S02.E10: Chapter Thirty-Two

[ElectricBoogaloo]

In the middle of the night, Jane gets a burst of creative energy and starts her thesis. Unfortunately, Mateo spills orange juice all over her computer causing it to crash and Jane loses all her hard work. When Jane brings her computer to be fixed, she meets Dax and with the urging of her friend Lina, Jane considers dating again. Rogelio decides to have his mother Liliana become his manager, but soon realizes that was not the best decision. When Rafael comes to after being attacked by his mother now known to be the crime lord Mutter, he goes to Michael and tells him what Mutter is looking for.

 

Promo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_2vM8UikKU

Edited February 2, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[RachelKM]

Wow, pretty quiet in here.  Is everyone watching election results?

 

I like this episode.  Even if I found the idea of the chip hanging out in Michael's leg sort of horrifying.  Also, damn dude.  Put something down on your carpet before slicing open your leg.

 

In general, this episode felt more like season one.  And I love Rogelio's new telenovela.  

 

By the way, it isn't on imdb, but was Jane's coffee date with the slug guy played by Gael from Telenovela?

Edited February 3, 2016 by RachelKM

[natyxg]

So, Jane is a 24 year old grad student who doesn't back up her stuff. Ever heard of Dropbox or a usb drive, dear? That and Michael having the whatever the hell it was stuck in his leg asked more suspension of disbelief than the accidental insemination, maybe because I'm obsessive about backing up stuff and plus I wonder how that thing in his leg didn't get infected.

 

I thought Rafael and Petra were going to kiss when they had that moment towards the end.

 

I'm still confused about what they're doing with Jane's love life. And lately it feels like Rafael is in another show altogether. Michael, too. It's weird.

[gpgurl50]

I also agree that it was weird Jane went through all this school without backing up her laptop, especially after finishing so much work.

 

Rogelio's new show is amazing.  More please.

 

I know I probably watched too much Fargo, but even though the evidence in Michael's leg was both gross and unbelievable, I found the concept amazing.  His dead ex hid evidence in his body without him knowing!  What in the world?  One of the things I love about this show is the "did that just happen?" moments.

[molshoop]

 

I'm still confused about what they're doing with Jane's love life. And lately it feels like Rafael is in another show altogether. Michael, too. It's weird.

 

        I agree.  I'm almost starting to miss the triangle.

[natyxg]

        I agree.  I'm almost starting to miss the triangle.

 

I don't necessarily miss it, but I'm confused. Jane's love life this season has been all over the place, like a ping pong ball bouncing everywhere for no reason. They've been forcing a lot of stuff with Rafael and Michael to force break ups out of the left field, and it's just weird. Also it's obvious that the actors are under contract so they still have to be around, but they're in their own world now and it's all just weird.  Season once was the season of Rafael and Jane, I wish she and Michael had been given a chance this season, to be honest.

[Thog]

I loved seeing where some of the elements of Rogelio's self-obsession came from. His mom singing the "wake up Rogelio" song and telling him he didn't pop in peach gave us a little insight into his childhood. It's kind of amazing he turned out as well as he did!

[Primetimer]

Jane hates the game, but must she hate the players? We're swiping right on some potential future dates for her.

Read the story

[Lady Calypso]

I agree about the computer thing. It wouldn't be Jane if she didn't have multiple backups for anything on her computer. Now, I would have bought it more if she had been typing all night and then just forgot to save, thus why she didn't have an initial backup of her story. 

 

So, Michael had the chip on him the entire time. I....actually kind of laughed at that. Nadine's final day was actually helping him!  Who knew? 

 

Rafael/Petra's storyline? All I see is them rekindling their romance and I'm not actually opposed to it. I should be, seeing as how toxic they were in early season 1, but...damn if I wouldn't mind seeing them get closer. Plus, I loved their moments this season. 

 

Rogelio's storyline was good too. Still don't like his mother, but her and Xo had a really sweet moment. 

 

And....I guess people were calling Jane and her professor/mentor early this season. Of course. 

[mrsbagnet]

And....I guess people were calling Jane and her professor/mentor early this season. Of course.

 

Which would be the most cliché thing ever, not to mention unethical. As much as I like seeing Adam Rodriguez, I hope they don't go that route. A professor dating his grad student advisee elicits both a side eye and an eye roll.

