ABC's "Promised Land" Is a Bold and Authentic Family Drama

"Promised Land is an epic, generation-spanning drama," Lopez explained during the series' virtual premiere event last week. "The [story of the] Sandoval family is a tale of love, hope, ambition and intrigue. Promised Land is about the beauty and cost of chasing your dreams. That makes it an immigrant story as much as it does one about the American Dream."

As the child of immigrants, I can attest to the fact that the American Dream has changed since its cultural inception. For most, it's no longer about a two-story house, white picket fence and a family car. Those who come from outside the U.S. are simply seeking a better life, security and stability, and they want to work hard to provide for their families a better life than they had.

The Sandovals have found success as the owners of a profitable winery in Sonoma Valley. Accordingly, ABC and event partner Bon Appétit opened the virtual premiere with a special wine and food-pairing mini masterclass with sommelier and host Andre Hueston Mack. Taking viewers on a quick culinary journey, he shared some tips on how to find the perfect wine for one's individual tastes, and some fun facts regarding the wine industry of today. "While California is the biggest producer of wine in the U.S., Germany drinks the most sparkling wine than anywhere else. They've got us beat," he laughed. After that, Lopez welcomed guests to Heritage House, the Sandoval family's "promised land."

The story begins in Mexico with young Juana and her sister Rosa traveling across the border to the U.S. in pursuit of their own American Dreams; Juana aspires to be a teacher and Rosa a nurse. On their tumultuous journey, the two women meet young Carlos, who is on his way to work at the Heritage House vineyard in Sonoma Valley, California.

The owners of Heritage House are led by patriarch Joe Sandoval (John Ortiz), who is setting up his Stanford-educated daughter Veronica (Christina Ochoa) to take over the family business. Her little sister Carmen (Mariel Molino) is a budding graphic designer who feels left in Veronica's shadow while Mateo (Augusto Aguilera), the vineyard's general manager, seeks his stepfather's approval and wants to rise in the ranks of the company. Junior (Miguel Angel Garcia) seems to want little to do with the business and just wants to enjoy his high school experience while Antonio (Tonatiuh) feels estranged from his father due to his queer identity. The family has gathered to celebrate the anniversary of Joe and his second wife Letti (Cecilia Suarez).

In the tradition of Dallas, Dynasty, Falcon Crest and other prime time serials, once the family is fully assembled much drama ensues. (Make no mistake; it belongs in the company of those classic serials. Just look at the photo at top!) We learn that Antonio was next in line of succession to take over Heritage House, but his troubled relationship with Joe has all but killed those aspirations. Joe secretly meets with his first wife, and the mother of his children, Margaret (Bellamy Young), whose father previously owned Heritage House; she's plotting to take the company back from Joe. Carlos, Juana and Rosa connect to the Sandoval family in a much bigger way that I didn't see coming. As to not give too much away, buckle up for a classic ABC drama twist in the vein of Scandal.

The dynamics between the many relationships throughout the family are spot on. The devotion of the parents to religion; the machismo-driven, old fashion attitude from Joe; a ticked-off parent of Latino heritage switching from English to Spanish (with sub-titles).

Take it from me: The children of immigrants feel an immense amount of pressure to build on their parents' sacrifices and struggles. We see this especially with Camila who hasn't found her place within the family business and has a talent for design she hasn't committed to pursuing. Also, Antonio's distancing from his father, likely after he came out, happens an awful lot in the Latinx community because so many are devout Christians or Catholics.

Jon Ortiz's performance as Joe, a man desperate to protect his business and his family at any cost, is incredibly layered and complex. You can see through his eyes and expression that there is much struggle and pain underneath his calm and cool demeanor. Similarly, Tonatiuh's portrayal of Antonio carries an underlying bitterness against his father while he puts on a brave face for his family. Christina Ochoa ably handles the struggles of a young woman who isn't too sure of what it she wants in life: in her case running the family business or pursuing her own aspirations, whatever they may be. She exudes confidence and strength but, like her co-stars, a brief but effective sense of vulnerability in her eyes brilliantly enhances her performance.

This ensemble of siblings, whether blood-related or not, are seeking their patriarch's approval in one way or another. Promised Land handles it in a way we haven't seen before because it's just as much about sibling rivalry, interfamilial conflicts and generational differences. In what culturally rich family -- whether Latinx, Greek, Italian, Irish or Jewish -- do the children not seek daddy's acceptance and approval? We've seen this since Shakespeare's King Lear, but adding in the complexities of Latinx cultures, the American Dream, broken marriages and LGBTQ+ identity keeps everything fresh. I applaud Lopez for handling all of this with such dynamic authenticity.

Promised Land premieres Monday, January 24 at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. New episodes stream the following day on Hulu.

Click the social buttons to share this content with your friends and colleagues.

The opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author and/or subject(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.com/MyersBizNet, Inc. management or associated writers.