Subscribe
As The Cleaner returns for its second season premiere tonight on A&E (10/9 p.m. CST), William’s (http://tv.yahoo.com/the-cleaner/show/41673/videos/14031041t) former sponsor Pauline Kmec (Whoopi Goldberg) resurfaces when he is called to help an addict she currently sponsors. The episode title is “Hello America.”
Davis (Gary Cole), a former friend and fellow program member, is a high-profile national news anchor and a spokesperson for recovery, but is struggling with his sobriety in the face of his wife’s (Jayne Brook) battle with cancer.
Dealing with Davis, William is so good at getting what he wants: in this case, a urine sample in a very unique way.
William juggles the case while moving back in with his wife Melissa (Amy Price-Francis) to create a façade of happiness while her parents (Mariette Hartley and Barry Newman) are in town.
After watching screeners of the first two episodes, the show is still hitting its stride getting deeper and grittier with stories of addiction.
Nothing is ever simple for William, no matter how hard he tries. In the season finale, he left his home for a separation Melissa asked for. We get to see a little in the first and second episodes how that has changed his life. Always throwing himself into his work, it becomes all he has now that is family is having problems. Dealing with people who ask about his family is probably the worst, as we can see him struggle to tell them “we’re doing okay” remarks.
Whoopie, who William calls “P.K.” in the episode, is an interesting character. She, William, Davis and his wife all have a long history together. And it shows us a little about how William broke off and began doing his own thing, away from P.K. At one point, it’s funny how William tells P.K. that he’s only been back around her one day and she’s “already up his $#%##@*.”
Click here to watch the first 10 minutes of the premiere on Yahoo TV:
In the second episode, “The Last American Casuality,” which will air on Tuesday, June 30 at 10/9 p.m. CST, William sets out to have a relaxing father-son weekend with Ben (Brett DelBuono), but soon ends up having to take on two cases with Ben in tow. William’s dad (Raymond J. Barry) asks him to help his best friend Duren (Joe Don Baker), a raging alcoholic who counsels grieving parents of deceased veterans, but it may be too late for him. Duren introduces William to a father (Michael Beach) who recently lost his son in the war and whose alcoholism is destroying his relationship with his remaining son Kenji (Tyler Williams), who bonds with Ben over their fathers’ addiction issues.
Don’t forget to enter The Cleaner Giveaway at New to TV!
Image credit: 2009 AETN/Michael Yarish
Loved the show. Was the Whoopi singing in the end?