Season two of Fox’s The Cleaning Lady premiered this week and is off to a thrilling start. The series stars Élodie Yung as Thony, an undocumented immigrant Cambodian doctor from the Philippines who must resort to helping the mob in order to help save her son’s life.
I had the opportunity to speak with Yung and series showrunners Miranda Kwok, who developed the series, and Melissa Carter. After an exciting cliff-hanger in the season one finale, Yung talked about how the intensity and the stakes have increased in the second season. She emphasized that it’s important not to judge the actions of Thony because so much of the subsequent events are a result of difficult choices that she is forced to make.
Kwok, who was recently elevated to showrunner during production of the second season, echoed Yung’s sentiment, saying that the series explores how one bad situation can lead to multiple bad choices. Carter, who has served as the showrunner since the first season, discussed the importance of expanding on the stories of the characters around Thony, especially her sister Fiona (Martha Millan). Carter said that they are building toward a reckoning!
Check out our conversation below and watch The Cleaning Lady, 9 PM/8 PM central, Mondays on Fox!
Based on the Argentinean series of the same name, THE CLEANING LADY stars Élodie Yung as Thony, a resilient, whip-smart Cambodian doctor who moves to Las Vegas from the Philippines to secure medical treatment for her son. As an undocumented immigrant, she takes up work as a cleaning lady by day with a secret ability to save lives. But after accidentally witnessing a murder, she’s forced to get involved in Las Vegas’ gritty mob world, cleaning up crime scenes for mobsters to save her family. Season Two picks up with Thony (Yung) desperately trying to find her son, Luca (Sebastien & Valentino LeSalle), after he was kidnapped by his father, Marco (Ivan Shaw). With nowhere else to turn, she enlists the help of FBI Agent Garrett Miller (Oliver Hudson) to track him down before they leave the country. Meanwhile, an incident involving Chris (Sean Lew) forces Fiona (Martha Millan) to shield her son by any means necessary, furthering the theme of how far a mother will go to protect her child. This season continues to examine the plight of undocumented immigrants and their difficulties accessing necessary healthcare and resources. Galvanized by the many roadblocks she faced while searching for a treatment to save her son, Thony will utilize her expertise as a doctor to find ways to help her underserved community. However, as Thony continues to entwine her business undertakings with Arman (Adan Canto), she once again crosses the moral line into the dark underbelly of Las Vegas. The series also stars Faith Bryant as Jaz.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
