S02.E05: Chapter Twenty-Seven

[Tara Ariano]

Xo's past hurts Alba, who's preparing to become a citizen. Meanwhile, Rogelio wants to confront his adversary, Britney Spears, who's staying at the Marbella Hotel; Michael's feud with Rafael lands him in hot water at work; and Milos makes Petra a tempting offer.

[XtremeOne1]

Wow, the writers must really secretly dislike Michael haha. Man, he was a nut this episode. 

 

But Rafael wasn't much better. He was pretty manipulative(I hated how he kept bringing up "the family")

 

But the best thing is, I think this will put a cork in the love triangle for a bit and just have Jane be Jane. The only thing I dislike is that they kind of did this in a way that takes the Michael/Jane friendship out of the equation again. I like when the two actors interact.

[blugirlami21]

I was prepared to hate this episode but there so many twists and turns. They actually made me feel bad for Michael, I didn't think that was possible. I felt bad for Rafael being accused like that. I hope Jane apologized. I was getting irritated with him not letting Jane say what she wanted to say.

I felt bad for Petra too. I actually wish that Milos married Petra for love. He's really crazy.

Unfortunately I feel like the back and forth will continue next week. Jane looked jealous that someone else might like Rafael, le sigh.

Edited November 10, 2015 by blugirlami21

[LaughingOne]

Cheers to the triangle being dead for awhile (fingers crossed)!  I think the writers have generally handled the triangle well (the Bachelorette episode was truly inspired), but I'm just ready for it to be on the backburner - #TeamMichael, #TeamRafael, #TeamJane - whatever, who cares.  "Who will Jane choose?" has been front and center since the end of last season, so let's just move on.  And I do like how they ended it with this episode emphasizing both guys' weaknesses in regards to Jane - Rafael does play the family card waaaaay too much and Michael has always been unfairly suspicious of Rafael.  They're good guys, but both of them can be jerks at times and I like that Jane is going to be alone right now because of it.  Well played, writers.

 

Plus, if putting the triangle on the backburner gives us more time for guest appearances like Britney's, then more reason to do it.  Now THIS was how you do a celebrity guest.  Britney and her walking dance troupe were deliciously campy and over-the-top.  And having her feud with Rogelio was the perfect way to amp up the camp factor even more.  Love, love, loved it.

 

Lastly, high Xo and Alba are now my new favorite people.

[sluggish neko]

Wow, just the presence of Britney Spears turned the show into a cartoony mess. Not even the antics of Xo and Alba high on pot, which was oh-so-charming, could make up for it.

 

And lookie, it's the return of jealous, angry jerkface Michael. I can understand his anger. Rafael does have a track record of ruining his life, but fisticuffs that close to a baby is a definite no-no. And then Rafael turned out to be innocent too! That makes Michael not only an ex with anger management issues, but a sucky detective. Being terrible at his job is a category he really doesn't need to compete with Rafael on.

[tennisgurl]

Michael Michael Michael. I love you, but you really need to work on that temper of yours. 

 

As far as love triangles go, this is certainly one of the better ones on TV, but I will be happy to give it some room to breath. I am sad that things are going to be strained with Michael and Jane now though. They're platonic interactions are adorable. 

 

Britney Spears was...weird. It just seemed like such a bizarre plot, like it was even more of a cartoon than usual. It did lead to my favorite joke of the episode, when Jane gets that picture of Rogelio after he gets the restraining order put on him, mentioning that is is "likely to be wearing purple". He does love his purple. 

 

Hope Petra gets out of this crazy marriage ASAP. 

[Hamatron]

Yeah. Britney wasn't good. I will point out that she was mainly paired with the campiest character, Rogelio, so that might be why it was going into garish territory... but let's be real. Britney can't act, and her scenes were awkward.

Also, violence around infants makes me super nervous, and it kind of makes me hate both of those guys now. Whatever, love triangle.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Hamatron

[Artsda]

I really hated this episode, it started good and then went so downhill. 

[Lady Calypso]

This episode did not...end the way that I hoped.

