Enginerd

But what if someone threatened Jane and made her dump Michael? Say they threatened to murder him, or Mateo, or another member of Jane's family if she didn't? Who would do such a thing? Could be any reason! Maybe Nadine's still alive and wants Michael for herself. Maybe the crazy stalkery girlfriend who Jane was almost friends with will reappear. Maybe one of the many crime lords want to get Michael down in the dumps so they can try to use him for their own purposes. Maybe his sketchy brother will be up to something sketchy. Maybe someone will give Jane convincing evidence (that may eventually prove false, but not fast enough) that Michael has done something evil, just before the ceremony. Any number of things can thwart a telenovela wedding.

If I had a sister who talked to me like that, and my major issue with her in the first place was that she thought herself superior and talked down to me, having her say to me "now say you're sorry" like I was a little kid would not make me any more inclined to go to her wedding. I mean, I wouldn't have outright lied to defend Anezka the way Petra did, but assuming I'd done *something* I should apologize for, the apology would be meaningless until I decided on my own I was sorry, so what's the point of being prodded into saying it? Also, the very idea of attending another gig of a kids' party band the day before your own party is pretty absurd, but I did enjoy the scene. They way they fought during the interludes between the singing was like musical theater. I'm going to have to watch again to see how the argument and the Dino-mites song lyrics juxtaposed.

I agree. I think she should have gone to Petra and said something like "I know we're fighting, but I still consider you family and I want to make up and I want you at my wedding." Talking to her like she was a toddler maybe didn't help very much. You can ask for an apology without the patronizing overtones. I'm not convinced Rose is dead, either. Even if someone who looked like her died, she was running a plastic surgery villain clinic. She could have had someone else changed to look like her and set them up to be killed.

The narrator didn't have much memorable to say this week. Maybe he's still hungover. Poor Rafael. I do NOT want him back with Jane; down with love triangles, but he looks so bereft all the time. I want him to at least have one solid adult friend and confidant who isn't scheming against him and with whom he doesn't have a complicated romantic history. I'm glad they all acknowledged that Mateo wasn't going to care about or remember his first birthday and that the party was for THEM. Loved Rogelio's book of false memories. It doesn't bother me that we don't see a lot of the twins. I think it's been implied enough that Rafael spends time with them and it would be difficult for production and not particularly interesting to actually give them a lot of screen time. They're infants. They sleep a lot. I'm kind of glad Petra opted for nannies and isn't breastfeeding and they haven't gotten kidnapped or any of that because we don't need a repeat of the same new mom storylines. Maybe as they get a little older they'll have illnesses and problems of their own. I'm sure Petra will get some wrenches thrown in her hands-off parenting system at some point. Anezka should switch alliances and help Petra scheme against Magda. Really, Anezka, who do you want on your side? Smart, successful, rich businesswoman, or crabby grifter? Can they get Madga deported? I think Susanna is definitely hiding something from Michael. Has she been one of Mutter's operatives the whole time?

She found Petra because someone she knew saw Petra and Rafael featured in a magazine and showed it to her because Petra looked just like her. So she would have known to look for a "Petra", as the magazine would have called her, not Petra's original name.

Doram, I meant to mostly agree with you and say that Rafael definitely isn't spending enough time with Mateo. Part of two days in a week? That's ridiculous; he's Mateo's father. But the calendaring still makes sense since they are all busy and no one can care for Mateo full time or even half time. As for it being mostly Jane's people, who else does Raf have? Petra? The nannies who are taking care of newborn twins? Flaky Luisa who hasn't popped up in ages? I'd never leave a baby with her. Jane desperately needs a new advisor, not just because Donaldson doesn't like her, but because I don't think she's really getting an effective education from her. Their work together seems to consist of Jane writing something and then giving it to her advisor for a "Do you like this? Circle Y/N". Shouldn't they be, I don't know, discussing literary themes and writing techniques and phrasing and construction and whatever? I'm not a writer, but it seems like there should be more substance to their meetings. A professor should be able to discuss stuff like that whether or not they like their advisee's genre. I know television writers often have to go vague and fakey about characters' careers because they don't really know in detail what they're talking about, but when the career is WRITING, and they are professional WRITERS, it seems like they could create some more specific dialogue. Unless the point is that Jane is not getting taught much about writing.

Well, Jane is on the calendar also. They need to know when she and/or Rafael will be taking care of Mateo, so they know when they need to arrange for someone else and when they need to pick him up or drop him off with each other. Why wouldn't they calendar that? Theoretically he should be getting 50% time, but he has a job and other things going on also; no one is actually getting 50% of Mateo's time. Having it all on a calendar means they all know what's happening. Since Jane is a type A organizational nerd, of course she's the one documenting it all.

