S01.E03: Chapter Three

[Rhondinella]

From TV  Guide:

 

Alba gets proactive about keeping Rogelio away from Jane because she doesn't like Xo's approach. Meanwhile, Jane contemplates making a big change in her relationship with Michael; and Jane continues to question Petra's maternal abilities.

 

 

[Primetimer]

Think hard.

Read the story

[FireFoxy]

So Petra's mother killed Zas didn't she? She's totally going to be "No Face".

[kdm07]

So I just caught up with this show and watched tonight's episode live. I honestly can't believe I missed out on it (okay I know why I did, the title put me off). This show is honestly just plain hilarious! Everything from the narrator to the white commentary writing to the various crazy plots going on, it's quickly become my Monday night guilty pleasure and I'll be telling as many of my friends as I can to watch this show.

 

I'm still not keen on Rafael (Rafe?) but otherwise this is a pretty stellar cast. Also want to shout out Bridget Regan and Diane Guerrero from OITNB.

[possibilities]

I loved the sound Jane made when she saw Petra in the mirror. It was just a really good acting moment because it was totally "ugly caught" and not "cutesy cinematic caught."

 

The only people on the show who I like, though, are the narrator, Jane, her mom, her grandmother, Rafael, and her father. It's just so clear right now who we're supposed to root for and who we aren't, and the result is that I'm sometimes impatient with the plotting, feeling like it's too obvious where it's going and what we're waiting for. I know telenovelas are not known for subtlety, but still... it's a problem for me that everything is so blatantly telegraphed.

 

Of course, maybe they're'll be twists and surprises later, but so far it's gotten more obvious every week.

 

I love how the narrator has become so much fun, though. At first, I was worried he would just be an annoyance, but he's totally delicious.

 

Also, I don't know why I like Jane's abuela so much, since she's kind of terrible with the flower crushing, but I do like her. So kudos to whoever figured out how to write her.

 

But mostly, I just really love the hell out of Jane, and I am so impressed by how grounded and three dimensional she is.

Edited October 28, 2014 by possibilities

[La Tortuga]

So, is anyone in agreement that the bracelet Xiomara got in her gift basket from Rogelio(?) wasn't the personalized gift she thought it was? I mean, has she really never seen or written X's and O's at the end of a love letter? It's not like the bracelet was boxed up and gift-wrapped. It looked like it had just been dropped in there.

[Irlandesa]

I think it was meant to be personal based on the context of the scene.  Xo is feeling like she's just one of many for Ro after her mother also gets a huge gift basket.  She's bemoaning that fact until her mother pulls out the bracelet.  There's still room to have it be one bracelet of many he has given out but I think adding that layer on top of the other layers would just muddle the gesture unnecessarily. 

 

I've been in a funky mood all day and, as a result, I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I've enjoyed the previous two.  It was still good for a few laughs, however.  It was almost cliche but I cracked up when Rafael's pre-taped, innuendo-filled "welcom" to Michael and Jane when they got on the bed. 

 

And man are they busting through story fast.  We went from Rafael deciding to give Petra another shot last week to him realizing she may have been seeing Zaz.  We're moving up the wedding to only a week away and I highly doubt they get married then.  I don't mind it but it makes me wonder whether or not they have a plan after their initial arc. 

[natyxg]

And man are they busting through story fast.  We went from Rafael deciding to give Petra another shot last week to him realizing she may have been seeing Zaz.  We're moving up the wedding to only a week away and I highly doubt they get married then.  I don't mind it but it makes me wonder whether or not they have a plan after their initial arc. 

 

Yes! I'm pretty surprised Jane is already feeling attracted to Rafael. It couldn't have been more obvious from minute one that they were going there, but I'm surprised because they're on episode 3.

 

Anyway, I didn't like this episode too much. I was exhausted by Jane's BIG DILEMA dundundun regarding her virginity. It was just too much, even though there were some funny moments, like the scene at the church and the Rafael video at the room.

 

Grrrrl, if you are freaking out so much about having sex, you are not ready. Also, wanting it to be perrrrfeeectt probably also means that you're not ready, imo.

 

Her dad is pretty funny. The abuela losing her resolve when her favorite telenovela heartthrob was in front of her in full costume was funny too.

