Warning: SPOILERS forThe Cleaning Ladyseason 4, episodes 11-12.
After a season of lies and blood-soaked betrayals,The Cleaning Ladypulls the curtain on yet another chapter of Thony’s adventures in the world of cartels and corrupt law enforcement. But whileThe Cleaning Ladyseason 4resolves many of the season’s main obstacles by the end, it also sets up a riveting future for the series’ surviving cast members. Chris is making more in a month from his TikTok career than most people make in a year, Jaz is off to college, and Fiona finally owns her house outright.
Those would be remarkable status quo shifts on their own if this were an episode ofModern Family, butThe Cleaning Ladyisn’t that kind of show. Amid all of this fantastic news,Sin Cara has essentially gone to war with itself while Thony’s identifying ways to turn their in-fighting to her advantage. And whileThe Cleaning Lady’s season 5 renewalremains unconfirmed, her actions in the season 4 finale will have major consequences if the series is allowed to continue.
Thony Buries Ramona Alive For Kidnapping Luca
But That Doesn’t Mean Ramona Isn’t Still A Threat
Throughout season 4, one of the major conflicts has been that Jorge’s inability to either bring Heller down or meet him in the middle has resulted in Sin Cara associates killing members of their own cartel. Even worse, they’ve been killing small children despite the fact thatcartel associates’ family members are supposed to be off-limits in times of war and vengeance. This could have been taken as foreshadowing, considering that everything Thony’s done up to this point has been for the benefit of her son Luca.
Ramona tries to punish Thony and Jorge by kidnapping Luca and Violeta to raise them as her own while burying Thony alive, but Fiona uses Benny’s help to arrive at the last second and bash Ramona’s head in. Although Ramona survives,Thony suppresses the urge to slit Ramona’s throat and instead buries her in the middle of the desert. However, Alejandra is free and likely helped organize the plan to kill Thony, which means she’d know where Ramona’s been buried. Her survival seems likely at this point, which could easily come back to bite Thony where it hurts.
Jorge Loses Control Over Sin Cara (But Can He Still Return?)
His Plans For The Future Remain Unclear
AfterThe Cleaning Ladyseason 4 premiere, many of the remaining episodes of the season serve to strengthen Feng’s position with Sin Cara. His love for Jialong seemingly makes him easy to manipulate, but it’s revealed thatmost of the Sin Cara associates killing fellow cartel members were working under direct orders from Feng. This seems to have been a long con, since Jorge reaches the conclusion that Feng’s boss Koh never actually existed. Instead, Feng’s actually been fielding orders from Sam Heller.
We know Jorge has contacts in other countries such as Ecuador, but it’s not clear where he’s going or how he plans to proceed if he gets the help he needs.
For unexplained reasons, Feng stages a hit on Jorge at the precise airfield Jorge needs to be at to save his children. After barely surviving,Jorge decides to bribe the pilot to take him overseas so he can build a new alliance against Sin Cara. We know Jorge has contacts in other countries such as Ecuador, but it’s not clear where he’s going or how he plans to proceed if he gets the help he needs. Next to Ramona, Jorge is one of the biggest wild cards in terms of how the story may proceed.
How Thony Becomes A Full Sin Cara Associate (With Twists)
Feng Doesn’t Know She’s Working With The DA
Before fleeing the country, Jorge gives Thony all of the evidence he unearthed to bring down Heller in the process of murdering the DA. Now that former ADA Joel Herman has taken the reins,Thony actually gives the book to Feng in return for becoming a full associate while working with Herman to bring Sin Cara down from the inside. What Herman doesn’t know, however, is that Thony’s also voicing plans to use this new arrangement to take the entire cartel for herself.
In many ways, this isn’t that big a twist. From the very beginning, it always felt like the endgame was either for Thony to take over the cartel or to make a clean break and live a normal life. With this new development, she can go either way.Thony only agrees to work with the DA’s office if she’s offered full immunity for her past crimes, which puts a damper on Joel’s push to get justice for Rex Blackley. But if she heads the cartel, she can effectively destroy it from within and make her final escape.
The Cleaning Lady Season 4 Finale Sets Up Thony’s Biggest Ambition Yet
She’s Finally Ready To Take Over The Cartel
As ofThe Cleaning Ladyseason 4 finale, Thony is in a tight spot. She plans on helping Joel bring down Sin Cara, but she also reveals that she only wants to weaken the cartel so she can rise to power. However,Thony taking over Sin Cara doesn’t mean that she can’t still break away and live a normal life. She might compromise her immunity deal in the process, but Joel’s speech when he became DA only promised that he’d do what’s right. He never once promised to do what’s lawful.
Unfortunately, that’s not the only problem confronting Thony right now. Bringing down Sin Cara hinges on her ability to bring down Heller as well, and Jorge’s evidence doesn’t necessarily help her do that. Joel himself admits that he’s been chasing Heller for years without putting a dent in his organization, andthere’s also no indication that Thony even knows what Heller stole from Jorge’s safe or how it could benefit his criminal empire. She’s embarking on a major plan with limited information, and that could set her up for major trouble if the story continues.
What Else To Expect From The Cleaning Lady Season 5
The Series Might Be In The Perfect Position To End For Good
Regardless of whether Ramona lives, Jorge finds allies, or Thony takes over Sin Cara,The Cleaning Ladyseason 4 leaves plenty of storylines to wrap up. Chris has been able to keep his anonymity as a TNT dancer, butboth of Fiona’s kids are potentially in danger now that Fiona’s made a direct enemy out of Ramona. She’s already shown a willingness to go after people’s family members, and hurting Fiona is an easy route to weakening Thony.
Additionally, the next season needs to revisit Dupont’s last conversation with Thony. When he catches her before her meeting with Ramona, he gives her a lecture about revenge that makes it sound very much like he’s murdered somebody before. He and Benny should both have larger roles going intoThe Cleaning Ladyseason 5, and his lack of backstory thus far will need to be rectified. But regardless of what happens with side characters like Dupont, one certainty if the series gets another season is that Thony’s war with Sin Cara may finally lead to the end of her storyline.
The Cleaning Lady
Cast
The Cleaning Lady is a drama series centered on Thony De La Rosa, a Cambodian doctor who becomes an undocumented immigrant in the United States. Forced to work as a cleaning lady, she navigates complicated situations while using her medical expertise. The series explores themes of survival, resilience, and the lengths one goes to protect their family. Starring Elodie Yung, the show delves into the hidden struggles of those living on the margins of society.