All this talk of Michael dying is now making me convinced that he won't. The hints from the narrator, the seemingly too perfect happiness that seems to be leading to tragedy...it's telegraphing a possible death a little too much. So I think something else will happen. Which is not to say that he and Jane will get married and live happily ever after together. Any number of things could happen which could drive them apart temporarily of permanently but not mean that he doesn't still love her until dying in old age. Rafael was definitely not getting enough time with Mateo. Was he really on that schedule for only part of two days in a week? Had Mateo been spending any time with his baby sisters?

That really was pretty slick how Derek set Rafael up. Now he has Raf's hands tied, because he can threaten him with exposing Raf's insider trading, and even though Rafael knows it was a set up and he did not in fact buy the stock himself or know the inside information, it's his word against Derek's. Now I'm REALLY looking forward to someone, anyone, conning Derek so hard and so brilliantly that he gets thrown off the muttership and has to fend for himself. Petra's sister, perhaps?

But it WAS a set of twins both on the show. One of them got impaled and died; he was supposedly Roman but turned out to be Aaron. So then "Aaron" showed up but was actually Roman. But both characters appeared. Maybe Petra's sister will turn out to be a secret GOOD twin. Not sure how the hair dye would fit into that; maybe she routinely dyes her hair brown and it was nothing special, just misdirection?

I feel like this blowup was a long time building. Xo may be doing okay with day-to-day responsibilities; certainly Jane feels okay leaving Mateo with her. But she does have a history of doing embarrassing or questionable things when she decides it's party time...and even while still sober, it somehow didn't occur to her that she should NEVER send a stripper anywhere near Jane's place of (serious, career-oriented, as opposed to her other job at the Marbella) employment? She did marry Rogelio while drunk less than a year earlier. Did they ever get that annulled? And we've seen a lot of little bits and pieces of Xo doing things that aggravate or embarrass Jane in more minor ways over the series. Plus Jane really did not want her mother at her bachelorette party (super few people would want their mother there, even if they otherwise had no problems at all with their mom), but Xo thought she should be a part of it, and not only part of it, but the wildest part. I can see how all of that would build into an explosion. I loved Michael's party and the fight and makeup with Rogelio. I can't believe Petra had a twin sister and their mother didn't keep them together to use their matching looks in con schemes. Or maybe she did for awhile? When did they get separated and why? It's not often that I am genuinely eager to hear more about a long-lost twin storyline, but this one I'm into! I liked that Jane had more friends that we've mysteriously never seen before. I hope we'll see them again periodically. I hate it when shows forget that their characters have friends and relatives beyond the main cast. They should at least be mentioned from time to time!

Rogelio could crowd-source everything they need to know about Derek and plenty of stuff they don't within hours.

The surprise when Petra was behind the house that worked out was such a delight. Sad that she's doubting herself so much when she does these things that show she's very different from her own mother. I hope she's packing that bag to go for medical treatment and therapy for her depression and other issues. I agree that it's way better for Jane and Michael to be living close. I think a 40 minute commute each way, and that's only when the traffic ISN'T terrible, would be hellish and degrade their lifestyle. But I was also glad Petra snapped at Rafael for his selfishness over not wanting to make the drive now and then when Jane's life has been completely upended by Mateo. But also also, they should work out a regular child support deal instead of Jane always balking at taking any money. Rafael should be allowed to support his son. Food, clothing, medical care, housing, babysitter, whatever. There should be a regular amount that Jane gets to use for whatever they need and she should stop treating Rafael like his money is the plague. It's child support, not romantic lover gifts, so Michael should get over it, too. I don't think Raf and Jane would be so concerned about Petra working again so soon if it were just that there was work to be done or she was simply ready to work again right away. But she was clearly working to avoid her babies. That's the troubling part. But it was also funny when Raf was surprised that she showed up with the babies in their stroller and she was all "well they can hardly fend for themselves!" I love her pragmatism. Pablo Alonso Segura, what a skunk. Is that the end of that? Nitpicky question: why did the house have a water pipe running through the attic? What would such pipe serve?

I think the narrator would LOVE to make jokes about the title of the show not being true!

In fact, I think some good comedic awkwardness could result from people who've read about her or whatever still calling her "Jane the Virgin" or treating her like she's sheltered and has no clue about sex or must be protected from grown-up talk (which I have heard from several friends does often happen to people who choose to wait to have sex for whatever reasons of their own; certain people act like they are naive children who cannot even be allowed to hear about sex).

I think they could ditch her actual virginity. She'd still be known as "Jane the Virgin" in certain circles thanks to the stepsisters' website and the nuns' promotion. That's a sort of notoriety that follows her even when the label is no longer true.

