I always hate seeing a good series come to an end. It’s one thing for it to have a good run of 6 or 7 seasons, but another to only have 2. “The Cleaner” was one of those shows that really should have had a chance to take off. It had a great premise and a really strong cast. “The Cleaner” starred Benjamin Bratt as William Banks, a former drug addict who makes it his mission to save other addicts. It was a show that could have been cheap and cheesy, but instead took a very dark and gritty look at Banks’ continued struggles to remain clean while helping others to get clean. The first season focused strongly on his family life and took on story arcs that covered a select few of the addicts he tried to help. The second season was very different, and this I think may have led to its demise. Instead of his family and personal life being front and center, it was more episodic and featured different guest stars. The differences were further noticeable as main characters from the first season were either dropped entirely or their stories took more of a back seat. It was an interesting turn, but not one that I think should have killed the series.

Paramount recently released the ‘Final Season’ of “The Cleaner”, and in watching the various storylines I was a little less enamored with it, but still found it compelling. The “Addict of the Week” premise offered a few interesting stories and some strong performances, but it did make me long for the original format which perhaps given time, it would have returned to.

Still, the DVD that was recently released offered a nice ending to the series, and I was surprised to find that it contained a decent number of extra features. Aside from a few commentaries, there were also two featurettes. “Coming Clean” took a look at the series as a whole, giving viewers a little bit of an inside look at the direction it was going, while “Warren Boyd: The Real Cleaner” offered some insight into the man the show was based on. You’ll also find some promos and deleted scenes, as well as a well put together Gag Reel.

“The Cleaner” was an awesome series that took a turn for the worse, but still offered a story that kept my attention. It’s well worth a look on DVD, if you’ve never seen it.

Starring: Benjamin Bratt, Grace Park, Esteban Powell
Extras: Cast & Crew Commentaries on Selected Episodes; Coming Clean; Warren Boyd: The Real Cleaner; Gag Reel; Deleted Scenes; Episodic Promos; Series Promo
Specification: 16x9; English 5.1
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: 6/1/2010
MPAA Rating: NR

We'll give The Cleaner: Final Season a B-.