‘Under the Vines’ Recap: ‘Episode 4’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Four of ‘Under the Vines’.
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Over the course of the past couple of weeks, the Acorn TV series, Under the Vines, has done a phenomenal job of teaching us some critical life lessons. Such as the fact that change is the only constant in the universe, and how we respond to it determines a great deal for our future. Plus, the series has dug deep into how our external problems don’t disappear when we make an attempt to start over in life and the show is showing no signs of slowing down when it comes to this quality exploration of the human condition and the power of the fresh start, as evidenced by this week’s delightful and engaging new episode.

For the next chapter in Daisy and Louis’ adventures in New Zealand, opted to expand further on the past and how it can influence our fresh start in a negative way, if we don’t deal with the demons we carry inside or the bad parts of the life we are trying to leave behind. A feat this story accomplished, by having the dynamic characters that populate this world, deal with those exact problems. Take Louis for instance, who spent a fair chunk of this tale sulking and drunk, all because the end of his marriage put all of his flaws and demons on display, and he genuinely believed he was a failure that could not accomplish anything. But with a little push from everyone at the winery and some harsh words from Daisy… finally forced him to really ponder upon his life and his flaws.

As for Daisy, well… her journey was a bit more heartbreaking in regard to the episode’s theme. Because in an effort to garner a little clout for the winery, she called upon her bestie to come down and do a photoshoot with her that would get social media buzzing about Oakley and its offerings. Which was in fact, a healthy thing to do. But it didn’t take long for his influence to pull out the worst in Daisy, since she was quick to return to her high-class ways and revel in the majesty of the lifestyle that accompanied that. And because she was quick to return to old habits that were never fully addressed or abandoned, eventually she neglected others and even missed out on an important party for Nic’s wife and that hurtful faux pas and her bestie’s immature behavior toward Gus… provided her with that all-important wake up call.

Which meant that the back end of this episode, saw our characters deal with their past in a beautiful and inspiring manner. For Louis finally came to understand what was in front of him and how little the past or past mistakes mattered, and Daisy… well she came to realize that in order to properly embrace her fresh start, every element of the vapid lifestyle she once enjoyed, had to be abandoned and once they both reached these respective epiphanies… wonders happened. For Louis quickly dug into the winery and its offerings to finally become a functional and valued member of the team and Daisy, let the past go and embraced her friends and her mission and for the moment… there is peace once again at Oakley. 

But what matters more, is that this was a brilliant exploration of how we genuinely think a fresh start will wipe away all of our problems, and the genuine shock that finds us when we realize… it most certainly does not. For the past cannot be erased and our internal problems fester and it was wonderful to see these characters finally start to deal with such matters so they could properly enjoy the wonder of the opportunity they’ve been given, and how it might heal their souls. And now that Daisy and Louis are finally on the right track from a self-care perspective… the sky is the limit and they can focus on making the most of their fresh start and it will be quite interesting to see where this series is headed next, now that its two most important people are ready to move into the next chapter of their story. Until next time.

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