 

I'm starting to get over Michael, I don't like the actor too much. Same with Rafael, but at least he gets less screentime - for now.

 

Luisa and Rose can keep doing what they're doing. Jeje.

 

Anyway, the show still has funny moments, but I'm dreading the possible continued focus on Jane's oh so precious virginity.

 

For the record, I have no problems with waiting till you're married. I just don't think it's that big a deal either way.

So Petra's mother killed Zas didn't she? She's totally going to be "No Face".

 

Yes. Totally. She can walk!

[Minneapple]

Yeah, I didn't like this ep as much as the first two, mostly because of the focus on Jane's VIRGINITY. Still, there were good lines and moments. I liked the narrator at the end -- "No fireflies were harmed in the making of this show." Lol.

Xiomara and Jane's dad amuse me. And I loved the huge gift baskets with the signed DVDs and spicy salad dressing.

Michael is entirely too good at lying and is pretty shady. I'm shipping him with Petra.

Edited October 28, 2014 by Minneapple

[Misanthrope]

Wait, wait, I know this one:

http://youtu.be/VWtJ_LUzM88

[galax-arena]

Jane's dad is such an endearing egomaniac.

 

I'm not sure if I'm rooting for Petra, but I like her as a character. She went from being a one-note gold-digger in the first ep to someone more... complicated. And she's one smooth operator, although her slip-up re: Zaz's brother was huge.

 

Luisa is such a mess, lmao. But I kinda love that. And she and Bridget Regan have chemistry, so sure. Why not. 

 

I'm wondering if the show is moving towards a couple switcheroo, with Jane/Rafael and Petra/Michael as endgame. Obviously Jane/Rafael is in the cards but I feel like they're setting up something for Petra and Michael, too. You know, pair the spares and all that jazz. 

[kia112]

The guy who plays Jane's dad is so handsome!  I love his look.  And his smile.  He's also HI-larious.

 

The guy who plays Rafael is also giving me more than I thought I would get with his acting.  Like, maybe he's good?  Or he's picked a role that he can play really well.  He's improved with each episode.

 

Gina Rodriguez has just been a revelation.  I saw her on The Bold & The Beautiful and she was cute, but nothing would have prepped me for this.  I saw Gina on Ellen right before the show premiered and she had this contagious energy, so I knew I had to watch this.

[JellyFishQueen]

Oh. My. God!

 

I almost diet when Jane father took that selfie with her. Him just staring at her for good 5 seconds and her not knowing. That actor has brilliant comedic timing.

 

Also did the show mention Xiomara having a father in her life?

 

But I seriously cannot stand this show making a comment how this is not a spanish novela. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!

 

WE GET IT!

[Gin and Tonic]

 

It's just so clear right now who we're supposed to root for and who we aren't, and the result is that I'm sometimes impatient with the plotting, feeling like it's too obvious where it's going and what we're waiting for. I know telenovelas are not known for subtlety, but still... it's a problem for me that everything is so blatantly telegraphed.

 

That's my biggest problem so far too.  Which is shame because I think a story where Jane and Michael try to navigate this insanity is infinitely more interesting than one where Jane and her mother form happy biological families with their baby daddies.  Not that there's anything wrong with bio families, obviously, but with so many blended/adoptive families out there it would be nice to see something different.

[biakbiak]

Also did the show mention Xiomara having a father in her life?

 

I don't believe they mentioned it but when they showed the tv in the pilot, there was a picture of Jane graduating on one side and a picture of a man holding a little girl on the other side, so I took it to be that was her grandfather and he is dead. But that might be a leap.

[Mickiflips]

 

The only people on the show who I like, though, are the narrator, Jane, her mom, her grandmother, Rafael, and her father.

I love Jane's dad the most, I think. I think Yara Martinez is really good as Luisa, but I don't like her with Bridget Regan so much. Nothing against Bridget, who I think is really good, too. I just don't think those two have great chemistry.

 

But really, the entire cast is fantastic!

[Enginerd]

I love Rafael. I think he's very funny, and I also find him very attractive. He's exactly the sort of guy who appeals to me (on television only; in real life I don't much like cads and playboys, however reformed). I like him much better than Michael, who is outwardly a good guy but has some definite issues.

