Coming clean: The ABQ-filmed Fox series returns, getting to the roots of its characters, while facing loss

Mar. 3—It's seven days before the premiere of the third season of "The Cleaning Lady" and showrunners Miranda Kwok and Jeannine Renshaw have but a second to take a breath.

For more than a month, production has ramped up for the new season in Albuquerque.

"It's been a crazy journey," Kwok says. "Fox renewed us quickly during season two and we tried to get a jump-start before the strikes happened. We've had to do a lot of pivoting. We've had a few obstacles thrown in our way. Everyone is pulling together and we have such amazing crews in Albuquerque. This year is phenomenal and it might be my favorite season to date."

The third season of "The Cleaning Lady" premieres at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 5, on Fox.

The series follows whip-smart Cambodian doctor, Thony, played by Élodie Yung, who is in the United States for medical treatment to save her ailing son.

Thony refuses to be marginalized and instead takes matters into her own hands.

Forced to use unconventional measures to protect her family and save the ones she loves, Thony further crosses the moral line as she gets more deeply entwined in the criminal underbelly of Las Vegas, Nevada.

The stakes in season three of "The Cleaning Lady" are higher and more intense than ever, from the mystery of Arman's whereabouts to Thony's efforts to bring Fiona back to the U.S. after was deported to the Philippines.

As Thony's journey continues to unfold, she is entirely alone. Her world is turned upside down as she fights to protect her family, forcing her to take steps that deepen a new association with a dangerous cartel.

Kwok says the second season had many cliffhangers.

"With Thony, she's completely alone as she starts this season," Kwok says. "She lost a few allies last season and the journey begins again for her. She is attempting to get Fiona back. Thony also loses Arman."

Thony helped out Arman, played by Adan Canto, during the first two seasons. On Jan. 8, Canto died at the age of 42. The first episode of the new season is titled, "Arman."

This is when the production had to pivot.

Kwok says in the series, there's a desperate search for Arman.

"It was challenging to figure out how to continue the story and honor Adan Canto," Kwok says. "We didn't want to just make the character disappear. We wanted to take the characters and the audience on a journey together. We begin to know who Arman was to Thony and how we see him as a hero. That's where the season begins."

In the third season, Renshaw says audiences will get to dive into many of the character's backstory.

"The first two seasons were busy and more along the lines of trying to keep Luca, (Thony's son), alive," Renshaw says. "We have a little more time to get into the events that make each character. We understand Thony and look at Arman and his family. We're understanding what brought them together."

"The Cleaning Lady" continues to examine the plight of undocumented immigrants and their difficulties accessing necessary healthcare and resources.

Galvanized by the many roadblocks she faced while searching for a treatment to save her son, Thony will utilize her expertise as a doctor to find ways to help her underserved community.

Kwok says the series is really getting to the roots of the show and its characters.

"With the journey of immigrants, there are many diverse stories of how they get here," Kwok says. "The trials that they face. I'm personally excited about digging into that. We've found that it's an element that spoke to the audience themselves."

Since beginning production, Renshaw says the Albuquerque crew has been amazing and worked quickly.

"We just set up a full art gallery in like three days," Renshaw says. "They are incredible. Whatever we write, they are able to bring it to life, on a tight schedule. It's a great crew from top to bottom."

The first two seasons of the series were filmed in the middle of summer, and there were some surprises when filming began earlier this year.

"We've never faced shooting in Albuquerque in the snow," Kwok says. "We were filming a junkyard scene one day and there were five inches of snow. Everyone had to scramble and clear out the snow. You can't tell we are shooting in winter. The crew is amazing."

"The Cleaning Lady" is based on the original Argentine series.

According to Amber Dodson, New Mexico Film Office director, the production will employ approximately 256 New Mexico crew members, six New Mexico principal actors, and approximately 2,384 New Mexico background talent.

"The economic impact of this series is significant," Dodson says. "For the third consecutive season, 'The Cleaning Lady' continues to employ New Mexico's top-tier workforce, showcase our state's diverse landscapes, and utilize soundstages and local businesses to create Las Vegas, Nevada, and Manila, Philippines, for the screen. The return of this acclaimed series to New Mexico is a testament to our state's robust film ecosystem that attracts 'return customers' year after year, directly benefiting our residents, businesses and communities."