Jane the Virgin: Chapter Nineteen
April 21, 2015 9:34 AM - Season 1, Episode 19 - Subscribe
Jane grieves, then fights for her relationship with Rafael, who is wrestling his own demons. Rogelio has booked a one-night-only residency in Las Vegas (#DeLaVegasBaby), and negotiated an opening number for Xiomara, who is less than enthusiastic because she is plagued by guilt for kissing Marco last week. Petra plots to extract herself from the Everglades and Roman Zazo(!), while Michael tries to find her while also dealing with new information about his rekindled flame Andie.
After sprinting through the five stages of grief over her break-up with Rafael, Jane springs into action mode to fix their relationship, believing that their love for each other and a mutual interest in working on their relationship should be reason enough to stay together. Rafael reluctantly agrees to attend couples therapy, where their therapist recognizes that because the two of them are so different, they will both have to make compromises to make their relationship functional. Here Jane also learns that Rafael is not so sure that the relationship can be fixed, so he's not sure he's willing to try to fix it. When Jane later goes to Rafael's apartment to discuss things with him, her friend Lina shows up to throw her a baby shower. After playing a game where they try to guess each other's answers to questions about their baby, both Jane and Rafael are reminded of their love for each other and for their unborn baby. They later decide to try skinny-dipping in the hotel's pool as part of their therapist's recommendations to be more spontaneous with each other. With the idea of "compromise" still fresh on her mind (as well as Lina's urging to have Rafael take her virginity before the baby does), Jane tells Rafael that she wants to have sex with him, though they are interrupted by hotel security before the show renders itself no longer eponymous. After an awkward goodbye, Rafael returns to the therapist alone to discuss his own fears about bringing Jane down into his darkness. When Jane proposes moving into together as a different type of compromise, Rafael ends their relationship for a second time, truly believing he is doing what is best for Jane.
Xiomara feels too guilty about kissing Marco last week to enjoy Rogelio's announcement about arranging for her to open for him at his one-night-only residency in Las Vegas. Xo asks Jane whether she should tell Rogelio what happened, and Jane confesses that she is not sure, as she knows that Rogelio is an extremely proud person who wouldn't take such news well. When Ro runs into his old flame and Jane's current writers' group teacher Amanda at the baby shower, Amanda slaps him for blowing her off in Tampa several years earlier. When Rogelio apologizes, Amanda kisses him, though he immediately rejects her. Before their joint photo shoot, Rogelio confesses the kiss to Xiomara, who is relieved enough to confess her kiss with Marco during the shoot itself. Rogelio is mortified, and ends things with Xiomara abruptly on set.
After being kidnapped from the Marbella last week, Petra finds herself in a secluded Dexter-esque swamp-side shack in the Everglades with Roman Zazo (aka Aaron Zazo, aka Roman Zazo). Petra fears for her life and puts her finely honed seduction skills to work on Roman in order to knock his cell phone to the floor. After he falls asleep, Petra retrieves the phone to call 911, but is interrupted when Roman wakes and catches her. After getting a hit on Roman's car's plates, Michael is nearby, and with Petra's newly-provided information, he rushes to save her, only to discover Roman impaled a second time, though this time by Petra's hand (in self-defense). Once back at the hotel, Petra tries to call Rafael for comfort, but Rafael is busy ending things with Jane. In desperation, Petra calls her mother Magda, even though she had previously thrown her out for lying to her.
Michael has learned that Andie stalked Jane after their break-up, as well as the fact that Jane knew this and didn't tell him. After finding Petra in the Everglades, Michael spots another of Roman's flash drive, likely the real one that was hidden in the necklace. When Michael discovers the decrypted flash drive contains a list of all of Sin Rostro's contacts, he is shocked to find his partner (and sometimes hook-up buddy) Nadine's name on the list. When he confronts Nadine, she tearfully confesses that Sin Rostro threatened to kill her family if she didn't alert her to the investigation's leads. Michael gives her an hour before showing their lieutenant her name on the list.