 

First off, Britney. I forgot that she's not an actress in any way. I didn't mind her first scene, but I do think it was too campy, even for this show. If she could act, then maybe I'd be ok with it, but maybe they should have just kept her as a performer and that's it.

 

Well, Michael's anger issues did appear again. Poor Mateo; I feel so bad that he was hurt, but I could really buy Michael's devastation over hurting Mateo. His life is spiraling...yet again. Of course it's on him, but Brett Dier does such a good job that I do sympathize with him a lot. His scene with Jane at the end was so well done with the both of them, because I could feel the devastation and heartbreak between the both of them. I mean, he wasn't out of the realm of possibilities when he thought Rafael could have turned him in. It was just that he became too paranoid and jumped on his anger immediately. I think he does need to perhaps go to some therapy to get that sorted out. But now that he's been fired, and Nadine is probably going to be recruiting him for some Sin Rosetro mission, it doesn't look like his life will get any better any time soon.

 

Now, Rafael isn't innocent either. Michael is to blame for hurting Mateo and not getting his emotions in check, for sure. Mateo comes first and he should have never ever started a fight with Mateo in Rafael's hands, or within reach. But Rafael played the family card to try to keep Jane from picking Michael. It's like Michael pulling the 'I've know Jane longer' card. No, it doesn't work like that. I think whoever Jane feels like she wants to be with more, should be the person she ends up with. Rafael has done the same thing when it comes to Michael, but with Luisa telling him to pull more emotional strings like pulling the cancer card (and Rafael pulling an almost equally wrong card with Mateo), Rafael seems to just play Jane differently. Enough with that.

 

I'm glad Jane chose Mateo; I've been waiting since episode 1 of this season for that to happen. I can't wait for single Jane, but I do hope that it does not mean that Jane and Michael will stop talking (like they pretty much did when Jane chose Rafael). 

 

I was so happy to see Rafael and Jane watch out for Petra; no matter their ill feelings toward her, they still care enough to not want her around Milos. Hopefully, Petra can tell someone soon about Milos bugging her. 

 

Xio and Alba's storyline was so, so good. I was happy to see a little less Rogelio around the family, but his storyline this episode was weak and I did not like.

[calliope1975]

Ya know, I'm all for Petra moving in with the Villanueva women. I'd watch their blended family adventures with cameos from Rogelio. 

 

Both Rafael and Michael can go kick rocks. 

[omgsowicked]

I really liked the Jane/Petra 2% friendship stuff... Petra's screwed her over so many times but I think it would be nice to see them becoming friendlier, if only for a little while (because Petra's a shady lady). Especially with her having Rafael's kid (or kids, if the promo for next week may have been suggesting), they'll be involved with each other for life, so it would be nice if they got to a good place. Milos is a nutter... I hope Petra finds that bug! Also, Petra's mom and the "be very wary" bit made me laugh.

 

I thought this would be the #TeamMichael season, since it was more of a #TeamRafael show last season, so color me surprised that they went dark like that. Attacking Rafael while he was holding Mateo? Automatic fail right there. Happy Jane's going with #TeamMateo now because I think both guys are being jerks (with Michael crossing the line tonight). Rafael keeps playing the family card (didn't he break up with her while she was still pregnant? What happened to family then, bro?) and Michael's playing the "I've known you longer" card. They're both trying to make her make a choice and it's like, she just had a kid, back off. I'm not mad that they toyed with the triangle, but I'm happy they're (hopefully) putting it to rest for a while. I really think Michael screwed up here and I hope he can one day redeem himself with Jane because I really enjoy Brett and Brett/Gina. Also, I enjoyed them putting in some of Brett's acrobatics in the episode, lol. I remember seeing some Vines of his, flipping off of things.

 

As for the twist at the end... I knew someone would be in the car, I just didn't know who. Gotta say, I'm kinda done with Nadine. At least Michael was discharged before he gets roped into this Sin Rostro mess.

 

I'm not familiar with Britney's guest spots/acting so I don't know if this was good or bad for her, but I thought she was OK. I enjoyed the first Rogelio/Britney scene. "Goodbye Rogolio!" For me, what took away from things were all the song title references. They should have limited it to just two or three title drops, especially since the whole thing was already so camptastic.

