Jane the Virgin, “Chapter Six,” was written by Paul Sciarrotta and directed by Jann Turner. Sciarrotta has also written for Reckless, The Fosters, 90210, Emily Owens MD, and Gossip Girl (my last great guilty pleasure!). Turner actually previously collaborated with Sciarrotta on the Emily Owens MD episode “Emily and… The Leap,” and of course, Jennie Snyder was also the creator of Emily Owens MD! Turner’s other credits include Chicago Fire, Teen Wolf, and The Carrie Diaries. This week’s episode sees some very, very big changes in Jane’s (Gina Rodriguez) life. It was another thoroughly enjoyable episode, and I’m loving how this show can be funny, touching, and romantic and have a message without seeming ‘preachy.’
This week’s episode finally tells us the story of how Michael (Brett Dier) and Jane actually met. The flashback that opens the episode takes us back to Jane’s 21st birthday party, and it’s fun to see her letting lose with all of her friends. It’s hilarious when Michael shows up – as a uniformed police officer – due to a noise complaint. One of the gimmicks this week was the math equations, and the first “21st birthday party + cute cop = stripper” is perfect. Jane manages to shoot off Michael’s gun – nice metaphor there, show! And then they bond over Jane’s favorite telenovela. Michael is sweet as he asks why she likes them without being condescending. Jane tells him they’re the epitome of romance – and snow makes everything romantic! She also translates for him: “from our first meeting, I knew it was you. I just knew.” And this episode is about those first meetings. Jane and Michael kiss for the first time and snow appears to come out of Jane’s bullet hole in the ceiling – it must be love!
Unfortunately, in the present, things are not so clear. I really like how the parallel Michael’s first appearing at Jane’s door with him now showing up with her wedding dress. She still isn’t ready to talk to him. Jane tells Xo (Andrea Navedo) and Alba (Ivonne Coll) that she looks at him differently – and that’s the other main theme of this episode. How our perceptions about people and situations can change. Jane says she is still wearing her engagement ring because for her, taking it off will be final.
It’s hard not to feel for both of these guys – and of course we ALL want to be with Jane! When Jane’s calendar comes up on his phone that she is to begin teaching at a Catholic high school, Michael immediately knows how upset Jane will be and texts her to reassure her and tell her he’s sorry about it. When Jane refuses to talk to him, Michael goes to Xo for advice, and the look on Dier’s fact is heartbreaking! Xo looks like she already knows that it’s likely too late, but she does tell him that he has to get Jane to change the way she’s thinking about him. Michael finally gets Jane to meet with him, and he’s managed to secure a boat to try to recreate the telenovela scene from when they first met. Michael also knows Jane well enough to know what it means when she takes off the engagement ring without her having to even say it.
Meanwhile, Rafael (Justin Baldoni) can do no wrong in this episode. He calls to apologize to Jane, and to emphasize how much it means to him to be a “present” father. This is in direct contrast to what Jane feels Michael was prepared to do – let the baby go to an unstable couple, something that was vitally important to Jane. When Jane tells Rafael about being bullied in high school, he can’t picture her being intimidated by anyone. I also loved the symmetry of him finally admitting that he wouldn’t have noticed her in high school. It was a nice way to emphasize that they are both very different people now. And how they view each other has also changed. I also loved the gimmick of Jane’s heart glowing and beating again.
Rafael helps Jane conquer the mean step sisters and then finally takes the opening the narrator (Anthony Mendez) has been telling us about. Rafael tells Jane that he’s having feelings for her and explains that he’s never felt so connected to anyone before. He tells her that he doesn’t believe in fate or destiny, but it’s hard to argue with them having that one kiss and then ending up pregnant together now. He gives her space to think, but when she tells him that she’s broken up with Michael, they share a kiss in the moonlight, under a tree full of the white flowers we’ve come to associate with Jane, and the petals snow down on them. But the narrator also tells us that Jane knows this is the last thing that she should be doing.