Later, Michael runs into Jane, who tells him that she and Rafael have just broken up. Michael is sympathetic, and Jane is surprisingly accepting of the end of her relationship with Rafael. After seeing Jane, Michael texts Andie that he can't forgive her for what she did.
Jane's grandma is picking her up from work, so Jane leaves Michael and gets into the car. From the front seat, her grandma happens to see Petra helping her mother out of the car in front of them, and realizes Magda was the one who pushed her down the stairs in Chapter Nine.
After sprinting through the five stages of grief over her break-up with Rafael, Jane springs into action mode to fix their relationship, believing that their love for each other and a mutual interest in working on their relationship should be reason enough to stay together. Rafael reluctantly agrees to attend couples therapy, where their therapist recognizes that because the two of them are so different, they will both have to make compromises to make their relationship functional. Here Jane also learns that Rafael is not so sure that the relationship can be fixed, so he's not sure he's willing to try to fix it. When Jane later goes to Rafael's apartment to discuss things with him, her friend Lina shows up to throw her a baby shower. After playing a game where they try to guess each other's answers to questions about their baby, both Jane and Rafael are reminded of their love for each other and for their unborn baby. They later decide to try skinny-dipping in the hotel's pool as part of their therapist's recommendations to be more spontaneous with each other. With the idea of "compromise" still fresh on her mind (as well as Lina's urging to have Rafael take her virginity before the baby does), Jane tells Rafael that she wants to have sex with him, though they are interrupted by hotel security before the show renders itself no longer eponymous. After an awkward goodbye, Rafael returns to the therapist alone to discuss his own fears about bringing Jane down into his darkness. When Jane proposes moving into together as a different type of compromise, Rafael ends their relationship for a second time, truly believing he is doing what is best for Jane.
Xiomara feels too guilty about kissing Marco last week to enjoy Rogelio's announcement about arranging for her to open for him at his one-night-only residency in Las Vegas. Xo asks Jane whether she should tell Rogelio what happened, and Jane confesses that she is not sure, as she knows that Rogelio is an extremely proud person who wouldn't take such news well. When Ro runs into his old flame and Jane's current writers' group teacher Amanda at the baby shower, Amanda slaps him for blowing her off in Tampa several years earlier. When Rogelio apologizes, Amanda kisses him, though he immediately rejects her. Before their joint photo shoot, Rogelio confesses the kiss to Xiomara, who is relieved enough to confess her kiss with Marco during the shoot itself. Rogelio is mortified, and ends things with Xiomara abruptly on set.
After being kidnapped from the Marbella last week, Petra finds herself in a secluded Dexter-esque swamp-side shack in the Everglades with Roman Zazo (aka Aaron Zazo, aka Roman Zazo). Petra fears for her life and puts her finely honed seduction skills to work on Roman in order to knock his cell phone to the floor. After he falls asleep, Petra retrieves the phone to call 911, but is interrupted when Roman wakes and catches her. After getting a hit on Roman's car's plates, Michael is nearby, and with Petra's newly-provided information, he rushes to save her, only to discover Roman impaled a second time, though this time by Petra's hand (in self-defense). Once back at the hotel, Petra tries to call Rafael for comfort, but Rafael is busy ending things with Jane. In desperation, Petra calls her mother Magda, even though she had previously thrown her out for lying to her.
Michael has learned that Andie stalked Jane after their break-up, as well as the fact that Jane knew this and didn't tell him. After finding Petra in the Everglades, Michael spots another of Roman's flash drive, likely the real one that was hidden in the necklace. When Michael discovers the decrypted flash drive contains a list of all of Sin Rostro's contacts, he is shocked to find his partner (and sometimes hook-up buddy) Nadine's name on the list. When he confronts Nadine, she tearfully confesses that Sin Rostro threatened to kill her family if she didn't alert her to the investigation's leads. Michael gives her an hour before showing their lieutenant her name on the list.
Later, Michael runs into Jane, who tells him that she and Rafael have just broken up. Michael is sympathetic, and Jane is surprisingly accepting of the end of her relationship with Rafael. After seeing Jane, Michael texts Andie that he can't forgive her for what she did.