[Irlandesa]

Well so far we've had "both guys suck" so I'm going to throw in a "Jane sucks" entry here as well.  She was Miss "I love you both" and then looking sad if either of them even hinted at backing off.  "It's always been you."  Really?  Last season you barely gave Michael a second thought romantically until after your split with Rafael. 

 

And finally, I think it was ridiculous that it played that whoever turned Michael in was "the bad guy."  Last I checked Michael was a cop, right?  Upholder of the law? I did like that Rafael seemed mad at her for knowing that Michael let Nadine go and not really caring.  And I liked that he was disappointed that she didn't beleive him even though the history has been of Michael trying to nail Rafael for pretty much anything.  If Jane had to face what happens when the fantasy came off, I think Rafael should be allowed to have the lustre fall off of Jane as well.

 

I was relieved that they seemed to bring back some of the negative aspects of Michael that I thought they had forgotten.  But there was something about the "firing" scene in the police station that made me think it's another undercover/set up. 

 

I did not enjoy the Britney plot.  Or the Villanueva women get high plot.  I am glad that Alba is on her way to becoming a citizen, though. 

[ddawn23]

Setting aside the fact that Milos revealing to Petra his weapons-smuggling pretense for the wedding immediately after said wedding is a plot point that only makes sense in soap operas, I'm pretty sure that's not how spousal privilege works.  I'm no lawyer, but I believe spousal privilege only means that you can't be compelled to testify against your spouse.  It doesn't mean you're not allowed to testify against your spouse.  Not to mention Milos handed Petra grounds for annulment as if on a silver platter.

 

I don't have anything to say about Britney's acting, but I was very glad the feud turned out to be real and not something in Rogelio's head.  He is super adorable, but the fact that the things he says about his life and his celebrity are true is what keeps him from being pathetic.

[XtremeOne1]

And finally, I think it was ridiculous that it played that whoever turned Michael in was "the bad guy."  Last I checked Michael was a cop, right?  Upholder of the law? I did like that Rafael seemed mad at her for knowing that Michael let Nadine go and not really caring.  And I liked that he was disappointed that she didn't beleive him even though the history has been of Michael trying to nail Rafael for pretty much anything.  If Jane had to face what happens when the fantasy came off, I think Rafael should be allowed to have the lustre fall off of Jane as well.

 

 

You're acting as if Michael committed a crime(letting someone go is not a crime, just bad police work). He let his partner/friend/lover go because she told him(maybe lied to him) that she did what she did because her family was in danger. If Rafael had told on Michael, it would have been an awful thing to do.

Edited November 10, 2015 by XtremeOne1

[Irlandesa]

You're acting as if Michael committed a crime(letting someone go is not a crime, just bad police work). He let his partner/friend/lover go because she told him(maybe lied to him) that she did what she did because her family was in danger. If Rafael had told on Michael, it would have been an awful thing to do.

Michael had a confession from Nadine.  Technically illegal or not, I don't see letting her go as upholding the law since part of upholding the law is arresting those responsible for breaking it for law enforcement officers.  Letting Nadine go was borderline aiding and abetting. She'd lied to him the whole time and it never crossed his mind she might be doing it again?  When he even slightly suspected Rafael, he broke into the Marbella (against the law) but when it comes to Nadine...and Petra, he bends the law to protect them. (He also broke into his boss's office to see who turned him in.)

 

Michael screwed up.  That's on him.  Not the person who turned him in.   

Edited November 10, 2015 by Irlandesa

[blugirlami21]

I think the crime Michael committed was obstruction of justice. He willingly withheld information on a criminal case. I wouldn't have thought it was that awful if Rafael had turned him in.

Michael has been playing fast and loose with the law since the show started we knew it was going to bite him in the ass eventually.

