TV Review: The Cleaner

Angi, that is deep. I hope you stay in the recovery stage forever. I think the show is great. It is predictable at times, but over all I think the characters match well, the screenplay is great (watch how they mix colors on the screen), and the music rocks! If anyone else liked the music from the series, here is a link to a discussion and list of songs from viewers: http://thecleaner.info/2008/08/music-the-cleaner-artists-episodes-songs/

The Cleaner is a good show- If you have never been an addict- you have no right to comment on how addicts should be handled. If you have never lived w/ an addict- you have no cause to comment on how this show pertrays William Banks. I am an addict- (recovering) and if someone would have been there to help me as the exec. prod. has done in real life- I would today be ever grateful.- until you have been there- your opinions mean nothing. Yeah, its just a t.v. show- but it does depict some relevance to real life.

W is wrong. They don't prey on suffering families. They don't advertise. They don't go looking for addicts, even though they know where they can find them. They don't have a listing in the phone book. They assist only the people who come to them for help. And yes sometimes that help requires unconventional, "whatever it takes" methods. Ask any family member who has or has had a loved one with an addiction and they will tell you straight up. Just do whatever it takes. People come to Banks when all traditional methods have failed.

Also, the show doesn't pretend that recovery is a walk in the park. Banks talks about struggling every day to stay clean. The series even recognizes that although you've cleaned up, relapse and death are a very real consequence. Banks even acknowledges that his success rate is only about 25%.

Actually, the show is loosley based upon a real person, Warren Boyd, who is a Co-Executive Producer for the show. Boyd has spent the last 20 years helping people get clean, including many celebrities. And since the show is "loosley" based on real events, people need to remember it is a fictional show and artistic liberties are taken to add drama. Surely you don't think all those diseases on House are real and doctors should take the same actions as House.

Although I do like the series and hope it continues, my guess is that it will be a short lived program. And not just because of it's dark subject matter and the family strife displayed, that hits close-to-home. It's just that most people only want to be entertained and not reminded of the reality of what's going on around them.

I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!! I really hope it comes back again for another season!

Jackie is wrong, dead wrong. Oberyn3 is right. Idiots like this cause an unimaginable kind of harm.

This show glorifies criminals. They ARE thugs who prey on suffering families. Their loyalty is NEVER to the families but to their own prison gang. They are criminals who have found a new way to steal.

What is amazing is that people are gullible enough to buy this hokum.

That said, the show is a bit dull, too. I love Grace Park in other roles; she's outstanding in BSG. But, this is a deadly Career Limiting Move for her, ditto for Bratt and others.

The song was Mad World by Gary Jules....good album.

What is the name of the song playing at the end of this week's show, when they are recapping the show. The last three minutes. It is male singer.... "I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of hard, I find it kind of .... " What is the name of that song?

Someone??? Name that song......

what was the song playing when Akani was with the yellow car and William arrive to catch her??? in the pilot ep, song by a woman. Anyone?? Tks

"The Cleaner" is the worst show I've seen this season. Benjamin Bratt does his best to slog through awful scripts and tacky dialogue. While billing itself as a hard-hitting drama, the show fails to ground either its plots or their resolution in any semblance of reality. Newsflash: drugging and abducting substance abusers is against the law (even if family members have handed you a satchel full of money as payment for your services). Doing this in broad daylight would also seem to be a particularly bad idea.

Don't let the subject matter fool you into thinking this is anything more than a badly written, poorly acted, melodrama. Addiction is no laughing matter. Sadly, "The Cleaner", delivers nothing but 44 minutes of uninentional humor.

"It shows what we can look for when suspecting a loved one might be using and how we can give assistance."

I'm sorry, but I couldn't resist commenting on this.

This show is not remotely based upon reality. If you suspect a loved one is using, don't use this show as a guideline for what to do or for what signs to look for.

Interventions don't have a particularly high success rate. If you do want to have one, though, I'd suggest contacting a substance abuse counselor or other licensed professional. I would NOT suggest looking for an unlicensed ex-junkie who rides around in a van (a la Scooby Doo) with a group of other ex-junkies drugging and kidnapping addicts to drop them off, unconscious, at a treatment center.

What is the name of the song that is playing by the two girls in the beginning of the episode "pilot"? I loved it but can't find it..Thanks..

