S02.E17: Chapter Thirty-Nine

[Tara Ariano]

Jane's bachelorette party doesn't go as she envisioned thanks to input from Xo and Lina. Meanwhile, Rogelio's plans for Michael's bachelor party disrupt Michael's evening with his friends; and Rafael attempts to unearth Derek's true motives.

[possibilities]

The first time I read the episode description, I thought it said ROGELIO (not Rafael) was attempting to find out Derek's motives-- and that sounded so much more delicious.

[Enginerd]

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

[tennisgurl]

I swear, I am more and more convinced that Michael is toast, and it is killing me. All of this "Jane and Michael are so perfect, and are frolicking around Miami and Michael is a better guy now and he and Jane are so in love" stuff is so adorable, but Michael might as well announce that he has two weeks until retirement. I hope to God I am wrong, but right now, that is all I can think about. Lord, I need more wine. 

 

Wow, that was harsh Jane. But if I got literally the exact same apology from my mom multiple times for the same thing, I guess I would be pissed too. Still, harsh. 

 

The narrator noticing how we had never met any of Jane's friends before was hilarious.

 

Rogelio and Michael are always great, I could watch a whole spin off where they solve crimes together. Of course Rogelio would consider spa days and fancy meals as a perfect bachelor party. Plus, the return of Rogelio's step daughters!  

[elle]

 

Plus, the return of Rogelio's step daughters!

   I missed their intro, who is their mom?

Edited April 12, 2016 by elle

[tennisgurl]

 

I missed their intro, who is their mom?

Rogelio's most recent ex wife, who he had a bunch of drama with, before he got with Xo again. 

[Gin and Tonic]

I swear, I am more and more convinced that Michael is toast, and it is killing me. All of this "Jane and Michael are so perfect, and are frolicking around Miami and Michael is a better guy now and he and Jane are so in love" stuff is so adorable, but Michael might as well announce that he has two weeks until retirement. I hope to God I am wrong, but right now, that is all I can think about. Lord, I need more wine.

Yeah, the death anvils were falling hard and fast. I'm still not convinced the writers can pull off Michael's death without dramatically changing the tone of the show, but I guess we'll see. If he doesn't die, there's still no way they're getting married - maybe amnesia as someone said last week. But their vows exchange on the couch is the closest we're gonna get to an actual wedding.

[elle]

Wow!  I actually gasped at that reveal!  I posted in the iZombie forum about how the actress playing Dale looked so much like Petra that "could she be her long lost sister" and BAM!   

 

That truly has never happened before!

[nilyank]

I am getting more afraid that Michael is going to "die." It's going to break Jane's and Rogelio's heart when it happens.

 

Now I am afraid for Petra. Because I think her twin is going to turn out to be her evil twin and take over her life. This will be the fourth set of twins on the show (Petra's ex, Rogelio's step-daughters, Elsa/Anna, and now Petra/sis).

[Lady Calypso]

Yeah, the death anvils were falling hard and fast. I'm still not convinced the writers can pull off Michael's death without dramatically changing the tone of the show, but I guess we'll see. If he doesn't die, there's still no way they're getting married - maybe amnesia as someone said last week. But their vows exchange on the couch is the closest we're gonna get to an actual wedding.

 

After thinking about it the last couple of weeks, I'm actually starting to convince myself that Michael is not going to die. Either they're going to go for a fakeout and someone else will die (maybe Alba? Which would be super, super sad) instead of Michael, or they'll seriously injure Michael as a cliffhanger, making us think he's dead, but next season will start with him in the hospital, alive, but just badly injured/in a coma/paralyzed. Like you said, I think the tone of the show will shift too much if they kill off Michael, and the show also loves to go for the unexpected twist that nobody sees coming. Everyone, I think, sees Michael's death coming. What a better way to keep a fakeout than to have Michael not die? Sure, they'll have to come up with a plausible way for them to break up, but they could do it.

 

This episode was so entertaining. The two parties for Jane and Michael were equally as hilarious as they were sweet. It got even better when they were united for one big party. 

 

Ok, I know this is sad that I feel like pointing out, but it was nice to see so many diverse friends amongst Jane and Michael. It's sad when you don't see it that much on most television shows. 

 

I feel so bad for Jane. This is actually an ok reason to be stressed, and Xo was getting really, really drunk. Yet, it provided for great comedy, especially with the twins. They're annoying, but I can't help but laugh at them. But the end with Xo/Jane was so sad. I hope they make up soon. 

 

I thought the Michael/Rogelio storyline was so well done. They really are Brogelios. 

 

I felt so bad for Petra as well. She really is struggling. Plus, her mom still sucks. And a sister? Damn, they got me there!

