Adan Cantohas been a staple ofThe Cleaning Ladysince it debuted on Fox in 2022. Fans were shocked when they learned thatCanto had passed away after battling cancer. Cantos' Aman Morales was an important figure in the show, like Thony, and it was a mystery how the writers would handle this unfortunate development. WithThe Cleaning Lady Season 3premiere, it was clear that even if Canto was gone, Aman was here to stay, since the whole season is structured around him. Many shows write off a character as soon as the actor passes, something that makes it feel unnatural given how important the character is to it.
In the season premiere,Aman and Thonyfind themselves in the middle of a deadly drug-related shootout, and soon after, Nadia Morales (Eva De Dominici) joins them. Nadia and Thony manage to get away, but Aman doesn’t have the same luck. Later, after Aman fails to reach out and no one can find his body, they think he’s been taken, and they embark on searching for him. The search leads Thony to never-seen-before relatives of Aman, who are as ruthless as they come. Aman’s aunt and uncle will be central to the season as they search for him before it’s too late. Centering the season around Aman was a proper way to keep Canto alive. Executive Producers and co-showrunnersJeannine RenshawandMiranda Kwoktalked about it toTV Linewith Kwok saying this about Canto and Aman:
“. . . but in terms of the season, it was really important for us to honor him as a person and also him as a character, and what he meant to the show, and what he meant to fans. It was very carefully thought out and discussed so that we could tell the best story we could that would also honor him and allow our other characters to process his absence.”
Renshaw expanded on what they had planned for the season, saying:
“It was a dialogue with him the whole time about how he was and how he was feeling. We originally crafted the season around him. It was an Arman-driven season anyway. And when we first heard he was struggling and having treatment, we wanted to make sure we had a story crafted — like Miranda’s saying — where he could join us at any time and we could open it up for him. We had it all planned to welcome him back at the end of the season.”
How ‘The Cleaning Lady’ Brought Aman Back for the Season Premiere
For a brief moment in the season premiere, viewers caught a glimpse of Aman, or an Aman lookalike, and the co-showrunners explained how they pulled it off, given that Canto couldn’t film. Renshaw called it “Hollywoodmagic,” but Kwok was careful to add that they intended to keep it brief so as not to go too far. Renshaw added:
“And he was along on the process. He was aware of the story we were telling and was kind of honored to have the season still revolve around him with the option of him coming back. So it was him, but it was not him on the set.”
As the premiere ends, the show dedicates the whole season to Canto with a pre-credits card that reads “This Season is Dedicated to Our Beloved Friend ADAN CANTO.” Canto will be missed, but at least the show didn’t wipe him off like he never existed and as the season unfolds, he will always be in our minds.
The Cleaning Ladyairs Tuesdays at 8 P.M ET on Fox.
The Cleaning Lady
WATCH ON HULU
