Jane The Virgin – Chapter Forty-Four

By: Jennifer Verzuh

I am not sure any singular hour of television has caused me to feel quite as many different emotions (and all so strongly) as the second season finale of “Jane the Virgin” has. This show has outdone itself yet again with an outstanding season end that left me laughing, crying and completely shocked. I’m just upset we have to wait several months for more.

There’s a lot going on in the “Jane The Virgin” universe when we open, but nothing’s more important than Jane (Gina Rodriguez) and Michael’s (Brett Dier) upcoming wedding. Jane and Michael are beyond excited. Rogelio on the other hand is freaking out a bit with last minute preparations. Okay, a lot.

The rehearsal wedding is an absolute mess. Rogelio (Jaime Camil) learns Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) slept with his telenovela rival and is furious. Jane is upset that Michael (who by the way is back on the police force) spent a large chunk of their honeymoon savings on a one-night room without asking her. Oh, and Mateo inadvertently causes the priest to knock his head on the communion table and pass out. In the end though, Jane convinces her parents to get together for her sake and Michael and Jane adorably talk through everything they need to discuss before their wedding from who takes out the trash to when they want to have their next child.

The day of her wedding Jane decides she wants to change her thesis for next year. Her advisor warns her it’s too late, but Jane insists she can’t work on something that her heart’s not in and she has a wonderful new idea. Her advisor (Melanie Mayron) agrees to hear it, but only if she can come in today. With Michael’s blessing and her family’s support, she speeds to the university for the meeting just hours before her wedding is supposed to start. Her advisor, ultimately, loves her new thesis and approves it. She puts on her dress in the bathroom and her father is waiting outside in a car to drive her. Unfortunately, the battery has died and they’re forced to take a bus ride there.

Jane’s late, but she makes it. And despite wanting to reveal his love for Jane yet again and stop the wedding, Rafael (Justin Baldoni) doesn’t as he sees she’s happy, which is a true sign of character development from him. Surprisingly, the wedding goes perfectly. It’s one of the sweetest ceremonies since Pam and Jim tied the knot in “The Office.” Michael even says his vows in Spanish. The narrator sniffles a bit and I must admit I did as well. Finally married, Jane envisions the choir and her family singing for her to, at last, go have sex. First, there’s the reception though, which is also a huge success and full of utter sweetness from Jane and Rogelio’s adorably geeky father-daughter dance to a loving moment between Rogelio and Xo.

Petra (Yael Grobglas) ducks out after the ceremony and, unfortunately, tragedy follows. She finds Anezka (also Yael Grobglas) passed out in the baby’s room. At the hospital, the doctor’s tell her that she seemed to have a stroke and is now psychically immobile, but aware. But things aren’t always as they seem and as telenovelas have taught us, it’s always the twin. Petra tells Rafael and the doctor she needs a moment alone with her sister and when they leave she drops her accent. We see it’s actually Anezka, who tells a petrified Petra, it was her that she drugged and that she dyed her hair. She also tells her that she’ll take good care of Rafael. When “Petra” and Rafael return home, Anezka initiates sex, despite Rafael reminding her he’s still in love with Jane. What’s Anezka long game here? It has to be more than wanting to steal away Rafael. I guess we’ll have to wait until next season to find out.

Jane and Michael are in their room at the Marbella packing up to head to the hotel they booked for their honeymoon. However, they realize they can’t wait any longer and are about to have sex right there. Michael goes to the hallway to get some ice for the champagne first though, which you just know means something bad is going to happen. On his way, he runs into his partner Susanna (Megan Ketch) and thanks to a reference to her home city she misses, Michael suspects she’s not who she says she is. When he calls her out on her questionable behavior she shoots him. In the chest. It’s horrifying, heartbreaking and upsetting to say the least. And to think Jane is waiting for him in their room! But is he dead?? We can only hope not. And this is a telenovela after all.

I didn’t necessarily suspect Susanna was a bad guy, but that reveal is nothing compared to what comes next. Susanna returns to her hotel room and tells Luisa (Yara Martinez), who’s fresh out rehab and in a happy relationship now with her, that they need to go, but not before pulling off her face. With the removal of a Mrs. Doubtfire type skin mask and voice changer, it was Rose/Sin Rostro (Bridget Regan) all along. Luisa is astonished, saying she saw her dead. Rose tells her that was just to free them and says she never stopped loving Luisa. It’s clear Luisa hasn’t stopped loving her either. Then, she asks her to run away together, reminding her theirs is the “greatest love story ever told.” Excuse me while I pick my jaw up off the floor. This is one of “Jane the Virgin’s” biggest and frankly hardest to swallow twists to date. It brings back a great villain and character though and it does so in such a grand telenovela fashion so no complaints here.

Oh, and Xiomara appears to be pregnant from her ill-advised one night stand with Rogelio’s arch nemesis. So, there’s that to look forward to as well.

Bravo, “Jane the Virgin” writers and cast. This show is certainly a marvel full of excellent and intricate plots. I can’t wait to see what the third season has in store!