[Gin and Tonic]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure letting Nadine go is definitely a crime, but it's a telenovela. I'm not really worried about cops doing illegal things as if this is a serious police drama or something. I think he also broke the law by not notifying the police of Mateo's kidnapping  which put him in the position to let Nadine go in the first place, and no one - least of all Rafael or Jane - holds that against him. Every other thing Petra does is illegal. Last year Rafael and Jane blackmailed Peta to get her to drop the lawsuit for custody of Mateo. I think the show just prioritizes plot and makes the characters do what they need to to drive the plot forward. So illegality only matters when the show needs it for a plot point.

 

My biggest problem with this development is that it was predictable. Not the specific details of what would happen, but the broad strokes? Predictable. There was no way Jane was going to get to be with the person she picked in episode 4 of the second season of the show, but because she had made a definitive decision they needed to break them up in a lasting way. The easiest way to do that is to endanger Mateo. So of course Michael was going to have to cross a line that involves Mateo and destroy Jane's certainty in him.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Gin and Tonic

[natyxg]

I really hated this episode, it started good and then went so downhill. 

 

Same. I really hated what they did with Michael in the end. I thought Jane was going to choose him and we'd have a rest from the love triangle for a while and we'd get some cute Michael and Jane episodes, which I had been looking forward to after he has been so good and patient lately... but no. Not only does he lose his shit, he does it in front of Mateo and gets him hurt.

 

Sigh. Back to the same crap again. Cause Jane may be single, but this is NOT over.

 

I overall liked the Petra and Jane scenes, and the part about the 2% of Jane caring. I thought it was sweet. Now Petra is married to a psycho. I guess they wanted a repeat of the S1 situation, with Rafael is the odd man out regarding his child but this time it's a psycho husband he has to deal with. And, wouldn't the child be Milos' legally now that he and Petra are married? More problems down the line.

 

I like that they still show Petra as sharp. Loved how she noticed her room was bugged.

[Hamatron]

Yeah. This show is goofy, so I don't hold it against them if they don't go there completely or comply with reality, but what Michael did is a crime. It would fall under obstruction of justice or aiding and abetting. Or perhaps some other thing I am forgetting. Cops lose their jobs all the time for letting minor offenses go, so at least the part of him losing his job for a major oversight (or is he just on probation?) is realistic.

Edited November 10, 2015 by Hamatron

[DollEyes]

    Re the Triangle, both Rafael & Michael were in the wrong; Raphael was wrong to play the family card, but Michael was much worse than him. He not only accused Raphael of something he didn't do, he attacked him & Mateo got hurt because of it, not to mention his & Jane's covering for Nadine, one of the people involved in Mateo's kidnapping. Michael chose to be a cop of his own free will & part of his job is to stop people like Nadine & Sin Rostro, not protect them for the wrong reasons. Not only is Raphael right to be pissed at Jane & Michael for the latter, Michael brought his problems on himself. If Michael had held his tongue & his temper, he probably wouldn't have lost Jane nor his job in the first place.

 

Oh, no-Britney Spears acting again!? Has Crossroads taught Hollywood nothing!?

Edited November 10, 2015 by DollEyes

[molshoop]

 

I'm no lawyer, but I believe spousal privilege only means that you can't be compelled to testify against your spouse.  It doesn't mean you're not allowed to testify against your spouse. 

 

 

You are correct.  You can testify against your spouse. If you've been abused, etc, you certainly can take them to court.

 

[Thog]

This show actually convinced me to be on team Michael for a couple episodes, but the reminder of his temper issues squashed any interest I had in them as a couple. Rafael will always be part of Jane's life, and Michael will never be able to handle that. I also would not have blamed Rafael at all for turning Michael in, because Sin Rostro killed Rafael's father and Michael interfered with an investigation that could have brought the murderer to justice. I can't hate on Michael too much, though, because now he has lost his girl and his job and is apparently being kidnapped. I hope he comes out of this okay, if only because it would make Rogelio sad to lose him.

[LaJefaza]

Yeah. This show is goofy, so I don't hold it against them if they don't go there completely or comply with reality, but what Michael did is a crime. It would fall under obstruction of justice or aiding and abetting.

And it's something Michael would HAPPILY arrest Rafael for if Michael had that kind of ammunition on him. So even in the context of this show, it's a crime.

