Web Series Wednesday – Stupid Wife

By: MJ Asuncion

What? Stupid Wife

By? Ponto Ação Produções, Directors: Priscilla Pugliese and Natalie Smith

Why Should I Watch?

Based on the literary work of Nathália Sodré, the Brazilian web series Stupid Wife first premiered on August 4^th, 2022, releasing weekly for the month. There are currently four episodes available for the first half of the premiere season, with almost all four episodes amassing over two million views each.

Stupid Wife centers around same-sex couple Luiza (Priscila Reis) and Valentina (Priscila Buiar) and their life together, which may not sound so different from other projects but there is one very important aspect that makes their story an interesting one. In the opening minutes of the first episode, we are introduced to Luiza and Valentina during their university days and it is immediately known that the two are polar opposites. Luiza despises everything about Valentina and looks at her with hate and contempt. On the other side, it is apparent that Valentina has eyes only for Luiza and carries an admiration and attraction towards the other woman. Their interaction is brief but very telling and it is evident that there is a connection between them.

Fast forward ten years later to Luiza waking up in an unknown room with Valentina beside her in bed. After the initial outrage and panic attack passes, Luiza is told that she and Valentina are married with a young son Leo (Thomás de Araújo). Luiza has no recollection of their lives together or the love between them and cannot get past the hatred she remembers having, as if it were only yesterday. To Valentina’s dismay, she decides to leave their home, where she feels lost and uncertain, to go back to where she remembers as “home” – her parent’s house. The diagnosis from a family friend and doctor is that of dissociative amnesia and they are told that it could last a day, a month, a year or a lifetime. In this moment you can feel Valentina’s heart breaking with the realization that the person she loves most may never remember her or the life they built.

In the next episodes we learn that though Luiza may not remember her son, but she has a natural and deep-rooted love for him. It is because of that love that eventually brings her back home and opens her up to trying to remember her life with Valentina. Through a series of homemade movies, talking with friends and family, therapy and spending time with Valentina, Luiza navigates through the missing years of her life. We see her struggle with her feelings and witness firsthand the push and pull of her past self that she remembers and her present self that she can’t yet fully embrace. From the very beginning Valentina is fighting to win back her wife, desperately trying to make her fall in love with her again. It is a challenge that she shouldn’t have to endure, but she is persistent, doing so with grace and humility.

When I first came upon Stupid Wife, the name was a bit off-putting, but I quickly got past that as the premises immediately intrigued me. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have to win back the love of your life that you spent years with as they remember nothing of you and harbors only hostility towards you. Right at the start I was a hundred percent emotionally invested in their relationship, and felt my own heart break every time Luiza harshly dismissed or ignored Valentina. I found myself ecstatic during the moments where you can see their love shine through, silently cheering them on. Viewers are learning alongside Luiza about the love between them and of their beautiful story. The two lead actresses Reis and Buiar deliver raw, powerful and emotional performances that captivate even with the smallest of gestures and subtle body language. Their chemistry is undeniable, emanating a sexual tension that keeps you on edge and every interaction between them feels genuine. The entire supporting characters are also well cast and contribute to the overall success of the series. Last but not least, I love the fact that though Luiza questions everything about her relationship with Valentina, she never once questions her sexuality. This could have been an easy plot point, but not once was it even alluded to.

Stupid Wife is in native Brazilian Portuguese, luckily with English or Spanish subtitles available. I highly recommend you give this series a chance and, hopefully with enough buzz and interaction, we will be treated to the second half of the season and more seasons to follow.

Where Can I Watch?

The first four episodes are currently available on the Ponto Ação Produções YouTube channel, with preliminary cuts of not yet released episodes available for purchase through the channel (keep in mind these pre-release versions do not have subtitles).