Jane the Virgin returned with “Chapter Fifty-Two” was written by the team of Carolina Rivera and Micha Schraft and was directed by Anna Mastro. Looks like there could be a lot of changes coming up for all the characters! And we can sit back and relax a bit because we know the show has already been renewed for a fourth season!
Our usual recap actually needed a recap within the recap! Love how the show continuously manages to make itself fresh. The flashback has Jane (Gina Rodriguez) watching Beaches with Xo (Andrea Navedo) – something she’s done 14 times – every time she’s broken up with Bruce (Ricardo Chavira). I’m with Jane. I don’t like Bruce. Cheaters cheat. That’s what they do – and now, sadly, that includes Xo. Once again, Xo proves she has no clue when it comes to men – he’s changed. Doubtful. After all, isn't that what all women say?
Rogelio (Jaime Camil) has an adorable breakfast with Michael (Brett Dier) and Mateo – accompanied by Mr Bee, the advice giving sock puppet. I loved how much Mateo was clearly loving Dier playing with the puppet.
Mr Bee tells Rogelio he’s nuts for having a baby with a woman he doesn’t even know. Interestingly, Darci (Justina Machado) proves to be a lot more than she looked to be on the surface. It’s hilarious watching the two of them hash out their business agreement – when we all know that a telenovela star can’t help but fall in love with his baby-momma. I loved their meeting to make up the baby-agreement. Where they agree that it’s important that they don’t have feelings for each other.
When Jane arrives, she wants both Michael and Rogelio help her stage an intervention with Xo and Bruce. Rogelio – good for him – says he’s staying out of it. Xo, of course, can’t do the same and is horrible to Darci when she meets her. It’s fine for her to be happy but not Rogelio. However, Mr Bee also tells Jane not to be a meddler – advice that gets her in trouble as the episode unfolds and Mr Bee keeps popping up…
Michael is utterly unhappy about desk duty, so Jane suggests he look into alternative careers. He quits his job – with 6 months severance, and Jane is worried. Michael impulsively thinks he’d enjoy being a car salesman – yuk! Jane tells him she wants him to find something he’s passionate about. Michael does the aptitude test and of course, it tells him he should be a detective! All the other suggestions would only have him sitting at a desk though… And he then settles on standup comic!
Rafael (Justin Baldoni) is late for Mateo, so Jane drops by to see Catalina (Sofia Pernas) and apologize again – only to find Arnaud (Richard Shelton) in her room. She tells Jane he’s her husband but that they’re getting a divorce. Mr Bee tells Jane not to meddle, so she insists that Catalina tell Rafael – and then Rafael is angry that Jane didn’t tell him.
Michael gives Rafael the results of the DNA testing and confirms that Rafael is not a Solano. Rafael is more concerned that his father knew and that’s why he treated him differently. He’s not concerned about the money… at first.
Petra (Yael Grobglas) finally returns – and she’s angry! She suspects that Rafael has been working with Scott (Wes Armstrong), but when she confronts Rafael, he denies it AND tells her she’s being paranoid – which really is cruel.
Petra goes to see Anezka – and I’ve missed watching her play both! I loved her working as a street psychic! Petra confesses that she’s not okay. Petra tells her that she has to leave the country or go to jail.
Petra traps Scott into a confession by pretending to be Anezka again. I loved the Narrator (Anthony Mendez) comparing Jane to The Americans as Petra’s disguise is revealed! Grobglas is fabulous as she goes from comedy as Anezka to a clearly troubled and upset Petra – it’s not just anger, she’s clearly hurt as well. And of course, she plants cameras in Rafael’s suite and learns that he doesn’t have standing in the will when he has a meeting with his lawyer about it!
Jane tries to go to Xo to talk about Michael quitting his job only to find her crying over Bruce… again. Xo pushes her away – not even noticing that Jane herself is upset. Jane walks out and tries to take the high road, but Bruce stops her, and she lets him have it – and we find out that the affair went on for three years!
Xo then comes and reads Jane the riot act for yelling at Bruce. Well, idiot, maybe if you’d explained what was going on at the time, Jane wouldn’t have reacted the way she did. It’s hard not to sympathize with Bruce’s daughter – after all, Xo broke up her parents.
Michael bails on dinner with Xo and Bruce. During dinner, the story of the affair gets even worse as Xo – so typical of the other woman – exposed herself to the family by causing a scene at the house. Sorry. Not at all won over by Bruce’s puppy-face. He’s a creep. Jane tells Xo that she doesn’t like thinking of Xo as the person who wreaked havoc on his family – but that’s exactly who she is. I don’t like thinking of her that way either. Not happy with this twist to her plot.
Alba (Ivonne Coll) thinks Michael is funny, but Jane is worried that Michael is going to fall flat on his face after he signs up to perform at a comedy club. Xo tells her to be supportive – with Mr Bee chiming in. Jane fakes how funny she thinks Michael’s jokes are – and once again, she should have trusted her instincts to try to protect Michael.
Jane and Catalina fight over Jane telling Rafael about her seeing Catalina kissing Arnaud. Rafael broke up with her – but by the end of the episode, Jane finds her back in Rafael’s apartment. Jane decides it’s none of her business – can that end well?
Xo tells Jane she’s changed, and then she is horrible to Darci at the comedy club. Rogelio is hurt when Darci senses that Rogelio doesn’t have a supportive family. Alba who has been supportive of Bruce reads Xo the riot act – and finally makes her feel badly about something she’s done. Xo does tell Darci she is supportive – just protective of Rogelio.
Michael freezes on stage – I loved Rogelio’s “this is either a classic case of stage fright or an ill-timed series of tiny consecutive strokes.” It’s Jane to the rescue! She goes up beside the stage and won’t let Michael just bail and gets Michael talking. And we do get a few of Dier’s awesome impressions!
Mr Bee is shouted down by the Bette Midler sock when Jane decides to intervene with Bruce’s daughter Tess (Dannay Rodriguez) after she gives her father an ultimatum. Tess and her friends are not happy to see Jane. Jane defends Xo, saying that Xo has changed and that Xo and Bruce are happy together. Tess gets Jane to buy a bunch of clothes she doesn’t need, but seems to thaw a bit. And Tess has her first bonding moment with her father in a long time.
Rogelio signs the contract with Darci and then asks her to stay while he shoots his big Indie scene. She gives him a great pep talk – and then, hilariously, Rogelio discovers his feelings for Darci right in the middle of his nude scene! He confesses his feelings for her, but she tells him to get over it if he wants to have a baby with her.
Michael finally decides on what seems like the perfect career for him – a lawyer! It will mean that he has to go back to school, but he feels it will still make him feel involved. I can tell you from personal experience that it will mean a whole lot of time behind a desk!!! Both during school and after graduation – but it is a great way to move the plot forward – after all, there are lots of reasons all the characters could need lawyers going forward, right?
What did you think of the episode? What is Petra going to do with the information about Rafael? Will Catalina finally move on if she thinks Rafael has no money? Will Rogelio be able to convince Darci to have the baby? Do you think Bruce has really changed? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