 

I could absolutely be seduced by chilaquiles.

[Artsda]

I don't get where they're going here, every episode Jane's love life changes and jumps back and forth. Now it's new skater boys and her professor. It's just making her look fickle. 

 

I'm enjoying Petra more than Jane these days.

 

And....I guess people were calling Jane and her professor/mentor early this season. Of course.

 

They cast Adam Rodriguez, it was easy to guess based on that alone. lol

[tennisgurl]

I really like the insight we are getting into Rogelio. His mom being a stage mom type makes total sense. I really like his story, and I really like his new show. His version of Stonewall was already 10 times better than that movie about it that just came out.

 

Speaking of Telenovelas, the scientist guy who ditched Jane is one of the stars of the Eva Longoria show Telenovela! I wondered if any of those actors would show up here, the shows do have some similarities (that show is more of an over the top work place sitcom though). 

 

I have to say, the twist with the chip being inside Michael is batshit crazy, while also being pretty awesome. Just the kind of weird twist I would expect from this show. 

 

As for Janes love life, I do wish for a bit more consistency, but I do not mind it. The show, to me, was always filled with over the top romance, and now that the two main sides of the love triangle have broken off, Jane would of course end up getting into more romantic entanglements. That being said, I would be alright with Jane just focusing on Mom stuff, and her writing. 

 

The stuff with the man in the suit and the flying hat had a real magical realism vibe to it that I really enjoyed. Since they name checked magical realism, I assume it was intentional. 

Edited February 2, 2016 by tennisgurl

[Lady Calypso]

Oh, I forgot to mention this, but I'm starting to seriously get vibes about Michael's cop buddy and that she may be working for Mutter, or something. Maybe even Rose. I could be wrong, but she seemed too insistent on that chip and maybe it's because I now suspect every supporting character of being evil'ish, but I just got major vibes this episode.

[natyxg]

They cast Adam Rodriguez, it was easy to guess based on that alone. lol

 

I don't even know who this dude is, but come on. A man and a woman spending time on a tv show, and he's a hunky professor. I'm not sure if they will go there for real or if they will leave it as a crush, though. So far it seems one sided (which is why what we saw in this episode was a Jane dream and nothing more).

[Kummerspeck]

The Rafael/Petra in the last two episodes or so is melting my heart. I love them together.

Which is a problem, since he almost texted Jane that he still loves her.

[Bouffe]

Aw, that was a fun episode! I love the insight we are getting into why Rogelio is the way he is. His mom being a stage mom and all... When she started singing the "Rogelio" song, I about spit my drink I was laughing so hard!

 

Rafael just about broke my heart. He looked extremely sad, both because of his mom and because of Jane. It was nice to see them telling the truth to one another - I really wish Rafael had said to Jane how he really feels about her. However, it was nice that he trusted her with all that's happening with his mom and that he came to her for comfort.

 

Jane and the whole dating scene...  It was funny, but I'm also mildly interested... I want her with Rafael, damn it! LOL 

 

Rafael and Petra, bonding... I felt bad for Petra - I thought she was being a bitch to all the nurses, until she pointed out that she had miscarried late in her pregnancy. It's understandable that she's worried and irritable right now. I really like the Rafael and Petra friendship.

 

I'm pretty good about suspending belief when it comes to soaps/telenovelas... But the chip on Michael? LOL That had me laughing like crazy! Kind of a cool twist tho.

[Luciano]

I let out a giggle when the written notes on the actress in Rogelio's new telenovela stated that she had almost made contact with El Chapo twice, especially since Rogelio's last telenovela costar (and ex-wife) was played by Kate Del Castillo, who is now under investigation for her part in the whole Sean Penn/El Chapo interview mess.

 

Did they just sneak that in or was it just a big coincidence? There hasn't been that much time since the interview happened.

[Irlandesa]

I'm a little disappointed that Rafael's watching Mateo at the Villanueva house didn't lead to more interaction with the family.  Perhaps a scene of Rogelio and Rafael comparing "Whose mother was the bigger pain in the neck today" scenarios?  It doesn't have to be much but a little scene here and there would help integrate the cast.  It seems like the show really wants to compartmentalize the stories and I'm not sure why.  Heck, even though I wasn't as big of a fan of the bromance as others and I get why realistically Michael would want distance, separating Rogelio and Michael pushed Michael into a box.  I never thought I'd say this but Michael and Rafael sharing a scene together felt nice because it felt like they were living in the same world.

