The Cleaning Lady - Lolo and Lola - Review

Another week and another amazing episode! Written by Miranda Kwok, "Lolo and Lola" introduced new characters and said goodbye to another one...WARNING: Spoilers. 

If you could cut the air with a knife...Dealing with the aftermath of last week’s episode tragic ending, we get to meet Marco and Fiona’s parents - Jacintho and Alma De La Rosa - and the least one can say, is that everything got even more tense than it already was the second they saw their daughter-in-law. While I can, to some extent, understand those parents blinded by the pain of losing their son to vague circumstances, Thony didn’t deserve to be treated like that. She stood her ground but those scenes were still hard to watch - she may not be perfect and has made mistakes, but her main goal has always been to protect her child.

One also has to understand that Jacintho and Alma always had a deep mistrust and possibly hatred for a country that took their daughter, and doesn't treat strangers nicely. What happened to Marco only reinforced all those feelings, and finding out that Thony involved the police to try and find him and Luca, only made matters worse. 

As a parent, Jacintho refused to see the mistakes his son made, kept blaming Thony for his death, and just like Marco, had trouble remembering that she is the only reason why Luca is still alive. More than once did she have to justify herself when things should be clear: she is his mother and knows what is best for him. But behind his questioning of Thony's parenting style is just a father blaming himself for the mistakes he made in raising his own child. It definitely doesn’t make his behavior okay, but we all cope with grief differently, and all I could see here was a man in deep pain. 

Jacintho wants to take Luca home with him, to Manilla and raise him himself with Alma. After stating that Thony was spoiling her son (who has been through more than enough since he was born) I would worry about the way he sees himself parenting Luca. I doubt her words put him at ease, but maybe they'll help him realize that she’s doing the best she can, and that her son is happy here. Thony hasn’t had a minute to celebrate or even appreciate her son's new and normal life - and she now has to deal with yet another person who wants to take her son away from her. 

Heavy burdens. Sean Lew was outstanding in this episode, and you could literally see how much the entire situation weighed on his shoulders. He held on the best he could, trying to keep up appearances, but between his grandfather asking him to wear Marco’s shirt at the funeral and the constant fighting, it was only a matter of time until he boiled over. But Chris is stronger than he knows, and while his mother and aunt kept twisting the truth to protect him from anyone finding out the truth, he was ready to surrender himself to save them all...and to be free from the guilt of a secret that’s slowly eating him up. While they already had a close relationship in season 1, Chris is now becoming Luca’s anchor, and the little boy keeps asking for his cousin - and it must be incredibly hard for him to comfort Luca knowing that he is partially responsible for his sadness. 

For Fiona, who has always been judged by her parents and by Marco for her choices, I was so happy for her to have this heartwarming moment when her mother told her how proud she is of her. And rightfully so - Fiona was alone in a new country raising two kids, trying to find a way to care for them financially, and she did a tremendous job at raising them. Her mother ackowledging and praising her for who she has become sure must have lifted a weight off her shoulders.

Be careful in here. This week again, the only scene we got with those two was short but sweet. Arman cares deeply about Thony and her son, and you can clearly see how comfortable they are with each other - sharing their concerns and doubts while trying to find a way out. Having escaped death once, Arman was still nervous but put it all aside to make sure she and Luca were okay. Thony felt guilty - as if she had let everyone down. Not just her son and her family, but also the man she wants and needs to help and protect. Arman did the best he could to reassure her, but after having seen him beaten up and so close to running out of time, you could only feel her urge to help him - and Marco’s funeral wasn’t going to stop her. 

If you thought Hayak was bad…This episode introduced us to the charming Robert Kamdar, played by Naveen Andrews (that you may recognize from Lost or The Dropout, to name a few). Thanks to his help and loan, Arman was not only free of Hayak, but also a free man all together. But of course, nothing comes for free in this world, and Robert immediately had his eyes on the Barsamian gun business, which now forces Arman and Nadia to partner up with him.

