The plot of AppleTV+\u2019s Land of Women <\/i>isn\u2019t 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. <\/i>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. <\/p>\n Gala Scott (Eva Longoria) is about to achieve everything she has dreamed of \u2013 a high-end wine store in New York, but has to give it all up when she is accosted by her husband Fred\u2019s creditors. With Fred (James Purefoy) on the run, Gala gathers her mother Julia (Carmen Maura) and her daughter Kate (Victoria Baz\u00faa) and flees to Julia\u2019s tiny Spanish hometown of La Muga. <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n Creators<\/b>: Ram\u00f3n Campos, Gema R. Neira<\/p>\n Cast<\/b>: Eva Longoria, Santiago Cabrera, Victoria Baz\u00faa, Carmen Maura, and others <\/p>\n Episodes<\/b>: 6<\/p>\n Run-time<\/b>: 45-50 minutes<\/p>\n Storyline<\/b>: When her husband disappears following financial troubles, a New York socialite, along with her mother and daughter, finds herself in the middle of a small wine-making town in Spain<\/p>\n<\/div>\n 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\u2019s interactions with the women who run the winery, her will-they-won\u2019t-they subplot with Amat (Santiago Cabrera) \u2014 the only man who works at the vineyard \u2014 and a Mamma Mia<\/i>-inspired quest to find out who her real father is, lends the show its more easy-going moments. On the other hand, as Julia, Carmen Maura brings in the more sombre tones. With her dementia creeping in, Julia often finds herself transported back in time, and in La Muga the memory lane is more colourful. Maura plays the fun family matriarch with ease, and handles the cheeky as well as the earnest bits, with a thoroughly arresting screen presence. <\/p>\n With Julia\u2019s past issues creating roadblocks for Gala in the present, and as Kate finds her own place in the lineage, Land of Women <\/i>finds a comforting, if predictable, rhythm to deliver a tale about going back to your roots. But, when it chooses to fast-track this self-realisation journey, with the help of some goofy hitmen, the script becomes muddled. <\/p>\n \nA still from \u2018Land of Women\u2019\n<\/p>\n <\/div>\n Jerking us away from the routine of the small town, interrupted by fumbling New Yorkers, we are thrown back into Gala\u2019s escape from those seeking to recover the money Fred borrowed. A pair of hitmen \u2013 who frankly seemed like they might have learnt villainy by watching Home Alone \u2013 <\/i>land in La Muga, following Gala\u2019s trail. The second half of the show shifts its focus to their antics, as Gala finds new ways to escape them. <\/p>\n Land of Women <\/i>borrows a lot of its foundational narrative from the comfort films about relocating away from big cities, and into the unique chaos of small towns. With the backdrop of Spanish vineyards, we get a slightly new angle to enjoy the expected twists and turns. However, even with six episodes at the show\u2019s disposal, there\u2019s not a lot of substance to be derived from these characters. Besides Julia and perhaps Gala, the script seems to ignore the journeys of those that surround them. On top of that, a dedicated segment to some less-than-impressive hitmen takes away the time that could have been spent colouring in the contours of La Muga. <\/p>\n Land of Women <\/i>is clearly gunning for a second season, leaving plenty of loose ends. Hopefully, it can find its way back to its roots, as a show that is made better with simplicity. <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/th-i.thgim.com\/public\/entertainment\/movies\/tl36bn\/article68344007.ece\/alternates\/SQUARE_80\/Fancy_Dance_Photo_0101.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLand of Women (Spanish, English)<\/h5>\n
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<\/picture><\/div>\n\nA still from \u2018Land of Women\u2019\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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