Season 2 Premiere Review of The Cleaner on A&E by Reg Seeton
After
a very unique and interesting first season of
The Cleaner, which sometimes felt like a show
that knew it had the dramatic potential to be
so much more, A&E stuck with the Benjamin Bratt
toplined series to work through the symptoms of
a freshman series. There's no doubt that the TV
adapted story of real life reformed drug addict,
William Boyd, a man who devotes his life to saving
people from the clutches of drug addiction "by
any means necessary" after a promise to God, was
one of the most original shows on the air in 2008.
With Benjamin Bratt in the scripted representation
of Boyd as William Banks, The Cleaner also boasted
and impressive cast that included Battlestar Galactica's
Grace Park, Esteban Powell, Darnell McDowell as
Banks' underground and on-call team of addiction
bounty hunters, plus Amy Price-Francis as William's
wife Melissa and Liliana Mumy and Brett DelBuono
as Banks' daughter and son, Lula and Ben Jr. With
the second season of The Cleaner about to hit
the A&E airwaves on June 23 at 10pm, we sat down
to preview the early drama within the premiere
to give fans a heads up what's to come.
The first season of The Cleaner began as a warm and welcoming introduction to the likeable Robin Hood type William Banks who was a shining beacon of light in the dark world of drug addiction. Stopping at nothing to help junkies get clean, putting his own life on the line while battling the criminal underworld elements of Los Angeles, Banks became a hero his street survivors could rely on. However, the interesting turn in the first season of The Cleaner was that Banks was anything but in his personal life, as fulfilling his promise to God (his Higher Power) often meant putting his family second over saving the lives of others. As a result, the reformed Banks found himself battling his own inner demons as a drug addict and a husband and father who could never find the right balance between his life's calling and family. By the end of the first season Banks was separated from his wife Melissa, a story element that was planted early as a season one seed. If you're a budding TV writer, look at the contrasting concoction of internal and external conflict surrounding William Banks as a fine example of how much you can get out of one character, and subsequently one actor. In the first season Benjamin Bratt handled Banks like he knew him his entire life and continues that adept familiarity in season two.
Season
two begins as Melissa's parents arrive in "Hello
America," which prompts William to move back
in with his family to keep their separation
a secret. Underneath the drama of drug addiction
and William's exploits to save others from the
perils of drugs, the spine of The Cleaner is
the fractured relationship of William and his
family. It's an ongoing thread that offsets
the goodwill that William may earn on the streets
with his team. In the first episode an old friend
of William's surfaces, a seemingly 20 years
clean local news anchor (Gary Cole) who returns
to the world of drugs when his wife's cancer
takes a turn for the worse, while Banks' straight-shooting
recovery sponsor (Whoopi Goldberg) helps him
work through the turmoil and efforts that true
reformation requires. It's a premiere that effectively
works on all dramatic levels to set the dark,
often hopeless yet hopeful tone of The Cleaner
for a second time. Look for a few more guest
star surprises in "Hello America," which A&E
tactfully chose to frontload for the premiere.
Although Benjamin Bratt steps back into the high caliber shoes of Banks with ease, it's nice to see Whoopi make a return to scripted drama to take The Cleaner to new heights in a fantastic supporting appearance. Although the first season of The Cleaner sometimes kept me at arm's length due to what felt like a visual identity crisis between a serious dramatic foundation that clashed with its "trendy and too cool" style, I'm most interested to see the slew of guest stars A&E has lined up to enhance the season two drama, which include Mia Kirshner, Rebecca Gayheart, Shirley Jones, Christine Lahti, Lori Petty, Mariette Hartley, and original Walking Tall actor, Joe Don Baker (who appears in episode two).
For
me The Cleaner is a complex beast. Like other
"intervention" shows in A&E's line-up, The Cleaner
forces me be step back and think about the show
and life in ways that I don't with others. Some
criticism directed at The Cleaner has centered
on how the series is too dark and not lighthearted
enough. I find it hypocritical that people can
accept other forms of much darker, sometimes
subconsciously destructive entertainment, even
the realism of harsh clips on various online
video networks and violent news segments yet
can easily find fault with The Cleaner because
its not light enough. Sorry, the world of drug
addiction isn't a funny world. Sure, The Cleaner
could use a bit of organic humor, but that's
not what it's about. It's like saying Schindler's
List could have used a bit of slapstick just
because it was too serious of a movie. The Cleaner
is what it is, and what it should be in order
to drive home some time of positive message
in a very real would of negativeity from a moral
standpoint. And that's where I land when judging
The Cleaner as a series.
