In the seventh episode of the third season of Jane the Virgin<\/i>, Jane and Rafael each inch closer to the truth. Intrigued? Then it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for Mark to watch Jane the Virgin.<\/i><\/p>\n
Trigger Warning: For discussion of trauma, abuse.<\/b><\/p>\n
Well, this whole show just became something new, didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t it? IT REALLY CHANGED EVERYTHING.<\/p>\n
Suspense!<\/b><\/p>\n
God, I LOVE THE FRAMING DEVICE IN THIS EPISODE. By now, if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been reading Mark Does Stuff for a while, you know that I love<\/i> suspense, thrillers, and horror. I think there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something particularly incredible about storytelling that can evoke feelings of terror, anxiety, and tension. Because look, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not actually that easy, and I say that now that I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been on the other side of it. Granted, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a subjective arena, as things that I find scary or frightening differ from other people. But I enjoyed that the show dug into Hitchcock\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s rules of building suspense (while also making a number of references to his canon), giving us an example of how certain structures tend to work better than others. In particular, I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stop thinking of the envelope and how it STILL worked on me, despite that the show got all meta about its inclusion.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Because when it is initially introduced, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no meaning behind it aside from what the Narrator tells us. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll change everything, right? But there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no weight to that. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just an envelope, and we don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t even know whose life it will change. And yet, as the episode unfolded, weight was gradually added to it. The audience knew something the protagonists did not. And by the time Mother Constantine handed over the very thing we were warned about, it now had context. It had meaning. Rafael learns what it says, and then WE DON\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T. He makes drastic, life-changing decisions because of it, and suddenly, this one item in the plot is the most important thing on the screen.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n And what a reveal, too. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll discuss that in detail later, but it fulfilled the promise. It just needed to change everything<\/i> we understood about this show, and fuck. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. IT DID. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s good writing! The script fulfilled what it set out to do. But it was also clear that the writers had a field day writing such a fun story. Tense and mind-blowing and hilarious? Bravo, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all.<\/p>\n Religion<\/b><\/p>\n You know, I love that Alba drops all this abuela guilt about Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s lapsed churchgoing, and then she basically doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t appear in the episode again? That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s… that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s such a abuela thing to do, y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all. LMAO. IT REALLY IS. A Catholic guilt trip and then just bounces? Wow, what a MOVE.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Anyway, I found this whole examination of belief, piety, and familial conflict to be deeply thoughtful. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m glad that the show is still willing to explore the fact that religion is important to Jane. At the same time, it also addresses a very real issue that people deal with: What if your partner doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t share the same religious belief as you? How much does that matter? How much does it make a partnership incompatible? (And not just in a romantic sense, either.) I speak from experience here, as two of my romantic partners had very, very different religious views than I do. And you have to talk it out! At the very least, Jane and Michael were both Catholic, but Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u201dfor reasons this episode uncovers\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhas very negative feelings about attending church. He even tells Jane he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want his son growing up super religious, but… well, what does that mean?<\/i> To him, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s attending church every Sunday. Just that act alone puts a person deeper into their faith, crossing a line that is uncomfortable for Rafael when it comes to raising his kid. But if you asked what \u00e2\u20ac\u0153super religious\u00e2\u20ac\u009d meant to Jane, I am certain the answer would be much, much different.<\/p>\n So, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s relative to each of them, making this situation ever more complicated to deal with. Then there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s logistical problem: Is Mateo too young to actually be<\/i> in church? Will he sit still? Will he acclimate to the environment? Personally, I would probably fall closer to Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s side of things, as I was not given a choice about what religion I was raised in, nor was I encouraged to explore what religious belief was best for me. Granted, my situation is literally nothing like what we see here. Christianity was forced upon me, and often, it was a vehicle for abuse and trauma. Jane just wants to raise her son within an environment that is important to her! So I liked where this ended up because it still respected that. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still going to raise Mateo within the Church, but for the time being, she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got to focus on her own<\/i> relationship with God, rather than worry about Mateo\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s. UGH, THAT SCENE WITH THE NUN WHERE JANE BREAKS DOWN OVER HER ANGER AT GOD. That was so good! Revealing and raw and so damn important! It helped place Jane\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s absence from church within a specific context, one that she can now focus on in the future. But will recent events\u00e2\u20ac\u201dlike Michael not being cleared to go back on duty\u00e2\u20ac\u201daffect this journey of hers? Will she struggle with her belief in God when these things keep happening to her and her loved ones?