 

Michael screwed up. That's on him.  Not the person who turned him in.

 

Correct.

 

Michael brought his problems on himself. If Michael had held his tongue & his temper, he probably wouldn't have lost Jane nor his job in the first place.

Exactly. I have seriously never been able to get behind this guy.

[nilyank]

Wasn't the first time Michael warned Nadine so that she could run away, he had secretly installed that tracker to know where she went? And didn't his boss know about it. The second time that he warned Nadine it was during Mateo's kidnapping.

I think the show wanted to make Michael the bad guy again by having him start that fight with Rafael and getting Mateo hurt.

I still think Michael's partner is Rose or working for her.

[Primetimer]

Jane's fantasy of getting tapped to be Britney's new backup dancer is but one of many!

Read the story

[LaughingOne]

Wasn't the first time Michael warned Nadine so that she could run away, he had secretly installed that tracker to know where she went? And didn't his boss know about it. The second time that he warned Nadine it was during Mateo's kidnapping.

 

Michael has let Nadine get away three times.  First was right when he found out about her working for Rose (that's when she told him about being blackmailed into it) and he said he'd give her a few hours to escape before reporting her.  Second was when his boss knew about it and they had the tracker secretly installed.  Third was after Mateo's kidnapping.

[BananaRama]

Loved Britney Spears in this episode. BTW give her a break, Britney knows that she is not an actor, hence the over-the-top performance.

[Irlandesa]

I don't have a law degree but I do have a Law & Order degree and I think spousal privilege varies by state. In some you can testify against your spouse if you want. In others, it's up to the spouse if they want privileged communication shared in court.

However, that only applies to spousal communication which is privileged like conversations with lawyers, spiritual leaders and psychiatrists are privileged. I do not believe it covers witnessing a crime.

So Milos telling Petra that he used their wedding to import hand grenades? Covered. Showing her the hand grenades? Likely not covered.

And there's nothing to prevent her from snitching on her hubby and telling the cops to search their room.

[Gardencrown]

No one has mentioned the absolute unquestionable most important thing about this episode: that is one damn cute baby. That smile? SWOON.

[ddawn23]

So Milos telling Petra that he used their wedding to import hand grenades? Covered. Showing her the hand grenades? Likely not covered.

Milos telling Petra he used their wedding to import grenades is only covered insomuch as Petra chooses to keep it privileged.

And there's nothing to prevent her from snitching on her hubby and telling the cops to search their room.

Exactly. Milos seems to think that marriage is a gag order that prevents his spouse from telling anyone anything incriminating about him. That's pretty absurd, even by soap opera standards.

[possibilities]

When Michael lost his job, I immediately thought he would start working security for Rogelio. That situation had lots of potential for being funny and it keeps him around. I was disappointed they had Nadine take him. I don't know if she's going to try to help him or hurt him, but I just think it won't be as funny as seeing him with Rogelio again.

 

I thought Jane was idiotic to keep the "medical" chocolate bar when they are trying to keep things squeaky clean for her grandmother's court date. But I also thought: If someone took a chocolate bar (or anything) out of my pocket and ate it without asking me? I'd be furious even if it wasn't actual contraband. I did appreciate that they had Jane say they were being annoying while high, though.

 

This show has always played fast and loose with legalities, basically subscribing to the idea that the law is not always just, as in the case of immigration, and that heroes do what's best for the family or the vulnerable, and to hell with the details. I Michael or Jane or Rafael blackmail someone or "cal in a favor" or cover something up? Good because they're The Good Ones. If Petra does it? Bad, because she's terrible. I think it's actually a pretty good commentary on how most people view the law in real life, except for not admitting it. Lots of people cheat on their taxes or will look the other way (or want someone else to do so) if it serves their personal interest. I'm not saying it's right or it's wrong, but I don't think Michael is the only person on the show to do this.

 

That said, I think Michael was way out of line to attack Rafael. Even if Rafael had turned him in, and even if  for the sake of argument we stipulate that Michael had a legitimate reason to be angry (which I think is debatable), beating people up is not the adult way to handle that. I certainly can't blame Jane for not wanting to be with a guy whose reaction to stress is to throw punches. No one needs that.