Jane may have broken up with Michael when she decided she had feelings for Rafael, but I don't think she would have gone down that path at all if Michael hadn't reacted so badly to her pregnancy and deceived her about Petra. It was definitely more classy of her NOT to point that out to his parents, though. He could have said something himself, and could also maybe have said that he wouldn't want to be married to a woman who thought a party was more important than comforting her father who had just been kidnapped and nearly killed, but maybe he figured there was no point and it was none of their business and they needed to get a grip on their own time. I love Pablo, and I loved the tango. This guy is definitely cursed, though. Yeesh, if this is the kind of stuff that happens, no wonder Alba is freaked out about premarital sex! (Although...the biggest thing that happened from Xo's was that Alba got her beloved granddaughter, so I don't know why she'd think the curse applies to anyone but her and Pablo, but anyway.) Raf's new brother certainly is a looker. Raf isn't really trusting him, right? Right? This is an act to get him to let his guard down? To find more information? Because even naive Rafael should be able to see that this guy is shadier than an indoor umbrella convention deep in the rainforest on a cloudy day.

I like Meredith. She's often funny. I like Jon in the pre-taped segments but I'd rather have him playing more music than trying to do the casual banter. The bits with Paul are usually entertaining although the greeting cards thing was terrible.

I hope the "Stephen" chanting is gone forever, because I hated that. I usually try to FF until it's over. Waste of time. I want jokes; I have no time for inane adulation of someone who is not me :). And "Life Hacks" is always terrible. Scrap it. Still Love Hungry For Power Games and I want those bits to be more long and elaborate. We need more alter egos like Esteban and whatnot; Colbert is usually better when he's playing a character and when that character is not "Stereotype of Late Night Talk Show Host".

I agree; the death of a "good" main character would really harsh the comedy vibe. Rogelio might never recover, and THAT would be a tragedy!

Petra totally would just make the hotel shuttle driver transport her herd around! I hope everyone thinking that Michael is going to die means that is NOT going to happen. Subvert the trope, and all that. Maybe he'll be injured and have a spell of amnesia, though? Or Nadine will turn up alive after all, and pregnant? Or he will have to go in witness protection or on some big elaborate spying detective gig abroad and the happily ever after will be delayed?

And then her mother buying her a new dress to make up for not having picked up her dry cleaning. WTF?!

I loved this episode. Rogelio's captivity has been so much fun...for me. I'm a little disappointed that he didn't think to find the stash of sleeping pills and give Lola more to ensure she wouldn't wake up before he escaped, but I guess Cesar provided no inspiration there. Maybe he should have flashed back to another of his former telenovelas...it could still happen...maybe we'll finally see the escape Ivan was trying to copy! But he's being held captive in his own apartment, right? How long will it take until someone decides to stop by when they think he should be back from vacation? I also want to see more of Rafael trying to charm women (and men, if that's useful) for case information. WAY more fun than watching him pine over Jane. He's great at being sleazy. Petra's and Jane's outing together was awesome. They're a good team. Elsa and Anna. Hilarious. I hope they're inundated with Frozen-themed baby gifts. How are Raf and Petra going to get the babies home from the hospital? Either of their cars would be a giant pain to get carseats and babies in. How has he been managing it with Mateo? I guess his is easier if it's not raining and he can put the top down and reach over the side. Rafael, I think it's time for you to buy a family car. You have three kids now. Two of whom may or may not be biologically yours; I still am not convinced there wasn't another sperm mix-up or Scott didn't mess with it, but whatever.

I know some people really are that way with their kids. It just boggles my mind. I have a coworker who has a son who is in college, and he monitors his kid's every move from two states away. He checks in on every school assignment, he monitors the dining hall listings and recommends to him what to eat. When his son was coming home for winter break, he sent him a packing list and instructions for how to take the light rail to the airport and check in and what to remember not to have in his carryon luggage. Which I can kind of see if he had never traveled on a plane before, but he had a number of times and he's a smart kid; I'm sure he can manage it. And when this coworker's two sons were middle-school/high school age, he would still either get someone to stay with them or else freak out if they had to be left alone for the evening, and the idea of their fixing themselves dinner was just a no-go. I don't understand it at all. By the time I was 12, I was in charge of making the pies for Thanksgiving, I did a lot of the dinner cooking when I was in junior high and high school, and I was left to take care of not only myself but toddlers and infants for hours at a time. Even by the time I was in upper elementary school, my mother would have rolled her eyes if I'd expected her to make my lunch for me.

I loved Claire's assistant, but I don't understand why her family can't do most of this stuff for themselves. Haley and Alex are adults! They can't pick up their own dry cleaning and gifts? Luke should be able to make cupcakes at his age, too, but since he's a particularly doltish case I can see why no one would want him using the oven. But no one else can do it, or stop at a bakery? This whole family, none of whom are young children, can't fix their own lunches? None of them could run errands because the electricity was out *only in their own house*? Sounds like a perfect time to run errands! I get the storyline of Claire feeling like she's not there for her family enough, but they could find ways that she's failing them that are more believable for their ages and abilities. Pretty much everyone in this family is so pretentious and dishonest, it's hard to care about their conflicts. This stuff is funny once in awhile, but it's starting to seem to me like the only way the writers know to set up drama is to make everyone unwilling to admit to anything, their likes or dislikes, whether they have done something, whether they are familiar with something that is apparently cool, etc. etc. Claire's assistant is amazing and frankly way too good for these people.