The Cleaning Lady Season 4 Episode 9 Recap: Hearts on Fire

Season 9 of ‘The Cleaning Lady’ has brought plenty of complications for Thony, not least in her increasingly complicated love life. Ever since she discovered Ramona’s involvement in Vanessa’s murder, the desire for revenge seems to have driven the cartel doctor’s pretend husband, Jorge, even further away from her. While the brother seeks out his revenge, his sister puts her own plan in motion that brings danger right to Thony in the form of a bomb threat at the hospital. Inevitably, this high-stakes ambush brings her closer to the kind-hearted and inquisitive Dr. DuPont, who doesn’t seem to be as unnerved by his colleague’s convoluted life as he should be. As a result, Ramona’s cruel plot against the doctor’s life ends up plummeting it towards a risk of a different variety. SPOILERS AHEAD!

Cowboy Hat Plants a Horrifying Bomb at the Hospital

In the aftermath of Ramona’s arrest, Thony and Jorge maintain appearances in their marriage while continuing to live apart. The latter’s days are entirely overtaken by his desperate need for revenge against Cowboy Hat, the man who aided his sister in the murder of his wife. Even though Thony is concerned about his reckless single-minded focus, there’s little she can do to deter it. As such, she ends up returning to work beside DuPont, who remains worried about her circumstances. Soon enough, the more dangerous part of her life catches up to her with the arrival of a peculiar patient.

Maria, a young undocumented cleaning lady, whose condition is starkly reminiscent of Thony’s past, finds herself entangled with the wrong people. In an effort to make some extra cash, she has been working with some drug dealers to smuggle their product across the border by stowing it away inside her body. However, this time, a certain man in a cowboy hat forces her into delivering a deadly package. Thus, Maria arrives at the hospital, severely injured with fresh surgical stitches running up her torso. Her condition is concerning enough on its own, but the nature of the stitches compels Thony to suspect organ harvesting and order an X-ray.

This suspicion only increases tenfold when the doctor learns about the involvement of Cowboy Hat in Maria’s predicament. Eventually, the test results return, showcasing a bomb embedded within the patient’s body. As a result, the building is quickly evacuated to minimize the damage. However, Thony refuses to leave Maria’s side, compelling DuPont to stick around too. Yet, they’re rushed away from the patient’s side with the reassurance that a combat surgeon, trained in high-tension scenarios, is on their way. Still, knowing the bomb is an attempted revenge against her, Thony can’t in good conscience leave the young woman to her demise.

Jorge Exacts His Revenge

The discovery of Ramona’s betrayal hit Jorge particularly hard. He could never have imagined his own sister would play such a crucial part in the death of Vanessa, the love of his life. For the same reason, he becomes blinded by a need for vengeance to the point of almost abandoning every other aspect of his life. His daughter, Violeta, takes to living with Thony and Luca, while his cartel members grow antsy about his recent decision-making. Still, he maintains his intention of meeting with Sam Heller to settle the growing dispute between their crime families over the matter of the mines. Even so, he continues simultaneously hunting after Cowboy Hat, Ramona’s accomplice in Vanessa’s murder. Since his sister is currently in prison, he puts all his efforts toward delivering her partner-in-crime to justice.

Yet, Jorge is swayed from his warpath for a moment when he learns about the bomb threat at the hospital. Worse yet, Thony remains stubborn in her refusal to flee to safety without ensuring Maria’s safety, which puts her directly in the line of danger. Nonetheless, there’s nothing Jorge can do to change her mind. Therefore, he has no choice but to leave to attend his incredibly detrimental meeting with Heller. Even though he manages to make it to the location in the nick of time, Jorge ultimately changes his mind when he gets a definitive update about Cowboy Hat’s whereabouts.

Making a compulsive decision, Jorge skips his meeting with Heller and pays Cowboy Hat a visit. At the end of the inevitably violent confrontation, the former succeeds in killing his nemesis once and for all. Furthermore, he learns about how Ramona had choked the life out of Vanessa with her own hands. This only increases his rage toward his sister, which makes him put out a hit on her while she’s inside the prison. Thus, Jorge’s decision to prioritize his revenge over a negotiation with the Hellers is bound to catch up to him in adverse ways.

Thony and DuPont Form a Connection

Even after Thony and DuPont get escorted out of Maria’s hospital room, the former remains worried about the young woman’s safety. She knows that the bomb squad’s primary focus is on deactivating the bomb, even if it comes at the cost of the loss of one life. Nonetheless, she isn’t willing to pay the same price. Knowing Cowboy Hat’s involvement in the entire ordeal, she can’t help but blame herself for her patient’s demise. DuPont is aware of this, but can’t overlook the danger that will come with allowing the other doctor to rush to Maria’s aid. For the same reason, he decides to step in and help Thony, but only with the caveat of being let in on the whole truth in the aftermath.

Consequently, the latter gets the green light to perform the time-sensitive surgery without waiting for the combat surgeon’s delayed arrival. The operation is tense, and Maria’s heart almost gives out in the middle of it. Yet, Thony and the bomb specialist are able to neutralize the threat while also saving the young woman’s life. Afterward, once DuPont has finished off Maria’s surgery, the day’s events catch up to Thony. Her decisions and choices had almost sealed her fate, leaving her son an orphan without any notice. Naturally, this remains a heavy weight on her shoulders. DuPont recognizes the same and decides to give her some space by making excuses for her when Jorge comes looking.

Eventually, DuPont goes looking for the doctor himself, seeking the answers he was promised. Although Thony is honest with him about her involvement with the cartel and her fake marriage to Jorge, she’s also betting on scaring him off. Therefore, it comes as a surprise when DuPont doesn’t run away and insists that he still cares about her. This leads the couple to finally give in to their growing attraction as they hook up in the on-call room. However, unbeknownst to Thony, Jorge is leaving a voicemail for her at the same time, confessing his feelings for her. As it turns out, his reasons behind killing Cowboy Hat had a lot more to do with her than with Vanessa, and he’s finally ready to admit it. He’s ready for them and their kids to be a real family, which, given the cartel doctor’s newfound relationship, is destined to bring some complications.