I do not care for Michael's repulsion over the idea of "another man's child". Not ready to be a dad yet, I could understand, but not wanting a child that is also Jane's just because it didn't spring forth from his own babyfountain is very offputting to me. And I definitely don't like that he is hiding information from Jane for his own selfish interests.

[rho]

I know that the CW won't even consider a pilot that doesn't introduce a teenage love triangle, but I could really do without Jane's feelings for Rafael. There are so many great aspects to the show (the mom and grandma, Rogelio, the lawsuit, sin rostro, etc). It makes no sense to me to bring a love triangle to the forefront of the story. I've seen Brett Dier guest star on a few other shows and I thought he could hold his own but he just falls flat opposite Gina who is brilliant! Justin Baldoni is improving but he's still the weakest link on the show. I'd be happy to see Jane put both of them on hold for a minute. 

 

On a side note, did anyone see Jane and Michael coming out of their hotel room when the fire alarm went off? Then cut to Rose and Mr. Solano and back to Michael/Jane who are in the bedroom again? I think it was a tiny editing glitch but it bugged me enough. Kind of preserves the low budget telenovela vibe.

Tiny problems aside I still love the show and wish it was like a real soap that aired daily!

[possibilities]

I hope when I said I only liked a few of the people it didn't come across like I was dissing the actors or even the writing (though I see how what I wrote wasn't at all clear on that point)-- actually, I think most of them are decent characters and I wasn't even thinking about complaining about the cast itself. I just meant that it's so clear in the writing and direction who the "good guys" are and who the "bad guys" are, I don't think we're supposed to like the characters directly, though we're supposed to enjoy them in a guilty pleasure way.

 

I guess I should just surrender to the obviousness, but I do find that hard to do. Even when I compare how Jane lies to Michael vs how Michael lies to Jane, I feel like the show is deliberately playing it so that Jane is supposed to be forgivable and Michael is much less so. So I guess the fun of this show is not supposed to be framed in terms of layers, or the complexity and ambiguity of the characters, but instead it's more like "Six Flags Over Jane's Sanity" with the over the top shenanigans of the villains, a side order of goofiness from Jane's allies, and the rootable heroine navigating the crazy.  I just have to get used to shifting back and forth between the goofy elements and the moments when they actually seem to be trying to be somewhat serious.

Edited October 29, 2014 by possibilities

[natyxg]

I know that the CW won't even consider a pilot that doesn't introduce a teenage love triangle, but I could really do without Jane's feelings for Rafael. There are so many great aspects to the show (the mom and grandma, Rogelio, the lawsuit, sin rostro, etc). It makes no sense to me to bring a love triangle to the forefront of the story. I've seen Brett Dier guest star on a few other shows and I thought he could hold his own but he just falls flat opposite Gina who is brilliant! Justin Baldoni is improving but he's still the weakest link on the show. I'd be happy to see Jane put both of them on hold for a minute. 

 

I'm the other way around, I could've done without Michael. I'm gonna talk about the original, so I'll put in in spoiler tags just in case.

 

I don't know if they will follow the original, but I watched it and I am fully expecting Jane to end up with Rafael. Hell, if she didn't lose her virginity with Michael imo it's because they still want Rafael to have the chance to be THE ONE dundundun. So Michael feels like an unnecessary annoyance to me. Not to mention that I don't like his shadiness.

 

For what is forth I'm not a big fan of Rafael either. Better alone, Jane! But Rafael was inescapable... Michael we could've done without. 

[Enginerd]

Just because telenovelas often love parallels and contrasts, I wonder if someday a child of Michael's that he didn't know he had (possible because he definitely thinks it's important to know that he is not a virgin, *snort*) will show up and Jane will be in the situation of deciding whether she could be a stepmother to another woman's child. Somehow I'm guessing she wouldn't say the same things Michael said about another man's child or be eager to make the kid go away.

[Mickiflips]

 

I hope when I said I only liked a few of the people it didn't come across like I was dissing the actors or even the writing

 

No, not at all! I was just piggybacking on your comment so I could mention my favorite characters.

[Turkish]

Jane's father is absolutely hilarious. The way he pronounced his name to the desk clerk had me rolling. 

