidekick, and she’s been even better as a mom, but we’re finally seeing her come into her own and it is so wonderful to see.

Where Thony has established herself in the lives of many others, platonically and romantically, Fiona has been in her shadow for a while now.

On “The Brit,” Fiona finally starts her own story, and we learn more about her.

Martha Millan is exceptional — and she’s made Fiona special as well — with how she plays Fiona, how she so clearly cares about Fi, and how she operates.

As Thony is now inexplicably tied to Arman for life, and she leaves for him at the drop of a hat, Fiona finally learns that she needs to have something to fall back on as well. 

So we watch Fiona come into her own.

First, as a mother of Chris and Jaz. Then as a woman, a former lover, of JD. Finally, she steps up for the business when it needs it, and it’s nice to see her finally working as opposed to convincing herself and Thony that they’ll find work.

Fiona isn’t smart to bottle up her emotions, but eventually, Thony is going to realize that she’s not just bottling them up: she’s intentionally keeping them from Thony. 

We once again hit a wall when it comes to the morality of The Cleaning Lady. 

Surrounded often by darkness, wearing dark clothes, and speaking in hushed tones, Arman is meant to be the bad person, the evil one. 

Thony, opposingly, is bright and deludes herself into thinking she’s on the right side of what they’re doing as if no matter what, they’re not all on the same side.

Obviously, as our main character, she’s fantastic. 

There is a side of Thony that’s becoming a little too righteous, though, and if she isn’t fully reigned in, she’ll become the villain rather than an immoral character we love. 

Arman has absolutely no reason to be upset that Nadia is leaning into Kamdar, but nobody ever said Arman was right all the time. 

Nadia, as well, watches her self-esteem ride away on a motorcycle with her husband, while the terrible man inside keeps a ring she hated to part with. 

Nadia and Kamdar working together could be the beginning of a real, honest business. Arman has never wanted to do this, hence his hesitation on huge orders and big to-dos. 

Nadia, on the other hand, isn’t afraid to make a decision that will better her over anyone else. To be a business owner, especially in their business, you have to be partially selfish, and Arman may not have that in him anymore.

Overall, especially with directing from actual legend Lou Diamond Phillips, “The Brit” becomes the best episode of the show as a whole. 

Garrett is as per usual, his dumb, reckless self, and there’s going to come a day when he doesn’t let Thony off, and someone gets hurt. 

—

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 Monday at 9/8c on FOX.

 Follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

13 TV Premieres We’re Looking Forward to in the 2022/2023 Season