{"id":7589,"date":"2020-06-19T13:00:50","date_gmt":"2020-06-19T20:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=7589"},"modified":"2020-06-15T16:04:57","modified_gmt":"2020-06-15T23:04:57","slug":"mark-watches-jane-the-virgin-s01e22-chapter-twenty-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2020\/06\/mark-watches-jane-the-virgin-s01e22-chapter-twenty-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Jane the Virgin’: S01E22 – Chapter Twenty-Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00c2\u00a0<\/span>In the twenty-second and final episode of the first season of Jane the Virgin<\/i>, Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s delivery day has arrived. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Jane the Virgin<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Trigger Warning: For brief mentions of abuse and trauma, child kidnapping.<\/b><\/p>\n

I really, really love this show. Lemme just state that upfront, because I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want that to get lost, even if this is all praise for a spectacular finale. I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d dislike this show before I started it. Enough folks basically pitched it as a show I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d deeply enjoy, and I think my tastes are obvious enough that I usually trust this community when they say a show is well-suited to me. Part of the joy, though, is when a show is something I enjoy for an unexpected reason. No one could have known what emotional state I would be in when I eventually got to Jane the Virgin<\/i>, so that coincidental relatability plays a part in how I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m perceiving this show. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never, in my whole life, had to think about the complexity of interpersonal relationships before, and truthfully, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a major focus of my therapy sessions these days.<\/p>\n

So, I say that going into this review for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Chapter Twenty-Two\u00e2\u20ac\u009d because I am not sure what my reviews would look like if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d started this show at another time. I know I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve said that, but it bears repeating because of what this finale depicts.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A lot of the time, there are no easy answers.<\/p>\n

And I enjoyed that this finale didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t provide one. For the most part, the script focuses on Jane going into labor and giving birth to her son, Mateo Gloriano Rogelio Solano Villanueva. It should, for the record! This whole season has built up to this point, so I would feel weird if it hadn’t<\/i> been centered on this. That doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean there isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a lot going on here, so I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to talk about some of those plots first before I get to THE MAIN EVENT. A really good finale, in my book, resolves a number of plots in a satisfying way while giving us the tiniest glimpse of where the story can go next. Now, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know if the next season resets the chapter nomenclature, but even if it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t, I feel comfortable stating that this season is like one book in a series. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re about to get a new story for season two, but look where this season took us! For example, one huge theme was Rogelio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s role within the Villanueva family. From his introduction to this point, Rogelio has constantly struggled with where he belonged. He made some terrible mistakes years and years ago, some of which he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s now trying to rectify since coming back into Xiomara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lives. Yet even with his attraction to Xiomara and their attempt at a relationship, Rogelio still had to cope with the fact that he was a newcomer. His presence couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily make up for the twenty-odd years where he wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t in the life of the Villanueva family.<\/p>\n

Love is a powerful force in Jane the Virgin<\/i>, but the show brilliantly does not tell us that love alone<\/i> is the answer. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll touch on that more with Michael and Rafael, but in regards to Rogelio, love also<\/i> requires work. It requires action. It requires dedication. Look, we all know Rogelio is in love with Xiomara, that he loves Alba and Jane. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t doubt that at all. But he also<\/i> loves his work and\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 well, his sense of self. (Still can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get over that EGOT joke in a recent episode, IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S SO FUCKING FUNNY.) I get why Xiomara assumed that Rogelio would choose his Vegas show over flying back to Miami. She just knew what that show meant to him. But like I said, love can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t solve everything without action and behavior backing it. Rogelio is part of this family because he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made an effort<\/i> to be a part of it. That matters more than anything else! It wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even a difficult choice for him to fly back home, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why he was so offended by Xiomara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s assumption.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This part of his story feels like we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve reached some sort of resolution. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s definitely a member of this family, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. God, even the ease at which Jane calls him Dad feels so damn huge, especially when I think back to the earlier episodes. That doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean his arc is done, and I love that we still have so much to look forward to in him. What about his romantic interest in Xiomara? Will that come back? Will he maintain a separate, platonic friendship next season? I mean\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s be real. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m expecting a mess because look what show I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m watching. STILL. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122M SO INVESTED. AND THEY GOT DRUNK MARRIED? HI EVERYONE, I LOVE THIS TROPE. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so cheesy and ridiculous, but I need to know what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s coming next!<\/p>\n

That goes for Rafael and Michael. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know which of these two Jane might end up with, and since we have four more seasons, it could be NEITHER ONE OF THEM. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know!!! Either option feels believable, which is a MASTERFUL challenge that the writers and actors on this show have achieved. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s look at Rafael, for example, who reaches an important milestone in his journey. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s his arc been over season one? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s complicated, of course, since he started in such a vastly different place than where he ended up. But I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d argue that his journey was about family, too. He wanted to start one, and though he intended that to be with Petra, it ended up being with Jane. Yet his main conflict lay not just with trying to figure out how to navigate Luisa\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s mistake, but how he was supposed to live in the shadow of his father. (I do feel that Luisa unfairly does not get any significant time in this finale. What about her journey and growth?)<\/p>\n

