Things have definitely developed since the first two episodes of this Apple TV+ series, and while the shift in tone was a successful approach, the same can't be said of the women caught in the throws of a town that dislikes and distrusts them while two bumbling thugs search for them.
In Land of Women Season 1 Episode 3, we got to see the trio of women finally settle down in some sense of the word.
In doing so, the tone and pace of the show shifted in a way that allows viewers to experience the same level of peace of mind as the characters.
Granted, they are far from out of the woods, but at least now they have an actual plan and aren't just running around a foreign town in designer heels and a bag filled with fifty thousand dollars.
The one thing that can be said so far of these characters is that they are confident in knowing who they are and are not shy about standing their ground, despite most of the town wishing they'd get off their land.
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While each episode has had a perfect chemistry of heart and humor, the third episode supercharged both aspects of the show in a way that is similar to the actual human experience.
There was a lot to discuss in this episode, so let's not waste another minute and talk about the incredible journey these amazing women are on!
First, it's great that they now have a roof over their heads and a soft bed to sleep in, but I'm with Gala regarding the rooster. Absolutely not.
The look of defeat on Gala's face was one that any and all viewers know too well because even if you end up having a great day, you're still going to remember how crappy it felt to wake up that early.
Kate: I just don't get what Grandma and I are doing here.
Gala: We're family. And families stick together, even in the worst times.
The poor woman has been through enough and deserves to sleep for like a week.
She probably also doesn't enjoy having to remind her mother of their situation every morning because of Grandma's spotty memory, even though it's hard to tell when she's playing it up or being sincere.
Grandma has been calling out Fred since Land of Women Season 1 Episode 1, and we completely agree with her identification of Fred as the bastard that he is.
Gala: Try to remember, Mom. We're here because Fred --.
Julia: Right, right, right. We need to run away and hide because of your stupid husband. I wish you had gotten a divorce, honey.
Now, about the thugs on the hunt for these lovely women.
In the first two episodes, they seemed like effective henchmen who knew a thing or two about tracking down people and getting what they needed, but wow, did that perception go entirely out the window in "Chapter 3."
Thug #1: Let's go.
Thug #2: Where? We have no idea where they are.
Thug #1: The girl said they were staying in a wine-making village in Catalonia, right?
Thug #2: But if you search "Wine Village, Catalonia," you get a hundred hits.
They at least seemed competent, but now it's been made abundantly clear that these two bumbling idiots have absolutely no idea what they are doing, and that is fine with us if it means keeping the girls safe while they're hiding out.
Thankfully, this series has more substance than the cliched trope of the "Home Alone" bad guy variety.
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And substance abounds, because with just a brief moment of dialogue, Grandma gave a small history lesson that painted a decades-long picture of where the town got its roots and traditions while organically stating the show's title.
Many years ago, men worked in the vineyards. But when the Civil War arrived, they were sent to the battlefront. Because of what might happen to them, they left their lands to their mothers, their daughters, their wives. So, they started making wine. And it became a tradition. And ever since, this has been the land of women.
Julia
Remember when it was an unspoken requirement that shows and movies said the title no matter how out of place it felt?
The good ol' times.
Gala, in the same amount of time, managed to tick off what seemed like more than half the women of the town, but we don't blame her, as over five dialects of Spanish are spoken in Spain.
I had a wine shop in New York. I have connections. I can help. To improve your wine.
Gala
To Eva Longoria's credit, the Mexican-born actress is not a native speaker of the Spanish language.
She only learned the language in 2009, after many in the entertainment industry deemed her "not Latina enough."
As my Honduran mother would say, guess who's laughing "jajajajajaja" all the way to the bank to cash those checks now!
Getting back to Gala, the woman even had us pausing at her extensive expertise as a sommelier.
There's no getting around that it initially felt like she was just another rich woman opening a shop to fill all her free time with a hobby, and boy, were we ever wrong.
The women not only knows her wine but also how to strategize marketing to upsell the declining product that the town needs to sustain itself.
Amat: We have to make it according to the regulations to keep the certificate.
Gala: What certificate?
Amat: the certificate of origin.
Gala: What do you need that certificate for?
Amat: So more people by the wine.
Gala: But it doesn't sell because you're making bad wine. The problem isn't the market. It's you.
I get that the women running the cooperative are likely territorial, but they aren't looking at the big picture in the long run because, as Miss Grande would say, "Whoever said money can't solve your problems must not have had enough money to solve'em."
While Gala is doing her best to help the town, Grandma is doing what she does best: teaching a master class in confidence without ever flinching about what and who she wants.
Doctor: Okay. Have you felt dizzy at any other time recently?
Julia: Yes. Every time a guy like you gets close to me.
Did you see the way that doctor practically blushed?
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Speaking of Grandma and her wily ways, it seemed a little odd that she was so quick to peg Andreu as Gala's father, considering the woman has been very vocal about her sexual escapades when she was younger.
In case anyone has forgotten, Grandma had every man's head turning as she sashayed out of jail in Land of Women Season 1 Episode 2.
She's a show-stopping, heart-breaking, wild woman who will not be held back by anyone, including the town she grew up in or her own family.
She should give her daughter a break, though, especially after Gala made that small confession about her dreams.
Do you want to know what I miss? My wine shop. For the first time in my life, I was doing what I wanted to do. The opening was beautiful. Everyone loved it. And suddenly, poof! It was over.
Gala
It really and truly only made us hate that rat bastard Fred even more!
Thank God for Amat and his abundently fermented wine, otherwise Gala may not have let her down and to get a little tipsy with the vigneron, leading to a drunken night of hilarious proportions.
Now, with total transparency, there was some googling on this end to find out precisely what a Certificate of Origin (CO) is, as it was mentioned so many times in this episode.
Amat: We can't sell it.
Gala: I don't want to sell it. I want to mix it. Look, that wine you have is more acidic and tastes fresher. It's much lighter. If we mix them, we'll make a wine that's more subtle. Delicious.
Amat: If we mix them, we'll lose the certificate of origin.
Gala: You don't need the certificate. We can create a signature wine. Smaller, more elaborate. Following our own rules.
While we can see the value of something like that kind of authenticity, it's certainly not the only kind, leaving us squarely in Gala's corner believing the certificate is only holding the town back from its chance at getting out of the hole it has been digging itself into for a while.
But we can't talk about this unbelievably amazing show without talking about Kate, the youngest of the Xatart trio.
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Did anyone else feel a surge of anger that made them want to reach through the screen and beat the transphbic girl in the bar with her dumbass doctor boyfriend who clearly doesn't understand doctor patient confidentiality?
Me neither. Violence is never the answer, so it was good to see the disturbingly beautiful mechanic come to Kate's rescue.
Land of Women is proving to be a force on all fronts with its incredible acting and writing because the dialogue is the next level despite some viewers likely being unhappy with the need for subtitles.
The series also dips into some telenovela roots, with Fred's infidelity and Amat almost kissing Gala even though he and Montse are clearly a thing.
And damn, did Mariona deliver a slap heard throughout the countryside before she set the record straight about her man!
What's all this nonsense about him being a father? Andreu is sterile!
Mariona
This series is really incredible, and we can only hope that more people jump on the bandwagon so fans can have multiple seasons for years to come.
Whatever Apple TV+ decides to do beyond the first season, we'll at least always have this fantastic live adaption of Sandra Barnedas's bestselling novel.
What are your thoughts on the town and their cold shoulder to these amazing women?
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Does Gala have a type, or is she just unlucky enough to attract only taken men like her mother?
Drop a comment below to let us know, and join us again when we review the next episode of this one-of-a-kind series!