In the twenty-second and final episode of the second season of Jane the Virgin<\/i>, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ready. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to fight you all. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Jane the Virgin<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Trigger Warning: For discussion of consent, sexual assault<\/b><\/p>\n
I truly, truly<\/i> did not see that big twist coming, and… holy shit. Thinking back on this season… no. Oh my god, this was absolutely planned the whole time, wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Wedding Preparations and Disasters<\/b><\/p>\n While the multitude of twists at the end of this episode certainly shift the story, I can<\/i> still talk about a lot of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Chapter Forty-Four\u00e2\u20ac\u009d without having to necessarily talk about the context of the ending. This recent batch of episodes\u00e2\u20ac\u201dindeed, much of the second half of the season\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhas shown us how complicated it has been to deal with the real-world implications of telenovela tropes. Which is still so damn fascinating to me! We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got mysterious, long-lost twins; we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got star-crossed lovers; we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve got custody battles; THERE\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S SO MUCH HERE. Yet Jane the Virgin<\/i>, generally speaking, tries not to forget the humanity of everyone involved. What this means for this season finale is that multiple plots collide together during the preparations for Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wedding. The whole cast of characters is struggling to pull off this wedding, despite a million setbacks, so there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also a relief to seeing it actually<\/i> happening.<\/p>\n More on that later, though, because we need to talk about the TRAIN WRECKS. So many things went wrong??? SO MANY??? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s basically par for the course on this show, I know that, but STILL. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a whole sequence that starts on the day of the rehearsal that just kept getting worse and worse, each piece contributing to the overall chaos. There was Xiomara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s and Rogelio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fight over Esteban; there was the limited window of time in which the rehearsal could happen; there was Michael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s honeymoon mistake; there was even Mateo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s newfound ability to walk on his own! It all culminates in a HORRIFYING sequence in which the priest is knocked out, which was a NIGHTMARE, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. I know Jane was just trying to explain herself and her family to the man, but like… seriously. This was<\/i> a particularly tense and high-strung time for ALL of these people. The truth is that each of these strings pulled them away from the moment, creating this maelstrom of chaos.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad they figured it out for the time being, though.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thesis<\/b><\/p>\n I did want to talk a little bit more about this subplot rather than just refer to it when I talk about the wedding. As thorny and difficult as Professor Donaldson is a lot of the time, I do<\/i> appreciate what role she plays in this story. Look, in the video linked down below, I commented that I personally don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even like<\/i> weddings\/marriage. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m sure I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve spoken about it at length either here or on Mark Reads, but I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t grow up believing I could get married, so I never developed an emotional attachment to the cultural institution of marriage. I certainly don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t treat marriage like Professor Donaldson does, but on some level, I understand her. Thus, I see her as being the character that helps Jane realize that she has<\/i> to work on a different project. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a condemnation of romance by any means, as I still believe Jane loves the genre. (And the show does, too. Clearly!) But as someone who has had to massively rewrite three<\/i> novel projects, pushing them all into different genres I never intended to write, I get this! A lot! Jane is going to spend a year working on this novel, and her historical romance no longer holds the same meaning to her. I believe that while we haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t seen all that many words of her writing onscreen, she has<\/i> become a better writer. What if she wants to challenge herself? What if she wants to think about romance in a new context? Can she do that within the confines of the story she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s writing?<\/p>\n It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s scary to reinvent a story from the ground up. I am certain that there will be moments in season three in which Jane doubts this decision. But I believe Jane has made a change for the better. She can use things she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s used from both Professor Chavez and Professor Donaldson to improve her craft, all while telling a story that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s deeply, deeply personal to her.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m so excited.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Last Objections<\/b><\/p>\n I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to deny the INCREDIBLE humor present in the flashback for Alba, though part of that humor comes from the way the writers anchor Alba\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s admission about her wedding day in the present. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s funny because Alba always likes to present herself in a very particular way, and her actual wedding was nothing like the story she told. Yet I see an interesting reason for why we were shown that. Actually, two<\/i>. First, I think it serves the very direct purpose of letting Jane know that this shit can be messy. Even someone as ordered and traditional as Alba had a messy wedding day. (I just… really, really love that scene where the three Villanueva women are sitting on Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s bed and bonding. IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S SO POWERFUL.)\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But look how Alba\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wedding got derailed once someone objected to it. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help but think of that while considering Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s journey in this episode. It is absolutely a telenovela\/romance trope that someone declares their love for another person during their wedding ceremony. But Rafael makes an important decision here because he sees that Jane is happy<\/i>. If he had told her the truth, it was very possible that he would have ruined her day, that he would have made it about himself. