Welcome back to Heritage House, home of the Sandoval familia in ABC’s Promised Land. The show may have just premiered on ABC, but the network has released the second episode, titled “La Madrugada (Day Break),” on Hulu. The streaming premiere comes ahead of its broadcast airing on Monday, January 31st at 10/9c. What follows is a detailed recap of the second episode, recommended only if you have already seen the episode to avoid spoilers.
Lettie Sandoval (Cecilia Suárez) gets ready for the day. As she sits at her vanity, she opens a drawer and pulls out a polaroid photo of her with her sister Rosa in their youth, Flashback to 1987, younger Lettie (Katya Martín) wakes up Billy (Rolando Chusan) and younger Joe (Andres Velez), making them both breakfast before their day of work in the fields. Back in the present, Lettie greets her domestic Marta (Susan Ortiz) and learns that her husband Joe left the house early for the vineyards.
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Joe (John Ortiz) stands at a burning barrel at the camp where he used to spend his days as a young worker in the fields. We see him tossing in a few photos: Him and Billy in their early days at Heritage House, a photo of an older man, possibly Billy as an adult, and one of Carlos as a toddler with his mother. They all burn to ash in the barrel. Shortly after, Joe meets with Antonio (Tonatiuh), who works from a tablet in the field, and announces that his yield estimate shows they will have their biggest harvest ever this season. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall,” Joe says and Antonio acts confused.
Veronica (Christina Ochoa) misses the morning meeting because she went to the hospital to check on Cruz Delgado (Carlos Javier Rivera), the man she hit and run. She offers a vase of roses to Cruz’s mother and the Sheriff (Christine Elliott) tells Veronica that they are still looking for the car that hit him and its driver, adding that if Cruz dies, the charge will be murder.
Back at home, Joe heats up a pot of café de olla on the stove, proud that Junior (Miguel Angel Garcia) is working on school work at the table (he’s actually just doodling). He talks quietly to Lettie, saying that he feels bad for humiliating Junior at the anniversary party, but thinks he just needed some tough love. Carmen begins to enter the kitchen with a man who spent the night with her (Derek Fallon), but pulls him back when she sees that the kitchen isn’t empty. Junior sees them and calls attention to Carmen, with the beau hiding while Carmen declines her dad’s offer of café de olla. When Carmen leaves the kitchen, Marta whispers to Mateo in Spanish that nobody likes a narc. Junior gets up to go to school and in private, Joe asks Lettie if she kept any photos from their youth. She tells him she doesn’t have anything, but he doesn’t look like he believes her. “What Mateo said the other night, you know he would never use it against us,” Lettie tells Joe, who is skeptical about her statement.
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Mateo talks with Bob (Patrick W. Day), the owner of Haskins Vineyards who is about to sell his place at auction. Mateo would like to make him a private offer with his savings, but Bob tells him he can’t wait. A truck pulls up with another interested party and Mateo’s face sours as Joe gets out. He tells his stepdad that he doesn’t need the land, but Joe says that if Mateo buys it and fails, Heritage House will have to deal with a competitor. He instead offers Mateo the opportunity to return home and grow his own vintage label through the family business, adding that it will make his mom happy. Mateo declines, adding that he thinks Joe is scared of what he knows. “Isn’t that right, Carlos?”
In a flashback, Juana is teaching English to a man named Hector (Octavio Solorio) at the camp for the vineyard workers. Billy encourages Joe to make a move on Juana, but he says she’s too worried about her sister Rosa. We learn that she tried to call the hospital in Bakersfield and was told that Rosa left against doctors' orders. Billy thinks she was sent back to Mexico, but Joe says she would’ve called if that were the case. Mr. Honeycroft (Tom Amandes) walks by with his daughter Margaret (Kerri Medders), who carries a clipboard. Billy rushes over to introduce himself to her, but she tells him that the lunch break is over. She sees Lettie teaching English and approaches, asking where she came from. Billy steps in again, saying that the three of them are from Jalisco and are on a guest worker program. Margaret asks Lettie if she will teach her Spanish, offering her $5 an hour. Lettie says she will do it for $10 and they make a deal. Margaret wants to learn Spanish to better communicate with the workers. As they go back to work, Billy and Joe tease Lettie about working for “La Princessa de Sonoma.”
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Back to present day, Antonio visits his mom Margaret (Bellamy Young) at the Honeycroft Hotel, telling her that Veronica missed a meeting that morning. He suggests that Margaret call to try and find out why, but she reveals that Veronica never answers her attempts to communicate. Antonio asks if his mother recognizes the name Carlos Rincón, telling her about Mateo’s outburst at the anniversary party. “Whoever he is, just hearing his name gave Joe a start,” Antonio tells her. Margaret smiles, saying they will find out who it is.
Veronica and Joe walk by the pool as she apologizes for missing the meeting, saying she had car trouble. He says the Sheriff called him and told him she went by the hospital against his orders, adding that Cruz Delgado is no longer an employee because he was selling forged papers. Carmen, who is tanning by the pool reading King Lear, has been listening to the conversation.