Jane's grandma is picking her up from work, so Jane leaves Michael and gets into the car. From the front seat, her grandma happens to see Petra helping her mother out of the car in front of them, and realizes Magda was the one who pushed her down the stairs in Chapter Nine.
I really thought the show was going to go "classic soap opera" with Rafael's breaking up with Jane to save her from heretofore-unknown threat from Sin Rostro/hotel/Roman/Magda, so when we saw the flashback to him telling the therapist it was because he was afraid he was bringing down, I found it pretty effective and believable. (I mean, totally stupid and kind of removing a lot of agency from Jane over her choices, but still totally in character.)
And I say that as someone who is still pretty Team Michael as well.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:36 AM on April 21, 2015
And I say that as someone who is still pretty Team Michael as well.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 10:36 AM on April 21, 2015
I am a bit Team Michael as well--both relationships are so well-written. It seems pretty clear that Jane would have been happy with Michael if the whole accidental insemination thing had never happened.
Loved them summing up their relationship for the therapist. Rogelio's song was amazing.
Poor Petra, left with no one but her horrible mother to talk to. I would like it if she and Michael got closer, since they've both recently lost someone (in Michael's case, both his partner and his girlfriend!).
posted by chaiminda at 11:28 AM on April 21, 2015
Loved them summing up their relationship for the therapist. Rogelio's song was amazing.
Poor Petra, left with no one but her horrible mother to talk to. I would like it if she and Michael got closer, since they've both recently lost someone (in Michael's case, both his partner and his girlfriend!).
posted by chaiminda at 11:28 AM on April 21, 2015
Petra and Michael, even as friends, would be great, especially because I can just imagine the way it would bug Jane even if she didn't feel like she should be bugged by it.
(For the record, on reflection, I am not so much Team Michael when it comes to the Jane's romantic relationship as I am Team I'd Choose Michael If Given the Choice But Understand The Appeal of Both Quite Strongly.)
I found the scenes in the Everglades the perfect mix of "hey, this sure seems like it is from an over-the-top telenovela" and "hey, this is totally exciting on its own", and I love the Roman died the same way "Roman" did.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:47 PM on April 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
(For the record, on reflection, I am not so much Team Michael when it comes to the Jane's romantic relationship as I am Team I'd Choose Michael If Given the Choice But Understand The Appeal of Both Quite Strongly.)
I found the scenes in the Everglades the perfect mix of "hey, this sure seems like it is from an over-the-top telenovela" and "hey, this is totally exciting on its own", and I love the Roman died the same way "Roman" did.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:47 PM on April 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Team Michael here too. I have some difficulties with Rafael's character--I think because part of why I find him interesting is that he's a reformed bad boy, but we (the audience) never got to see that bad boy-ness or that redemption, just what he's been struggling with since the season started. Which is OBVIOUSLY still a whole lot and also interesting, BUT. With Michael, we get glimpses of his and Jane's courtship and love in her flashbacks, and so I have that background and that emotional well to draw from. But I've been digging Justin Baldoni's acting these past few episodes, so. Maybe I'll come around--since I do ship Jane/Happiness first and foremost.
Jane giving her abuela's version of a"sex-ed" lesson to her classmates, and Lina crashing it, was so delightfully them. I also loved that Petra was able to save herself. At the start of the season, I'd have never predicted how much I'd be rooting for her now.
I'm sad that Nadine turned out to be a dirty cop, and I'm kind of cringing that that both of the black characters in the cast have turned out to be bad guys. :/
posted by mixedmetaphors at 2:35 PM on April 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Jane giving her abuela's version of a"sex-ed" lesson to her classmates, and Lina crashing it, was so delightfully them. I also loved that Petra was able to save herself. At the start of the season, I'd have never predicted how much I'd be rooting for her now.