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I think of the person at Alba\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s wedding. It didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t matter that Alba\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s soon-to-be husband was happy with her; someone needed to shame her at the wedding for their<\/i> benefit, not Mateo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. So, who would be at the center of Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s act? Himself.<\/p>\n He took himself out of that possibility. And as much as it hurt to watch that, I respect it. It does make me wonder what the show is going to do with him next season! Is he actually going to move on from Jane?<\/p>\n The Wedding<\/b><\/p>\n Look, I know it was chaotic, but seeing Jane arrive at her wedding on the BUS was just so beautifully in character, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. IT WAS PERFECT. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t impressed with the wedding sequence because I enjoy weddings. Rather, it was the culmination of two seasons worth of growth and pain and missteps and mistakes. After all this time, Michael and Jane finally made it. They got MARRIED. I honestly kept waiting for some last-second twist that undid the wedding??? BUT NOPE. IT WAS PURE AND PERFECT AND LOVING AND SO WONDERFUL. Holy shit, they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re married! FINALLY!\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And that song. Just… it was so perfect, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. So funny and strange and exactly the right tone the show needed to take about this monumental achievement. Jane actually<\/i> waited until marriage.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Well… more on that, too.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Last Dance<\/b><\/p>\n What if two people are meant for one another, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the wrong time?\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, this was AGONIZING to watch. Both Xiomara and Rogelio have hurt one another in the wake of their break-up, a break-up that was best for them given their needs and desires. I really enjoyed that scene where Jane tried to explain her mother\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s behavior to Rogelio, especially since it led to the conversation outside the wedding. Their honesty was refreshing and touching, but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still so heartbreaking to witness. Because they want to be with one another! it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so obvious that this has been motivating them since the break-up. At the same time, their desires for companionship contradict one another, so how can they truly be together?<\/p>\n They don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t make a decision other than to stay as they are: apart. Well, there is a momentary decision: They have a dance together, outside the wedding, the music distant and muffled. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a beautiful shot and a flash of kindness between these two heartbroken people. They could imagine scenarios in which they had gotten together at the right time, but that doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t serve any real purpose aside from causing additional harm.<\/p>\n So they dance.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n EVERYTHING ELSE THAT HAPPENED IN THE LAST FIVE MINUTES<\/b><\/p>\n HI WHAT THE FUCK. WHERE DO I EVEN FUCKING START WITH THIS.<\/p>\n There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Xiomara. Xiomara is PREGNANT. Pregnant!!!! With Esteban\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s child! AFTER SHE JUST TOLD ROGELIO THAT SHE WON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T GET BACK WITH HIM BECAUSE SHE DOESN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T WANT CHILDREN. This is… this was so much. It was so much to deal with, but the show didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t give me ANY time to deal with such an ironic twist because FIVE HUNDRED other things happened just after this. Like… oh my god, what is she going to do? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see Esteban wanting to raise a kid with her, except maybe to spite Rogelio? Which is a BAD REASON TO BE A FATHER. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see Xiomara going through with this because she doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want children and she definitely doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want one with Esteban!!! WHAT THE FUCK.<\/p>\n Then… Anezka. Oh, this is bad. Really, really bad, and I feel AWFUL for Petra, who has gone through so much trauma because of her mother. And it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clear again that Magda cannot leave her daughters alone to have their own lives. I am fully convinced that she manipulated Anezka into this whole ridiculous scheme out of a desire for revenge. I knew that Anezka pretending to be Petra would come to fruition, but not like this? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so horrifying<\/i>? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s horrifying for Petra, who literally cannot move or communicate. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also the unspoken nightmare of consent; Rafael did not consent to having sex with Anezka!!! Oh god, are they going to address that next season? Because it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s so fucked up! And what\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the endgame here? Seduce Rafael for… what? To ultimately get Magda out of prison? I DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T KNOW.<\/p>\n The same issue with consent is at play with another character, and y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all… I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see this coming. DESPITE THAT THE SHOW BASICALLY SHOUTED IT IN MY FACE MULTIPLE TIMES. Oh my god, Susanna rejecting Luisa because she was still in love with Rose. OH MY GOD, I THOUGHT SUSANNA WAS A SPY BUT FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS. Oh my god?? At least we know that Susanna and Luisa never had sex, but there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still the violation here regardless. I just… holy shit. ROSE NEVER DIED. SHE WAS SUSANNA THE ENTIRE FUCKING TIME. Oh my god, I have another question I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think to ask: Does Mutter know<\/i> Rose is still alive? Was she in on this???<\/p>\n But the worst part of all: Please tell me Michael is okay. AFTER ALL OF THIS. That looked like a terrible gunshot, but… he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll survive, right? He has to! THIS IS TOO TRAGIC, I WOULD BE SO UPSET.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe it. I just can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. YET IT\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S REAL.<\/p>\n The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Chapter Forty-Four\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> In the twenty-second and final episode of the second season of Jane the Virgin, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t ready. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to fight you all. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Jane the Virgin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[705],"tags":[706],"class_list":["post-7631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jane-the-virgin","tag-mark-watches-jane-the-virgin"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7631\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\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":"