Meanwhile, Jane is also trying to manage her new father and her extended family. We see that Melissa (Tina Casciani) clearly has it out for Xo and is happy to use her two daughters – who will always be step-daughters to Rogelio (Jaime Camil) – I love how clueless he can be! – Valeria (Vanessa Merrell) and Victoria (Veronica Merrell) as well. I loved that the twins playing the evil step sisters are also “V”s! They do a great job going from bitchy to sympathetic.
We learn that Jane wants to teach middle school to prevent girls from turning into the kinds of mean girls who tormented her, so of course, she ends up at a high school with two mean girls immediately gunning for her – because as Rogelio tells us, Melissa insisted they go to Jane’s school. They immediately out her to the nuns – Sister Margaret (Leslie Sims) and the more sympathetic Sister Theresa (Willow Geer). I did love how Jane described her situation – as having turned an unfortunate circumstance into a thoughtful choice. I also loved in the end when she tells them she can be a valuable “asset” and Sister Margaret agrees – Jane – because of the website the mean girls put up, can literally be an asset, bringing money and warm bodies into the church. Sister Margaret has really changed the way she views Jane! I also loved the other equation that was associated with the nuns: “nuns + drama = fired!”
In the end, it was fun to watch how Jane and Xo had to both deal with the mean girls in their lives. Jane tells Xo to take the high road, but in the end, Jane has to resort to the same tactics as the mean girls in order to defeat them. As it turns out, she has her perception of them changed and feels sorry for them – they don’t like their mother or even know where their father is – something Jane can relate to as well. Xo taking the high road almost costs her her musical dream when Melissa cancels the band on her. Navedo’s beautiful a Capella song was a highlight of the episode.
We also see that Xo has grown and pushed Rogelio away when he tries to kiss her after her performance. She’s determined not to come between him and Jane. In hindsight she realizes she shouldn’t have dated the father of the mean girl in Jane’s high school either. Rogelio is disappointed but understands and respects her decision. We get to start to see a more serious side of Rogelio in this episode. He presents Jane with a car – and then gives the twins each one too when Jane points out that they are jealous. She sees it as a meaningless too grand gesture, but he explains that the gift of a car was actually a very thoughtful one for him. He didn’t have his own car until he was 35 (32 if anyone asks!), so is was a big milestone for him. He feels like he’s missed the big milestones of Jane’s life. He’s so genuinely proud of her and her successes that he wanted to be able to be a part of one milestone. He also wanted to help make her busy life easier. I was lovely to see her turn to him for comfort when she confessed she’d just broken up with Michael.
I’ve remarked before about how much I love all the nice little touches in the show. I really liked the things they did with social media in this episode. The girls try to put a really hurtful website up about Jane, but it turns out to (maybe!) be a good thing. Jane is able to steal the girls’ phones - with Rafael’s help! – and turn the social media tables on them. I thought it was hilarious that Jane got a hold of Rogelio by tweeting him. I also loved the #awkwardfamilydinner and the “Oscar” selfie to go with it. We learn that Rogelio has 6.3 million followers on Twitter – almost exactly twice the number that Jaime Camil has! I love that the show and actors have no problem poking fun at themselves!
Petra (Yael Grobglas) has some serious problems in this episode. Rafael is able to discredit her attempt to frame him for spousal abuse. I loved him telling her to get out “and take your boyfriend with you” – giving her Zaz’s ashes. Unfortunately, that means she doesn’t have the money that Ivan (Christopher Corbin) is demanding. When he shows about and is about to shoot her, Zaz saves the day when Petra uses his urn to brain Ivan. Is he dead? And if he is, how is she going to dispose of that body? I’m still wondering if Ivan is going to tie into the Sin Rostro storyline. At least Michael gets a break in the case when he figures out what the numbers mean!
Another wonderfully enjoyable episode. Great performances from Rodriguez, Camil, Dier, Navedo, and Baldoni this week! What did you think of the episode? Do you feel sorry for Michael? Is Jane moving too fast? Is Melissa going to tone it down now? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