Nice and considerate with Nadia as they share a romantic past - that has merely been alluded to in this episode - his first encounter with Thony probably only gave us a taste of his true nature. His employee immediatly realized he made a mistake when Robert asked if he had checked her for wires - and he later paid the price for his oversight. What followed was one of the most uncomfortable scenes of the series as he hovered around her, breathing on her while asking her to strip to make sure he wasn’t falling into a trap. Thony has now exposed herself to another criminal and piqued his curiosity - and this one is definitely going to be harder to take down than Hayak… 

I loved you more than my own son...Hayak and Arman’s relationship has been resting on shaky ground since the first episode of season 1. He always made it clear that he was the only one in charge of the mob - leaving Arman with mostly the dirty work, a more than decent pay and advantages, and constantly having to depend on him. He definitely loved Arman more than his son, but not enough to see him as more than just the help - which says a lot about the love he must have had for Tarik. 

If you count the car explosion from season 1, this was Hayak’s second failed murder attempt on Arman, and to make sure the job was done right this time, he decided to get his hands dirty and tried to kill him for the third and last time. Arman didn’t get fooled by the prisoners offering their protection and help to take down Hayak, and always had a contingency plan in place. I suspect he deliberately popped his stitches as he right away asked for a bigger bandage that could later cover up the syringe he stole. (or was it just a coincidence?) 

With the precious and deadly product hidden next to his wound, we see them fight to death and Arman stabs the syringue in Hayak’s neck, giving him only a few seconds before his heart stops beating. Arman never wanted any of this - he tried to spare Hayak but he didn't give him a choice and even at the end, he decided to not let him suffer. He cared about this man who took him under his wing and taught him how to survive - Arman just wanted it to be over, be free, and move on - one way or another. 

Complicated past...Garrett was everywhere this episode - on Thony’s back, on Arman’s, on the Judge’s, on Nadia’s - and now he’s also on Maya’s, his former informant...who he slept with...Yup, he once again ignored his boss’s order, possibly putting his former CI in danger. Russo is too easy on him. But through Chelsea Frei’s character, we get to see another side of his character - a softer, more vulnerable and sincere Garrett. I can never trust him with his intentions towards Thony as he always puts his hatred for Arman first, even though I’m sure he cares about her to some extent by now. Here, his first goal isn’t so much to take down a criminal, but more to protect a woman he has a history with, and feels real guilt and remorses towards - which is refreshing for his character. 

Of course, after being pushed into a drug dealer’s arms, dumped by the agent who was supposed to protect her and keep her steady in a dark world, Maya has no patience for him and after a quick but intense conversation that led Garrett to wonder if she had an affair with her boss, she showed him out. A year passed since they last saw each other but it’s obviously still an open wound for both of them. 

Garrett was already suspicious at the end of last week’s episode when he brought Luca to Thony, but this time, he straight up suggested that Arman somehow played a part in her husband’s death. By visiting Arman, Thony confirmed his suspicions that she was still involved with him. With the Judge and Nadia being watched by the FBI, the two women had to come up with a plan to outsmart them. And when Garrett once again suspected Thony of playing a part in it, he only got to see a sad widow being conforted by her sister-in-law while the money he was desperately trying to get casually passed him, hidden in a nice flower arrangement. 

May your perpetual light shine upon him. 

Now he is freed, through your blood on the cross, through the blows to your face, and through the crown of your thorns that pierced your head, deliver him from all evil, from the rigor of injustice, from the torment of conscience, and from all darkness. 

Welcome him into Paradise, where there will be no more sorrow, no more weeping or pain. 

Give him the blessings of the life to come as he enters into the kingdom of peace and light.

The episode ended on two scenes that matched perfectly - Thony’s prayer as the wake for Marco continues, while Arman strolled out of prison and into his worried wife’s arms. 

Alright, that’s all for now. We’ll be back next week with Arman free but in debt of our new big bad Robert Kamdar! You can watch the promo for next week’s episode right here!

What did you think of this episode? 

Were you surprised by Hayak’s death? 

 Let me know in the comments!!