The End
Episode 3 of Three Days Of Christmas begins with Valentina, who happens to be working in a hospital, finding out some bad news and running into Esther. It has been 30 years and as we receive another bout of narration from Maria, we return to the family house again and it’s this segment that ties back into ripping down the moss in the first episode. Maria has 6 months to live and she’s still in a relationship with Sophie. Mateo is still alive too – just – but not able to speak. As Maria looks at the dining room and sees the place trashed, she phones Adela who tells Antonio to stay behind as she drives up to the house. Before she does, she reveals the truth about Manuel…only, he happens to be senile and may well forget their conversation. Valentina and Esther leave the hospital together, where the latter admits she lives alone and Lorena has moved to Italy. As they start driving, back at the house Adela worries about the truth being revealed as her kids arrive at the house, now all grown up with their own families. At the house, Esther and Valentina arrive, the former walking up to the house with the car keys while Valentina hides in the car. However, they convince her to come inside where Maria addresses them all and asks Sophie to marry her. However, given her sickness Sophie doesn’t take kindly to the news and after discussing the implications of this, storms off and leaves. As she does, Valentina happens to be outside and hears the news about Maria’s illness. Antonio returns to the house, enraged over the news about his Father and strikes Adela in the shed. However, Esther manages to calm him down by reciting the same lines she did in the first episode. As the sisters join together in the shed and tie up Antonio, it’s here the truth about Valentina’s Dad and Mateo comes out. The latter hasn’t uttered a word since she left, while the former arrived at the house for years afterward waiting for her to return. Unable to accept the truth, Valentina hurries back to the house. While Valentina pleads with Adela to tell the truth about Antonio, Esther reveals her failed suicide attempt to Maria and how Lorena isn’t talking to her. In the midst of all this drama, Valentina sits with Mateo and they silently acknowledge each other. It’s a really touching moment but one that ends abruptly with the trio of sisters bringing Antonio into the house, struggling to feel a pulse. Adela plays this off as him being asleep though as a dark comedic tone descends on the scene. Sophie returns to the house too where she and Maria finally seal their engagement. The clapping awakens Antonio too, who sits at the table and curses Adela. As he does, Mateo slams his fist down and utters “enough” as the sisters concoct a story about him until Valentina admits it was her who spoke to him at the bus stop. Taking the fall for the family, she apologises before Adela finally steps up and tells the truth. As the episode closes out, Lorena arrives at the family house with her grand-daughter as Mateo looks out the window and sees his four daughters playing in the garden. A final dose of narration from Maria reflects on the good times as the episode closes out. Although some may be put off by the slightly over the top style of the soap opera elements and drama, Three Days Of Christmas bows out with a surprisingly poingnant and reflective episode that rounds things out nicely. The supporting charactrs are complete wallpaper here though which is a bit disappointing but with the focal point on these four sisters, there’s some lovely reflective elements played out here. Seeing the smart edits between the girls as kids and adults is a really nice touch and learning about their lives through cleverly placed exposition is certainly a welcome inclusion too. The third episode bows things out on a sickly sweet tone, with all our plots resolved and characters looking ahead to the future. It’s not perfect, but this series does improve with time, making for a really wholesome, enjoyable watch this Christmas.
