Welcome back to The Young Folks’ Jane the Virgin Season 2 coverage! Click here to read our previous coverage of the series.
Team Michael vs. Team Rafael is back in this week’s new episode of Jane the Virgin. While it was nice to see them work together and get along in last week’s premiere, it was only a matter of time before the guys started butting heads over Jane. More importantly, it also was only a matter of time before Jane got out of the rhythm of new motherhood to consider her romantic prospects.
“Who will the white rose go to?” asks Jane’s “glamourous” Bachelorette alter-ego. I’ve argued Michael vs. Rafael in the past. New developments since then have changed my thoughts on those characters; it’s easy to see the appeal of Michael over Rafael. Michael showed tremendous courage and sacrifice when he dealt with Sin Rostro (via Nadine) to get Mateo back. His level of dedication to Jane hardly ever wavered, and there’s a lot of comfort in that. Not to say that Michael would be the “safe” choice, but he is in the position (right now) to offer something more suited to Jane and Mateo’s lives. As for Rafael, one can almost argue that he’s the “safe” choice, being the father of Mateo. But god, his life is complicated, and it keeps getting worse. I do think Jane loves him, but she isn’t sure if she loves him enough to deal with all the drama in his life.
Therefore, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Jane goes full Team Jane and tells them that she loves them both, but can’t decide. Michael may have the edge, but how Rafael handles the latest bombshell in his life will surely be indicative of how much he has grown as a character.
Speaking of… That bombshell I’m referring to is Petra stealing Rafael’s last semen sample and artificially inseminating herself. By the time Rafael finds out, Petra is staring at a positive pregnancy test. On top of that, Lachlan pulled a mean business trick over on them, putting the hotel in more financial hardship. Luisa had just discovered the ruse when she gets kidnapped. Not a good day for Rafael.
Some headway is made in the Sin Rostro investigation. With Jane’s help, Michael has a lead on Rose. Also, I’m pretty sure that it was Rose who kidnapped Luisa. How she’s going to use Luisa against her family? Who knows, since Sin Rostro’s motives are still unclear. The good thing about Jane the Virgin is that you don’t have to wait too long to find out, since the writers move through the plot so quickly, making sure that there are at least a couple good twists and turns in each episode.
One of my favorite subplots in this episode involved guest star, Ke$ha, as Jane’s inconsiderate neighbor. Every night, music is blasted from her neighbor’s home causing Jane and Mateo to not sleep well. Jane first tries to ask politely for them to turn it down, which doesn’t work. In anger and slight desperation, Jane steals her neighbor’s amp, who later reports it stolen. The police confront Alba alone at home with the amp clearly in her possession. Jane’s grandma is terrified, knowing that she is undocumented and the police can arrest her at any moment if they find out. Jane gets back in time to explain the theft and that she promises to return it. The scare causes Alba to finally come out of the shadows and make an effort to become a legal resident. It’s a big decision, but she no longer wants this secret hanging over her family’s heads. I always commend how this series tackles a real life topic with genuine care. They have done this so well with Alba’s storyline, and I’m excited to see where they take it next.
This also ties into an earlier flashback scene between Jane and Michael, when she confesses what she thinks could be a deal-breaker for them. She tells him that Alba is undocumented, and Michael, despite being a police officer committed to enforcing the law, doesn’t bat an eye. In fact, he’s done a lot so far to protect Alba. (Another 10 points for Team Michael.)
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In the “Xiomara and Rogelio Chronicles,” they are the musical act on a cruise line, something way below Rogelio’s usual standards. After abandoning their Vegas show for Mateo’s birth, they have no choice but to perform. It also forces the two to talk about their Vegas wedding, and they ultimately decide to get annulled and start over with a date.
The Bachelorette format of the episode was a clever touch, and the confessional scenes at the end were spot-on and great. It turned what would’ve made a decent episode into a good one. The writers are having fun with the characters and hitting those emotional touchstones that grounds the whimsical series. As usual, I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Gaby’s Crazy (But it COULD happen!) Jane the Virgin Theory of the Week:
Sin Rostro is getting plastic surgery to look like a character we already know, and I think it could be Luisa.
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Rating: 8.5/10
“It should be noted that…”Jane the Virgin airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.
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