Chapter Forty-Two is the 20th episode of Season 2 of Jane the Virgin.
Synopsis[]
MOTHER'S DAY – The Villanueva women have a tradition for Mother's Day and Jane (Gina Rodriguez) is excited to get to participate in her first one as a mom. However, their plans are thwarted when Petra (Yael Grobglas) invites everyone to a brunch instead. Jane's TA position is put into jeopardy when a mysterious ad appears in the college newspaper. Rogelio (Jaime Camil) is hurt when Dina (guest star Judy Reyes) doesn't invite him to her birthday party, so he asks Jane to help in an unusual way. Rafael (Justin Baldoni) finds himself in big trouble thanks to his half-brother (guest star Derek Ruvelle). Meanwhile, Xo (Andrea Navedo) finds herself in a compromising position.
Recap[]
“Chapter 42” kicked off with Jane planning a brunch with her sorta-BFF Petra. What better way to solidify their bond as a family than with a huge get-together over fruit salad and some eggs Benedict? Well, when Jane finds out that Anezka sabotaged her job as a TA, the conversation quickly goes from whether they should serve cheese Danish to deceit. Petra agrees to ask Anezka about what went down and seems to take Jane’s side in the matter until Anezka reveals that she overheard Jane telling Alba that Petra wasn’t a good mom. For shame! I mean, you can say what you want about a girl’s sense of style, her loyalty, or even her slay game, but her abilities as a mom? That’s a no-no, and with that, Petra’s guard is up once more, and it’s game on between her and Jane. And, for the record, so is brunch. (It’s a matter of pride, you see.) How much you wanna bet it’s going to be awkward?
While Jane and Petra are on the outs, Rafael is dealing with Derek. Things started off well between the two — Rafael offered Derek a job at the hotel — but Derek quickly turns the tables, blackmailing him so as to gain control of the Fairwick. “You sell me the Fairwick for a dollar, or I turn you into the feds,” he threatens Rafael. Can’t say I didn’t see that one coming!
As the drama escalates between the brothers, Rogelio enlists Jane in giving him an intellectual makeover — something akin to a My Fair Lady-type treatment. (Rogelio’s words, not mine.) It’s all in preparation for Dina’s birthday, for which Rogelio feels pressure to appear knowledgeable about the smarter things in life. You know, stuff other than the Kardashians. Given Dina’s skepticism over Rogelio’s ability to blend in and appreciate her friends, Rogelio is really eager to prove her wrong. Jane gives her dad a few talking points — you can never steer wrong talking English lit — but when Rogelio learns that Dina’s party is a sit-down dinner rather than a mingling affair, he’s thrown into an absolute panic. It’s a clever twist on the scenario we’re used to seeing: Here, the man is eager to show his substance to his female better, anxious to prove himself her intellectual peer.
NEXT: Stealth texting does not a scholar make
Against her better wishes — after all, part of Jane would love to see her father and mother back together — Jane agrees to attend Dina’s party, where she stealthily texts Rogelio smart things to say under the table. With her help, Rogelio charms in leading the conversation on topics ranging from current events, politics, and economics, and everything goes swimmingly until it doesn’t thanks to Jane’s iPhone autocorrect turning a NATO reference into a phrase about Nazis. Oops. Still, all’s well that ends well — and Dina is appropriately impressed at the lengths Rogelio went to in order to fit in with her friends. The only one who isn’t in love is Jane, who wraps up her bit in the scene by telling Rogelio that while she’s happy he’s found companionship with Dina, she wishes things had worked out between him and Xo. Me too, Jane.
The following morning sees the Villanueva clan joining Petra & Co. for brunch at the Marbella. To be clear, this isn’t the most easygoing affair — in fact, it’s pretty darn awkward. So much so that the narrator proposes a drinking game every time there’s an icy moment on screen. No one can fault Jane for taking a break to clear her head on the balcony, where she finds Rafael. In her usual disarming way, she asks what’s wrong — which opens the floodgates to a confession from Rafael about the insider trading, the hotel sale, and how his half-brother is blackmailing him. “It’ll be ok,” offers Jane before heading back inside where the cutest tribute video of all time is played in her honor. Have you ever seen anything cuter?
WANT MORE? Keep up with all the latest from last night’s television by subscribing to our newsletter. Head here for more details.
While Jane is being honored as a great mom, one can’t help but feel a teeny tiny bit sorry for Petra, for whom such platitudes aren’t being offered. Anezka notices and quickly offers up her own toast to the new mommy. This might have capped off brunch in a way that wasn’t entirely disastrous, but the Jane writers had other plans when the entire affair ends in a screaming match between Jane and Petra, with Anezka fainting from stress-induced epilepsy.
Anezka ends up being okay at the hospital, and Jane apologies for causing her stress. All the apologizing makes Anezka apologize for throwing Jane under the bus as a “classified catfisher.” However, in doing so, Anezka reveals that Petra was covering up for her — which reveals her as a liar. Not exactly the stuff of friendship, you know? One big happy Mother’s Day, this is not.
NEXT: Xo does the dirty
Still, the holiday isn’t quite over — which means there’s plenty of time for the Villanueva women to celebrate the way they normally do, with pajamas, pints of ice cream, and telenovelas.
While the ladies are finally getting their relaxation on, Rogelio is back on set. Michael’s there, too, as his head of security turned technical advisor. (Someone has to make sure those fencing duels are historically accurate!) A scene with Christopher Columbus’ boats though helps kick-start Michael’s detective juices, and he calls Susanna with a new hypothesis. What if Derek was never on the boat??? That kid is up to no good, and if it’s up to Petra — who’s approached Rafael about helping outsmart his half-brother, having overheard Michael and Jane speaking about the matter at brunch — he’ll get a taste of his medicine before much longer.
But sometimes revenge doesn’t taste all that sweet. Just ask Xo, who’s done the dirty with Rogelio’s archenemy Esteban. (He found his way to her recording studio, where tutelage on how to nail the high notes apparently turned into an extended one-on-one session.) Something tells me that this is definitely going to get under Rogelio’s skin!
And of course, an episode of Jane the Virgin wouldn’t be complete without an OMG-did-that-really-happen cliffhanger, this time with a scene that reveals Derek in cahoots with his mother. Apparently getting control of the Fairwick fits into some sort of master plan cooked up by the pair. Hmm — what gives, you guys?Starring[]
|
|
Trivia[]
- Because of Anežka's fake ad, Professor Blake decides that Jane is 'too much drama' and fires her from her TA position at the university.
- Rogelio finally tells Dina how he feels about her and she reciprocates, getting together.
'Secrets'[]
- Derek IS working for his mother, Mutter, and their plan is to get the Fairwick Hotel, for reasons not yet revealed.
- Xiomara, hurting over Rogelio, sleeps with his rival, Esteban.
Locations[]
- Miami
- The Marbella
- The Fairwick Hotel
- St. Ignatius Hospital
- Blockbuster
- Miami Atlantic University
- Saukie Restaurant
- Mexico
Music[]
Photos[]
Media[]
- ‘Jane the Virgin’ Season 2, Episode 20: Are Jane and Petra Friends? (THE NEW YORK TIMES • MAY 2016)
- Jane the Virgin Recap: Mother's Day (VULTURE • MAY 2016)
| EPISODES | |
| 1 | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 |
| 2 | 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 |
| 3 | 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 |
| 4 | 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 |
| 5 | 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 |