Lettie goes back to the church at Junior’s school and Father Ramos (Yul Vazquez), aka grown-up Billy, tells her he’s surprised she came back after the way he reacted in the confessional. “How’s our son?,” he asks, but Lettie gets mad at the question. Father Ramos tells her that he never wanted to leave her and Mateo, but he recognized that leaving would be better for them than staying. “I had to heal, it’s been a long road.” Lettie asks why he came back and he tells him that the Bishop sent him there, seeing it as God’s will. “God is never wrong,” he tells her, but Lettie says he’s wrong this time. As Lettie heads toward the exit, she passes Father Collins (Christopher Wallinger), who asks her if Junior is feeling better. She plays along when he asks her if she called him in sick this morning, saying it’s unusual that Junior and his friends are all out today. When he leaves, Father Ramos offers to help Lettie find Junior, but she declines his offer, saying “Don’t make this any harder.”
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In a flashback, we see Lettie’s first visit to the mansion at Heritage House for Margaret’s first Spanish lesson. A younger Marta (Ariella Amar) answers the door and sends Lettie around back rather than through the house. She serves the girls iced tea as Lettie teaches Margaret the word for brother, “Hermano,” with Margaret telling Lettie that her brother is in France studying viticulture. She seems bitter that her dad doesn’t believe a woman can become a winemaker, but reveals that she is determined to prove him wrong. Lettie then teaches Margaret the word for sister, “Hermana,” and Margaret asks about Lettie’s sister. Lettie tells her that she’s in Mexico, looking out at the vineyards as she tears up while talking about seeing her again someday.
Veronica stands in her garage looking at the damage on her SUV from her hit and run. When she opens the garage door, Carmen is standing right outside. She sees the damage, looks at her sister, and realizes out loud that Veronica hit Cruz Delgado. “I don’t know what to do,” Veronica confesses. Over wine, Carmen tells Veronica that she knew something was wrong when she defied their father’s orders by going to the hospital. Veronica is considering turning herself in, but Carmen tells her not to. “What happened was horrible, but it was a mistake. You’re not throwing your life away, you worked too damn hard.”
Daniela (Natalia del Riego) helps Mateo load boxes of stuff into his truck and he’s been letting her sleep in his bed, him taking the couch. He tells her that his new place is a two-bedroom and offers to let her stay there. Their conversation is interrupted when Lettie and Joe pull up, with Lettie getting out of the car to talk to Mateo, begging him to go talk to Joe. As he does, Lettie makes small talk with Daniela. Joe again offers to help Mateo start his own wine label, telling him that he thinks buying Haskins Vineyards would be a mistake. Mateo tells Joe to not attend the auction, threatening to reveal his secret if he does. Joe points to Lettie and reminds Mateo that he’s not the only one who would suffer. “Are you willing to blow up your mother’s life, too?”
Lettie searches through Junior’s room and finds a box that contains several bottles of pills. When Junior come home for lunch, she shows him what she found. “I’ve seen this before with Mateo’s father,” she tells him. “I’ve seen what can happen to a good man.” Lettie tells her son that if she tells Joe, he will either kill him or send him to military school. Junior calls her bluff and she yells for Joe to come to the kitchen, but Junior begs her to stop. Lettie asks Marta to get rid of the pills.
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Antonio hangs out with Mateo, telling him that he admires the way he stood up to their father and encouraging Mateo to try and outbid their dad at the auction. Still talking about the party, Antonio asks who Carlos is, saying he’s never seen their dad look that scared before. Mateo says he’s not sure, adding that he was pretty drunk that night. Antonio knows Mateo is lying.
In the past, Lettie returns to Billy and Joe with an invitation for the three of them to hang out with Margaret on Sunday. When the day arrives, Marta lets them into the house and explains that Mr. Honeycroft is away on business until tomorrow. Margaret comes downstairs in a swimsuit and towel, telling the boys that her dad’s suits won’t fit them, but they can cut their jeans. She takes Lettie upstairs to her walk-in closet and hands her a swimsuit, saying “We’re the same size, like hermanas.” Downstairs, Billy is nervous to cut his jeans because he only has one pair.
The Haskins Vineyards auction has arrived and the bidding starts at $2 million. It quickly becomes a bidding match between Joe and Mateo, with Joe’s stepson having to back out when the price reaches $4 million. However, there’s another bidder and Joe is not happy to see that it’s Margaret. The two go back and forth, bringing the price up to $8 million, at which point Margaret backs out. Having won, Joe tells her that buying the vineyard wouldn’t bring her any closer to getting back Heritage House. She laughs and says she knows, she just wanted to see him pay three times what this vineyard was worth. He asks if she wakes up thinking about ways to screw him over. “Joe, I go to bed thinking about it, too. Say hi to Lettie for me.” When Margaret is done, Mateo takes his turn, telling Joe that this just made him even more determined to start a winery on his own.
