Jane the Virgin keeps us on our toes with telenovela goodness, but there’s nothing over-the-top about cancer. It’s not as if the show hasn’t gone there before with serious topics, but this is as serious as a show can get. But Xiomara doesn’t know until the end of the hour if she does indeed have breast cancer, so the family must go on with life as normal, until a doctor tells them otherwise. Let’s face it. Telling someone not to worry is the perfect way to get them to worry. It’s not as if everyone doesn’t have tasks to keep them busy while they wait for Xo’s test results, but it doesn’t take away the fear.
Petra doesn’t know about Xo, so her focus is elsewhere. For once, she is actually focused on normal things. You know, other than being under investigation for the attempted murder of her sister. She gets turned down after her one-night stand with JR, and accidentally, by way of her daughters, drops a giant tooth fairy bomb on Mateo. Honestly, it’s a miracle Petra is as good a mother as she is. No one nurtured her. She doesn’t know any better sometimes. She also doesn’t know the real reason Jane is so upset. I’m really proud of Petra for first, asking Alba what is wrong so she should help, and two, for pretending to be the tooth fairy to make Mateo happy. Although, I will be replaying Jane tackling the tooth fairy, over, and over, and over again. That was hysterical! On the plus side, Petra is also cleared from her sister’s murder since her mousy assistant Krishna confesses to trying to set her up. Krishna’s chances of getting away with it were slim though. This is the same person who left Petra a nice note reminding her about her dry cleaning before making her escape.
At the top of the worrier’s list is Rogelio. He is downright terrified, and as raw as we’ve ever seen him. He’s the most emotional, so he needs a distraction the most. He needs to focus on getting River Fields to work with him on the Passions of Santos American adaptation. To his shock, she actually agrees to do the project, with the stipulation that the female character be less of a stereotype. That is music to Rogelio’s ears. But it’s just not his week. Normally, when you are nervous around someone, you worry you are going to spill something on them. Rogelio has to worry about accidentally lighting someone on fire. She retaliates in kind, by using the show as leverage for negotiating another role for herself. But just because she is America’s sweetheart, doesn’t mean she isn’t a victim to typecasting. Working with Rogelio is her opportunity to change that.
Rafael is also someone a little removed from the Xo situation. Jane chooses not to tell him anything until, or if, there is something to tell. With her help, he is able to track down Luisa so she can tell him where to find his birth parents. Whether or not he wants her apart of his life again is a decision he can’t make until he sees Luisa. Luisa has made some very questionable choices, and they are all valid reasons for why Rafael hasn’t allowed her to see his kids. Jane helps change Rafael’s mind before he even sees Luisa.
Jane has been doing what she does best, research. But she wasn’t just researching Xiomara’s potential diagnosis. Her first homework assignment was to look at the same story from another character’s perspective, and she chose Luisa. Through this, she realizes just how powerful the mother-daughter connection is. It isn’t just Jane’s bond with Xiomara. It’s Xiomara’s bond with Alba. It’s Luisa’s bond with her mother. That’s why Rafael finds Luisa managing the same institute her mother was once in. It’s actually a peaceful place, one where she can disconnect, center herself, and truly break free of Rose’s hold on her. She is finally at peace, and Rafael won’t break his sister again by telling Rose her location, even if the evil witch does have the knowledge of where Rafael’s parents are.
Xiomara tried to keep herself busy while waiting for the call too. She focused on fixing things around the house, ultimately breaking down a little with Alba. Still, she is a wife and mother. That means she takes things on herself to protect the people she loves. She does a good job of covering up most of that pain, but she can’t hide what the doctor tells her. Xiomara does indeed have breast cancer. Though the Villanueva/De la Vega family did this in a very particular, Latino way, the sentiment is universal. When you get a cancer diagnosis, no matter what religion or creed you believe in, the first thing you do is pray. Because in that moment, there’s nothing else to do.
How will Xiomara handle her diagnosis? How will Jane the Virgin set itself apart in telling this particular story from both a Latino, and a universal, perspective?
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