Lisa Taddeo’s Three Women reveals the complex true stories behind the sex lives of three separate women across the U.S.—and now it’s been adapted as a limited series. Stirring and thought-provoking, it’s no wonder that the bestselling nonfiction sensation caught the attention of producers Kathy Ciric and Emmy Rossum. Taddeo, however, is still surprised by the reception of her work.
“I always thought it was going to be a quiet book, and I think that the book came out at a time when people were looking for more honest stories about women,” the author and series creator said at the New York premiere. “So I think it sort of came at the right time, and then the natural progression is to be able to tell another concentric circle of the story, and to be able to have done that on television with some of the most talented people I’ve ever met—this has been an honor I can’t even explain.”
Led by showrunner Laura Eason and executive produced by Ciric, Rossum, and Taddeo herself, Three Women stars Betty Gilpin (GLOW), Shailene Woodley (Big Little Lies, Divergent), DeWanda Wise (She’s Gotta Have It), Gabrielle Creevy (In My Skin), Blair Underwood (Set It Off), and Jason Ralph (The Magicians).
While the series mostly stays true to what’s on the page, it also includes a new character named Gia, who is partially based on Taddeo, to show how the writer met her subjects and got them to open up to her. In the onscreen version, Gia, a frustrated and grieving journalist, sets off on a roadtrip across the country for a project focusing on women’s desires. On her journey, she encounters the three titular women.
We first meet Lina (Gilpin), a housewife in Indiana who enters into an all-encompassing love affair amidst her passionless marriage, which quickly turns her world upside down. Next, we are introduced to Sloane (Wise), a gorgeous, successful entrepreneur enjoying an open marriage with her husband Richard (Blair Underwood), until two alluring strangers threaten to throw off their relationship. Finally, we meet Maggie (Creevy), a young woman in North Dakota who had engaged in a sexual relationship with her married English teacher when she was a student; now, she’s navigating the legal, psychological, and emotional aftermath of her accusations against him.
Through her research, Gia lends a listening ear and a diligent pen, encouraging each of her subjects to share their truth, while discovering her own.
When do episodes of Three Women drop?
Three Women premiered with the first episode on Friday, September 13 at midnight on the Starz app. It will also be broadcast on Starz at 10 P.M. ET/PT in the U.S. New episodes will be released on a weekly basis through November 15. You can follow the full release schedule below to make sure you’re up to date.
- Episode 1, “Three Women”: streaming as of September 13
- Episode 2, “Lina”: streaming September 20
- Episode 3, “Sloane”: streaming September 27
- Episode 4, “Maggie”: streaming October 4
- Episode 5, “Gia”: streaming October 11
- Episode 6, “Climax”: streaming October 18
- Episode 7, “Two Women”: streaming October 25
- Episode 8, “Twilight”: streaming November 1
- Episode 9, “Sex on Drugs”: streaming November 8
- Episode 10, “Her Name”: streaming November 15
The series is exclusively available on Starz. Check out subscription plans here.
Sofia Bianchi is a Business Assistant on the Creative Operations Team at HearstMade and a culture writer covering film, television, and entertainment.