A six-part adaptation of award-winning author Sandra Barneda’s bestselling novel of the same name on Apple TV+, “Land of Women” follows Gala Scott (Eva Longoria), a New York socialite whose world is turned upside down when her husband abandons her and the life they’ve built together in order to avoid paying a massive debt. With limited funds and resources, Gala rounds up her eccentric mother, Julia (Carmen Maura) and her 17-year-old daughter, Kate (Victoria Bazua), to hide out in La Muga, Julia’s tiny hometown in Northern Spain. Gala hopes to stay hidden from her husband’s creditors in the small town. However, Julia’s salacious past unearths decades-long secrets that have ramifications for the trio, and for La Muga’s residents.
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A typical Hallmark-like narrative about a city gal who moves to a small town and ruffles some feathers before finding a place for herself, “Land of Women” would work much better as a 90-minute film. Instead, stretching the simplistic storyline over six hours bloats the series with dull, cheesy dialogue, which does little to serve the characters or the varied plot points. From Gala’s impractical way of dressing in the town’s vineyards to her flirtation with Amat (Santiago Cabrera), the only man who works in the female-owned wine cooperative, nothing about the character or this story is distinct.
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“Land of Women” begins in a frenzy. Standing in her massive walk-in closet in Manhattan, Gala tapes wads of cash to her body before frantically packing a suitcase. The audience learns that Gala’s life was upended two days prior. While awaiting her husband’s arrival at the opening of her new wine store, she’s accosted by two goons, Hank (Jim Kitson) and Kevin (Amaury Nolasco), who tell her that her husband has failed to pay back the $15 million he borrowed. Barely able to take in the news, Gala flees to safety. She scoops her mother and daughter up from their respective retirement home and boarding school and then jumps on a plane to Barcelona, hoping to stay under the radar. Unfortunately, the trio isn’t received warmly in their new home. Though Julia hasn’t set foot in La Muga in nearly 50 years, her history in the town hasn’t faded with time.
Interestingly enough, flashbacks of Julia as a young woman determined to own her sexuality and free spirit within the confines of a small town are the most fascinating aspects of “Land of Women.” With her rapid-fire Spanish and Catalan, Maura captures the magnetism of a woman who has always done exactly what she wants. It’s a lesson many women, including Julia’s sister Mariona (Gloria Muñoz), learn throughout the show. In Chapter 4, after being humiliated following a doctor’s visit, Kate channels her grandmother’s fiery personality to get the medication she needs to continue thriving while reminding La Muga’s meddling physician of his HIPAA obligations. In contrast, Longoria’s Gala doesn’t seem to understand her power, and instead only begins standing up for herself when she has no other recourse.
Despite its utter predictability, the series has some interesting moments. Barcelona’s wine country is absolutely glittering, and Andreu Rebés’ cinematography does a beautiful job of capturing it on screen. Also, watching Kate navigate her sexuality and identity 45 years after her grandmother did the same highlights both how things have changed and what aspects of sexism have persisted for women across generations. Moreover, while Gala and Amat’s chemistry is sizzling, it never quite reaches the heights it could go.
“Land of Women” is pretty to look at, but the story offers nothing we haven’t seen before. Longoria and all of the actors surrounding her are sound, but the show is primarily a stale, melodramatic regurgitation of hundreds of movies and TV shows audiences have already encountered. In fact, because Gala spends so much energy waiting for her husband to come and fix the mess he’s made, she very frustratingly doesn’t truly blossom as a character until the series ends.
The first two episodes of “Land of Women” premiere June 26 on Apple TV+ with new episodes dropping weekly on Wednesdays.
