Eva Longoria, it’s good to have you back. The Desperate HousewivesApple TV+’s Land Of Women, which premieres June 26. She plays strong-headed Gala Scott, whose husband’s financial misdeeds threaten to ruin her comfortable life. At first glance, Gala appears eerily similar to DH’s Gabrielle Solis (even their initials are the same). However, Longoria chips away at surface-level resemblances to embody another endearing yet wholly different type of character. Here she’s joined by co-stars Victoria Bazua and Carmen Maura, a legendary Spanish heroine—and together, they’re a force of nature in this dramedy.
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The trio enlivens Land Of Women’s already warm disposition. Taking place in Spanish wine country, the show is visually vibrant, has a measured pace, and features tender writing. Every element, including the cinematography and Federico Jusid’s compositions, fit like puzzle pieces for a satisfying result. Land Of Women is a breath of fresh air and a solid reminder that Apple TV+ originals can be a delight (if only they would promote their stuff better). After Masters Of The Air, this Ramón Campos series is easily the streamer’s best new offering of 2024, with its tonal sensibilities joining past faves like Bad Sisters and Shrinking.
The premise is simple: Unbeknownst to her, Gala’s spouse borrowed $15 million from criminals. When they come to collect, Fred (James Purefoy) disappears, leaving her to deal with the mess. With no choice, she flees her lavish New York City lifestyle, taking teen daughter Kate (Bazua) and elderly mother Julia (Maura) along for their safety. They hide in La Muga, Julia’s ancestral home on the outskirts of Barcelona, where Gala’s poshness contrasts the ruggedly charming countryside. Her clacking heels are no match for the verdant pathways and neither is her sharp tongue against the old women running the local vineyard, including her estranged aunt Mariona (Gloria Muñoz).
To no one’s surprise, Gala ends up growing a soft spot for La Muga while improving their wine business. Conveniently, she’s a connoisseur with all the right contacts in the industry. Kate, who is trans, comes out of her shell and stands up for herself in the face of medical issues. Meanwhile, Julia struggles to reconnect with the place she grew up in but hasn’t visited in more than 40 years. It doesn’t help that her sister and other townsfolk are still mad at her for her former promiscuity. (There’s a Mamma Mia! type of adventure to figure out who the hell Gala’s real father is.)
Is it cliché that Gala, Kate, and Julia eventually find their true selves in a community seemingly strange to them? Yes. This standard fish-out-of-water trope is well-worn, from Mork & Mindy and Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air to Ted Lasso and Schitt’s Creek. This format persists because it naturally allows for hilarity, learning experiences, and unexpected connections. These components make for an engrossing TV show and characters worth cheering for. Just as we want Will Smith to succeed in glitzy L.A. or hope for the Roses to reconnect in a dusty motel room, Land Of Women makes us naturally root for these women.
Sure, their arcs are predictable, but they feel earned because Land Of Women doles them out with tons of sincerity and heart. (There may be a few tears, too.) The script, which is in Spanish and English, flows smoothly like a well-balanced Merlot, almost daring us not to get immersed in La Muga’s sunny world just like Gala and Kate do. It’s a testament to the cast and crew that six 45-minute episodes aren’t overstuffed despite several subplots ranging from silly to sexy.
Land Of Women cracks the code of properly juggling laughs, thrills, and emotions. Oh, and there’s a steamy rom-com aspect, too. Gala’s undeniably hot banter with Amat (a perfectly cast Santiago Cabrera), who owns the house they crash in, is tailor-made for genre fans who live for tropes like enemies-to-lovers, will-they-won’t-they, trapped-in-close-quarters, and the like. It all feels straight out of a novel, yet Gala and Amat’s trajectory blooms organically. You can’t help but be drawn to them, ridiculous hurdles like exes and gun-toting hitmen notwithstanding.
The most noteworthy puzzle piece here is Maura, who cements her status as an icon. What a thrill it is to see the actor, who has worked in Spain for six decades now, switch from flirtatious, funny one-liners to delicately handling Julia’s early onset dementia. She anchors the wholesome intergenerational dynamic between her, Longoria, and Bazua. And through them, the showLand Of Women quite palatable indeed.
Land Of Women premieres June 26 on Apple TV+