The Big Picture
Apple TV+’s enjoyable dramedy
Land of Women
follows New York socialite Gala on a life-changing trip to a Spanish wine town with her family.
The show features strong performances, particularly from Carmen Maura, highlighting the bond between three generations of women.
Despite a weak crime subplot,
Land of Women
offers breezy, feel-good escapism, with a well-developed dynamic between its leading trio.
With the beginning of summer comes a strong desire to go on vacation overseas and escape from the hardships of everyday life. When traveling isn’t an option, a series like Apple TV+’s Land of Women does the trick, since it is centered on a “girls trip” to a picturesque small town in northern Spain, where miles of vineyards occupy both sides of the road. Although the reasoning behind the getaway is far from a simple wish to live an adventure in an unknown place, Gala’s (Eva Longoria) last-minute plan to board a plane with her elderly mother Julia (Carmen Maura) and her teen daughter Kate (Victoria Bazua) makes for an unexpectedly life-changing ride. Although Apple TV+’s multicultural production, with cast and crew from both Spain and the US, has its faults, Land of Women is a breezy, feel-good show that viewers can resort to when traveling to Europe isn’t feasible.
Land of Women
A New York socialite is forced to flee to a charming Spanish wine town with her mother and daughter. She finds herself navigating small-town quirks while also confronting her deepest family secrets—and a pair of bumbling hit men.
Genre Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Debut Date June 26, 2024
What Is ‘Land of Women’ About?
Based on a novel by Sandra Barned, the series starts with Gala, a New York socialite who is ecstatic about her bottle shop opening. In high spirits over finally getting to focus on something of her own, the protagonist feels her world turned upside down when two hit men appear at the inaugural event to warn her about her husband’s billion-dollar debt. With her partner nowhere to be found and criminals threatening her and her family, Gala is forced to come up with a plan to flee the country with her loved ones overnight. The first destination that pops into her mind is La Muga, a small town in Catalonia, Spain, where Julia and her sister lived in their youth. Yet, when the three women arrive in the village, it becomes clear that their presence is unwelcome, given the bad reputation that Gala’s mother had when she lived there and the fact that she hadn’t kept in touch with her sibling for over 40 years.
‘Land of Women’ Might Be Eva Longoria’s TV Comeback, but Carmen Maura Steals the Show
Image via Apple TV +
After spending nearly a decade behind the camera as a producer and director, the Desperate Housewives alum once again embraces the role of a fashionista, who slowly learns that she doesn’t need expensive clothing items at her grasp to be happy. Longoria’s charming onscreen presence and her feisty Latina nature are on full display through her latest character, who was born in America but lived a long time in Mexico. Her fluency in Spanish allows her to alternate between languages and communicate with La Muga’s locals, but it doesn’t prevent her from being misjudged by the community of primarily women. After all, in their minds, she is the spitting image of Julia, who they regard as a rebel without a cause and who also had flings with most of the men in the village when she resided there. Her departure from the town was more of a blessing than a curse, so Gala being related to her prevents the protagonist from making meaningful connections right away. She must instead conquer the women’s trust, as well as the affection of Amat (Santiago Cabrera), the current owner of Julia’s childhood home.
Although Longoria plays the main character, the consecrated Carmen Maura who draws the viewer into the plot. Pedro Almodóvar’s frequent collaborator brings nuance to Julia, who is now no longer the problematic teen who used to go skinny-dipping in the lake and would constantly get into fights with her neighbors. She is now plagued by memory lapses, so much so that she doesn’t even know which of the men in her past is Gala’s biological father. Catapulted back to the place where she was raised, Julia must make amends and find the answers she seeks before she is no longer able to remember who she is. Maura shines as Julia, embracing her sense of humor and flirty personality despite her mental state.
Moreover, Land of Women might be a crime drama, but the show’s highlight is the dynamic between generations. As a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter are forced to leave their comfort zones and reconnect through an unfortunate turn of events, they finally get the chance to bond like never before. Kate, who is transgender, has had a hard time maintaining a close relationship with her mother since her transition, and Julia was living in a retirement home before her daughter whisked her away on this getaway trip. Sleeping in a cramped guest room and working in the fields producing wine becomes an opportunity for healing. When Longoria, Maura, and Bazua share the screen, you can’t help but feel drawn to their evolving bond.
‘Land of Women’s Crime Subplot Is Neither Thrilling nor Melodramatic Enough
Image via Apple TV +
With this leading trio making amends in the wine country, it is easy to forget that the show began with criminals knocking on Gala’s door. When the hit men go after these three women, their presence in the Apple TV+ original becomes more annoying than thrilling. After all, the characters tracking them down are purely one-dimensional, and their posture is neither scary enough to make them threatening nor is it goofy enough to make them a perfect fit for telenovelas like La Reina Del Suror Jane the Virgin.
Interestingly, the crime aspect of the series is its least compelling feature, given that the show’s creators have crafted several women-led dramas with a dangerous twist. Showrunners Ramón Campos, Paula Fernandez, and Teresa Fernández-Valdés have lent backing to productions like High Seas and Cable Girls, which are great examples of projects that effectively blend female friendships and outlaw chases.
Despite this, the show’s magnetic performances (especially Maura’s) and its gorgeous backdrop are enjoyable enough to offer viewers a welcoming sense of escapism. Although Land of Women would’ve been better off if it were more high stakes, particularly when it comes to Gala’s constant fear of having her hiding spot uncovered, it does score points for its well-developed dynamic between the series’ leading trio.
Review
Land of Women
Land of Women is an enjoyable, female-led dramedy with a weak crime link.
ProsCarmen Maura’s performance is multi-faceted and compelling.The leading trio’s rekindling is one of the series’ greatest assets.The wine country setting provides a comforting sense of escapism. ConsThe crime elements fall flat, despite the series being a crime drama.The show’s villains are one-dimensional, and their presence is more boring than thrilling.
The first two episodes of Land of Women will premiere on Apple TV+ on June 26.
Watch on Apple TV +