The Cleaning Lady (S03E02) Chris Connecting With His Culture Cut By Another Bad Thony Deal | Recap/ Review
As Chris gets to know Manila and his father, Thony continues to make long-term deals to solve short-term problems.
Plot Recap
The Tale Of Desperate Women – Nadia, Ramona, Jorge, Thony
With Fiona in Manila and Thony a week away from a custody hearing where she could use Fiona’s testimony, it means finding Ramona and getting a conversation going as soon as possible. This means using one gang to speak to her, which neither appreciates. Yet, despite this insult, Ramona still shows up and even sets in motion to help Fiona get back to America, but at a price.
Unfortunately for Thony, the price is becoming a cleaner again, but Ramona and her brother Jorge aren’t like Arman. Yes, they will murder people, and Thony is expected to clean, but they push her to clean far more than blood and guts. Jorge, who isn’t fond of Thony and thinks she will be a liability far more than an asset, has her chop up the gang she used to get in contact with Sin Cara and put them in acid. In addition, she might have been set up so that cops could find her cleaning up the act – hard to say.
What is known for sure is that Jorge and Ramona aren’t on the same page. Ramona is starting to take to Thony, and Jorge doesn’t like that. He also doesn’t like Nadia asking questions, going to morgues and hospitals, and seemingly willing to go to the police. It’s dumb, raising Arman’s profile, and bad enough he has Thony to worry about, but Nadia, too? He has enough issues, like Thony showing up to his daughter’s school, post-chopping up bodies.
A Place Called Home – Paolo, Chris, Fiona
While Thony uses her surgical skills for something she likely never dreamed of, Chris and Paolo learn about each other, but not in an ideal circumstance. An associate of Paolo refers to Chris as his son, when Fiona was trying to introduce the two, and Chris runs off as he usually does when he gets emotional.
Thankfully, he checks out Paolo’s shop the following day, bonds with him over food, and gets to know him. But, as always, Thony’s timing complicates things. No sooner than Paolo and Fiona’s family are having a big dinner together, Chris is getting acclimated to Manila and learning Tagalog, Thony says it is time to go.
A Debt That Can’t Be Repaid – Nadia, Jorge, Thony, Ramona
After all this time, you’d think Thony would understand that when you make deals with drug dealers and killers, with nothing as leverage, the deal is always going to be in their favor. Such is the case with Ramona and Jorge, who make it clear that the work Thony did for Arman doesn’t end with Fiona and Chris getting on a plane or Thony cleaning up two scenes for them. It is an indefinite indentured servitude situation.
Naturally, she doesn’t like this but no sooner than she is trying to process Jorge telling her she will be doing this until they say she can stop, Nadia shows up. Now, this isn’t the Nadia we usually see. She is far kinder to Thony than we’ve ever seen her, despite Nadia having the financial resources where she doesn’t need Thony.
But, it seems after Jorge’s threat, Nadia wants to have an alliance with someone who cares about Arman as much as she does and is aware of how deep they are in. Yet, with Thony unwilling to partner up, this opens the door for the FBI since Nadia wants answers, even if it is just if Arman is dead or alive, and even Katherine Russo is better than not knowing.
Cast Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Nadia | Eva De Dominici |
| Ramona | Kate del Castillo |
| Jorge | Santiago Cabrera |
| Thony | Élodie Yung |
| Paolo | JB Tadena |
| Chris | Sean Lew |
| Fiona | Martha Millan |
New Character Description(s)
Jorge
Jorge is Ramona’s brother, who grew up with Arman and appears to be Ramona’s right hand. But, unlike Ramona, he doesn’t take an interest in Thony and thinks she could be an asset. He thinks she is a liability and should have been buried in the desert long ago.
Review
Highlights
Jorge Has No Love For Thony
While having no love for Thony pushes the idea that Jorge will get killed, it’s always nice to see someone who isn’t charmed by Thony – especially a man. For while you do have to admire how Thony is often able to make deals on the fly, either helping someone or keeping herself from being arrested, killed, or deported, there is also something about those who recognize there isn’t a useful skill behind all that luck. At least, it is a skill that could become an asset for an organization and not simply keep Thony alive.
Low Points
Why Not Just Cut Jaz?
It’s not that I don’t care for Jaz; I just wonder how she fits into all this and whether she may ever get integrated. With her father’s stability, she always has an out, and considering Fiona hasn’t called her once this episode, not even to say she is heading back to America, that seems weird to me. Never mind, Chris not contacting her to say where he is or to show off his dad; none of that happening creates this feeling of disconnect.
On The Fence
Wishing Chris Got More Time In Manila
Between Paolo and Chris seemingly developing a crush on the girl rapping, I wouldn’t have minded half the season featuring him getting to know his roots. After all, part of his storyline has been about feeling like he doesn’t know who he is or where he comes from, and his being in Manila would have been perfect to complete that story. Throw in a girlfriend and all the stuff Thony is involved in complicating his relationship, and he could have had a prominent storyline. One that kept him in Thony’s universe, but able to say he has something going all on his own.
Ramona’s Fascination With Thony
I won’t pretend as if Thony isn’t fascinating since we’re on our third season of covering this show. However, I don’t understand the fascination with her leading to people who recognize she is a liability trying to convince themselves she is an asset. Is a doctor willing to exist in a morally gray area that hard to find?
But, I will admit, with Ramona being a woman and assumingly not queer, her being taken by Thony is different and isn’t annoying as it is curious. Is she trying to keep the woman she thinks is Arman’s little girlfriend alive so that she can bring him under her win? Does she actually need a cleaner in the capacity Thony is able to do so? We should get many details about Ramona’s full desires in the future because, considering the chaos that always follows Thony, Ramona can’t be blind to what she is singing up for.
Background Information
| Episode Title | For My Son |
| Release Date | March 12, 2024 |
| Network | FOX |
| Director(s) | Timothy Busfield |
| Writer(s) | Denise Hahn, Celena Cipriaso |
| Previous Episode | Season 3/ Episode 1 |
| Series Page | The Cleaning Lady |
| Character Guide | The Cleaning Lady Cast & Character Guide |