 

The vow scene was so sweet and romantic. I'll bet we'll hear the vows in a voiceover as Michael is just about to 'die', I can just see it now.

[Irlandesa]

 Everyone, I think, sees Michael's death coming. What a better way to keep a fakeout than to have Michael not die? Sure, they'll have to come up with a plausible way for them to break up, but they could do it.

I think the problem is they're going out of their way to not put any new cracks in his veneer.  And they're throwing spackle on any cracks that used to exist. 

 

I wouldn't be shocked if they did all this and then only maimed him but I'm not sure where the story goes after that given how they've written him in the second half of the season.  However, I've felt that way about a lot of this season.  They keep creating things like plot and new characters that feel like a lot of work to take a character nowhere new.  Or barely some place new.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Irlandesa

[NUguy514]

I hadn't been getting the feeling Mchael was dying until this episode. There was way too much talk of his being perfect, and I'm now starting to freak out a bit!!

Jane was reallllly harsh with Xo, but Xo should not be giving that same speech multiple times and not actually changing her behavior in any way; in that sense, I think Jane was sort of justified.

[Artsda]

I loved the final bachelorette joint party where Jane was able to relax, have fun and be herself with Michael. 

 

I don't blame Jane for being angry at her mom, sending the stripper to her work was just stupid. Whether she was supposed to be in her office or not, she was at work. Her mom does need to grow up. 

[natyxg]

Michael and Jane are so adorable. Please don't kill him, show.

 

I totally didn't see the Petra twin thing coming! Good one, JtV! I'm not sure what the point is, though. But good one.

[mwell345]

perhaps Michael "dies" a soap opera death, only to come back from the dead at some point.

[Bouffe]

Rogelio's bachelor party was hilarious. What was even more hilarious were the guys sitting in the spa/pool, sipping on drinks, saying it was not bar time anymore and that they should just stay and get massages. LOL!!!!

 

Xo and Jane broke my heart. It was tough to watch.

 

It's funny what can and cannot fool me with this show. I wasn't fooled by Rafael trying to have a relationship with his brother - I knew he had to be working with Michael. I was not fooled when Rafael checked his phone the night after he and his brother drank together, only to see he had gotten played by him and his partner. I was, however, totally fooled with the Petra thing. I thought for sure she was leaving her babies. I thought for sure she was running away. And then that long lost sister shows up. Fooled! I wonder where this will be going.

 

Next week's preview looks brutal - Matteo calling Michael daddy? Oh my heart :(

[Primetimer]

Jane's bachelorette party is the prelude for a conversation both Xiomara and Jane are going to be feeling for a while.

Read the story

[swimmyfish]

I don't know - I liked this episode overall, but I didn't really buy the blow-up between Jane and Xo. I mean, yes, Xo behavior this episode was terrible, but it didn't really feel like it was in keeping with Xo's character as we've come to know her over the past 39 episodes. I mean, she ended her engagement with Rogelio because she's happy to be done being a mom, she's had recent successes with her recording career; this sort of aimless, out-of-sorts Xo seems to me to have come out of the blue.

I don't think Jane was wrong to be super angry with her mom after her behavior at the party, but this is the first time I've felt like a storyline was wholly manufactured just for the sake of drama. And this in an episode that featured an out-of-nowhere identical twin for Petra!

[Xantar]

Wow!  I actually gasped at that reveal!  I posted in the iZombie forum about how the actress playing Dale looked so much like Petra that "could she be her long lost sister" and BAM!   

 

That truly has never happened before!

Wait. That was a separate actress, not just Yael Grabglas with a stand-in double?

[Tara Ariano]

Wait. That was a separate actress, not just Yael Grabglas with a stand-in double?

 

 

I don't know that, but it wasn't Jessica Harmon (Bozzio from iZombie).

[gesundheit]

I don't know - I liked this episode overall, but I didn't really buy the blow-up between Jane and Xo. I mean, yes, Xo behavior this episode was terrible, but it didn't really feel like it was in keeping with Xo's character as we've come to know her over the past 39 episodes. I mean, she ended her engagement with Rogelio because she's happy to be done being a mom, she's had recent successes with her recording career; this sort of aimless, out-of-sorts Xo seems to me to have come out of the blue.

I agree. While she was awful in this episode, telling us she did that another time four years prior doesn't warrant that no-turning-back evisceration Jane gave to Xo. Sure, we learned about a few incidents when she was younger that embarrassed her, but it's hardly a current-day pattern that merited such damage.

[Enginerd]

I feel like this blowup was a long time building. Xo may be doing okay with day-to-day responsibilities; certainly Jane feels okay leaving Mateo with her. But she does have a history of doing embarrassing or questionable things when she decides it's party time...and even while still sober, it somehow didn't occur to her that she should NEVER send a stripper anywhere near Jane's place of (serious, career-oriented, as opposed to her other job at the Marbella) employment?

