-So I've been dropping the ball on doing these "Jane" recaps the past couple weeks, but I'm hoping to pick that ball back up and finish the season strong.
-This Week in Titles: Jane the Maid of Honor
-One of the core themes of these Post-Michael episodes of "Jane" have been how Jane's views about love and romance has changed after all she's been through and that's a big part of Chapter Sixty-Three. Jane used to be an idealistic girl who was a strong believer in the idea of the fairy tale romance and it's "happily ever after". It's a big part of why she ultimately chose to wait until marriage before having sex. Now that she's had her fairy tale romance abruptly end though, she's lost that belief in "happily ever after" and doesn't take to fairy tales the way she used to (Her changing the ending of Cinderella to be more realistic about the struggles any lasting relationship faces, in addition to giving Cinderella a fulfilling job outside the monarchy is a total Jane move). The Jane of season 1 would've never been able to throw herself into a casual relationship like season 3 Jane. Jane's a bit more cynical now and her romanticism has faded. It hasn't vanished though and Chapter Sixty-Three has Jane trying to make a fairy tale romance come true for her parents, while starting to open again to it happening for herself.
-The theme for tonight's episode is (obviously) Fairy Tales, which allows for a lot of fun visual moments throughout, from the storybook recreation of Rafael and Petra's first season "romance" to Jane's constantly growing nose whenever she's lying through her teeth. It also allows for a lot of good narrative moments as fairy tales are universal enough that it's easy to filter everything through a fairy tale context.
-"Jane" has done an excellent job establishing what a strong bond Jane has with her parents, especially her mother, so when she throws herself into planning their "fairy tale" wedding after the original planners quit because they feel Xo is too old for "fairy tale", it's a totally in-character move for her. She loves her parents and would do anything to make them happy, even if it means running herself ragged trying to plan an extravagant wedding in a very short time-frame. Of course Jane's single-mindedness has it's consequences and her decision to put off ending her relationship with Fabian so she can get access to his horse trainer and stable of white horses winds up backfiring spectacularly.
-I missed writing about the episodes that compose the bulk of Jane's fling with Fabian but I've been very impressed with Francisco San Martin's performance. He takes what could have been a one-note meathead and imbues him with just enough substance that he's believable as a human being even if he's a fairly shallow one. So when Rogelio accidentally lets it slip that Jane was planning to break up with him, his retaliation is understandable, even if it's also immature and petty. We know that he was more invested in this relationship than Jane was so his genuine hurt keeps him sympathetic right up until he calls Jane a slut. Even then, he starts to regain sympathy when Jane assures him that he didn't mean nothing to her. He loses it again when he tries to punch Rogelio in the face, but it's a testament to San Martin that you still can't totally hate the guy. If this is the last we see of Fabian (And I hope it isn't), it's a fitting send-off for him.
-Xo being mad at Rogelio for missing all their appointments didn't really work for me as a source of drama. Yes, it's completely fair for her to be disappointed that she didn't get to do all this stuff with him and him escalating the stand-off with Fabian was unnecessary, but it feels like she's letting Jane off the hook too easy for her role in starting the whole mess by lying to Fabian. It did lead to the episode's best scene though, so I guess it's not all bad.
-Gina Rodriguez and Andrea Navedo have probably the best mother-daughter chemistry on television. The dynamic between Jane and Xo always feels believable and lived in. So it's nice that the episode found time for an extended sequence of them just getting drunk and talking through all their frustrations (Rodriguez and Navedo also do terrific "drunk" acting). It's a nice sweet scene as they talk about just wanting to see each other get their "fairy tale" romance. It also allows for the episode to address the "Michael" of it all a bit more naturally than if it had come up earlier in the episode. You can really feel the love pour through and it makes the sudden appearance of Rogelio (after a priority check text from Jane) with his carriage ride all the better. the scene also does a really good job establishing Jane's headspace as being back in romantic mode (albeit a very wasted romantic mode), which is important for the episode's next best scene (Of which I'll discuss more shortly).
-Jane's going to be officiating her parent's wedding, which is fitting (She is the perfect middle ground between a priest and Ricky Martin after all) and should also be very sweet.
-Rogelio brushes off the possible impact of walking off set to be with Xo because she's more important. It's a sweet moment, but now I'm anxious that Rogelio is going to get fired over this. Though if he did get fired, maybe that would lead to them finally doing "The Passions of Steve" in season 4. It always felt weird that that never amounted to anything beyond an excuse to keep Rogelio in his reality show for a bit longer.
-Of course the other significant thing Jane is dealing with this week is Petra and Rafael considering getting back together. The show has done a really good job getting us to root for Rafael and Petra (something that would've been unthinkable back in season 1) by making Rafael's renewed affection for his ex-wife feel like a natural and organic development for him. At the same time, it doesn't forget the significant baggage between these two characters. It took a long time for Petra to get over Rafael and she did some terrible things during that time. She's right to be wary and Jane's right to initially tell her not to get back with Rafael. By having their history up close and personal throughout the episode, it also makes the climatic scene where a very drunk Jane simultaneously advises Raf and Petra right into each other's arms all the more powerful. These two have been through a lot of bad, but it doesn't mean it's not worth trying again. That they're willing to do so is worth rooting for.