I'm sad that Nadine turned out to be a dirty cop, and I'm kind of cringing that that both of the black characters in the cast have turned out to be bad guys. :/
posted by mixedmetaphors at 2:35 PM on April 21, 2015 [1 favorite]
Though I guess maybe lumping in Nadine as a "bad guy" is premature. But wouldn't she, with her job, have the resources to protect her family from Sin Rostro?
posted by mixedmetaphors at 2:37 PM on April 21, 2015
posted by mixedmetaphors at 2:37 PM on April 21, 2015
I'm pretty much Like 'Em Both Really But Slightly Prefer Rafael (though I think Rafael has the advantage since it's his kid, and I find the former bad boy thing really endearing), but man, that was sooooo sad last night. Pretty much ending any Team Rafael shipping after that. Darn it.
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:41 PM on April 21, 2015
posted by jenfullmoon at 2:41 PM on April 21, 2015
Totally #TeamRaf (even if he isn't respecting her agency in all this.) Michael is probably the better choice in the real world, but this isn't the real world, it's a telenovela.
Last weeks breakup didn't seems to bother me much, but this one for me right in the feels. Poor Jane! Also, yes, it would have defeated the name of the show, but was very sad her and Raf did not consummate their relationship. I fear our dear Jane has some unhealthy view on sex. THANKS ALBA!
posted by [insert clever name here] at 11:21 PM on April 21, 2015
Last weeks breakup didn't seems to bother me much, but this one for me right in the feels. Poor Jane! Also, yes, it would have defeated the name of the show, but was very sad her and Raf did not consummate their relationship. I fear our dear Jane has some unhealthy view on sex. THANKS ALBA!
posted by [insert clever name here] at 11:21 PM on April 21, 2015
Oh, I really did not like the characterization that the baby being born would take her virginity. Not cool.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 11:22 PM on April 21, 2015
posted by [insert clever name here] at 11:22 PM on April 21, 2015
Yes, that was gross. It's a mark of how good this show is that Jane's crazy virginity obsession hardly bothers me at all--I mean, the very concept of virginity is kind of offensive to me but Jane's take on it, maybe because it's so lacking in judgement of others, doesn't bother me. It's sort of unfortunate that the show is named Jane the Virgin because we know she will likely not have sex until the last episode, so her "virginity" may stick around longer than is believable.
posted by chaiminda at 7:33 AM on April 22, 2015
posted by chaiminda at 7:33 AM on April 22, 2015
I'm actually slightly obsessed (in my head and now admitting right here) with the idea of them changing the name of the show when/if she loses her virginity. (Her keeping it throughout the series for increasingly gimmicky ways is, I hope, beneath this show.)
If she show just ends up being called Jane at some point in the run, I wouldn't be surprised.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:45 PM on April 22, 2015
If she show just ends up being called Jane at some point in the run, I wouldn't be surprised.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:45 PM on April 22, 2015
I just started watching JtV a couple days ago (many years late), but am really happy there's discussion (if very old) on fanfare. I really like my brain to have *some* outlet for response, and to hear other reactions to whatever I witnessed.
It's only slightly relevant to this episode (flashback near the end), but I'm really sick of the trope of person in a wheelchair who is actually able to walk. It perpetuates the ableist idea that all wheelchair users must be 100% wheelchair users, or else they're faking it, which is absolutely not the case in real life.
I'm also concerned about the sex-negative attitudes this show has through Jane. It both minimizes and overstates the importance sex has in most adult romantic relationships, and what an important bonding exercise it can be. It may not have saved their relationship, but in the real world, I doubt Jane would have regretted it if she had gone through with it.
That said... not like I'm gonna stop watching.
posted by itesser at 8:58 AM on October 4, 2019
It's only slightly relevant to this episode (flashback near the end), but I'm really sick of the trope of person in a wheelchair who is actually able to walk. It perpetuates the ableist idea that all wheelchair users must be 100% wheelchair users, or else they're faking it, which is absolutely not the case in real life.
I'm also concerned about the sex-negative attitudes this show has through Jane. It both minimizes and overstates the importance sex has in most adult romantic relationships, and what an important bonding exercise it can be. It may not have saved their relationship, but in the real world, I doubt Jane would have regretted it if she had gone through with it.
That said... not like I'm gonna stop watching.
posted by itesser at 8:58 AM on October 4, 2019
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posted by joan cusack the second at 9:39 AM on April 21, 2015