She did marry Rogelio while drunk less than a year earlier. Did they ever get that annulled? And we've seen a lot of little bits and pieces of Xo doing things that aggravate or embarrass Jane in more minor ways over the series. Plus Jane really did not want her mother at her bachelorette party (super few people would want their mother there, even if they otherwise had no problems at all with their mom), but Xo thought she should be a part of it, and not only part of it, but the wildest part. I can see how all of that would build into an explosion.

I loved Michael's party and the fight and makeup with Rogelio.

I can't believe Petra had a twin sister and their mother didn't keep them together to use their matching looks in con schemes. Or maybe she did for awhile? When did they get separated and why? It's not often that I am genuinely eager to hear more about a long-lost twin storyline, but this one I'm into!

I liked that Jane had more friends that we've mysteriously never seen before. I hope we'll see them again periodically. I hate it when shows forget that their characters have friends and relatives beyond the main cast. They should at least be mentioned from time to time!

[gesundheit]

I feel like this blowup was a long time building. Xo may be doing okay with day-to-day responsibilities; certainly Jane feels okay leaving Mateo with her. But she does have a history of doing embarrassing or questionable things when she decides it's party time...and even while still sober, it somehow didn't occur to her that she should NEVER send a stripper anywhere near Jane's place of (serious, career-oriented, as opposed to her other job at the Marbella) employment?

She did marry Rogelio while drunk less than a year earlier. Did they ever get that annulled? And we've seen a lot of little bits and pieces of Xo doing things that aggravate or embarrass Jane in more minor ways over the series. Plus Jane really did not want her mother at her bachelorette party (super few people would want their mother there, even if they otherwise had no problems at all with their mom), but Xo thought she should be a part of it, and not only part of it, but the wildest part. I can see how all of that would build into an explosion.

An explosion, yes, I completely agree. But telling another human being they are a "cautionary tale" is a beastly, heinous thing to say to someone you don't care about, much less someone you do. I don't know how someone recovers from that, and I think Jane is too careful to go that far. It's true that she does lay on the sanctimony pretty thick sometimes, but that wasn't overly-judgmental, it was incredibly cruel. And I can't get past the idea that I was supposed to be proud of Jane for it or something. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe she'll realize how damaging and pernicious it was, maybe I'm not giving them enough credit. They've certainly surprised me before. 

[wonderwoman]

"I don't know - I liked this episode overall, but I didn't really buy the blow-up between Jane and Xo. I mean, yes, Xo behavior this episode was terrible, but it didn't really feel like it was in keeping with Xo's character as we've come to know her over the past 39 episodes. I mean, she ended her engagement with Rogelio because she's happy to be done being a mom, she's had recent successes with her recording career; this sort of aimless, out-of-sorts Xo seems to me to have come out of the blue.

I don't think Jane was wrong to be super angry with her mom after her behavior at the party, but this is the first time I've felt like a storyline was wholly manufactured just for the sake of drama. And this in an episode that featured an out-of-nowhere identical twin for Petra!"

In total agreement! As for the blowup being a longtime coming, had the writers taken the time to lay the groundwork it would have been powerful rather than contrived.

On an unrelated note: What happened to Jane's Mini Cooper? Rogelio giving her that car was one of my favorite moments of the show. Given Rogelio's proclivities, he could have given her some lavish, over-the -top car or piece of jewelry. Instead, he gives her a sensible car because he was paying attention and realized how much easier he life would be with a car.

[LaJefaza]

It's true that she does lay on the sanctimony pretty thick sometimes

 

I love Jane to bits, but she has always been her grandmother's granddaughter...Jane has inherited all of Alba's sanctimoniousness. Not saying she's wrong to give Xo a wake-up call at all, sending a stripper to her job is terminally foolish and Xo does need to grow the hell up...but in other instances I have said that she and her grandmother are partners atop the same high horse.

[slade3]

I don't know - I liked this episode overall, but I didn't really buy the blow-up between Jane and Xo. I mean, yes, Xo behavior this episode was terrible, but it didn't really feel like it was in keeping with Xo's character as we've come to know her over the past 39 episodes. I mean, she ended her engagement with Rogelio because she's happy to be done being a mom, she's had recent successes with her recording career; this sort of aimless, out-of-sorts Xo seems to me to have come out of the blue.

I don't think Jane was wrong to be super angry with her mom after her behavior at the party, but this is the first time I've felt like a storyline was wholly manufactured just for the sake of drama. And this in an episode that featured an out-of-nowhere identical twin for Petra!

