- Rogelio – You have to go to your engagement party
- Jane – This is more important
Chapter Thirty-Seven is the 15th episode of Season 2 of Jane the Virgin.
Synopsis[]
NEW BEGINNINGS — Rafael (Justin Baldoni) and Petra (Yael Grobglas) are new parents but Petra is already back to work and appears to not be interested in motherhood. Xo (Andrea Navedo) has invited Alba's (Ivonne Coll) old flame Pablo (guest star Marcelo Tubert) to visit. This does not sit well with Alba as she believes Pablo is cursed and will bring bad luck. Jane (Gina Rodriguez) is growing concerned that she can't get in touch with her father, Rogelio (Jaime Camil), who is being held captive by Lola (guest star Ana De la Reguera).
Recap[]
Jane is officially back on the market for an adviser, and as it turns out, she’s been paired with one Marlene Donaldson. She seems pretty harmless — that is, until she starts talking, making it clear that Jane is going to have to work really, really hard to make sure her writing passes both the Bechdel test and her own strict requirements when it comes to good fiction. Never mind the fact that Jane the Virgin teasingly frames its sequences so that its very own script fails the test; Jane is having a tough go at it. It’s not that she doesn’t want to feature two women who talk about something other than a man, but let’s face it: When a girl lives in a novela world, it’s tough to stick by man-made rules. (See what I did there?) As it turns out, Professor Donaldson hates her first draft, but homegirl’s got other problems: She hasn’t been able to get ahold of Rogelio, a situation that’s gone from mildly alarming to code red, especially since Rogelio never responded to the news about her engagement to Michael. In the words of Beyoncé, ring the alarm!
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With that, Jane reaches out to Michael. Her fiancé — who has been busy this episode counseling Rafael about how to best learn details about his mother’s criminal past from his half-brother Derek — quickly puts on his detective hat and sniffs around and quickly finds out that Rogelio is being held captive at his home. It’s a reminder that for whatever other failings Michael might have, he’s pretty good at his job.
In fact, he might have his parents to thank for that, as evidenced by how hard nosed they are when it comes to Jane re-entering their son’s life. Rare is the truly successful on-screen depiction of a future in-law’s scorn, but I have to say, Jane nails it with a hefty serving of furrowed brows, cold sneers, and palpable disdain. But why, might you ask, would anyone anyone hate Jane? It’s because she broke their son’s heart, and you kind of can’t blame them for it. That said, if there’s one thing that Jane learns tonight, it’s that, as much as she’d like to, she can’t live her life hoping that everyone will like her — a lesson that comes in handy when, at the close of the episode at her engagement party, she cuts her losses with Michael’s parents and decides to move on. If Michael loves her and understands her point of view, that’ll have to be enough. In a world where women are often depicted as super popular and eager to please, Jane’s about-face is really quite refreshing.
NEXT: Someone’s not settling into her new role very well
Elsewhere this episode: Alba’s one-time lover Pablo Alonso Segura made the trek out to Miami from Venezuela and did his best to convince Alba that he was never, nor is he currently, cursed. Though Alba didn’t believe that for a moment — when Pablo entered the Villanueva home the power went out! — their attraction proved too powerful to resist, and a date at the end of the night found them dancing the tango. While this might normally provoke a big fat “Aww” from me, it was the tease to the scene simultaneously taking place at home — where Jane and Xo are relaxing after Jane’s engagement party — that prevented any excess sentimentality on my end. The reason? Well, the Villanueva’s ceiling collapsed thanks to an epic water leak, which can only mean one of two things: 1) Maybe the Villanueva house is in need of some serious repairs, or 2) Pablo is a walking, breathing example of bad luck incarnate. But which is it?
Meanwhile, Petra has suddenly become a doting mother to her newly delivered twins. NOT! Did you really think she’d give up conference calls and meetings just because of motherhood? Far from diving right into baby bottles and burping breaks, Petra shirks away from taking care of and bonding with her twins, which raises the question: Is being a gushy, super-sentimental mother the only way to be a successful parent? While future episodes might provide an answer to that question, here’s what we do know: With a little encouragement from doting dad Rafael, Petra might just warm up to the idea of being a mom — maybe.
Oh, and speaking of Rafael — remember that bit about him trying to get to know his half-brother? Well, after a lobster lunch and some time spent on his brother’s boat, it seems he’s learned a little bit about Derek — well, sort of. You see, Derek is super-smooth just like brother, and with the help of some scotch, seems to have sold his story about having been sailing when he heard about their mother’s misdeeds. That being the case, Rafael is quick to jump to his brother’s defense when Michael checks in about the case. “You’re entitled to your opinion, but this is my family,” Rafael tells Michael, with a not-so-subtle hint of scorn in his voice. Alrighty then. But is Derek really blame-free — or did he just manage to pull a fast one?Starring[]
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Trivia[]
- This is the first appearance of Pablo Alonso Segura.
- This is the first appearance of Marlene.
- This is the first appearance of Derek, although he appeared in the last episode, but was briefly seen. Lola was gonna kill herself and Rogelio in a murder-suicide.
- Michael saves him.
- Jane is there for her father.
- Derek tells Rafael he thought about drowning himself because he was left without a family.
- Michael's parents are divorced. Michael Sr. cheated on his wife.
- Rafael seems to be getting along better with Jane, and also with Michael.
- Pablo and Alba share a passionate kiss while tangoing at The Marbella, to the song that played when they met, requested by Pablo.
- Coincidentally, at the same time, the Villanueva house begins to flood!
- Petra is nervous about being a mother and keeps her distance from the twins, until Rafael assuages her fears with a bonding evening with the girls, telling Petra she will be fine.
FLASHBACKS
- To a 9-year-old Jane distraught over the illegality of the 2000 U.S. election, heralded by the state of Florida.
CONTINUITY
'Secrets'[]
- The full story of the flower is revealed, as Alba & Pablo made love in her parents' garden.
- Derek's father ran half-marathons twice annually and died suddenly of a heart attack. He tells Rafael he has wondered if Mutter killed him.
Locations[]
Photos[]
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