‘Under the Vines’ Recap: ‘Episode 3’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Under the Vines’.
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Each and every one of us, will at some point… dream of what it would be like to start over in life. Largely because life can be overwhelming at times and the endless bills and stresses of the world, motivate our brains to ponder upon a different tomorrow. Wherein we just leave our lives behind and start over anew and reinvent ourselves and get it right the second time around. And while a great deal of people see that as nothing more than a pipe dream and return to their problems to face them… some people do in fact, take that thought to heart and do whatever it takes to leave their current woes behind to start over anew… and find themselves in quite the surprising place once they’ve settled into their ‘new life.’

For some… quickly come to discover that their problems find a way to follow them to their new destination or they simply haven’t a clue as to what comes next. Since little planning went into securing a future in this strange new land, since the decision to start over was so impulsive in nature and well, that really does leave one to wonder… what exactly goes into a fresh start when one just goes for it without giving it a second thought. And thankfully, fiction is there to help us explore such thoughts since the possibilities are endless in print or on screens and it just so happens, that the next episode of Under the Vines on Acorn TV, takes the time answer that question. For when we catch up with Louis and Daisy here, they’re pondering upon exactly that.

Because now that they have decided to keep the Oakley Winery and enjoy a fresh start in the process… they have to figure out what comes next and that allowed for Daisy to explore the possibility that when we undertake a new beginning on a whim… we could just embrace the moment and go for broke. Which is why she immediately goes all in on prepping the Winery for an upcoming competition since she saw a chance to really impress folks after the Stanley win, and cement the winery’s standing as a legitimate and trusted business, and seeing her work toward that, all while inspiring her employees to be the best they can be and living her life to the fullest… was quite inspirational for certain. Since it helped to teach us that if we are genuinely serious about leaving it all behind, we have to commit to the fresh start and every opportunity it presents us with. 

Yet while that was quite inspirational and lovely and helped to reinforce the wonder of the fresh start, it was Louis’ journey that spoke to the more difficult side of this notion. Specifically what it looks like when we haven’t dealt with our problems, and it accomplished this exploration… by having his family swing by the Winery. For Louis genuinely thought having them there and being able to spend more time with them… would magically heal old wounds and bring them together. But alas, Louis quickly came to learn that he had to actually deal with the rift in his relationship and face the harsh reality that sometime lovers… fall out of love, and no amount of distance or restart buttons can fix that. Which was certainly a sobering reminder that if we aren’t honest with ourselves regarding our problems… the fresh start will seem a little hollow when we objectively see what we were trying to ignore in the first place.

Which means that in the end, these polarizing themes and examinations… make it clear to the audience that what comes next regarding a fresh start… depends upon the situation. Which is in essence, a messy and somewhat blunt way to explore that all-important question, but messy is what life truly is and this show deserves serious credit for not sugar coating this notion as other stories are sometimes wont to do. Because quite frankly, storytelling needs more of this, since romanticizing moves this big only hurts people in the long run and well, going this route only adds to the wonder of this show. Since it informs us that Under the Vines is going to offer up a beautifully raw look at the struggles that come with starting over… so we can appreciate the majesty of what waits for us at the end of the journey. Until next time.  

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