 

I am getting very nervous for Petra and Rafael.  Petra is interesting and I mostly like her.  The actress is great.  She and Rafael have had some quality scenes lately.  But I won't forget the fact that she has repeatedly robbed Rafael of his physical choice.  She stole sperm twice, drugged him and put him in a bed with a prostitute--what if something sexual had happened? And the only reason he's not in jail for spousal abuse is because he happened to have an alibi. 

 

I have to wonder what would happen if the genders were reversed and they were hinting at a reunion?  I've watched soaps long enough to know that there would still be people in favor of it. (Hell, I may have been that person at one time.)  But I also know that there was be enormous amounts of pushback. I have a big problem if the show plans to go to that well again.  I'm even uncomfortable sometimes with their friendship. 

 

I was flat out bored with Jane's dating woes.  At least the Rogelio story was amusing and gave us a picture of how Rogelio came to be.

[truebluesmoky]

I wonder if they always meant for Petra's character to be a villain who is also likable and sympathetic, or if she was originally supposed to just be a straight up villain but Yael Grobglas is just so wonderful that they had to shift in that direction once they realized you can't help but love her.

[Irlandesa]

Petra has always been written as someone who was both good and bad. She was cheating on Rafael, but she also nursed hm through his cancer. She 'stole' his sperm the first time around (ethically, but technically, she wasn't: the plan was always for them to have their baby) but she was also a woman who had suffered through a history of miscarriages and infertility and carried that tragedy.

She had infertility? I don't remember that from the show.

 

But no, the plan was not always for them to have a child. The reason they had the sperm was because of the cancer treatments Rafael was undergoing which could make him infertile. It was for Rafael to be able to have a child.  And while initially it was thought that Petra would be the mother because they were married during the start of the treatments, by the time Petra inseminated herself she knew the marriage was over and wanted to extend it to get the better payday from the prenup.  They were definitely not planning on having kids together.  Or at least Rafael wasn't.

 

Anyway, I do think Petra was meant to be more of a gray character since she is a regular and I don't think they want to villanize any regulars completely.  And I can handwave scheming.  But when it became physical violations is where I draw the line.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Irlandesa

[MoreCoffeePlease]

No one mentions how cute Matteo was crawling around?!?  What a doll, I mean "sweet face".

 

 

I also agree that it was weird Jane went through all this school without backing up her laptop

 

I don't know. Even with Dropbox and cloud services and such, I think there are TONS of responsible people who don't back up their computers, even if they know they should.  I will say it is never a good idea to have an uncovered drink near your computer.

 

Regarding Rita Moreno, IMDB says she is 85.  OMG!  She looks amazing.  If she has had work done, it was really good work that didn't mess up her face.

[galax-arena]

I wonder if they always meant for Petra's character to be a villain who is also likable and sympathetic, or if she was originally supposed to just be a straight up villain but Yael Grobglas is just so wonderful that they had to shift in that direction once they realized you can't help but love her.

I think she was, at the very least, always meant to be an antagonist to the other characters - not necessarily a straight-up villain, although she certainly was that as well - but they've been moving away from that recently. 

[Enginerd]

I thought we had learned at some point that Rafael's view of Petra had shifted pretty abruptly while he was undergoing cancer treatment, but we didn't learn what had happened. I thought he had found out something about her. Maybe another affair? Something else from her past? Discovered she was only hanging in there with him for money?

Does having had one miscarriage before really count as fertility issues? Tragic for her, yes, but did she have any sort of medically diagnosed reason to believe she'd have trouble with a future pregnancy? I can understand why she's afraid, but that's not the same thing as actually having infertility.

I want to see more of Rogelio's new telenovela.

[Kummerspeck]

I thought we had learned at some point that Rafael's view of Petra had shifted pretty abruptly while he was undergoing cancer treatment, but we didn't learn what had happened. I thought he had found out something about her. Maybe another affair? Something else from her past? Discovered she was only hanging in there with him for money?

