Jane The Virgin – Chapter Forty-One

By: Jennifer Verzuh

“Jane The Virgin” is the rare show that manages to deftly balance humor and fun with real, sensitive issues. While a comedy at its heart, the series isn’t afraid to tackle difficult subjects in a honest way, as we’ve seen with Luisa’s alcohol dependency and Petra’s postpartum depression. This week’s episode touches on the pains of joint custody and being a working mother, all the while keeping with a really cute and fun theme: silent films.

Rogelio’s time-traveling soap “Tiago” is working on a silent film episode that involves FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and her female lover (Side note: I would absolutely watch “Tiago” if it were a real series). The episode takes its cue from here by incorporating several funny silent film gags throughout the episode, complete with title cards, a wig for Jane (Gina Rodriguez) and old timey outfits for everyone.

Back to reality, Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) hears they are looking for someone to play the part of a lounge singer and asks Rogelio (Jaime Camil) if she can audition. He tells her she has the part, but the only problem is while filming they determine she can’t act. At all. She fails even to deliver her one short line well. The show’s writer Dina (Judy Reyes), who he’s been hooking up with, scolds him for the decision to hire her and tells her he has to let her go. He is then forced to tell her the part needs to be recast, which she understands. She also says she can tell he has feelings for Dina and it’s probably best she isn’t around. Rogelio, who formerly saw the relationship as casual and dating a writer as beneath him, now starts to think maybe there is something more between them. Xo and Rogelio have always seemed like endgame, but I really like this coupling and think Dina’s no-BS attitude would be good for Rogelio.

And now on to a very happy couple with seemingly no problems in sight: Jane and Michael. Things have been going almost too well for them the last few episodes, so right away a wrench gets thrown in their plans. Michael’s (Brett Dier) face covers the front of the newspaper along with a story claiming he botched the Sin Rostro and Mutter cases. As a result, he’s laid off work for six months due to a pending investigation. Having lost one of their incomes, Jane decides to take more shifts at work and write an admissions essay for a wealthy high school Senior in exchange for money from the boy’s mother, something that doesn’t exactly sit well with Jane.

With all this extra work Jane is seeing Mateo less than ever, which is hurting both of them as he’s at the age when he’s experiencing separation anxiety stronger than ever. And now Rafael (Justin Baldoni) wants even more time with their son. He suggests a mediator to help them draft together a custody agreement. The idea is one Jane initially rejects, but ultimately agrees to due to the mounting tension between the two. Things get a little heated during the meeting, especially when Rafael says he could see himself taking Mateo on month long trips in the future. Eventually, they agree on a custody plan and to put Mateo first, even if that means he’ll get more time with him.

Michael eventually finds a job. He’s going to work security for Rogelio. It’s not an ideal position, but he tells Jane his priority is her and Mateo and he wants to provide for them and share in all of Jane’s pressures and pains. Jane is ecstatic to hear that because she’s been really struggling and wants to spend all of her free time bonding with Mateo because he’s her number one priority.

There’s also Petra’s twin sister to deal with Anezka. She’s working as a waitress at the Marbella and she’s awful and Jane is stuck training her. She’s such an odd, mischievous and fun character. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of Helena from “Orphan Black.” The best part though is that we get to see actress Yael Grobglas play a very different character and do so expertly. Kudos to her. We see that she isn’t all that different from Petra though when she decides to (in a misguided attempt to help Petra) get Jane in trouble with her school.

The episode ends on an ominous moment though as Rafael’s brother Derek orders what sounds like a hit on someone. Stay tuned!