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Carmen drives Veronica’s SUV to the dealership, which makes Veronica nervous because she thinks a chop shop would be more discreet. Carmen assures her that chop shops are for criminals as she approaches Ted (Dan Sachoff), who knows her well. Carmen says she wrecked her sister’s car while texting and driving and asks if they can pay cash for the repairs rather than charging it to the family account, saying her dad will kill her if he finds out. Ted is charmed by Carmen, who also charismatically asks to see photos of his son.
In the backyard, Lettie tells Joe about Junior’s drug addiction. “I’m going to kill that boy,” he threatens, but Lettie takes control of the situation. “You’re not going to do anything, Joe. I let you drive away one of my sons. I’ll be damned if I let you drive away another.” Joe walks back to the house looking angry.
In the past in that same backyard, Joe sits on the edge of the pool while Billy, Lettie, and Margaret swim. When he tells them he doesn’t know how to swim, Margaret upsets him by asking if he ever had swim lessons, ranting in Spanish about how privileged she is and telling Billy and Lettie that she’s only hanging out with them to feel good about herself. Margaret doesn’t understand all of Joe’s rant, but she understands the words “Niña rica” (rich girl) and knows he’s talking about her. Billy tells her that Joe is just hungry and cranky and asks if they can have lunch. With the food, they crack open their first bottle of chardonnay. By the time the sun has set, they are on their fourth and when Margaret asks if they can taste the fruit, Joe is the only one able to identify tangerine in the wine. Margaret compliments him. Lettie asks for water and Margaret tells her to go to the kitchen, but inside, she is stopped when the front door opens and Mr. Honeycroft returns early. He hears Margaret talking outside and Joe and Billy hide just in time for him to not find them. Lettie saves the day by rushing outside with the English book, pretending that they were in the middle of a lesson. Mr. Honeycroft scolds Margaret in front of Lettie, saying he could afford a real tutor rather than one of their “Wetbacks.” Marta is present to hear the slur and Lettie’s eyes look hurt.
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Veronica loans Carmen her convertible and thanks her for helping with her car. She tells her she thinks Michael can help with her idea of a wine label for drinkers in their twenties and Carmen is confused why she doesn’t talk to their dad and the board instead. Veronica argues that they aren’t as easily charmed as the service rep at the dealership. Carmen agrees to trust her, but they are interrupted when Veronica’s cellphone rings. She learns that Cruz Delgado has regained consciousness and will be questioned in the morning.
Joe invites Mateo to Haskins Vineyards and hands him the keys. “I’m not giving you the place, I’m renting it to you at a fair market rate.” He says there are two conditions; Mateo has to give him 10% of the profits and he has to move back home. Mateo agrees, but lowers Joe’s cut to 5%. “I thought you didn’t think I was a winemaker,” Mateo says. “I don’t, but old man Honeycroft said the same thing about me and, well, look how that turned out.” Joe gets in his car and drives away as Mateo looks out at his vineyard.
In the church, Father Ramos asks Junior why he’s sweating when the air is cool. Junior tells him he’s fine, but Father Ramos knows better. “Your body is craving the opioids they’re not getting,” he says. He reveals that he had to stop Father Collins from kicking Junior out of school, saying he will look foolish if Junior messes up again. Junior asks why he stuck up for him and Father Ramos looks at Lettie as he gives his answer. “Maybe I’m a big believer in second chances.”
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Veronica visits Cruz Delgado’s hospital room that night, where he is alone in bed sleeping. She drops off a card and turns to leave when he speaks, quoting the call she made to 911 after hitting him. She turns around and his eyes are open. “I know it was you,” he says.
Antonio looks around the worker's camp at Heritage House, noticing that something was recently burned in one of the barrels. He finds a blue truck under a tarp and notices two holes that were patched in the rear passenger side door. He opens it and sees that there are holes on the inside, too. It looks like bullets passed through the door. He lifts up the carpet and finds a blood-red stain on the padding underneath.
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In the past, Lettie sewed Billy’s jeans back together and he tries to thank her in English as she takes off to work with Hector before they go to the fields. Joe punches his brother for flirting with the girl he likes. “That’s funny because I saw how you were looking at Margaret,” Billy responds, embarrassing Joe. There’s a payphone at the camp and it starts to ring. Another worker answers and calls out to ask if there’s anyone there named Juana (Lettie’s real name). Lettie looks at Joe, fear in her eyes. She starts to move toward the phone just as Mr. Honeycroft and Margaret arrive. She looks at the man on the phone and hears him tell the caller that there’s nobody there named Juana. Lettie takes her last chance and races to the phone, but she’s too late. The call has been disconnected.
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On the other end of the phone was Lettie’s sister Rosa (Ariana Guerra). She’s in a dark room sitting on a mattress on the floor without sheets, looking terrified. A man takes the phone from her and motions for another man in the room to follow him. They close the door and lock her in.
Promised Land will return on Monday, February 7th, at 10/9c on ABC with the third episode, “La Lucha (The Struggle).” I leave you with a brief description of the next episode.
Margaret has an offer for Carmen. Meanwhile, Joe hires a new general manager, and Veronica is put in a tricky situation.