[Bouffe]

Well, as much as I was lukewarm about last week's episode, I really loved this week's. 

 

Britney is not a good actress, but I enjoyed watching her play a caricature of herself. Her feud with Rogelio was hilarious and dramaramalama like it should be on soaps. Totally loved it, even when I thought I would not (I'm not a Britney fan, sorry...)

 

Petra was awesome in this episode. I did feel bad for her when she ended marrying Milos and it turned out to be a ruse for Milos' weapons business. I did enjoy the 2% friendship with Jane, and also really loved Jane interacting with Magda (be wery wery) LOL

 

I didn't care much for the whole Xo screw up again plot, as I didn't think it brought anything new to the show. However, it brought us high Xo and Alba, and that was just PURE GOLD. That made me laugh more than I care to admit. The other redeeming thing about that plot was Alba's admission that she should have been there more for Xo after her husband Mateo passed away. That part made me bawl like a baby.

 

As for Micheal/Jane/Rafael (see what I did there? LOL)... Micheal has always bent the law to his advantage since the show started. I do however wonder if his dismissal is not a ploy to catch Sin Rostro or whatever else plot that the writers dreamed up. I do not think he was "really" let go, however Micheal does believe that he is out of a job.

 

Which of course brings us to his fight with Rafael... I was surprised but also not surprised at this attack. Micheal never liked Rafael, and was never going to be able to handle having him in Jane's life...  Forever... This was simply not going to happened. He had good reasons not to like him - he lost Jane because of him. But he's also always tried to undermine Rafael in Jane's eyes. He didn't think for a second that anyone else but Rafael gave him away to the police. I was disappointed that Jane believed Michael on that point. Poor baby Mateo. And poor, once again, Rafael.

 

"Sorry dude, he's my bro!" - Luisa to Michael when she explained why she interfered, hand gestures and all.

 

And yes, Micheal being kidnapped was written in the stars.

[mrsbagnet]

I did appreciate that they had Jane say they were being annoying while high, though.

 

 

I didn't care much for the whole Xo screw up again plot, as I didn't think it brought anything new to the show. However, it brought us high Xo and Alba, and that was just PURE GOLD.

 

 

My favorite moment was Jane thanking Rogelio for babysitting, him asking "How are they?" and then the cut to Xo and Alba giggling and eating in the kitchen. Also, Alba saying that "NOOR-MAAL" was a funny word. I'm hoping that Rogelio was the one who drove them to see Zed and threaten him into confessing.

[cardigirl]

I'm just glad they didn't kill Michael off. I was afraid they would pull the old soap opera trick of bringing two people together and then killing one of them off. Ilove Michael and Jane together, they are so funny.

Edited November 11, 2015 by cardigirl

[jjj]

I'm just glad they didn't kill Michael off. I was afraid they would pull the old soap opera trick of bringing two people together and then killing one of them off. Ilove Michael and Jane together, they are so funny.

I don't know -- there is that anvil about Michael from last season that is still hanging over the plot.  (The voiceover of doom.)

[twoods]

I'm bummed that the writers made Michael into a screaming and violent guy, so Mateo can get hurt and Jane can pick no one. How long is this going to last? She has strung both of them along and then that ridiculous scene causes Michael to be the bad guy again and we're back to square one.

Xio and Alba were hilarious high. Also I liked how campy Rogelio and Britt were. But my fav scenes were Petra and Jane. I really like their growing friendship.

[scrb]

Jane jerks the guys around.

She was pretty hysterical when she dumped Michael.

[cailinoBAC]

I think this was probably the first episode I didn't really enjoy. Maybe I was just on a high after the last one and knew it was all coming crashing down.

Anyway, apart from all that, when Xo mentioned a friend of hers coming home from school and her parents were gone, is that a common thing, or was it a direct reference to Diane Guerrero's situation?

