Wiping up blood shouldn't be this funny. Honestly, it shouldn't. But when you’ve got Greg Davies towering over a gruesome mess with a sponge and some industrial-strength bleach, the morbidity of a crime scene just sort of fades into the background.
The Cleaner tv series season 2 didn't just meet expectations; it leaned harder into the weird, claustrophobic brilliance that made the first run such a cult hit. If you haven't seen it yet, you're essentially missing out on the most stressful, yet oddly soothing, comedy on the BBC. It’s a strange beast.
Wicky—real name Paul Wickstead—is the guy who comes in after the detectives leave. He’s the person who scrapes the remains of a tragic accident or a brutal murder off the shag carpet. It sounds grim. It is grim. Yet, Davies manages to turn these high-stakes cleanups into psychological sparring matches.
What Actually Happens in Season 2?
The second season follows a pretty simple formula, but the execution is anything but basic. Each episode is basically a self-contained play. Wicky turns up, meets someone eccentric, and gets distracted from his actual job. Sometimes he's dealing with an arrogant aristocrat; other times, it’s a shaman or a grieving relative who isn't quite what they seem.
The beauty of the writing—which Davies adapts from the German hit Der Tatortreiniger—lies in how it balances the grotesque with the mundane. Wicky just wants to get to the pub. He wants his curry. He wants to talk about West Bromwich Albion. But instead, he’s stuck debating the ethics of life and death with people who are, quite frankly, losing their minds.
One of the standout moments this season involves a high-end gallery. Wicky is tasked with cleaning up a "performance art" piece that went horribly wrong. It’s a biting satire of the art world, but it never feels preachy. It just feels like Wicky is the only sane person in a room full of people who think a blood-spatter on a canvas is worth fifty grand.
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The Guest Stars are the Secret Sauce
You can’t talk about this show without mentioning the cast. Greg Davies is the anchor, obviously, but the rotating door of guest stars in the cleaner tv series season 2 is what keeps the energy from flagging.
We saw Zoe Wanamaker playing a character so deliciously posh and detached it made Wicky look like a member of the royal family. Then there’s Harriet Walter, who brings a level of gravitas that you wouldn't expect in a show where a man is scrubbing brain matter off a radiator. These aren't just cameos. They are full-tilt performances that force Wicky to adapt his personality to survive the shift.
Simon Callow also makes an appearance, and let’s be real, anything with Simon Callow is automatically 20% better. He brings this theatrical pomposity that clashes perfectly with Wicky’s "no-nonsense" Midlands energy. It’s that friction—the working-class cleaner vs. the eccentric elite—that provides the biggest laughs.
Why the Comedy Works (When It Really Shouldn't)
Comedy is about timing. We know that. But in this show, the comedy is about uncomfortable timing. It’s the silence after a joke that doesn't land. It’s the sound of a scrub brush hitting wood while someone discusses their failed marriage.
Davies has this uncanny ability to use his physical presence. He’s a massive human being. Seeing him squeezed into a tiny bathroom, wearing a white hazmat suit that looks three sizes too small, is a visual gag that never gets old. But he’s also a deeply sensitive writer. Behind the "big man" persona, Wicky is a guy who sees the aftermath of the worst day of people's lives.
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There's a subtle empathy there. He isn't just cleaning floors; he’s cleaning up the mess people leave behind in their relationships, too.
Production Values and the "Grim-Cute" Aesthetic
The sets are disgusting. I mean that as a compliment. The production designers deserve an award for how accurately they portray a house that has been through a trauma. It's not Hollywood "clean" gore. It's stained, lived-in, and visceral.
The lighting in the cleaner tv series season 2 feels more deliberate than in the first season. There’s a cinematic quality to the claustrophobia. You feel trapped in these houses with Wicky. When he finally steps outside for a cigarette or to check his van, the relief is palpable.
- Directed by: Alex Winckler and Matt Lipsey.
- Written by: Greg Davies (based on Mizzi Meyer's original).
- Runtime: roughly 30 minutes per episode—the perfect length for a dark comedy bite.
The show doesn't overstay its welcome. It gets in, does the job, and gets out. Just like Wicky.
Addressing the "It’s Just a Remake" Criticism
Some people were skeptical when this show first launched. They thought it would be a pale imitation of the German original. Honestly, that’s a fair worry. Remakes usually suck. But Davies has infused this with such a specific British sensibility—specifically a West Midlands sensibility—that it feels entirely its own.
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The dialogue is snappier. The cynicism is deeper. The obsession with local pubs and mediocre football is uniquely ours. If the German version was a cold, surgical look at humanity, the British version is a messy, drunken hug in a graveyard.
Is Season 2 Better Than Season 1?
Probably. It feels more confident. The first season was Wicky finding his feet. The second season is Wicky realizing he’s stuck in the mud and deciding to make a sandcastle out of it. The stakes feel slightly higher, and the emotional beats hit a bit harder.
There’s an episode involving a lighthouse that stands out as one of the best things Davies has ever written. It’s isolated, eerie, and genuinely moving. It proves that the show isn't just a vehicle for slapstick; it’s a show about how we handle the end of things.
What You Should Do Next
If you’ve already binged your way through the cleaner tv series season 2, your next move is pretty clear. Don't just sit there waiting for news on a potential third season—though the ratings suggest it’s a safe bet.
- Watch the Christmas Special. If you skipped it, go back. It’s essential Wicky lore and features some of the best guest turns in the series.
- Track down the original German version. Der Tatortreiniger (The Crime Scene Cleaner) is available on some streaming platforms with subtitles. It’s fascinating to see where the DNA of the show came from.
- Re-watch the "The Statue" episode. Pay close attention to the background details. The show is packed with visual gags you probably missed the first time because you were too busy looking at the fake blood.
- Follow Greg Davies’ stand-up. If you like the humor here, his "You Magnificent Beast" special is the logical progression. It’s the same chaotic energy but without the bleach.
The show is a rare gem in a sea of predictable sitcoms. It’s dark, it’s dirty, and it’s surprisingly human. Wicky might be cleaning up death, but he’s one of the most alive characters on television right now.