While the first episode of “3 Women” season 1 introduced us to our heroines, the following episodes will only focus on one central story per episode.
The second episode of Season 1 of “3 Women” focuses on Lena. Her story seemed to resonate with me the most and my heart broke for her. There is no love in her marriage. Her husband hasn’t touched her in 45 days, and she hints that she hasn’t been in a relationship since high school with Aidan.
So many red flags make me wonder why Lena and Ed got married. It’s modern now, but their marriage seems so ancient.
At times it seemed like Ed and Lena were marrying just to have children.
There was no warmth between them like there is between a married couple, not even a simple shoulder caress or appreciation for what she was doing at home.
It makes sense why Lena would become so overwhelmed with taking care of the kids and doing household chores that she would escape to the bathroom for a moment of peace.
Many moms do this, although I’m not sure many would admit to using a vibrator with their kids in the next room.
She couldn’t handle the overflowing pots and the kids screaming with no time to breathe. Although she didn’t have a heart attack, she did have a panic attack and experienced several of the same symptoms.
The people around poor Lena are more concerned with her image and her breakdown than with her actual pain.
Her family is just as bad as her husband’s. It almost sounds like they were in cahoots with Ed since they heard about her “breakdown” from Ed.
Lena differs from her family, who believe she should be grateful for everything Ed has provided for her. They had great faith in the Bible and in this man as the head of the family.
While Lena once believed this, her views have changed. Talking about her marriage in a women’s group helped her. She saw others struggling too, which gave her the confidence to stand up for herself.
I love the parallels between her marriage and James Bond and Quantum of Solace. She learned that at least basic humanity is needed in a marriage to survive. You can’t come back from it if there’s just brutal indifference.
Her standards for marriage are so low. Ed would help with the chores but wouldn’t touch her.
However, this is limited to household matters. Ed is barely raising his son, and he complains when Lena attends a women’s group and her friend’s bachelorette party.
Not to be rude, but he helped make them and he could help raise them and give her some time to rest. Raising children is not just a woman’s job.
After just a few meetings, Lena and Gia’s relationship takes on a new dimension. Gia first approached Lena to read her book because she had a unique perspective on relationships and she was excited for Lena to have a second chance at love.
Lena: Actually, I think anything you do for love is crazy.
Gia: But do you really think so? Is everything you do for love crazy?
Lena: I think it’s crazy to give up on love.
Although Gia wants to write about Lena, Gia also needs a friend. We don’t know what trouble Gia is in yet, but it’s clear that she’s broken, too, and that she needs Lena to be more than just a client.
It’s easy to see why Gia wanted to write Lena. How many people have reconnected with their high school sweethearts years later and still have that smoking chemistry? Even after all this, Lena still believes in love.
It’s hard to tell early on whether Lena and Aidan have a real chance or if she’s just reliving the good old days. No one paid any attention to Lena, she deserved to be loved.
The show did a great job of casting a teenage version of Lena and Aidan, and it’s easy to see why she’s eager to be wanted like that again.
All the leading ladies are wonderful, but Betty Gilpin (Lena) lights up the screen and steals the show, from her emotional breakdowns to her sexy dance scenes.
Gilpin has the widest range of emotions and is the epitome of a “dancing queen”. She needs to get her confidence back, feel sexy, and feel wanted.
Her performance is layered as a devoted wife torn between breaking her vows to a woman experiencing her first explosive orgasm.
Feeling needed helped her decide to enter into a relationship with Aidan.
This episode has more sex scenes, and they’re raw, beautiful, and honest. The show makes no bones about the nudity or passion that Lena feels and desires.
Watching Lena change the radio from a Bible sermon to a song that reminded her of Aidan was a complete change for her.
We’ve only scratched the surface of Lena’s journey, but at least she realizes she deserves happiness. I’m still not sure what’s so cute about Aidan calling her “the kid,” but maybe as we’ll find out later, it works for them.
However, she and Aidan are no longer children, and finding true happiness with a married man is difficult. In shady affairs, someone usually gets hurt
We’ll have to see how their relationship develops as the series progresses. Aidan brought her to life.
The next section focuses on Sloan. Do you prefer these character-focused episodes, or would you rather include all the female leads?
We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please share them with us in the comments below.