Here, Rafael comes to a powerful epiphany, one he set in motion a few episodes ago. He finally, finally<\/i> realized that he does not have to be his father. He doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to impress<\/i> his father. Not only that, but he comes to accept that Jane was right about where his loyalties were: He focused heavily on building a legacy. Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s emphasis on success and fatherhood was in the future. Thus, allowing his father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hotel group to be sold off, to have the Marbella solely under his control, means that Rafael chose Jane, Mateo, and the now<\/i>. For all the mistakes he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s made\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwhich includes his belief that he shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have broken up with Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u201dI feel satisfied seeing this season\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s arc end at this place. It concludes a major part of his emotional journey, but it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give an answer. Literally! Because even after the birth of Mateo, Rafael is curious what Jane feels about a possible reconciliation, and her answer is so damn important.<\/p>\n

Not now. Now is not the time.<\/p>\n

Now is for Mateo. Now is for new life. Now is so different than Rafael thought it would be, and his choice is to live in this moment.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Which is also why it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so compelling that Michael comes to the same conclusion in a different context. Oh, it was so damn clever of the show to put Jane\/Rafael into contrast with Jane\/Michael. These relationships are so deeply different, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why this love triangle is such a compelling thing. I loved that\u00e2\u20ac\u201das the narrator pointed out\u00e2\u20ac\u201dMichael assured Jane that now<\/i> is not the time for him to try to rekindle his relationship with Jane. Nope, now is about Mateo and Jane, the most important relationship, the most vital focus. Again: a chapter has closed, but there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so much potential here.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Not all of that potential is positive, though. Ugh, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, I want Petra to get away from her mother and her toxic way of thinking! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of the hardest parts of analyzing her character; the writers have put her on a JOURNEY, and there was a moment here where I really thought she was starting to escape this toxic bubble that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d been in. I admit that I have some sympathy for her because she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s had to make so many difficult choices due to abuse and trauma, and I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll always have a soft spot for messy characters who are written in this context. That doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean I necessarily feel that the writers have always made the best choices with her. (I still feel very strangely about her relationship with Milos, which is mostly undefined in ways I find frustrating, for example.) But she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s one of those characters who has shown potential to change, and those moments have felt so monumental whenever we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve gotten a glimpse of them. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s unfortunately in a space where she thought getting back with Rafael was possible, which made Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s manipulation of her feel so cruel. Seriously, her face when she overheard what Rafael was saying to Luisa? That was rough<\/i>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But stealing his sperm??? OH, NO, PETRA, PLEASE DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T DO THIS. IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BAD. VERY. BAD. NO.<\/p>\n

But let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talk about Jane. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talk about the magic that is SO MUCH of this episode. Let\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s talk about the power of family and community. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve seen this theme so many times over the course of various episodes, but I love that here, in one of the most important moments of Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s life, this is still rooted in three generations of Villanueva women. I love that Xiomara tells Jane what Alba told her when she was in labor; I love that Xiomara doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t miss the birth; I love that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an extended sequence about the power of strangers that takes place on public transportation. In another show, that might have seemed ridiculous, except this show has REPEATEDLY shown us that Jane takes the bus to everything, and as someone who has taken public transportation the majority of their life, I JUST LOVED THIS SO, SO MUCH.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jane obviously has a lot of decisions to make in season two. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m hoping that Jane gets into grad school; I am certain a lot of season two will focus on the complications of motherhood. And romance. And school. And being creative while being immensely busy.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Chapter Twenty-Two\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is about the now. And right now, Jane has reached maybe the most important milestone in her life: she gave birth to her child. All those anxieties we saw throughout the season led to this point, and she did<\/i> it. She gave birth with her family at her side, and what a strange family that is! But family isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t just blood relations; sometimes, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s those you choose. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s those who are complicated. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s those you love and are in love with. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll have so much to deal with in the immediate future, but for now\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 I get why the narration tells us that Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s heart is full.<\/p>\n

Everything is just\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 perfect.<\/p>\n

EXCEPT WHEN SIN ROSTRO STEALS JANE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S BABY, AND I AM ASSUMING WE DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T SEE HER FACE BECAUSE SHE LOOKS DIFFERENT AND I AM ALSO GUESSING A DIFFERENT ACTRESS WILL PLAY SIN ROSTRO AND I AM SO FLABBERGASTED. I assume Nadine has something to do with this, since that was the last thing that Michael uttered before he let her escape? Is this a ploy to get revenge? To have leverage? For what<\/i>, though????<\/p>\n

I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so glad I get to start season two in just six days. THIS IS DEEPLY UNFAIR.<\/p>\n

(For clarity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sake: The prediction post for season two will be attached to the review for 2×01. I am not separating them since I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m already doing less reviews than I used to, and also, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m selfish. I NEED MORE JANE THE VIRGIN<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Chapter Twenty-Two\u00e2\u20ac\u009d can be downloaded here for $0.99<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Mark Links Stuff<\/b><\/p>\n

– You can now pre-order my second YA novel, Each of Us a Desert<\/i>, which will be released on September 15, 2020 from Tor Teen!<\/a>
\n– Not only that, but my very first pre-order campaign is now live for North American readers! If you submit proof of pre-order, you can get a limited edition print that comes with the book<\/a>.
\n<\/strong>– If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter<\/a>! DO IT.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"