Season One: And Then Everything Changed

[jjjmoss]

Decided to make a thread for an overview of the whole season, mostly to figure out when/why I went from loving the show and making sure to rewatch each episode before the next one, to liking the show and not feeling like rewatching episodes at all...

 

21 + Jane/Michael taking steps towards reunion

+- Petra's conversation with Jane, which is colored by her annoying obsession with Raf

- Jane/Rafael issues, The convenient way Jane solves her problems with the Stephanie retcon

 

20 + Jane thanking Michael. Luisa/Raf's heart-to-heart. Return of Santos, also Ro as a floating head.

- Why is Magda working at the hotel anyway when her daughter owns a third of it? Why isn't Milos around when he's doing all this criminal stuff for Petra? 

Jane being so crazy about the situation. I mean, it makes sense, but she doesn't think, what if her mother committed a crime, would she be all "Yes, arrest ha"? 

Petra's obsession with Raf.

 

19 + All the excitement involved with Queen Petra's kidnapping, including Michael comforting her a bit when he finds her. 

+- The use of multiple Janes to talk about the Jane/Raf relationship. The lack of caring I have about the relationship as a whole.

 

18 + Jane putting in an expert performance with the ladies who lunch.

Raf's decision to break up being entirely reasonable.

The Ro/Xo problems being quite realistic.

+- Petra being right. Petra getting into the elevator with someone she thinks killed his own brother, to set up the next storyline.

 

17 + Jane/Raf's fight being very real. 

Rogelio/Michael's cuteness.

The Xo/Jane/Alba scene showing how important their relationships are with each other.

- The imaginary daughter. Too much.

 

16 + Rogelio/Michael, "partners."

Fantasy dance sequence.

Jane running into trouble with her critique.

 

15 + Petra being such a boss.

Jane rejecting Raf, him being shirtless, a reminder of her history with Michael. 

Ro/Xo deciding to move in together.

 

14 + All the Luisa redemption stuff. 

Jane convincing Ro and Xo to talk.

 

13 + Xo being so great with both Ro and Alba.

Milos in, Lachlan out. (Not that this has good follow-up.)

- The baby storyline.

The speed of the Rose storyline. 

 

12 + THE REVEAL.

Petra with her "death scene" and her confession with Jane.

Santos's death.

 

11 + Jane's career decision.

- Petra being dumb. 

The Michael/Raf stuff.

 

10 + The red herring acknowledged of Raf's father.

Jane's conflict with her friends.

The sad Alba situation. And the final scene/line with Michael.

 

9 + Double twist ending.

Jane/Xo's awesome relationship.

- How Raf/Jane handled Petra. Jane/Raf in general. 

 

8 + Petra's schemes putting her in charge of Raf.

Raf actually being somewhat likable.

+- Xo not stringing Marco along, Marco leaving so quickly.

- Luisa's issues came off as OTT. 

 

7 + Michael making me sad, then laughing.

Petra's morbidly amusing scheming. 

Xo being a voice of reason for Jane, her trying to have a relationship despite Ro's interference.

- Jane/Raf.

Messy ending.

Jane as a destination for infertile couples.

 

6 + Jane vs. stepsisters.

Xo's maturity.

- Jane/Raf.

 

5 + Jane making me teary-eyed for like half the ep with all the Xo and Michael stuff.

Jane meeting Rogelio, very amusing to temper the first part.

 

4 + The Jane/Michael/Rogelio/Xiomara torrent of mostly difficult emotions, up against the kicky intrigue involving Petra’s past and Zaz’s murder.

Raf shirtless.

Gina being esp amazing.

 

3 - The utter obsession with virginity. 

The Petra/Michael hijinks.

Triangle setup.

 

2 + Amazing Gina, making me feel so sad.

Xo being a great mom.

The lawsuit being brought up, very realistic.

The Luisa plot twist with Rose.

The murder.

 

1 + The emotional bits got me teary, the light bits were amusing, and the show balanced the two sides well throughout. 

Gina making the audience feel everything that Jane does.

Xo: great mother while still reasonably confused about her own life.
Adorable Michael.
Great, clever, helpful narration.

Lots of twists.

 

Hmm, looks like it's just the last 2, maybe 3, episodes that have gotten me restless. Still, the way the show is going with Jane/Raf and Petra/Raf is not what I particularly care to watch. Definitely on board for S2, but could see it dropping in quality more a la...most shows that don't already fall to meh-ness in their first seasons...

[FurryFury]

Not sure I'm on board for s2. I love the humor and the meta stuff (lampshade hanging mostly via the narrator), but I'm so bored by the romances. Rafael is the worst part of the show and returning to Petra being in love/whatever with him brings her down, while Jane's romance with him makes me want to sleep (and brings her down/makes her annoying too). I feel like s2 needs to clear the board and create a new mystery, most of all. And probably new romance(s), too.  I think I can tolerate one more return to Xo/Rogelio (and Alma/Priest could work too!), but not Jane/Rafael, that's for sure.

Edited May 6, 2015 by FurryFury