TV Review: ‘Jane the Virgin’ Chapter Twenty One

Welcome back to my weekly review and recap of “Jane the Virgin.” To catch up on previous coverage, click here.

Tonight’s episode of Jane the Virgin was one of my favorite ones so far. It wasn’t heavy on the drama, but showed the emotional maturity of the characters. It’s the right kind of episode to lead us into next week’s finale.

Let’s break Chapter Twenty One into my favorite moments…

Rogelio is afraid of heights.

Xiomara and Rogelio are trying it out as friends, and I like how it’s more awkward than tragic between these two. It’s a nice change from the relationship drama in Jane’s life. During rehearsal for the Las Vegas show, Xiomara learns that Rogelio is afraid of heights. He at first tries to deflect his discomfort by blaming Xiomara for giving off an air of wanting him, but Alba tells Xio that it’s likely that he’s scared of heights.

Xiomara confronts Rogelio about his fear, which he denies. Eventually, he admits to it, and being the good friend she is, she helps him save face by saying that she’s the one scared of heights. Anyone who is willing to help you get closer to an E.G.O.T. is a keeper.

Rafael finally gets over himself.

F.I.N.A.L.L.Y. I have tried to be sympathetic towards Rafael, but after the stunt he pulled a couple episodes ago, breaking up with Jane and lying about his feelings, I’ve been done with him. This week, he earns a few points in good favor by realizing how big of a mistake he made. It might be a little too late (for now) to rectify his romantic relationship with Jane. However, I think they’re moving in a positive direction by remaining friends and ultimately becoming parenting partners for their soon-to-be-born baby.

Jane takes page of out of the Mean Girls Handbook.

Jane dealt with different kinds of anxiety in this episode, and one of them revolved around confronting a mean girl from high school. Her high school tormentor, Stephanie Kovakobitch (I mean it), shares some handy manipulation tips when explaining why she hated Jane in high school. Jane later uses that same technique on Petra by manipulating her feelings for Rafael and getting Petra’s mom to confess for pushing Jane’s grandmother down the stairs. It was fun seeing Jane act a little less self-righteous and get back at Petra the “dirty” way.

Jane wants to be more recognized than just a mom.

Back to Jane’s reunion, another part of her anxiety stemmed from not currently being as successful as she hoped. She’s an unemployed, single pregnant woman, something that she glumly repeats often throughout the episode. After being voted “Most Likely to Succeed,” she wished she had something to boast about. It’s one of those things I find deeply relatable about Jane’s character. She has goals and aspirations for herself, and she doesn’t want to give up on them. Despite impending motherhood, Jane is determined to be more than a mom, but an established writer as well. With the help of Michael (we’ll get to him next), she realizes that she needs to start making realistic goals. Michael helps her understand her limits and readjust her expectations for herself. By the end, Jane is content with her decisions.

Jane and Michael’s (re)budding relationship is adorable (and confusing).

Did you see Jane’s heart glowing tonight?! It’s good to see visual evidence of real feelings for Michael growing in Jane. I think after the past few weeks, it’s hard not to be enamored with Michael. I love that the show keeps us switching teams from Rafael to Michael. It’s a sign of a compelling love triangle. Anyway, the moments between Michael and Jane were adorable. He knows her very well and is able to guide her into making the right decisions for herself. It gets confusing because Jane just went from being in love with Rafael to liking Michael again. Everything is happening (or re-happening) way too fast, and with the baby coming any day now, it’s not really a good time to focus on one’s love life.

It was another solid and entertaining episode of Jane the Virgin. I can’t believe the finale is NEXT week. What could that twist they keep teasing be?! Check out my crazy theory below!

Gaby’s Crazy (But it COULD happen!) Jane the Virgin Theory of the Week:

The BIG twist is the Jane the Virgin finale will have us seeing double. My theory is that Jane will give birth to twins. Surprise!

Rating: 9/10

“It should be noted that…”Jane the Virgin airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.