The Cleaning Lady Review: Sanctuary / At Long Last (Season 2 Episodes 11 and 12)
On The Cleaning Lady Season 2 Episode 11, “Sanctuary,” and The Cleaning Lady Season 2 Episode 12, “At Long Last,” — the two-part season finale — Thony risks everything to save her son, Arman is wise for all of three minutes, and Garrett’s actions have life-changing results.
Arman, at this point, is a joke. He wants to be so much more but when it comes down to it, the only people actually getting things done are Thony and Nadia.
Even when it came to Kamdar taking Nadia on his plane; the FBI would’ve gotten there five minutes later and saved her.
Arman only shows up to the initial gunfight between Kamdar’s men because Garrett called him. He’s there, but he’s not entirely necessary.
Yes, he’s saved Thony’s life more than once now, but she and Nadia have given him every good idea he’s had for the last year, so he really owes her.
Then he has the nerve to act like what Nadia’s rightfully earned is his? He says she’s not under anyone’s control anymore; not Hayak’s and not Kamdar’s, but he forgets to list himself.
Arman thrives off of being able to control Nadia. He loves that she used to do whatever he asked because she thought she had no other choice as he’s her husband.
Nadia deserves to be the head of everything. She’s long past proven it. All Arman has done is tell Thony plans that don’t involve her and put her in multiple shootouts.
Elsewhere, Garrett is given an on-screen death. Very bold of the writers, if I do say so myself.
Not that I want Garrett back, though I will miss clowning on him every week, but had they done an off-screen death they could’ve brought him back at some point and convinced everyone his death was faked.
Maybe Oliver Hudson wanted to leave. Maybe the writers really want to explore Thony without Garrett. It’s just interesting that of all the ways to kill Garrett, they did so openly and without a doubt.
The oddest thing about Garrett dying is Russo’s reaction.
We know Garrett and Russo have known each other for a long time, and sure, they’ve been flirty for more than this season, but are we expected to believe that Russo is feeling the pain similar to a widow?
Something I’ve tried to be quiet about regarding The Cleaning Lady is the fact that there is not one single queer person. Even a background character, or a dancer at the bar.
Russo was their chance. She gives off major lesbian vibes and the fact that instead, they’re lessening to her only getting to show emotions when Garrett of all people is involved?
Garrett who consistently disrespected her as his boss? Woof. She deserves better. Maybe it’s better for her that he’s gone.
It will be interesting to see how far Thony will go, whether with the FBI’s help or not, in order to get her sister back and keep her son safe.
The Cleaning Lady began as a story about a TNT working in the United States to make a better life for her children. It’s important, it’s believable, and it’s common.
As a TV show, The Cleaning Lady asks us to suspend our disbelief in many things. How crime bosses work, how the FBI works, and even how cleaning ladies work.
Asking us to believe that there is any way for Thony to get Fiona back is… generous.
Season 2 saw Thony finding excuses for her every move, illegal or not. She explained everything to someone and consistently tried to uphold that she was a good person.
My plea for Season 3, if we’re granted one, is that that narrative is dropped.
Being a good person isn’t black and white. Thony views herself as better than everyone because she doesn’t want to deal with street drugs, but that doesn’t mean her actions don’t have horrendous consequences, I.e Fiona.
Martha Millan stuns on the finale. Especially once we hit the last scene of Fiona, as she’s on a plane heading back to the Philippines.
The silent emotion she shows us is too good for a FOX show, to be frank. The Cleaning Lady is lucky to have her.
The Cleaning Lady Season 2 is a rough go. The acting, as always, is superb, but as we all know, it’s hard for acting to pull a not-so-great script along.
Stray Thoughts:
- If I had a physical airhorn, I would’ve been blasting it when Nadia killed Kamdar. Screw that guy.
- I am bringing Thony with me the next time I need to go to urgent care.
- The fact that Thony is surprised that Luca’s doctor calls the police on her… Girl, get it together.
- I can’t tell if Thony is acting purely with her heart or if she really thinks she could bring a whole person back to the United States and nobody would notice.
What did you think of this episode of The Cleaning Lady? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Cleaning Lady airs Monday at 9/8c on FOX.
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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.
One thought on “The Cleaning Lady Review: Sanctuary / At Long Last (Season 2 Episodes 11 and 12)”
If S3 is possible, Thony needs to redeem herself, take a good look of herself in the mirror and right the wrongs she has made as well as Arman need to do the same.
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