**The song in the episode with the bikers is called Chemical Courage by Jack Savoretti. It is amazing.

I love this show. I think it may speak a little louder to former addicts than just "everyone", as there seems to be a little more to "feel" than to just "get". Those that have been there or know someone that has, will have a deeper connection to the characters. I really hope it lasts a little while.

The song the lady sings in the Chaos Theory Episode is "follow that sound" by Sharon Little, which is also the theme song for the TV show.
Closing scenes feature a cover of Smokey Robinson's Tracks of My Tears performed by Gavin DeGraw.

I love this show. It shows that there are still people in the world that care about others and not just themselves. Hopefully viewers will get what William is trying to do and if one live can be saved because of something seen through this show, it will be well worth it. It shows what we can look for when suspecting a loved one might be using and how we can give assistance. Great show, I hope it has a season two, three and four!!

i love this show. its gut wrenching and intense and i love that about it. yes, a tv show will not go into the muddy depths of reality when it comes to rehabilitation but the point is to show that you need to act before its too late. Who cares if rehabs have an 80% success rate, thats 20% of LIVES saved, which is better than ZERO to me. Every bit counts, everyone can help. If you know ANYone that is starting to slip i suggest doing everything you can in your power to help them. Because sometimes it literally is the difference between LIFE and dEATH

Tedious. Pretentious. Bratt should have read past the outlined premise and reviewed a couple of scripts before diving into this. He's a totally likeable (and still very handsome) guy. He'll be on Kathy's "D" list if he keeps this up.

What was the song the lady sang in the Chaos Theory episode

I love this show, watch it every chance I get. Anyone know what song is playing in this last episode where he gets involved with the bike gang. I love how he includes God in his daily affairs.
If I m asking to be saved I must learn how to yield.
Once my lover is no longer my friend. Just a few of the words I heard. Love all the music on this show. Hope it continues.

To hide all my fears, may be the name.

My husband and I Love this show. We Tivo and get to watch it on the weekends. I also love the songs during the show. Anyone know where I can go on and find all the songs in each episode?

I love this show! I was staying in a hotel when they played all the episodes in a row and I could not stop watching! It is right up there on my favorite list with 24.

Thanks to Me for knowing the song I've been looking for; everyone kept thinking it was the theme song. Colin Hay's song, "Waiting For My Real Life To Begin", is heartbreakingly beautiful. Just listen to it on youtube.

I thought it was well thought and Extremely well done!
I plan to continue watching.

This show won't last more that one season, the story is awful but there always room for bad shows, plus actors need money too

In your efforts to review “The Cleaner” you did much less than merely forego examples that are clearlv visible if you’ve seen the episode. The premiere possessed no over kill on character development, it simply provided the viewer with background and social connection to Ben to allow the furthering of the upcoming season. This being not an understanding but an insight in our new indulgence.

For example:
“Ben wants to quit smoking”.
*Ben doesn’t want to quit smoking, smoking is his supplement to a much harmful past.
“Ben's having trouble with his kids”.
*Ben’s trouble with his children is the wrapper that contains his relationship with his Wife. Which allows us to revisit his past present and future.
“Ben needs a new truck”.
*Ben may need a new truck, but would this new truck be a façade to his character and blur the essential reminder of what Ben has been through.

The pacing is mind whirl to simulate the thoughts and emotions Ben is being affected by. Deep and meaningful moments is subjective, as you mention the following example,
“Like Ben explaining to his kids about why he talks to God and why he devotes so much time to tracking down addicts. It seemed like every scene had some conversation that explained what was happening and why. I guess I would've preferred the dialogue to back off a bit and just let us figure some of this stuff out ourselves.”
This moment was more for Ben not the kids. Ben doesn’t hide who he is, but his children have just reached an age where they may understand what their father does. It’s the first step into removing the wrapper that holds the family together.

The problem with this pilot is that it pushes the limits, which in turns pushes away viewers. I find that those of us realizing that Benjamin Bratt’s journey is a journey most of us take in our lives of addiction, be it indulgence in drugs, alcohol, sex, or any materialistic and enjoyment consuming sector. It will set it’s stones (in a couple episodes) and you can choose to walk along the path or divert.

I tried to get interested in this show, but after about 20 minutes, I gave up on it. I really doubt it will gain much of a following.