Does having had one miscarriage before really count as fertility issues? Tragic for her, yes, but did she have any sort of medically diagnosed reason to believe she'd have trouble with a future pregnancy? I can understand why she's afraid, but that's not the same thing as actually having infertility.

We do know, he said he was talking to Luisa, generally feeling sorry for himself, and she said "so change your life, then." So he stopped partying and brawling and loving Petra.

And Rafael also says Petra has had "all the miscarriages" and that the doctor told her she "couldn't carry a child" when she has her freak out right after she tells him she's pregnant. So she has a seriously traumatic infertility/loss background.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Kummerspeck

[Eyes High]

The extended closeup of Rogelio's costar mugging for the camera after wailing "ADONDE FUISTE" cracked my shit up, as did the Stonewall scene.

 

The scene with Rogelio and his dad was very touching.

 

Of Jane's suitors, Greg did nothing for me, but Dax was pretty cute. On the other hand, "Dax."

 

I had to laugh at "Who's the cute kid? He looks like my nephew!" It's the ultimate Miami pickup line.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Eyes High

[Enginerd]

 

And Rafael also says Petra has had "all the miscarriages" and that the doctor told her she "couldn't carry a child" when she has her freak out right after she tells him she's pregnant. So she has a seriously traumatic infertility/loss background.

I missed that part; thanks. I should know better than to multitask during JtV. Look away for five seconds and you could miss major information!

[SeanC]

This show is so good, but also so consistent that I often find it hard to say much about any given episode.

 

I will say, Nadine's death is the single goofiest shot in the entire show, and the way this episode kept replaying that footage made me convinced they were going to reveal it was faked somehow, which would explain how unconvincing it is.  But apparently not.

[amaranta]

I will say, Nadine's death is the single goofiest shot in the entire show, and the way this episode kept replaying that footage made me convinced they were going to reveal it was faked somehow, which would explain how unconvincing it is.  But apparently not.

 

I have the same theory and I haven't thrown it away as a possibility.  Look how long we thought the impaled, not-a twin was dead.  And it looked like such a setup for a fake death; I'm fifty-fifty on her wearing a vest and some fake blood pellets. 

[AudienceofOne]

I have the same theory and I haven't thrown it away as a possibility.  Look how long we thought the impaled, not-a twin was dead.  And it looked like such a setup for a fake death; I'm fifty-fifty on her wearing a vest and some fake blood pellets. 

 

I keep thinking "we haven't seen the body". But they would hardly have had a funeral and everything for her if they didn't bring her body back from ?Mexico?. I think if they were going there then we would have had Michael say something like "and i just ran and left her body there" by now. Of course, they could just be leaving it open so it can go either way.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Ha, I love that Rogelio had "father of the star" and "mother of the star" chairs made for when his parents came to visit him on set.

When Rafael said, "My mother's a monster," I was expecting Petra to say, "So is mine - just one more thing we have in common!"

I had mixed feelings about Jane's dating situation. On the one hand, I can see Lina's point - Jane is 24 so it's fine for her to date casually. On the other hand, I see Xiomara's point that Jane is a relationship person. I mean, obviously is every time she goes on a date with a new guy she is already picturing him with Mateo.

I know shit happens but I find it unbelievable that a highly organized OCD control freak like Jane isn't backing up story to multiple places (an external hard drive and the cloud) at least once an hour when she's working. At the very least she would have saved a copy elsewhere before Mateo woke up in the morning.

Even though I knew it was just tv magic, I had to cover my eyes when Michael decided to cut his leg open. Blech! And he couldn't have done that in the bathtub or with his leg over the sink? Maybe I'm being too practical because I wouldn't want to clean up any more blood than necessary. But how exactly did Nadine get that chip into his leg by cutting him with a beer bottle? Did she just jam it into his wound while she was putting the tourniquet on? She must have quite a light touch for him not to notice. Honestly, I'm okay with batshit crazy twists like an ex hiding a chip in an undercover police officer's leg, but I just need it to make sense.

I was glad that Petra firing the nurses was because she was anxious about miscarrying again, mostly because I initially suspected that firing the nurses was a play to get Rafael to spend more time with her.

I always love the crazy sets, costumes, and plots of Rogelio's telenovelas. I also loved how impressed Rogelio was with his costar's new "theatening" look.

I could absolutely be seduced by chilaquiles.

And churros!