[Spooky Kitty]

I'm a big fan of the show, but I really didn't like this episode.  I'll admit I am a fan the pairing of Michael and Jane, and also Michael as a character, and boy was it a bad week for him.  I was hoping we'd get a couple of weeks of Michael and Jane together.  I'm not naive enough to think that the matter would be settled with any finality, but it disappoints me that it went this route.  We got plenty of episodes with Jane/Rafael, so why the rush to stop Jane/Michael before it starts?  Plus, they way they broke them up was not kind to Michael's character--I thought he had learned his lesson after last season, as he has been so good and generous this season, even in terms of giving Rafael good advice.  I don't know why he had to immediately jump to fisticuffs, especially with Jane and Mateo right there and potentially at risk of getting hurt in the crossfire.  I realize tensions have built up with Jane's indecisiveness, but even with that and the slap on the wrists at work, it didn't seem like a great motivation for Michael to get that angry.

 

Plus, everything with the main love triangle felt really predictable, and while certain things in the past do follow a soapy formula, this one felt especially obvious--the stall tactics by Rafael, his obvious innocence in turning Michael in, the doom that followed for Jane/Michael's chance at a relationship (for the present moment).  I really wouldn't mind a break from the triangle for a while, but what are the odds of that?  I'm not looking forward to next week as much as I usually do, which is a trend I hope does not continue.  At this point, I'm just hoping that this Michael plot does not have him go over to the Sin Rostro side of things, unless he is a double agent, which is very possible.  His firing seemed pretty conveniently timed.

 

On the other hand, the stuff with Rogelio and his feud was hilarious.  He is always a highlight of the show for me, more than enough to fill any shortfalls in Britney Spears' acting ability.  I also really enjoyed Alba and Xo's excellent adventure, though I do wonder why Jane held onto the chocolate bar long enough for them to find it and eat it while she wasn't home.  I could have watched a whole lot more of both of those storylines and less of the other stuff. 

[penelope79]

Except for a few parts, I hated this episode too because of the hateful  love triangle, which by the way I doubt will end anytime soon.

 

I agree that Rafael did play the family card a bit too much this time, but I honestly don't understand the general comparison between him and Michael and the subsequent conclusion that, overall, they're both jerks. I love Michael and I don't know why TPTB decided he had to have that reaction (besides, way too convenient for Jane to let all her decisions be influenced by the events instead of willingly taking them: it's not the first time for her), but Rafael never behaved the way Michael did since episode n. 1: he basically tried to get rid of the baby because he was afraid he could lose Jane and let Nadine go, who later on was involved in Mateo's kidnapping and Sin Rostro (who, by the way, killed Rafael's father). Brett Dier is soo good that even I, sometimes, forget what happened with Michael, and I do still believe Michael is a good guy at heart, but he did many unforgivable things and stating that Rafael is like him it seems a bit unfair, to me.

[MoreCoffeePlease]

Can I just say how fabulous Gina Rodriguez is?  She nails the comedy, the drama, the romance, the mommy-hormones, and the dancing!  I would totally vote for her to win the Golden Globe again this year.  Wouldn't that be awesome?

[xander874]

I am Team Michael all the way and hated what they did with him especially with him attacking Raphael with Mateo in his hands. Still, I do hope they veer away from the love triangle and let these characters have other stories.

 

Loved high Xo and Alba. Them snacking in the background during scenes was funny. I'm glad they let those 2 stretch their acting chops a bit. And is this the first episode where Alba spoke more than a word or two of English?

 

I am a Britney fan so I thought that stuff was hilarious, especially the in-sync backup crew. Sure, she's not a good actress and it was over the top, but I think it worked in a story for Rogelio. Anyone else, not so much, but Rogelio's always been a little campy, so I liked it.

[BookThief]

 

And, wouldn't the child be Milos' legally now that he and Petra are married? More problems down the line.

I don't think it works like that. Or at least, it doesn't eliminate Rafael's legal rights toward his future child. If Petra or Milos tried to deny Rafael rights he could just easily demand a paternity test and get the courts to help sort out custody. But, as this is a telenovela, it is all possible to be problematic down the line.

[rallymantis]

Eh, I don't get this "play the family card" thing.  They are family.  

