Jane The Virgin – Chapter Eighty-Eight

By: Maddie Ruby

Jane (Gina Rodriguez) decides to go to Montana with Michael (Brett Dier) to get away from the past and see where their relationship can go or if there isn’t one. Naturally, Jane is super excited at first and then wonders what she was thinking in the morning. She runs into some packing issues, not having anything “ranch” friendly. They get on the plane and everything seems to be going okay, until they miss their bus because of Jane’s luggage, have to wait for hours for another one and then finally drive home. During all this trip the bus is stopped by cows, and Jane had to pee in a bush…twice. On the way to Michael’s ranch it is revealed there is no cell reception on the ranch and she can’t call Mateo. She keeps saying she has no idea how he lives off the grid and doesn’t really talk to anyone. Jane tries to text Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) and tell her she thinks she made a huge mistake. Of course, it doesn’t send. In the morning she decides to tell Michael she would like to chagne her mind, but he is gone from the room. She come out to see a beautiful view and Michael handing her coffee, forgetting what she was going to say.

Michael called Alba (Ivonne Coll) and gave her the landline number so that way Rafael (Justin Baldoni) can get ahold of Jane anytime. They decide to go on a nice walk and have a picnic, but then Michael’s boss says he has to get to work. Michael insists Jane goes and writes, but she decides to help him out.

As they are mucking stalls they “accidentally” get into a hay fight. Jane falls into the hay they already mucked and so she has to take a shower…a little different then usual. You have to pull a lever to put water out of a bucket and she can’t reach it. Michael helps her, without peeking of course.

Xo finally texts her back and says she should come home if she feels like it. Jane tries to text her back and tell her everything is going well, but it doesn’t send. Later, Jane gets to the meet the rest of Michael’s friends. They ask about their future together, questioning if she is going to move out their and become a ranch wife, which clearly isn’t what Jane wants. Michael has 48 hours to decide if he’s saying or leaving or his job and home will be given to someone replacing him.

Jane finds out about the decision Michael has to make. Her and Michael go and ride horses and she admits that she knows about his time in Montana being in limbo. He tells her there is more than just two options, they could date long distance. Every time Jane thinks about what could happen with Michael she imagines how sad Rafael is and feels guilty. As they are fixing the fence the most prized bull gets loose and they have to get it back or Michael could lose his job and their options.

Jane decides to go and lasso the bull. While there she meets Michael’s nemesis, Charlie (Haley Lu Richardson). Charlie helps Jane lasso the bull. It has become to late to go home before dark so they decide to camp, without a tent right under the night sky.

Charlie says that they were camping on her land and brings out a gun. She says that Michael stole her prized chickens, but he didn’t. It seems that Rick (Bo Kane) actually ate them. In exchange, he won’t get shot and neither will Rick.

Michael admits he loves Jane and doesn’t want to be without her, so he wants to move to Miami. She doesn’t want to make him do that, but he says he has done things for her before and still will do anything for her. She gets a text from Xo saying Raf sold his first house and he will be okay. She pictures Michael there and Rafael being okay and cool with Michael.

Jane figures out what she wants. She realizes that her imagining Rafael was not guilt, but love. She tells Michael what they had was amazing and true love, but while he was gone she fell in love with Rafael. Michael says he just wants Jane to be happy.

She makes the long journey home, confesses her feelings to Rafael and he shuts the door in her face. He says that its too late for them, but Jane isn’t going to stop fighting.