<\/p>\n Babies and Bruce<\/b><\/p>\n Oh, I just… hurt? Still? And probably will continue to for a time? These two are DESTROYING ME. One odd thing here: We still have no idea what Bruce is like! In that sense, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re most like Rogelio and Jane, who only have heard<\/i> about how Bruce has changed. He isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t onscreen even once in this episode. So what is it that Xiomara sees in him? What attracts her to him? What keeps her going back? I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know. And maybe this was the point: If the show kept this out of sight, we would have<\/i> to trust Xiomara\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s words and nothing else. We have to believe that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s making a decision that leads to her own happiness, even if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s difficult for us to understand why.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Rogelio, on the other hand, is shown with a lot of potential romantic partners, as he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s now hit the ground running on having a child. It seemed like such a drastic thing, right? Like, he had to start immediately<\/i>? I worried that this was mostly a reaction to catching Bruce and Xo together. And while that still might be the case, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s obvious that Rogelio feels like he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s running out of time. He wants the experience of raising a kid from birth, instead of what happened between him and Jane. So, in Rogelio\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s logic, the speed dating sessions with Darci Factor do<\/i> make a lot of sense. Why waste time? Why not find someone as soon as possible to start a family with?<\/p>\n What fascinates me about the resolution to this is how the show moves Rogelio away from a potential romantic relationship and more towards a pragmatic one. Why does Rogelio need to be in love with the person he has a child with? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why Darci\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s proposal\u00e2\u20ac\u201das sudden as it is\u00e2\u20ac\u201dalso makes a lot of sense. Both of them want children and understand the other person. What if they just have a kid together and split time parenting their child? I worry that the execution of this kind of relationship is a lot harder than the fantasy, but Rogelio seems ready to start this as soon as he can. So… shit. Is this truly happening??? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to wrap my mind around the concept! And how is Xo going to feel about this if Rogelio actually goes through with this?<\/p>\n HEY COULD THIS ONGOING PLOT NOT HURT ME ANYMORE.<\/p>\n Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Memories<\/b><\/p>\n I really loved how the show used physical location and sounds to help demonstrate the way memories can be triggered. Because even if this wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t necessarily about trauma\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthough I suspect it is, given how upset Rafael was in his memories\u00e2\u20ac\u201dit was still such a visceral representation of it. Having a memory float back to the surface like this, especially if it is laced with pain, can truly stop you in your tracks. As Rafael process these moments he went through as a child, I felt an immense empathy for him. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not easy to deal with these sort of things rushing back into your head! On top of it all, these memories are linked to the terrible mystery of his mother, and y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122all, I WASN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T FUCKING READY. I wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t. TRULY. Because Elena ISN\u00e2\u20ac\u2122T ACTUALLY RAFAEL\u00e2\u20ac\u2122S MOTHER. Well, biological! She did raise him for a period of time, and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a distinction there. But as someone who is adopted, I did like that the show, even with so little time, is already making it clear how identity-shifting this is. I was lucky enough to know from a very early age that I was adopted. I mean… it was<\/i> obvious. I looked nothing like my parents, so it wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like they could have hidden it from me. Still, when so much of the world and their familial arrangements exist one way and you deviate from that, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s always<\/i> going to be a source of conflict for me, even if I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve now found peace and love in found family.\u00c2\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In Rafael\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s case, though, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s something haunting here. So much of his character arc on the show was him trying to break free of his parents\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 toxic patterns. He didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to be his dad and let finances rule his life. He finally reunited with his mother, only to find out she was an international crime lord. The Solano \u00e2\u20ac\u0153curse\u00e2\u20ac\u009d hounded him, and now, here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s his vindication: He isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t a Solano<\/i>. He might be by adoption, but that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s why he chooses to come clean. He wants to wash himself free of everything he was burdened with. Whew, WHAT IS LUISA GOING TO THINK OF THIS. (And where is she?)<\/p>\n The Truth About Catalina<\/b><\/p>\n Okay, so I think it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s clear that there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an element of Catalina that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s inherently trustworthy. We now have proof that she lied to Jane about the bag of jewels or money. Was that older man like… a sugar daddy? That she stole from? So maybe she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s actually on the run? The thing is… I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know how that affects Jane. Or anyone aside from Rafael, who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s got his own shit going on. So where is this going? It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s possible that she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hiding a huge part of her life, but my concern is if she\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s manipulating these characters. I can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t see how yet, but I AM SUSPICIOUS.<\/p>\n The video for \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Chapter Fifty-One\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 seventh episode of the third season of Jane the Virgin, Jane and Rafael each inch closer to the truth. 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-7640","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\/7640","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=7640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7640\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7640"}],"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":"