This is the first year this series has been available to me. At this point I have watched 6 or 7 shows. I have been totally enjoying the show until the last one I saw. the addict got help but it then showed the Cleaner and his wife having sex on the screen. In my opinion it was completely out of context, unexpected (I could have been watching it with family), it did nothing for the story of that episode. Things left to the imagination would be more suitable. Anyone who needs a porn fix - they have shows for that. That way we are given a choice as to exactly what we wan to watch. I believe it took away from the show. The Cleaner will be taken off my viewing list.

William Banks is an ex-addict who turned his life around by making a covenant with God to help addicts if he can live a life free of addiction. William and his crew engage in interventions with primarily drug and alcohol addicts. I found the show to be absolutely riveting. It is refreshing to see CBS doing a show that showcases a man talking to God throughout each episode. William Banks offers a black and white crystal clear point of reference on the rights and wrongs of substance abuse. The pilot episode was a little hard to get through, but, after that I couldn't stop watching until I had seen every episode. The Cleaner is a truly unique drama. In the present stench of a drug legalizing culture, The Cleaner is a well deserved breath of clean fresh air.

This show will not appeal to all audiences and in fact it has taken me the entire first season and 3 episodes of the 2nd season for me to truly appreciate how good this show really is. I would call it a Thinking Person's Drama, because it's not your typical run of the mill procedural or action show.By this time, most people probably know what the show is about: the superior Benjamin Bratt portrays a recovering addict William Banks, who is trying to save other addicts, with varying degrees of success, while trying to deal with the wreckage his addiction caused in his own family, also with varying degrees of success. Doesn't sound very appealing, does it? I first became interested in the show because I had a close relative who died from her addiction at a young age, so you'd think this not be a show I'd watch, right? Wrong. Turns out, even if sometimes watching this show is like pulling the scab off an unhealed wound, it really is enjoyable for the viewer who wants a viewing experience that leaves you really thinking deeply about the human condition, whether afflicted with addiction or not.I like that the show is accurate about the actions of addicts and the effects of addiction on the addict's family and friends. I also enjoy the fact that not every story is a success. A complex relationship exists between Banks and his family, who learn that the cure they wished to happen does not guarantee that the family will survive as a unit. Banks himself is still struggling with his addiction and wonders if his commitment to saving other addicts has just replaced one addiction with another - a position held by his wife and family.There's obviously a lot to see here and the production qualities, cast and writing are first-rate. I think the show works for any viewer who enjoys a good story and believable characters with complex relationships to themselves and each other. You don't have to be a recovering addict or someone coping with a family or friend with addiction to appreciate the show and in fact it's a great teaching tool for those who don't know much about the topic.This is a unique show with a unique view that delves into a topic that is the unspoken curse of many people: the monster of addiction. It drags into the light a topic that most families wrongfully will not discuss and admit: the addiction issues of a loved one.After long consideration (and jettisoning of my own personal garbage), I give it a 10/10. Give it a chance.

I loved the show at first, but watching the "in your face" drug use does make me uncomfortable. Especially with Arnie's relapse so graphically portrayed. With a husband struggling with addiction, it's difficult to see the drug use, so vivid in HD, in our living room. I have to give the show's creators big applause for the realistic portrayal of drugs in all walks of society. Unfortunately, sometimes it's just too realistic for me. I tend to watch television for an escape and, living with addiction, this show doesn't provide an escape. William Banks is a lifesaver for many and his story can provide hope for families struggling with addiction. I just would like to see more innuendo towards drugs and less blatant drug use. That may be unrealistic in a show of this nature, I admit. So perhaps I just need to change the channel.