 

Petra's mom is probably the bad guy the cops are looking for. There is no way she is actually paralyzed. Years of soaps have me convinced that we will get that reveal sooner than later. General Hospital just did this with one of their new characters. 

 

Petra is growing on me though. You guys are right that it is clear we probably aren't supposed to root for her because she's one of the "bad guys"

 

That said, I am definitely rooting for Luisa and Rose. It seemed pretty clear to me in this episode that they have a relationship that pre-dates Rose's marriage to her father so because of that I don't really have a problem with the affair. The fact that Rose doesn't want to divorce him even though she doesn't love him confirms my theory that she likely married him for his money and status and that's why she won't leave him for Luisa.

 

I get more annoyed by Michael with each passing episode. It has nothing to do with actor and everything to do with the character. I'm just going to ahead and predict now that he and Petra will spend so much time together trying to cover up each others messes that they will eventually end up sleeping together.  

[Irlandesa]

Yes! I'm pretty surprised Jane is already feeling attracted to Rafael. It couldn't have been more obvious from minute one that they were going there, but I'm surprised because they're on episode 3.

They did establish the attraction in the flashback so it's not completely out of nowhere.  However, I agree it does feel a little soon that her attraction to him has grown to the point where it has become a distraction.   A slower pace where the show focues on the friendship before that old crush is rekindled may have been better pacing.

 

The guy who plays Rafael is also giving me more than I thought I would get with his acting.  Like, maybe he's good?  Or he's picked a role that he can play really well.  He's improved with each episode.

I agree.  He was sort of a pretty blank slate in the pilot but when they give him something to do, I do feel the emotion and see some depth there.  He still is mostly serving as a reactive character but I'm hoping his suspicious about Petra change that. 

 

I know telenovelas are not known for subtlety, but still... it's a problem for me that everything is so blatantly telegraphed.

I think there are only two stories that are blatantly telegraphed--and that's Rafael and Jane and perhaps everything related to her father.  The murder, the direction of Luisa & Rose's relationship, the identity of Sin Rostro and even some of the history of the Rafael/Petra marriage aren't stories that make me go "oh they're headed there."  I can speculate but I don't know the answer to those questions.

 

In regards to Jane and Rafael being so telegraphed, I tend to have a duality.  There's a side of me that likes to discover couples and the apparent J/R inevitability might have bothered me if, through some fluke of casting, I thought Jane and Michael had the better chemistry.  If that were the case, I might be arguing JtV was wasting a golden opportunity but I don't personally think they do. 

 

So the other side of me is stronger with JtV.  It's the part of me that takes comfort and likes the unpredictable predictability of telenovelas.  It's the part of me that made me root for Daniel/Betty on Ugly Betty and it's the part of me that kept me on the Ross/Rachel bandwagon no matter how badly the show tried to screw it up.

Edited October 29, 2014 by Irlandesa

[JellyFishQueen]

So crazy theory time. The murder could it be the lady cop? Here is my theory. The guy who died (Can't remember name) didn't have a good relationship with his brother. This was mention, and haven't seen each other in years. Could the brother had a sex change and he never accepted that and now the brother out for revenge to kill his brother and now working as a cop to blame someone else?

 

I only think this because she got to have a bigger role then side kick here.

[JAYJAY1979]

I'm interested to see if they will eventually adapt the show more to american tastes like Ugly Betty eventually did.  I  do think Petra has more layers then a typical telenovela villianess, but I'm not sure if it's because of the writing or the actress.

 

With that said, I just love the dynamic between Jane, her mother, and her grandmother.  I do hope that Jane's mother finally gets her fairy tale ending as well.

[Enginerd]

Do we know the names of Michael's partner or of Jane's friends at the hotel? Since they are regular characters, it would be nice to be able to discuss them by name.

[SeanC]

Do we know the names of Michael's partner or of Jane's friends at the hotel? Since they are regular characters, it would be nice to be able to discuss them by name.

The waitress played by the OITNB actress is named "Lina" according to the IMDb.

[kia112]

It's the part of me that made me root for Daniel/Betty on Ugly Betty

 

You're a Daniel/Betty fan?!  Let's go over to that thread and bond!

