Jane the Virgin, “Chapter Forty-One,” was written by Joe Lawson and directed by Gina Lamar. Lawson’s background is comedy, having previously written for Modern Family, Cavemen, and Love Bites. Clearly, he has experience with quirky! I loved this week’s gimmick – and I hate to use the word gimmick because these are never cheap devices, but cleverly thought out magic realisms. This week we get flashes of a silent movie – and of course there’s the added level of meta in that it reflects the plot line in Rogelio’s (Jaime Camil) telenovela. And a shout out to Yael Grobglas who is doing an outstanding job playing both Petra and Anezka. She’s got to be having a blast playing such polar opposites! I also love that we’re not quite sure which twin is evil or if one of them even is evil!
The flashback for this episode shows that young Jane (Lillianna Valenzuela) was just as concerned about money as present day Jane (Gina Rodriguez). I loved her not wanting to spend anything in her piggybank except to buy another piggybank! I didn’t love the in-your-face product placements in this episode, however.
The morning paper proves problematic for both Michael (Brett Dier) and Rafael (Justin Baldoni) when the headline is “The Corrupt and Compromised Investigation.” Derek (Mat Vairo) confronts Rafael about working with the police to reveal his boat. Rafael denies it at first, but when Petra accuses him of continually lying, he has a change of heart and admits the truth. Unfortunately, he’s playing right into Derek’s hands. The last we see of him he’s on the phone in the elevator, telling someone, “It’s a go. Let’s take him down.” I’m curious as to what the twist is going to be here – is he on the phone to their mother? Or maybe Derek is FBI or CIA and they’re setting up Rafael in a federal investigation?!
Michael loses his job over the article – or at least he’s put on six months unpaid leave, but he says it feels like a formality. I loved the silent movie shots of Michael turning out his empty, black pockets as they consider being destitute! I’ll be disappointed if we lose Michael as a cop, but his new job as head of Rogelio’s security could prove to be hilarious! Jane, of course, panics and immediately starts looking for more work. But this means even less time with Mateo who she’s already missing.
Jane ends up with two jobs that she hates. The first is taking Anezka under her wing when Scott (Wes Armstrong) makes her train her. Grobglas is hilarious as Anezka – from her mooning over Rafael to even her body language as the meek, cringing, and socially inept sister. Of course, Jane is the consummate teacher and Anezka actually gets her first tip by the end of the episode!
The other job Jane takes is writing an entrance essay for Evan (Robbie Davidson) after his rich mother (Tina Morasco) hires Jane. Of course, because Jane would never ever think of doing it herself, she doesn’t realize that she’s not being hired to tutor Even through it but to actually write the letter for him. At first, Jane quits when she finds out what’s expected, but then she proves once again what a great teacher she is when she discovers that Evan’s secret passion is drumming – not an acceptable major according to mom – Even is applying for economics! She insists that she knows what’s best for her son – and of course, this provides a lesson for Jane.
Jane and Rafael clash over Mateo and finally agree to see a mediator – Eileen Hatcher (Kelli Kirkland). She asks them to start at the beginning – and I loved seeing their history one more time, but as a silent movie. The show nails this genre too! They went to the mediator because Rafael didn’t go to Jane first when he needed a babysitter and then he was angry when she had him. It turns out they have very different ideas – about Christmas and vacations. I loved them telling the mediator to stay out of it! And her gently telling them that they are paying her not to stay out of it! Jane is completely floored by Rafael wanting Mateo for an entire month!
Rafael explains that going to Europe for a month is something he really wants to share with his son. Jane can’t see past her own needs at first. After her encounter with Evan and his mother, Jane sees that she may not always have Mateo’s best interests at heart and she reconsiders. She realizes what an incredible opportunity it is for him. The two sit down again and hash out what’s really important to both of them. So Jane asks for all the Easters! Jane and Rafael agree that as long as they prioritize Mateo, they should be fine. They hug – awkwardly – which Petra naturally sees!
Petra then tells Anezka – who currently loves Jane – her complicated history with Jane. Anezka concludes that maybe Jane isn’t so perfect and maybe Rafael should find out too. Anezka then plants an ad in the school newspaper as Jane – advertising her essay writing business! If Jane gets thrown out of school, will she be devastated or will she enjoy the extra time with Mateo?
Petra is generally feeling better now that she’s on medication for her postpartum depression. I will never tire of looking at Justin Baldoni holding those babies. He is clearly totally comfortable carrying the two around together – and obviously in heaven while he’s doing it! Also? Always happy babies! She’s accepted that she’s not maternal, but now she’s focused on the practical matters, like the twins’ trust fund! She wants to make sure it is exactly like Mateo’s. She surprises Jane with questions about it, and it seems as if Jane doesn’t want to share the details.
When Petra confronts Rafael, he says that Petra has done things – I loved the list scrolling up the screen – it’s so long! While they are in a good place now, he still doesn’t trust her as much as he trusts Jane. By the end of the episode, Rafael admits that Petra has changed. Petra, however, points out that she’s changed more than he has – he still lies.
Meanwhile, Xo (Andrea Navedo) wants to be on Rogelio’s telenovela as a jazz singer in the silent film era. When Xo asks if she can audition, Rogelio just gives her the part – he’s a big fan of nepotism! Naturally, Xo is awful! She forgets to speak in Spanish, forgets the lines outright, and has terrible delivery! And let’s not even discuss the storyline – Xo is playing the lesbian lover of Eleanor Roosevelt and Rogelio’s character is there to “fix” them both!
When Dina (Judy Reyes) objects, Rogelio assumes that she is jealous. In fact, Rogelio is shocked to finally learn by the end of the episode that he is a lot more into Dina than she is into him – she wants to keep it casual! Of course, Xo notices the “sex sniff” and knows that Rogelio has moved on – she’s hurt that he moved on so quickly.
I loved the Director (Norma Maldonado) suggesting that they could even have 1920s style title cards and Rogelio scoffing that nobody likes to read while watching tv! Yes we do Rogelio! We love it every time the show does it!! Rogelio also thinks that they can fix the problems with Xo’s performance in post – but it looks ridiculously awful!
In the end, Rogelio has to fire Xo, but he does still want to use her voice for the song. Xo admits to Rogelio that it’s hard for her to be around him and Dina because she’s seen that they are a “thing.”
I loved the final scene between Michael and Jane. He tells her that he’s accepted the position with Rogelio. He’s seen that she’s not ok and asks to talk about it. She admits that her priorities feel all wrong. Michael tells her that they share the pain and pressure – it’s the perk of marriage! He tells her they don’t have to give up the house and that she and Mateo are his priority! Aw. How do you not love Michael?!?
What did you think of the episode? What is Derek up to? How long will Michael be able to work for Rogelio? Will Anezka really get Jane in trouble? Is Dina going to break Rogelio’s heart or is she just the rebound? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
About the Author - Lisa Macklem
I do interviews and write articles for the site in addition to reviewing a number of shows, including Supernatural, Arrow, Agents of Shield, Agent Carter, The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, The X-Files, Defiance, Bitten, Killjoys, and a few others! I'm active on the Con scene when I have the time. When I'm not writing about television shows, I'm often writing about entertainment and media law in my capacity as a legal scholar. I also work in theatre when the opportunity arises. I'm an avid runner and rider, currently training in dressage.
