REVIEW: ‘Valeria’ Season 3 Reminds Us What Love Means

Valeria is a show that has grown near and dear to my heart since it debuted on Netflix in 2020. Capturing the complete messiness of late 20s-30s millennial womanhood in Madrid, even when Valeria and her friends made cringy decisions, there was a certain charm to it that made it forgivable. It also reminds us of how human these characters are. Now, the final season is here, and wraps up arguably hurriedly storylines for my current favorite friend group. Despite this, Valeria Season 3 imparts important final truths about love that can’t be ignored.

We start off Valeria Season 3 a couple of months after the events of the previous season. The gals are getting ready for Carmen’s (Paula Malia) bachelorette party, but that’s not the only worry bubbling beneath the surface. Lola (Silma López) feels like she’s lost her spark. Whether due to her approaching the big three-oh or Sergio’s influence on her, she’s been struggling to feel attractive since returning from Vienna. Meanwhile, business is booming for Nerea (Teresa Riott), but her love life is a bust. Carmen’s wedding is a constant reminder for Nerea of her desire to get married and have a home and kids.

Then there’s our homegirl, Valeria (Diana Gómez). She’s trucking along in getting her second novel finished, but her situationship with Victor (Maxi Iglesias) still hasn’t made much progress. The sex is great, but what they have lacks the definition that Valeria craves. Thankfully, she puts a temporary stopper on things with Victor pretty quickly into the latest season. It’s not long before she finds herself meeting and developing a new relationship with genre novelist Bruno (Federico Aguado), who proves to be the most wholesome normal relationship she’s ever had. But will her fears set her back?

One of the aspects of Valeria Season 3 that will be rewarding for fans is how much these friends have grown. Season 1 was the self-discovery phase, with Valeria most noticeably realizing that she was unhappy in her marriage. Season 2 was arguably the phase where all characters got caught in their patterns, but slowly found ways to shift out of them, with Lola finally breaking things off with Sergio. Season 3 finds all of them taking ownership of their issues and breaking the cycle. All of the lessons the gals have learned culminate and blossom.

Regrettably, because Valeria Season 3 is the last season, these lessons feel more rushed in the final episodes. In particular, as the titular character, Valeria’s arc could have benefited either from a couple extra episodes where she could be alone for a spell or a shorter fourth season where she could explore independence. She’s never had a moment to be alone without thinking about her romantic partners. Being able to explore the concept of being alone before dating again would make her final decision have more impact. That said, as far as final decisions go, Valeria chose the best option.

Carmen’s storyline could have benefited from extra episodes as well because frankly, there is a fair amount we learn that could have been explored. The relationship with Carmen and Borja has always struck me as heading for separation from the beginning in part due to the fact that Carmen jumps to conclusions and Borja doesn’t always communicate sufficiently. In Valeria Season 3, we see these problems arise again. From unknown engagements to a combative evil stepmother, there is no end to stressors in their relationship that – honestly – this speedy marriage likely won’t fix.

Yet, Carmen’s marriage to Borja provides the final example to Valeria of what love should be. Love is messy. Love is chaos. It’s not all sunshine and roses. You’re going to fight. There will be arguments. It isn’t what you’ll find in a romance book. It can be unpredictable. Ultimately, in the end, who do you want by your side? The person who is only there for the lustful snuggle fests where you are at your best? Or the person who’s going to be there to blow your nose, take care of you when you are down, and see you at your worst without running away?

The entirety of the series has worked its way to this final hammering point. What is love? And what kind of love should we be grasping at? For Valeria, the writer with her heart set on the romance found in books, her journey closes out with the realization of what this means for her. Rather than the fun, the chaotic, the sexy, we see her choose something with real meaning. Something that she can define. And, if you’ve been with her throughout this journey of self-discovery and seeking that one true foundational type of love, you’ll know that in Valeria Season 3‘s final moments, her final decision is what we’ve been yearning for.

From the ugly, the aging, and the sexy (seriously, this series has featured some of my favorite TV sex scenes in a while), to the cringy, Valeria as both a character and series has been such a joy to take in. There are aspects of ourselves we can see in all four women featured but, for the romantics, for those who are crawling out of the mess of our late 20s into our 30s, it’s hard not to feel seen. Life — really, living — is such an awkward process. No matter how many instructional manuals or self-help books we read, nothing can prepare you for where your journey will take you. In the pursuit of love, once you find the one that will stick with you regardless of circumstances, that’s what makes things special.

Valeria Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix.