The Cleaning Lady Season 2 - What We Know So Far
When "The Cleaning Lady" premiered on Fox in January 2022, viewers were allowed to see the trials and tribulations that can befall undocumented migrants to the United States. Elodie Yung's portrayal of Thony De La Rosa is both riveting and heartfelt based on the extreme situations her character finds herself in. Thony's reasoning for coming to Las Vegas was to seek bone marrow treatment for her son as the necessary cure was not available in her home country, the Philippines. As her visa expires before she can save the money for the procedure, area mobsters blackmail her to work for them as a crime scene cleaner after she witnesses a murder.
Before "The Cleaning Lady," realistic TV shows about undocumented workers were few and far between. There was a powerful "NCIS: New Orleans" episode that explored the experience in 2016, as well as Season 7 of Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" in 2019. Therefore, the journey Season 1 of this series took viewers on was poignant since it allowed the protagonist to offer glimpses into the struggle that defines victims of immigration policy, but is all too often for the betterment of a child or the vulnerable. "The Cleaning Lady" was renewed for Season 2 in April, per The Hollywood Reporter, and premiered on September 19, 2022. Here is what we know about Season 2.
What is the plot of The Cleaning Lady Season 2?
The ending of Season 1 was a cliffhanger that saw Thony's estranged husband Marco (Ivan Shaw) kidnap their son for a likely return to the Philippines. Showrunner Melissa Carter and writer/developer Miranda Kwok have remained tight-lipped on the outcome of the cliffhanger but spoke about where Season 2 will take the main character. Speaking to Deadline, Kwok said, "We're definitely going to see a lot more grays with Thony and challenge her some more. A lot of circumstances are going to keep dragging her across the moral line. It's just a matter of how far we go with her."
We can also expect the series to maintain its stellar writing in terms of representation and authenticity no matter how challenging the story becomes. But the showrunners are also dedicated to crafting a thoroughly engrossing crime drama in conjunction with the important themes of the story. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Carter commented, "It's always a challenge to do a crime show that feels original. What attracted me to this project is that you could really focus on these issues that you don't normally see." Season 2 should continue this trend.
Who stars in The Cleaning Lady Season 2?
Fans of "The Cleaning Lady" can expect to see all of the players from Season 1 return for the second season. The major casting news for Season 2 so far is that of Naveen Andrews, who stars as Robert Kamdar, the former romantic partner of Nadia (Eva De Dominici) whose character will try and win her back and away from Arman (Adan Canto) at whatever cost (via Variety). Andrews will be a series regular coming off of his turn in Hulu's "The Dropout."
This news follows a previous announcement that found Sean Lew (Chris) and Faith Bryant (Jaz) upgraded to series regular status before the premiere of Season 1. Additional casting news for Season 2 confirmed the return of Jay Mohr and Liza Weil in recurring roles as Councilman Eric Knight and Katharine Russo respectively. Chelsea Frei also joins Andrews as a new cast member, and she portrays Maya Campbell, a former confidential informant for FBI Agent Garrett Miller (Oliver Hudson), as reported by Deadline.
Who is the showrunner for The Cleaning Lady Season 2?
"The Cleaning Lady" was developed by Canadian screenwriter Miranda Kwok, who adapted the series from a 2017 Argentinian show "La chica que limpia." She served as an executive producer and writer during Season 1 but has since been upped to co-showrunner status alongside Melissa Carter for the 2nd season. Kwok will be given complete control to run Season 2, with Carter staying on in a supervisory role. Before embarking on this show, Kwok worked as a staff writer on the Starz original series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," which aired on the premium cable network in 2010. Meanwhile, Melissa Carter has been both a producer and executive producer for a wide range of TV programs, including "Yes, Dear," "Queen Sugar," and "Stargirl."
In a Twitter post, Kwok shared that she was "Truly grateful. Truly honored. Thanks @wbd @warnerbrostv @FOXTV for believing in me & supporting my vision & voice and breaking barriers with this show." She also thanked the cast and crew of "The Cleaning Lady" and specifically thanked Carter for her friendship and guidance. This was indeed a massive moment for Kwok to be given the opportunity to execute her creative vision as she always intended.
By the looks of things, Season 2 of "The Cleaning Lady" is shaping up to be just as dynamic and intriguing as its first.