-Jane's initial objections to the idea of Rafael and Petra have a more selfish, yet understandable motive behind them too, one even Jane doesn't understand until later on. Jane's afraid that if Rafael and Petra are together, her and Mateo will be forgotten, like paupers in a fairy tale desperate for attention from the royal family. It's an irrational fear and Jane knows this, but it doesn't keep her from feeling hesitant. Of course once Rafael assures drunk Jane that he loves her and would never forget her or Mateo, that opens up a whole new set of worms.
-The other thing that makes Jane reuniting Rafael and Petra an emotionally effective moment is that it happens right as Jane is finding her romantic feelings for Rafael emerging. Now, I've expressed hesitation before about the show going back to the Jane/Rafael romance well, but I always knew we'd get back there eventually and this is a really smart way to handle it. For one, Rafael being with Petra again means we're still a ways away from Jane and Rafael actually being a couple again should they go that way (Unless Raf and Petra immediately break up in the finale, which is a plausible possibility.). For another, Jane is in a very vulnerable place when these feelings re-emerge, and all of her feelings are heightened. Her feelings for Rafael might not actually be romantic feelings, but after all the love talk with Xo, she's just reading them that way. At the very least, she doesn't seem to trust these feelings, which is why her pushing Rafael and Petra together has a tinge of desperation to it. Of course, it's also clear that this topic will be explored more in the finale, so I'm willing to wait to see where it goes before passing judgement. I trust Jennie Snyder Urman and her writers though, so I'm sure wherever Jane's new feelings for Rafael go, they'll be handled carefully and respectfully for all of us Team Michael people still with the show.
-Mentioning Raf's past with cancer in the recap is a necessary evil. It's brought up so infrequently that it does warrant a reminder, but the moment it's mentioned, you're tipping off the audience that it's going to be a significant plot point. "Jane" handled it well though, letting the fake-out with Raf telling Luisa his cancer had come back play out just long enough before revealing it as a ploy to lure Luisa back to town.
-Luisa's entire arc this season has been about her trying not to choose between her family and her great love, who has hurt her family over and over again. Having Rose masquerade as Eileen and trying to forget all that murder stuff ever happened was a very destructive move, but it fits in with what we know about Elisa. Of course it all comes crashing down tonight as Rafael uses his history with cancer to lure Luisa and Eileen back into the open, a move that's one of the more underhanded things Raf has done, but justifiable considering all Rose has done. So Luisa picks her family over her love once and now she stands to lose that love and her family, considering that Rafael's lie is sure to snap the last strand of connection between the two. It's a story that would be more effective if Luisa had been more integral to the season rather than a distraction we drop in on every several episodes or so but it still works here.
-Just when I thought "Jane" had run out of stories for Rose, she's finally captured and unmasked by the police. Hopefully she stays in police custody for a while. Rose on the run has been done to death at this point. Rose being put on trial for everything she's done over the course of the show so far? That could be an interesting crime arc for the show, especially since Jane has never really had the opportunity to confront Rose for kidnapping her son or for being directly responsible for Michael's death. Whatever happens, I hope Rose isn't broken out at the end of the season. At this point they're just prolonging her arc for no reason.
-Having that paper with the drawing of the woman Chuck met with turn out to be Eileen was a bit disappointing, if only because it made that entire cliffhanger cheap. That being said, I don't think she killed Scott. It seems too obvious to have her be the killer again and this whole plot has been leaning really hard on misdirects. So who killed Scott then? I'm going to think outside the box and guess Jorge, because we don't know for sure that Chuck was the "J.P." that the cops were so interested in, and we don't know Jorge's last name. It'd also be an easy way to add some much needed emotional stakes back into this story that has lost a lot of steam the longer it's been dragged out.
-What are the odds that an angry Luisa is going to reveal the truth about Rafael being adopted and not a legal heir to Emilio's fortune to the public in retaliation for his lying to her? Pretty good, I'd say, especially because the secret of his adoption is still a significant Chekov's Gun just waiting to go off.
-Rogelio explaining the wedding is happening next week for TV schedule reasons followed by a big bumper for next week's finale might be the best 4th-wall breaking joke "Jane" has done all season, though the Honey Bunches of Oats product placement comes close.
-Jane reflexively punching Fabian when he takes a swing at Rogelio and breaking his nose was a great pay-off to all that boxing that she's been doing.
-Next week: It's the season finale and Xo and Rogelio are finally getting married! Hopefully! This show loves throwing last-minute curveballs at these two and the promo seems to tease a huge curveball (I won't spoil what it actually is here. Just avoid promos for the finale if you can.).
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