The Cleaning Lady–Doctoring Crime

In this four-season series based on an Argentine drama, The Cleaning Lady is not what she seems. Rather, she is  an undocumented Cambodian doctor, Thony de la Rosa (Élodie Yung), a casino cleaner in Las Vegas. Not able to find other US employment to pay the medical costs for her young son’s autoimmune disease, she is living a very tenuous life with not only her sick son, Luca, but also her sister-in-law Fiona (Martha Millan) and her two children.  Both Thony and Fiona are barely able to afford life in Las Vegas. Both  are struggling as undocumented immigrants flying under the radar.  Almost everyone they come into contact with exploits them because of their illegal immigrant status.

Highly compassionate and professional, both Thony and Fiona are exemplary employees who feel a false sense of security that they can survive  in the US.  But circumstances prove them wrong.

One night, while cleaning after hours, Thony witnesses a harrowing gang murder and ends up with a gun pointed at her head.  Bargaining to save her life and that of her family, Thony makes a Faustian transaction:  she will clean up after the murder so no law enforcement agent will ever suspect a crime has been committed in exchange for her life. The thug, Arman (Adan Canto), takes pity on her and spares her life.

After hearing Thony’s difficulties as an undocumented worker, Arman says “There’s nothing I hate more than people in power schooling over people in need.” And he also empathizes with her vulnerability given he has a similar background as an immigrant.

Crime after crime is committed with Thony cleaning up the blood and guts, masterminding ways to avoid capture by the FBI, and sometimes doctoring the wounds of the criminals she now is involved with.  All this, she rationalizes as a deeply moral mother, is for the sake of her young son,  her friend Fiona and Fiona’s children.

Character development, at times, is sketchy. Except for Tony and her family circle, what are we supposed to think of the other characters?  Arman is sexy, attracted to Thony although he is married, and torn between his own ambition to be a mob leader and his sympathy for Thony.  And Garrett (Oliver Hudson), the FBI agent in charge of capturing Arman and his boss, also frequently looks the other way to spare Thony deportation.  He also threatens immigration action if she doesn’t cooperate with his investigation.  Thony  doesn’t know how to cooperate– out of fear–with either Arman or Garrett. 

The Cleaning Lady is most compelling when it develops schemes in outmaneuvering either the FBI or the organized crime syndicates.  Particularly unusual and original, are the perspectives of two Southeast Asian women, undocumented and exploited, trying to hold on to their dignity and values.  

Perhaps in this country’s current immigration environment, The Cleaning Lady resonates more viscerally. As a thriller, there are disruptions in action that truly do not make sense but overall, an attention-getting story with multiple ethical questions to discuss.

Availability:  HBOMax

Note: One of the principal characters, Arman, played by Adan Canto, is no longer in the series beginning with season 3, due to the actor’s death.  Season 3 is very weak.  Will skip the rest of that season for Season 4.