[panthergirl13]

This show has the rare ability to make me overlook any and all flaws. I just love it. (the church scene had me PIMP)

[LisaM]

I am in love with this show to the point that I can overlook its flaws. The lead actress - and character - are so likeable that it masks any issues for me. I love the relationship that Jane has with her mother and her abuela -- as well as the relationship between Xiomara and her mother. Cracked up when the Abuela went to the trailer to confront Jane's father only to be star-struck and to return home with the gift basket. Hysterical. My favorite part is the narrator, who is a complete hoot.

 

I don't like Jane/Michael because I can't get past his unwillingness to recognize that the baby he wants no part of is a part of his beloved Jane. I also find the actor to be bland in comparison to Rafael but perhaps that is exactly what the creator is going for.

 

The ratings are not good so I hope that the critical acclaim is sufficient to save the show.

[Jellybeans]

I am so in love with this show.... I hope it becomes BIG and I can say I saw it from the beginning. :-)

[JellyFishQueen]

So here is a thought. You know the narrator of the show? Do you think at the end of the show it will be revel that Jane wrote the entire story?

You're a Daniel/Betty fan?!  Let's go over to that thread and bond!

I think that's my problem with this show. I too am a huge fan of Ugly Betty. But rafael almost seems to perfect and too bland for me. They keep on saying how much of a bad boy he was. But he really doesn't act like it, we just seen it. He doesn't follow it, he very nice to Jane as well. Daniel was a loveable jerk, he had his ups and downs. He was interesting to watch. But Rafael? Just meh...

 

Also Micheal I found him to be extremely selfish, so I don't care for his choices that he been making. At least it's interesting to watch.

[dr pepper]

Could someone who's fluent in spanish please answer something for me. Are there several different flavors of the language in play here? I mean beyond the narrator turning the v in "telenovela" into a w.

[natyxg]

Could someone who's fluent in spanish please answer something for me. Are there several different flavors of the language in play here? I mean beyond the narrator turning the v in "telenovela" into a w.

 

Different flavors in what way?

[dr pepper]

Different flavors in what way?

 

Different dialects/accents/regionalisms.

[ParadoxLost]

I like the narration and captions but I found the CGI (glowing heart etc) taking it too far. I hope they stop doing that.

[lucindabelle]

I love the glowing heart, it cracks me up every time. I like jane and Rafael but then I kind of like Petra too so I'm confused.

 

Antonio Banderas! Hee.

 

The singing in church was delicious.

[CousinOliver]

I'm taken with this show!  Totally sold.  I set my DVR over the weekend so I don't need to sit through commercials watching it On Demand.

 

It was the church singing, sent me over the edge. 

[Rhondinella]

Petra's mom is probably the bad guy the cops are looking for. There is no way she is actually paralyzed. Years of soaps have me convinced that we will get that reveal sooner than later

 

 

I hope so.  Because we've seen her for literally like 20 seconds in the first 3 episodes and I'm not sure why she's even there otherwise, let alone why you would bring Priscilla Barnes out of semi-retirement to play her unless the character were going to be important.  (Ok, so IMDB tells me she wasn't technically in "retirement" but she's certainly been working mostly waaaay below most people's radar.

 

Different flavors in what way?

 

Different dialects/accents/regionalisms.

 

 

 

This was briefly discussed on the first page of the episode 1 thread, by some people who, I presume, are Spanish speakers.  They thought that the family sound like they are speaking with accents from different parts of the world, yes.

[Lady Calypso]

I liked the episode, but I think the one thing I'm a bit annoyed by right now is the theme of lying and how we're supposed to perceive people who lie vs people who don't. I agree that they definitely have lines between lying and honesty. Jane, Jane's father and grandmother and Rafael have been shown to be big on honesty, while Michael, Petra and even Xo have been shown to be 'liars'. I think, other than Xo (possibly), we're supposed to definitely see liars as bad. There's definitely some 'hit on the head' lessons in the show, but I still like all the characters, even Michael. I guess I find that they're all intriguing. And now that Jane's been showed to lie about her reasons for not wanting to have sex with Michael, she's going to be slipping into those blurred lines now. 

