2. Jane the Virgin
Allyson Johnson: Another show where I’m about to set off into marathon-land, but even from the few amount of episodes I’ve seen, I can tell it’s something special. Mixing the relationship drama of Gilmore Girls with the fantastically surreal atmosphere of Pushing Daisies (one of my favorite shows of all time), Jane the Virgin is like very little else on television. The tone is decidedly female-friendly, and Gina Rodriguez has an immediate star quality.
Update: I am seven episodes in, and this show is magical and I love it. Each and every character is watchable, no subplots annoy me (a rarity), and the world is so rich in charm and fun that it has been hard for me to stop watching (work has a nasty way of interfering with my television binging).
Jeremy Rodriguez: I’ll admit I was very skeptical when I first heard of a show about a virgin, who is accidentally artificially inseminated. But I decided to check out the first episode when it originally premiered just to give myself a laugh. What I didn’t expect was to get immediately hooked into the addictive soapy storylines and likeable characters. This show features love triangles, murder, psycho exes, a drug lord who gets plastic surgery to disguise her face, and a season-ending cliffhanger that will keep you on the edge of your seat until season two finally premieres.
Ivanna Barrera: It was so easy to fall in love with Jane the Virgin. The storyline is like nothing that’s ever been done before. It has the perfect mix of comedy, drama and romance with a twist of quirkiness. The cast is extremely loveable; it’s even hard to despise the villains. After a few episodes you become emotionally invested in their lives. The writers have done an amazing job of creating some of the best cliff hangers that rival Mexican telenovelas. Not to mention that the Latin narrator that guides each episode is hilarious with his blunt comments and hashtags!
Gabrielle Bondi: If you followed my weekly coverage of Jane the Virgin, you know how much I adore this show. Like everyone else, I was very skeptical giving the show a chance, but the wealth of great reviews had me tune into the premiere, and it was insta-love. It balances so many different tones and themes effortlessly. It’s easily the biggest surprise The CW has ever given audiences. But most importantly, it gets the Latino family dynamic right.
Jose Cordova: Look maybe I’m just the target audience for this show because there really isn’t a bad thing I can say about it. I remember watching crazy telenovelas with my family when I was a kid, and Jane is all the best parts of novelas with a modern twist. There’s passion, love, betrayal, comedy, and insane plot twists. Under all of the crazy elements is the story of a normal woman thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Gina Rodriguez as the titular virgin leads an amazing ensemble that is perfectly cast. Rodriguez is a revelation, proving that she has great comedic timing as well as incredible depth as a dramatic actor. The show manages to be a quirky comedy, a family drama, a romantic comedy, and nighttime soap, sometimes all within the span of a single episode. Rodriguez moves from one style to the next without missing a beat. Jane is engaging, engrossing, and entertaining.
PS: Shout out to Jaime Camil for portraying what is easily my favorite new TV character of the season: Rogelio De La Vega. Lastly, shout out to The Latin Lover Narrator on the show as well. I don’t know what I’d do without him.
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The first season of Jane The Virgin can be purchased by episode on Amazon Instant and iTunes. The second season begins in Fall 2015.
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