It should be noted, that this episode of Jane the Virgin had this reviewer laughing and crying constantly throughout this hour. I am also going to contradict myself from last week, and respectfully disagree with my colleague Chris King on his previous commentary as well. We both believed we had seen the best of Jane the Virgin, and we were both very wrong. Because so much of the material is, like the Narrator says, “friggin’ crazy,” much of this episode is seen through Jane’s hilarious telenovela point of view. It is in these moments that I literally fall off my couch laughing. Now while I nurse my bruises, let’s recap.
Once again, Jane and Rafael manage to remain the most adorable, “destined to be together in a telenovela way” couple, while still dealing with very grounded relationship dilemmas. When the truth about Rose’s identity comes out, so do Jane and Rafael’s trust issues. In between registering for their baby shower, Rafael is dealing with his secrets, and Jane is running around stumbling onto his secrets. Like the fact that he secretly saved Zaz’s twin brother Aaron Zazo from Mexican drug dealers while he was doing volunteer work (hmmm, wonder if these dealers are Rose’s friends?). Jane accidentally rats Rafael out to Michael, and the issue of trust comes up in this very new relationship. Jane and Rafael realize that because of their circumstances it may feel like they’ve known each other forever, though really they’ve only just met, and trust in any relationship takes time.
Another relationship in flux this week is Rogelio and Xiomara. Rogelio has to decide if he wants to take a big role that will take him away from his family for a year, or a smaller role in town. Neither he nor Xiomara are willing to admit how they feel about each other, so Jane forces a confessional between her parents. They finally admit their feelings for each other, and Alba teaches Jane a lesson about how in order to trust someone and open up to them, you first have to feel safe with them. I’d hazard a guess that Rogelio and Xiomara feel pretty safe and secure in their relationship, given that they’re back to, well, being vulnerable with each other, to put it mildly.
Speaking of trust, Luisa is feeling understandably betrayed by everyone. Rafael finally realizes the mistake he made and gets his sister out of the mental institution, only after she has already managed to escape. Then Luisa finds out her lover is a criminal who killed her father, and that Rose even left a creepy calling card for Luisa to know where to find the body. After their father’s funeral, Rafael asks for Luisa’s shares of the Marbella, leaving Luisa feeling used and abused, and wanting to jump into the arms of the woman she loves, even if that woman is a criminal who just killed her father and probably already has a new plastic-surgery made face. Yeah, there’s a reason Rafael just keeps haphazardly throwing out the word “crazy.”
I would have thought that Rose is the most horrible person on the show, and don’t get me wrong, being a big bad drug dealer and killing your husband definitely makes that a no brainer, but Petra was the runner-up this week, though. Not an hour after Emilio is buried has Petra already manipulated Luisa into giving her her voting rights on the board at the Marbella. This leaves Petra fully in charge, Luisa in the wind, and Rafael you-know-what six ways to Sunday. Now that Aaron is sticking around the hotel, though, Petra may get a little of what’s coming to her just by the way seeing her ex-lover’s face shook her up.
Despite all the drama, we can’t forget that Rafael and Luisa did actually lose their father. We’ve already talked about Luisa’s way of coping, but Rafael’s way is by having a business-like attitude. Part of this stems from his desire to make his father proud, considering that when Emilio was alive he flat out told Rafael that his son was a disappointment. Listening to the advice of her mother and her grandmother, Jane is there for Rafael wholeheartedly, and tells him that she loves him. So Rafael and Jane exchange their first “I Love You’s,” Rafael is finally able to open up to Jane, and the next morning, Rafael asks Jane to move in with him. WHOA.
Oh, and if you thought Jane and Rafael were too cute, I’d advise taking a look at Rafael’s portrayer Justin Baldoni announcing to his friends, family, and castmates that he and his real-life wife are expecting their first child here:
Very adorable indeed!
What will happen next?! Are Rogelio and Xiomara going to last? Will Petra ruin Rafael’s life (or at least test his sanity)? Are Jane and Rafael moving too fast?
[Photo via The CW]
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