Between Lands episode 3 recap: a horrifying discovery causes devastating heartbreak

Manuel looks shocked wearing a blue shirt.
Between Lands episode 3 sees two deaths rock the community. (Image credit: Netflix)

Two tragic death send shockwaves throughout the community in Between Lands (Entre Tierras) episode 3.

Meanwhile, María concocts a surprising plan with Manuel to handle his uncle and Justa tries to manipulate Ramón into getting rid of Maria from the home.

Here's everything that happened in Between Lands episode 3...

The morning after María's night of terror, Ramón asks Manuel where his wife is and becomes annoyed with his nephew's ignorance surrounding María's whereabouts.

Justa bursts into María's bedroom and, to her delight, finds it empty. Ramón is furious when Manuel and Justa inform him that María must have left the home, but the pair's happiness is soon dashed when María returns from the market as if nothing has happened.

Manuel later confronts María outside, threatening her life once again. However, his warning doesn't faze her as she tells him that he's not a murderer and if he wanted to kill her, he would have done it by now.

María sees through Manuel's lies and points out that she knows it was a plan to try and scare her away. He asks María why she insists on staying and she hits back that her family starving scares her more than his threats.

While working on the lands, Claudia lays into Ramón for ordering elderly worker Mercedes off the fields so she can't earn any money for her husband's medicine. Claudia rebels by throwing the freshly picked grape bunches on the floor and leaving. 

Meanwhile, Manuel tries to evict María from his bedroom, but she comes up with an unusual plan to deal with his uncle.

Maria and Manuel lie with their backs to each other in bed.

María hatches a cunning plan to deal with Ramón. (Image credit: Netflix)

María suggests that they make Ramón believe they sleep like a married couple until he pays her debts and then she will disappear.

Things are awkward between them when they wake up and get dressed in the same room. María is overjoyed to see snow for the first time and Manuel starts to thaw towards her as they both admire the snow together.

Later on, María takes Nicolás out of town to see the doctor about his seizure and he's diagnosed with epilepsy. The doctor says Nicolás needs electroshock therapy to treat his condition, but a concerned María is unsure about the treatment and briskly leaves the clinic.

Justa and Manuel make the most of their alone time together, while Ramón shows no sympathy towards Claudia and Mercedes when they beg for their jobs back, having not worked in months as part of Ramón's punishment.

After seeing María return with Nicolás, Justa decides to use the little boy to her advantage and offers Nicolás a toy boat to get him to confess where María took him.

Justa manipulates Ramón by telling him that María is deceiving him and hasn't been following his rule on trying to get pregnant with Manuel's baby. Ramón vows to confront María over her lies, but Justa quickly suggests that María should get examined by a doctor in Sigüenza to check that she is "fulfilling her duties."

Maria is horrified as Ramon takes her to the doctors.

María is shocked when Ramón takes her to the doctors for a horrifying reason. (Image credit: Netflix)

When Ramón and María arrive at the clinic, it is the same doctor who examined Nicolás and he lets slip to a clueless Ramón all about María's secret appointment with Nicolás.

María is then horrified when she learns that Ramón has requested for her to be examined to see if she is still a virgin. Back home, María has a heated exchange with Ramón when he criticizes her for taking Nicolás to the doctors behind their backs and announces that the only reason he hasn't kicked her out of the house yet is because she might be pregnant. Manuel is blindsided by the revelation and is clearly bothered that María isn't a virgin. 

In the town, Claudia has been helping out her mother's friend Mercedes by giving her food, but her boyfriend Gabi isn't happy to be spending his wages on feeding them.

Ramón confronts Justa over her lies and tears into her for making him look like a fool and she later feigns sympathy to María about the examination. She reassures María that they can support each other through their struggles.

At Pepa's Bar, Gabi asks his friend Manuel to convince his uncle to re-hire Claudia and Mercedes on the field.

For the first time, Nicolás sits at the table for dinner, but tensions rise when Manuel tries to persuade Ramón to take back Claudia and Mercedes. There's chaos over at Mercedes' house too as Claudia is furious that Gabi has begged for her job back.

While Nicolás is sleeping, Manuel has a heart-to-heart with María, confessing that Ramon has custody of Nicolás after he spiralled following his wife's disappearance. He explains that Ramon put all his attention on Nicolás because he was desperate to have an heir to the lands but was disappointed when he began having seizures.

Maria and Manuel sit with a sleeping Nicolas.

María and Manuel bond over Nicolás. (Image credit: Netflix)

Manuel confesses that he prays for Llanos to come home, but she never does. Ramón joins their conversation and tells Manuel that he will tell Claudia and Mercedes that they can come back to work.

However, they're interrupted by Nicolás screaming for María after finding Ramón's dog has been poisoned. The next day, a devastated Ramón tells the workers that he knows one of them is responsible for his dog's death and they won't receive any wages today. Claudia looks worried as Ramón drives off and wastes no time in trying to rally her colleagues support in standing up to Ramón.

Mercedes tells Claudia that she knows how to fix everything and that she's willing to take responsibility for poisoning Ramón's dog. Claudia refuses and is determined to keep fighting, but Mercedes has given up, knowing that she and her ill husband are a burden on Ramón.

Ramón tells Manuel that he will start the process for Nicolás' admission to a mental health facility. Nicolás overhears their discussion and runs away as Justa tries to stop him.

María goes after Nicolás in the woods during a heavy rainstorm and he falls down a muddy slope into the river. María frantically dives in to rescue him, but she becomes submerged underwater and loses him. Fortunately, Manuel rushes in and saves both Nicolás and Maria from drowning. Safely back at home, Manuel promises Nicolás that he won't let him go to a mental health facility.

Claudia visits Mercedes the next morning and is devastated to find her and her husband's lifeless bodies together after drinking rat poison. Blas tells Ramon the news about Mercedes' tragic passing and he comes to the conclusion that Mercedes was the one who killed his dog. He decides to forgive Mercedes and pay for her funeral.

Manuel is hit with devastation when he discovers that his beloved Llanos' body has been found after the flooding of the river churned up all the land. The police officer hands him Llanos' necklace and he is distraught when he identifies her body.

As Manuel collapses to the ground sobbing, María goes over and comforts him.

Between Lands is available to watch on Netflix now.

CATEGORIES
Grace Morris
Staff Writer

Grace is a freelancer writer with WhatToWatch.com, and she now writes for our sister site TechRadar. She graduated from Anglia Ruskin University in 2020 with a degree in Writing and Film Studies, which only made her love for creative writing, film and TV grow stronger.

You'll usually find her watching the drama unfold in the latest reality series or much-loved UK soaps (usually with chocolate by her side!). She's an expert in EastEnders, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and everything reality-related from Selling Sunset and Married At First Sight UK to 90 Day Fiancé UK. Plus Netflix megahit Virgin River!

Grace also likes to explore new places with her friends and family and, of course, watch and read about the latest films and TV series.