Jane The Virgin – Chapter Thirty-Seven

By Jennifer Verzuh

After writing my weekly recap of “Jane the Virgin,” I always feel a little exhausted simply because so much happens in each episode. The series juggles so many plotlines it’s an absolute wonder they don’t all come tumbling down. But that’s part of the genius of this show. They manage to pack so much into forty-odd minutes and all without making the episode feel over-stuffed or confusing the viewer. “Chapter Thirty-Seven” acts as a prime example of how “Jane the Virgin” effortlessly weaves between multiple storylines without ever missing a beat.

Jane (Gina Rodriguez) finds herself struggling with one of her biggest character flaws this week: her need to be liked by everyone. In what feels a bit like deja-vu from early season one, Jane and her family are busy planning her wedding to Michael (Brett Dier). One of the first things on the list is an engagement party, which Michael’s parents are in town for. Michael’s nervous since his mom and dad hate each other and haven’t been in a room together in years. However, he thinks their love for Jane will keep them agreeable. When they show up, though, they’re surprisingly united by a common cause: they both think this wedding is a mistake. They’re no longer fans of Jane since she broke Michael’s heart, stunning the newly engaged couple.

Jane makes it her mission to change their minds about her though. Out at dinner later, Jane takes the opportunity to apologize for hurting Michael, tries to convince them that they’re in love and she would never leave him again. It’s not so easy though because Michael’s mother interrogates her about the end of their relationship and her feeling for Rafael (Justin Baldoni). Does she really expect her to be okay with Michael raising “some other guy’s kid?” That does it for Michael, who tells her (in a scene that made Twitter cheer) that child is Mateo, who he loves, just like he loves Jane and that’s enough harassment.

Unfortunately, Michael’s parents still aren’t forgiving and have left town. They won’t be attending their engagement party after all. Jane isn’t ready to let things go though and drives over a hundred miles to Michael’s mother’s house to appeal to her as a mom. She shows up at her doorstep and, unknowingly, conducts her plea in front of an audience: Michael’s mother’s bookclub. At home, Michael says he heard she paid a visit to his parents and it worked. They’ll be at the party.

Rogelio, who you’ll recall, was being held hostage by his assistant/superfan is actually rescued by Michael! Acting on a tip from a concerned Jane, Michael heads over to Rogelio’s and just in time because he is able to save the day right before he was about to be killed. Although he’s clearly experiencing a lot of trauma, Rogelio (Jaime Camil) tries to move on and get back to work immediately. Rogelio doesn’t want to talk about the experience with anyone, including his family. He is; however, willing to share it all with his favorite talk show host. Before his big interview, on the same night of Jane’s engagement party, he finds himself nervous to speak about the events and scared he’ll look like a victim. Jane leaves her engagement party to be there to comfort him and tells him it’s okay to cry and be vulnerable. She’s forced to miss most of her own party to be there for her dad, which Michael understands but his parents clearly do not. When she finally shows up, she’s forced to acknowledge and accept that they don’t like her. But that’s okay, she says, because she and Michael love each other and she isn’t going anywhere.

Jane also struggles with likability issues elsewhere in the episode when she meets her new college writing advisor. The advisor is not a fan of romance or Jane it seems. She demands that her work meet the Bechdel test (which requires two women in a scene talking about something other than a man). Yet even when Jane’s work does, the professor remains unimpressed and pushes her to add a frame and write a novel that’s not only for bored housewives, but actually says something. Jane isn’t completely rid of her eagerness to be liked and tries her best to do just that.

Meanwhile, Rafael is dealing with quite a bit, too. He’s concerned Petra (Yael Grobglas) isn’t bonding with their new children. She’s been actively avoiding her twin babies. She doesn’t hold the kids, has hired two nurses and returns to work almost immediately. After a little advice from Jane, Raf decides to give her a bit of a push and incite a night of bonding for them. Petra seems scared motherhood isn’t for her, but Rafael seems eager to be supportive and form a family.

Speaking of family, Rafael’s recently discovered stepbrother Derek (Mat Vairo) is staying at the hotel. Still working with Michael to learn the location of his criminal mother, Rafael has dinner with Derek. When asked where he was the last few weeks after their mother’s identity was revealed, Derek tells Rafael to follow him, which against Michael’s advice he does. He brings Rafael on a boat and when they’re out in the ocean he says that this is where he was the whole time. He had no idea that his mother was capable of all that and needed time to process everything. He was forced to question his whole life and even contemplated suicide now that he had no family left. Rafael tells him he’s wrong, they’re family. He calls Michael and says he believes Derek is not involved in any criminal activity and he won’t be helping the investigation any longer.

The biggest laughs this episode come from an arc concerning Alba (Ivonne Coll) and her former lover Pablo (Marcelo Tubert), who she’s absolutely convinced is cursed. After seeing their renewed online correspondence Xiomara (Andrea Navedo) invited him over and Alba is worried he’ll bring his notorious curse. When they finally see each other again their chemistry is crackling, but it can’t be denied that bad luck does seem to follow him. When he arrives their lights go out, on a date their waiter repeatedly falls and at episode’s end a pipe bursts at their home. It’s great to see Alba get some more screentime though and in such a fun, fresh way.