 

Am slightly embarrassed to note here that at first I was surprised to see what I thought was *an actress playing Britney*.   Is it age or did she have work done?  Because I wasn't sure it WAS her until I read this thread.

[Thog]

 

And, wouldn't the child be Milos' legally now that he and Petra are married? More problems down the line.

 

I don't think it works like that.

Sadly, it does work that way in many states - the person married to the mother at the time of birth is the legal father. It's intended to protect the child. I'm not anything close to a lawyer, but I had a friend in graduate school (in North Carolina, 15 years ago) who lost all rights to his daughter because the mother married someone else before the child was born. His lawyer told him that a paternity test would not have helped - he simply had no standing, and could not be awarded even partial custody.

 

Apparently that law has recently been upheld in Michigan: http://judgedavidhoort.blogspot.com/2011/04/court-of-appeals-asks-msc-to-revisit.html

 

I don't know how this relates to Florida or telenovela-land, however. Here's hoping Petra isn't married to Milos 8 months from now anyway. I know she's a psycho, but she's kind of a lovable psycho and I don't want to watch an abusive husband storyline.

[onlywearscardigans]

What I love about this show is that it embraces the over-the-top. It understands that it's main plot point is so incredibly zainy and they just decided to play with it. They brought on Britney and her creepy back crew because dammit they can! It worked for me. I'm so glad they're not drawing out this love triangle. I'm glad they are showing us the good and the bad of Michael and Raf. I have to say tho, if Jane's gotta choose I'd rather she choose Raf. As long as he can learn to have an open dialogue with her because right now I really think that's their main issue. Then again Raf was raised by liars and schemers so I can see why he hesitates but still he can grow. 

 

My absolute favorite part of the episode is Jane/Alba/Xo. I love watching them stick together and stand up for each other. I've never seen such positive female relationship on tv especially with hispanic women and I love it. I really relate to the Xo/Alba relationship more than Xo/Jane. I love my mom but she's not my best friend and their are definite boundaries that I think are common in latinas relationships with their mothers. Any other latinas agree? 

[camom]

It was an OK episode.  Loved Xo and Alba high, very funny.  What I couldn't figure out, however, was why Jane didn't just volunteer to sponsor her grandmother when Xo's criminal record was brought up.  Too logical, I guess.

[DollEyes]

 

Loved Britney Spears in this episode. BTW, give her a break, Britney knows she's not an actor, hence the over-the-top performance.

 

  I respectfully disagree. I love over-the-top performances as much as the next person, but there's a right way to do them (as Jaime Camil proves week after week) and the wrong way, as Britney Spears proved this week and if I think a performance sucks, I'm gonna say so.

Edited November 12, 2015 by DollEyes

[possibilities]

I didn't understand why Jane couldn't sponsor Alba, either. I had assumed I just didn't understand immigration law, but at the same time, if all they needed was one of them to sponsor her, I also don't understand why they didn't do it sooner, given the amount of fear they were living with as a result of her undocumented status.

 

I am bored and irritated by the various triangles the show keeps going back to, but I am starting to wonder if they think they are being educational rather than just wallowing. The one thing I like about the triangles is that they are not showing the women "catfighting"-- in fact, the opposite. I don't enjoy it, but this week it dawned on me that maybe they are trying to show a contrast between adult behavior (Jane and her alliance with Petra for the 2%) vs unacceptable acting out, and at least they are not having Jane fall for or be flattered by the male violence and posturing and possessiveness. There are probably a lot of teens watching The CW, and a counterweight to the message of "jealous rage = love" might be directed to them?

 

I'd still rather the show get over it and find other things to do with itself, but if they are going to do triangles, at least they don't show Jane being enamored of the bullshit.

[LaughingOne]

It was an OK episode.  Loved Xo and Alba high, very funny.  What I couldn't figure out, however, was why Jane didn't just volunteer to sponsor her grandmother when Xo's criminal record was brought up.  Too logical, I guess.

I had the same thought, but maybe whoever Alba lives with would be background checked, so Xo's record would've still caused issues?