- The son and manager of longtime kitsch act--and alcoholics--Bernie and Lola wants William to clean up his parents. William must combat Bernie and Lola's distaste for their son's choice of a fiancée, as well as their codependent relationship. Soon it becomes clear that they will not get sober as long as they are together. Meanwhile, William and Akani butt heads over how to handle an addicted rock star who is about to go on tour.
- "I've been wondering about this free will &%$#," William says. Nice, Cleaner. Cursing to open the show. But it's about to get even more RAW. A young manager named Michael rages against William and his crew for not controlling his rock star client, who appears high on a video tape. "We pay you a lot of money to sit on April and make sure this doesn't happen!" he screams. William responds by putting Akani on the case.
Speaking of addicts, we meet soon Michael's parents: an aging lounge act so drunk they can barely warble an off-key tune. Poor guy is surrounded by addicts. "If you want them clean, you have to prepare them for some kind of separation," William tells the young man. Michael pleads with William to get his parents clean in time for his upcoming wedding to fiance Josephine. Backstage, the Cleaner confronts Lola and Bernie, who aren't interested in any "life changes" at this point.
Akani, in the meantime, confronts rock-star April, who appears higher than the highest kite. "I don't know who Michael thinks he's kidding," April says. "It doesn't matter if I'm high or I'm low." Apparently, she believes that her tour will go on regardless. Frustrated, Akani heads to the bathroom and begins dumping all the surrounding drugs down the drain, replacing them with them with placebos. It doesn't work. April has seen all these tactics before. She enters the bathroom and dumps the placebos. Now Akani is REALLY frustrated.
Back at the garage, William looks over divorce papers from Melissa when Akani enters. "We need to start treating her like a child," she says of April. Akani then accuses William of letting business get in the way of what he "believes in." In other words, William refuses to delay or cancel any tour stops for the rock star.
The next morning, William heads to the home of Lola and Bernie, who have agreed to submit to William's treatment. Just then, William gets a text message from Akani: he and Michael are needed at April's place. And with good reason. April is higher than normal, which means she is positively flying. "You're the reason I wanted to do all of this," she slurs to her manager. "Please, please, please, don't let me go out there." But Michael refuses to cancel a single stop the tour. He suggests postponing his wedding to join April on the road. Famous client or fiancé? It's a difficult choice.
Sometime later, police burst through the April's door with a warrant. Akani, playing babysitter once again, sighs heavily. "I work with William Banks," Akani says. "Have some mercy, please. Let me help her." The lead cop agrees to come back in a week. "Tell William this makes us even," he barks before leaving.
Back at the garage, Michael is freaking out. He demands to know what happened. "I staged a bust, scared the hell out her, OK?" Akani tells him. Clever girl. William and Michael then head to Bernie and Lola's. A family argument soon erupts. Bernie claims he boozes just to tolerate his wife. Then Bernie turns his ire on sonny boy, claiming that he "gave it all up" and became a lounge singer in order to take care of Michael. When given a choice, Lola still sides with her husband. "I'm sorry, William, but we're done with this," she says. "We are done!" Growls William: "I'm not giving up on you two." That just isn't the Cleaner's style.
Nor is letting Melissa serve him with divorce papers. William heads to the old homestead to have a heart-to-heart with his former flame. "I got the papers," he says. "They're pretty hard to look at ... What do you want?" Melissa explains that she signed the papers. "When you're ready, I want you to pick up a pen and ..." William cuts her off. Regrouping, Melissa says signing the divorce papers was hard on her too. The Cleaner leaves in a huff.
Later that night, Bernie is back on stage singing and slurring. Just as the song is coming to a merciful end, Michael charges the stage. He is holding a drink. Earlier, we learned that the boy had been stone cold sober his entire life. Not anymore. Bernie and Lola have finally driven him to intoxication. "Everybody raise a glass to the worst goddamn parents a kid could have!" he screams to the shocked crowd. William helps escort Michael off the stage.
Back at the garage, Lola demands to see her son. "Are you crazy?" Josephine asks. "You two are the reason he's in this mess!" Bernie is defiant. "It's not my problem the boy can't hold his liquor," he grumbles. Michael emerges with a hangover, hoping he has taught his parents a valuable lesson by demonstrating to them what he has dealt with during the last few decades. But dad is already gone and mom only fights with Michael's fiancé. Michael defends his mother, which sets the future missus off. "I can't keep doing this!" Josephine screams. "Put us first from now on!"
Later, William stands outside Bernie and Lola's house when Michael approaches. The Cleaner blocks the door. "You're not afraid of them dying -- you're afraid of change," William tells the young man. "You go in there, nothing changes." By the same token, if Michael goes back on tour, he is once again avoiding change. "April takes drugs, you let her," William explains. Long story short, Michael has to make a stand for himself and his fiance. "Josephine is a beautiful woman," the Cleaner says. "Get rid of everything that's in your way." It's a lesson William wished he had learned long ago.
So Michael confronts April, who has sobered up. "I'm not going ... I quit," he tells his client. "I'm no longer your manager." April is SHOCKED. She shoves Michael -- hard. "You don't have anything without me!" the rock star yells. "You don't have a career!" That might be true, but it's time Michael started living for himself. He leaves. April cries and stares accusingly at Akani, as if this is all just another scare tactic. No such luck, honey.
Musical montage time. William visits the home of Lola and Bernie, who continues to booze. Michael goes to Josephine's house with a bouquet of flowers. They embrace. William, in the meantime, signs his divorce papers. Akani enters. She has come to say goodbye before heading out on tour with April. The Cleaner wishes her luck.
We end the episode back at the club with Bernie, who drinks and sings. Lola is nowhere to be seen. She has returned to the garage to talk to William. "Bernie sent me away," she cries. "I don't know where to go now ... I don't remember the last time I did something on my own." William walks the old lady to the front door of Michael's house. Lola swallows her pride and goes inside. It's time for reconciliation. But not for William. He drops the divorce papers off to his soon-to-be ex wife. Fade to black.
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