 

Ok, I like Michael/Jane still, but I'm warming to Jane/Rafael, despite the fact that they're hitting us over the head with their supposed 'endgame' sign hanging over their heads. Petra/Michael have some interesting moments and if they must go the endgame route, I don't think I'd be opposed to Michael/Petra. I think I like Michael because he may be lying, but he's still a good guy who's trying to make the best of an awkward situation. I liked that he kept asking Jane if she wanted to go through with the sex; he was kind and courteous, and perhaps this show is also starting to steer toward the morally grey areas of these characters. Petra's getting more layers to help understand her motives, Michael is a good guy doing morally questionable things, and Xo is lying but is doing it with good intentions. Hell, even Rose is cheating on her husband with her ex lover/husband's daughter, but she's not entirely evil. 

 

Oh yeah, Petra's mother is most definitely able to walk. It's just...odd that she's even in the show and hasn't had a big part yet. She has to be the bad girl.

[Chas411]

I continue to love the show but the one problem I'm having is where they're turning Michael into a villain to allow Janes inappropriate feelings for Rafael. It always bugs me when writers can't include any subtlety in who the viewer should root for.

[SyncMaster]

This was a good episode too especially with Jane being awestruck at running into the grand telenovela star Rogelio de la Vega, who, in his sweetly arrogant way told her that her response was expected for "normal" people that meet him.  He wanted to tell her that he donated to her gene pool but he was able to keep that secret and I was just hoping Jane was going to learn about their relationship in this episode.  I'm still waiting on it!

Good ol' hot pants Xiomara is often looking out for her daughter Jane's well-being--down to shouting "Hallelujah!" during church when she heard that Jane wanted to get her bone on with Michael and with her asking Jane if she'd cleaned up "down there." 

The close relationship between Jane and her mother was cute when Jane needed to get her shoes from her mother's room, in which Xiomara was getting her bone on with Rogelio, and Jane asked why the door was locked "anyway."  Apparently Xiomara gets her groove on outside of the house all, or most, of the time.  I was a little surprised that Alba was trying to distract Jane when Xiomara was trying to slide Rogelio out of the house but Alba probably didn't want Jane to get any more ideas about having sex.

[Samantha]

I liked the episode, but I think the one thing I'm a bit annoyed by right now is the theme of lying and how we're supposed to perceive people who lie vs people who don't. I agree that they definitely have lines between lying and honesty. Jane, Jane's father and grandmother and Rafael have been shown to be big on honesty, while Michael, Petra and even Xo have been shown to be 'liars'. I think, other than Xo (possibly), we're supposed to definitely see liars as bad. There's definitely some 'hit on the head' lessons in the show, but I still like all the characters, even Michael. I guess I find that they're all intriguing. And now that Jane's been showed to lie about her reasons for not wanting to have sex with Michael, she's going to be slipping into those blurred lines now. 

 

Ok, I like Michael/Jane still, but I'm warming to Jane/Rafael, despite the fact that they're hitting us over the head with their supposed 'endgame' sign hanging over their heads. Petra/Michael have some interesting moments and if they must go the endgame route, I don't think I'd be opposed to Michael/Petra. I think I like Michael because he may be lying, but he's still a good guy who's trying to make the best of an awkward situation. I liked that he kept asking Jane if she wanted to go through with the sex; he was kind and courteous, and perhaps this show is also starting to steer toward the morally grey areas of these characters. Petra's getting more layers to help understand her motives, Michael is a good guy doing morally questionable things, and Xo is lying but is doing it with good intentions. Hell, even Rose is cheating on her husband with her ex lover/husband's daughter, but she's not entirely evil. 

 

Oh yeah, Petra's mother is most definitely able to walk. It's just...odd that she's even in the show and hasn't had a big part yet. She has to be the bad girl.

I think what really struck me about the show is how the theme religion is taken into consideration. However, i feel like they are reinforcing stereotypes by showcasing women as whores if they are to lose their virginity. As a new show which has a lot of diverse cast and empowering the Latin community they should also break gender stereotypes because Jane makes Xo her mom look like a whore.

[CooperTV]

Jane meeting Rafael, dancing with him and her heart glowing for him even though she's on her way to Michael because she decides to loose her virginity to him is certainly the Mood. Also, the Rafael president suite ad going "Your pleasure is my pleasure" right at the moment of Michael/Jane potential hook up? This show, seriously!