The Cleaner: Season 1

Addiction has literally plagued mankind for centuries. People may think that drug use is an affectation of our modern society need only look to the past for examples of drug abuse ranging from the opium trade in Asia to lotus eaters showing up in the literature of the ancient Greeks. People suffering from any form of addiction have been depicted in films and television for a long time; mostly as pathetic denizens of the crime infested streets the source of petty crime and information in more police shows that it would be possible to count. The A&E cable network sought to alter this presentation of addicts with a pair of series. The first was done in documentary style using real people and situations called ‘Intervention’. The second series took a more conventional dramatic approach of a scripted series; ‘The Cleaner’. I was a regular viewer of both series and each had its own merits but unfortunately only the former made it past a second season. Perhaps most of the audience wanted to see something in line with the current trend of reality series and ‘Cleaner ‘ was and addition degree of separation removed. It is regrettable since The Cleaner’ had an incredible amount of potential that given sufficient time could have become a formidable dramatic series. Audiences have become so seduced by the whiff of reality that a similar scripted show has an uphill battle to compete. The series had everything necessary to make a go of it; excellent cast, solid writing and strong direction but due to the nature of the premise and some of the ancillary story lines more time was necessary in order for the show to hit its stride. The opening of each episode is quick to point out that the protagonist of the series is based on a real individual but as with any such declaration the audience has to keep the phrase ‘dramatic license’ in mind. While A&E has cancelled the series both seasons are on DVD thanks to CBS Paramount. The first season under review here demonstrate an excellent start and deserves a place in your collection.

The titular cleaner here is William Banks, extremely well played b Benjamin Bratt. He is a recovering addict who considers himself on a mission for God; to bring other suffering addicts into recovery. William, never ‘Bill’ or ‘Will’, made a solemn promise to the Almighty when his daughter Lulu (Liliana Mumy) was born. In return for divine help in getting and staying clean he will dedicate himself to helping others. Every episode reaffirms this aspect of the premise by opening with William speaking frankly to God; asking for strength or questioning why things are the way they are. William has a strong faith and uses it to guide him but he is very human; far from a saint with his many foibles. While his calling is a holy one whenever possible he does charge a fee for his services although when the family is unable to afford any sort of payment William is quick to take on a client pro bono. He rarely earns enough to support his wife Mellissa (Amy Price-Francis) and their two kids, young Lulu and teenage Ben (Brett DelBuono) but the fees when received arguments his primary income of a surfboard shop and garage. William is what is referred to as an extreme interventionist who is willing to employ any means necessary to bring the addict to help. Frequently this requires breaking more than a few laws but due to the nature of Williams work the authorities are typically inclined to look the other way or even recommend his service to families in need.

William can’t execute his plans on his own so he depends on a small team of others to help out. Most were once rescued by William and all are in recovery. The team member closest to William is Akani Cuesta (Grace Park) who blends beauty with ingenuity and a flair for style. She is accustomed to the finer things in life and once had a more romantic relationship with William. While not actively on drugs she does seem to get a rush out of the work. The go to guy for the grunt work and tedious assignments is Arnie Swenton (Esteban Powell). He gets the job done but usually with a considerable amount of complaining along the way. Frequently some muscle is required and typically supplied by the gentle giant of a man, Darnell McDowel (Kevin Michael Richardson), an old friend of William who runs a used car lot. Together they will literally grab the addict off the street and whisk them to a waiting spot in rehab.

There was a basic case of the week format used as the foundation of each episode but what set the series apart and offered the greatest potential was the emotional heart it maintained. The characters portrayed here were shown to be humans; warts and all. There is no glorification of what they do, no holy quest that had to work out. Several assignments go badly awry usually with rather serve consequences not only for the target but with the team. These people are not recovered addicts; they are in recovery and only one drink, hit or injection away from losing it all. Each of them is in a constant state of tumult struggling against their disease and just trying to make it through yet another day. This point is driven home when Arnie relapses and William brings him home to dextox. The series has some emotionally powerful moments as the stories explore the affect this business has on William and Mellissa’s marriage and William’s relationship with his kids. As the season progresses the situation between him and Mellissa grows increasingly strained as she reaches the limit of her ability to cope and understand. The couple exhibits a lot of love but in this case that is just not enough. Lulu tends to be more forgiving her father almost to the point of idolizing him but Ben is old enough to remember the very worse times with his father’s addiction. The young man openly resents William’s attempts to mold him into a perfected version of himself. Ben is pushed into football even though he doesn’t really enjoy it because of his father.

The series had a sense of honesty to it depicting not only how this disease affects the addict and their family but that the process of recovery is a lifelong one and not a cure. Most after school specials roll the closing credits when the addict enters rehab; these series shows this is just the beginning of another type of drama.

Posted 06/02/2010