Author: Annabelle Havlicek

Here Comes The Boom – And It Fell On Arnie

Here Comes The Boom – And It Fell On Arnie

© A&E Network Credit: Bill Inoshita Submitted by KiKi Vanderhousen It wasn’t a coincidence that A&E aired an In-Depth Intervention on Monday (Intervention In-Depth: Meth) and then aired the newest installment of The Cleaner with a meth-induced plot the following night. To watch Eric Roberts hitting the pipe like an old pro, you’d think he was a meth addict all his life. Can you imagine having to do your homework getting ready for that acting job – watching hours and hours of real dope addicts smoking meth, watching the twitchy little tweekers trying to catch that first hit, time after [...]

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Chaos Theory – What an Appropriate Title For the Fourth Installment of The Cleaner

Chaos Theory – What an Appropriate Title For the Fourth Installment of The Cleaner

© A&E Network Credit Craig Mathew Submitted by KiKi Vanderhousen This was a pretty “clean” episode by my estimate. No strange scenes interjected by writers who may have won bets in an office pool. Minimal Akani involvement. There is also a new level of chaos that has been creeping in a little more each episode – have you noticed it? It’s the demand put on William for a relationship with his wife, his daughter, his son. If you really want some background on issues William is facing as a recovering addict, do some Googling on 12-step programs for addicts and/or [...]

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A&E is Cleaning Up with The Cleaner

A&E is Cleaning Up with The Cleaner

Submitted by KiKi Vanderhousen It wasn’t a coincidence that A&E aired the Intervention In-Depth® episode “Heroin Hits Home” narrated by Donnie Wahlberg hours prior to Meet the Joneses. “Heroin Hits Home” is about some kids in a Boston suburb who start off taking OxyContin and eventually graduate to Heroin because it’s a similar high but it’s cheaper. It’s a very well done episode. You can’t help feeling sympathetic for the parents of these kids who go through this addiction. You also get some background on OxyContin and why it’s known as “Hillybilly Heroin.” I remember when I first heard of [...]

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"The Cleaner" Episode 2: A Study in Naiveté

"The Cleaner" Episode 2: A Study in Naiveté

Submitted By KiKi Vanderhousen There are so many sides to the drug world, if you viewed it from above, it would look more like an octagon, than a triangle or square. In the second episode of The Cleaner, viewers got a glimpse of several sides – drug mule, distributor, user/mule. Websters defines “naivetĂ©” as “the quality or state of being naive.” You could count on both hands the people who fit that profile in the Ragdolls episode. I would have to say I had more than 2 or 3 views of the drug world in my time. Yet when it [...]

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Complex Characters, Real Life Drama or Too Much to Believe?

Complex Characters, Real Life Drama or Too Much to Believe?

Submitted by KiKi Vanderhousen I, along with many others, watched the much anticipated premiere of The Cleaner. I, along with many others, was not disappointed. From what I’ve seen on the AETV.com community boards, comments have been favorable. And it’s the comments from the public, the people who actually watch the show, that will determine the success of the show. Judging by what the critics have to say, some say yah, some say nay. Read some of their pieces and you’d think they watched all of 10 minutes of a screener and no more. Thank “God” I’m more three dimensional [...]

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