Is The Cleaner perfect? Of course not. Is it effective in its intent on levels of story and character on a weekly basis? Like any series there's good and bad, with varying degrees of execution. For me it comes down to the fact that for all of the negative imagery out there in the entertainment world, The Cleaner stands apart from the slush-pile to send positive messages to those who may need help in battling their own addictions. In a TV landscape filled with frivolous, often insignificant value, The Cleaner is a breath of fresh air, even if it hurts on a few dark and dramatic levels. As for the second season premiere, The Cleaner has cleaned up its act in all the right places to kick off what appears to be a great start to an early sophomore run.
William
When you are negative about something in hollywood you never get an awnser. You act like you are the only one who has ever done this kinda work. The only reason you got noticed is because of celebrities you have helped. I have been doing this kinda work and more for 20 yrs and my clients are almost all combat veterans not people who run around in limo"s and there familys pay you what a jock you are Mr. Boyd trying to pass yourself off as some prima dona and the only one who has done this work. I have been stabbed 3 times shot at twice and been beaten almost to death. My family begged me to quit. I gave up a $250.000 a year job to do this work and I have never taken a penny from anybody.A friend of mine who knows you and your secret celebrities said your Malibu treatment center is"nt even yours So all I can say is keep up the good work.
JIM FOLIART
Reply to JAMES FOLIART
JAMES FOLIART – Seattle WASH
July 24, 2009 - 07:36
Subject: Re: ADDICTION
William
I am sorry for the disrespectful and inacurate statements I made about you I have done a little more research and I realize that I was way off base. BUT!!! I have been doing this kinda work for about 10 years and all of my clients are combat VETS and they are the hardest to treat. There families no longer care about them and they and they would laugh at me for asking.for money The reason I was so disrespectful is that I had 2 vets back to back die from Meth. Again I am sorry any help or advice you could give would be greatly appreciated
JIM FOLIART
425 776 7151
After
a very unique and interesting first season of
The Cleaner, which sometimes felt like a show
that knew it had the dramatic potential to be
so much more, A&E stuck with the Benjamin Bratt
toplined series to work through the symptoms of
a freshman series. There's no doubt that the TV
adapted story of real life reformed drug addict,
William Boyd, a man who devotes his life to saving
people from the clutches of drug addiction "by
any means necessary" after a promise to God, was
one of the most original shows on the air in 2008.
With Benjamin Bratt in the scripted representation
of Boyd as William Banks, The Cleaner also boasted
and impressive cast that included Battlestar Galactica's
Grace Park, Esteban Powell, Darnell McDowell as
Banks' underground and on-call team of addiction
bounty hunters, plus Amy Price-Francis as William's
wife Melissa and Liliana Mumy and Brett DelBuono
as Banks' daughter and son, Lula and Ben Jr. With
the second season of The Cleaner about to hit
the A&E airwaves on June 23 at 10pm, we sat down
to preview the early drama within the premiere
to give fans a heads up what's to come.
Season
two begins as Melissa's parents arrive in "Hello
America," which prompts William to move back
in with his family to keep their separation
a secret. Underneath the drama of drug addiction
and William's exploits to save others from the
perils of drugs, the spine of The Cleaner is
the fractured relationship of William and his
family. It's an ongoing thread that offsets
the goodwill that William may earn on the streets
with his team. In the first episode an old friend
of William's surfaces, a seemingly 20 years
clean local news anchor (Gary Cole) who returns
to the world of drugs when his wife's cancer
takes a turn for the worse, while Banks' straight-shooting
recovery sponsor (Whoopi Goldberg) helps him
work through the turmoil and efforts that true
reformation requires. It's a premiere that effectively
works on all dramatic levels to set the dark,
often hopeless yet hopeful tone of The Cleaner
for a second time. Look for a few more guest
star surprises in "Hello America," which A&E
tactfully chose to frontload for the premiere.
For
me The Cleaner is a complex beast. Like other
"intervention" shows in A&E's line-up, The Cleaner
forces me be step back and think about the show
and life in ways that I don't with others. Some
criticism directed at The Cleaner has centered
on how the series is too dark and not lighthearted
enough. I find it hypocritical that people can
accept other forms of much darker, sometimes
subconsciously destructive entertainment, even
the realism of harsh clips on various online
video networks and violent news segments yet
can easily find fault with The Cleaner because
its not light enough. Sorry, the world of drug
addiction isn't a funny world. Sure, The Cleaner
could use a bit of organic humor, but that's
not what it's about. It's like saying Schindler's
List could have used a bit of slapstick just
because it was too serious of a movie. The Cleaner
is what it is, and what it should be in order
to drive home some time of positive message
in a very real would of negativeity from a moral
standpoint. And that's where I land when judging
The Cleaner as a series.