The plot of AppleTV+’s Land of Women isn’t exactly a novel proposition. A New York socialite, stripped of her wealth, finds herself in the middle of a small town, where she learns some life-changing lessons. Swap out the Hallmark-signature Christmas backdrop for the sun-kissed vineyards of Catalonia, and you get Land of Women.
While the Eva Longoria-led dramedy does plenty to infuse its script with the richness that the Spanish countryside has to offer, its reliance on its more comic-thriller aspects, coupled with its intentions to leave plenty of conflict resolutions for its subsequent season, leaves much to be desired. Gala Scott (Eva Longoria) is about to achieve everything she has dreamed of – a high-end wine store in New York, but has to give it all up when she is accosted by her husband Fred’s creditors. With Fred (James Purefoy) on the run, Gala gathers her mother Julia (Carmen Maura) and her daughter Kate (Victoria Bazúa) and flees to Julia’s tiny Spanish hometown of La Muga.
La Muga has its own set of problems waiting for the trio. While Gala makes a bad first impression by knocking over the vineyard produce in an accident, even before she enters the town, Julia realises that even after 40 years, the town still sees her in a bad light. Based on a novel by Sandra Barneda, the six-episode series finds its feet in its first half, with its more slice-of-life approach.
Gala’s interactions with the women who run the winery, her will-they-won’t-they subplot .