I agree with this. And it's not that a Jane/Xo argument wasn't due, it's just the way it played out. It felt very manufactured. Xo felt off in this episode. Maybe if they'd left out the stripper being sent to Jane's school, Xo's drunken behavior wouldn't have felt so off.

 

To be honest, I was enjoying Jane and Rafael and feeling a bit bored with the engagement/wedding/true love stuff. But this last episode is the first time I was really enjoying Jane and Michael. I don't know why, but it never crossed my mind this could mean Michael is going to die. I now there was that voiceover comment last season about Michael loving Jane until the day he died, but I thought that threat was over. Now it makes so much sense! And that makes me sad.

 

I'll root for an amnesia story line even though I really hate amnesia story lines. I'd prefer an amnesia story line to a Petra's-twin-steals-her-life-and-sleeps-with-Rafael story.

 

I've been trying to figure out what they could possibly do with the show next season and I guess it could be a Michael dies/gets amnesia, Jane and Rafael date again, and then Michael returns. 

[elle]

Wait. That was a separate actress, not just Yael Grabglas with a stand-in double?

 

 

I don't know that, but it wasn't Jessica Harmon (Bozzio from iZombie).

Sorry, I did not mean to confuse anyone!  It was just last week that I had notice that Jessica Harmon had reminded me of Yael Grabglas, not just in looks but in her mannerisms.  And I made the joke that she could be a long lost sister for Petra's character.  Like I said above, having then have an actual long lost sister show up after I said something about it never has happened to me before.  I'm terrible at guessing twists.

 

This show did a great job with this twist, right up to seeing "our" Petra, I thought it was Petra!  I wonder if this one's name is going to be Blanca?  Two very popular girls names at the time they would have been born (according to a friend from German class).

 

Petra's ex

Her ex was a twin?  The one she married and her mom set up to be deported?

[truebluesmoky]

 

Her ex was a twin?  The one she married and her mom set up to be deported?

 

No, she means Roman Zazo, Rafael's friend with whom Petra was having an affair. There was a storyline about him having a twin, Aaron, but it turned out that it was really Roman all along. So not really another set of twins on the show, but a twin storyline nonetheless.

[Enginerd]

But it WAS a set of twins both on the show. One of them got impaled and died; he was supposedly Roman but turned out to be Aaron. So then "Aaron" showed up but was actually Roman. But both characters appeared.

Maybe Petra's sister will turn out to be a secret GOOD twin. Not sure how the hair dye would fit into that; maybe she routinely dyes her hair brown and it was nothing special, just misdirection?

[Silly Angel]

 

But it WAS a set of twins both on the show. One of them got impaled and died; he was supposedly Roman but turned out to be Aaron. So then "Aaron" showed up but was actually Roman.

 

I'll take "sentences that can only be written about Jane the Virgin" for 200, please, Alex.

[twoods]

Jane and Michael's vow scene made me cry. They are so perfect and sweet. Then I got sad thinking that this may be their "wedding vows" before something terrible happens to Michael. I hope it doesn't, but I've been feeling so uneasy this season like a lot of you guys.

Rogelio and Michael were so sweet and gave me the feels. I like that his friends wanted massages after all.

Jane and Xo was heartbreaking, but I buy that a blow up was coming with their dynamic. Hope this makes Xo grow up a little.

Raf's brother still seems shady. Now he may get in trouble with inside trading? Not good.

[Enginerd]

That really was pretty slick how Derek set Rafael up. Now he has Raf's hands tied, because he can threaten him with exposing Raf's insider trading, and even though Rafael knows it was a set up and he did not in fact buy the stock himself or know the inside information, it's his word against Derek's.

Now I'm REALLY looking forward to someone, anyone, conning Derek so hard and so brilliantly that he gets thrown off the muttership and has to fend for himself. Petra's sister, perhaps?

[AudienceofOne]

Wow, I'm actually caught up. That's... kind of embarrassing #bingeing #nolife #stillusinghashtags #allthetime

 

If this episode with Xo and Jane had happened in S1, I would have felt differently about it but I also didn't buy her OTT behaviour. The character has grown and matured so much that this felt like a weird regression designed to foster unnecessary drama.

 

And also... why is Rafael off in this weird place all by himself? His children are being cared for solely by nannies, there is a raging party in his hotel he seems unaware of, and once again a family member he hoped he could trust has screwed him over. So I can only assume his isolation is because the show is about to take him to a really really dark place. And it's making me worried that he's going to do something to Michael. Probably inadvertantly, like it's his brother who does it. And then while Michael's in a coma next season, Rafael comes back up into the light and he and Jane fall back in love and then Michael wakes up...

 

...I'm talking myself out of watching Season 3 as we speak.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

First of all, I hate the tired old stereotype that people pull out for bachelor/ette parties orthe night before weddings about how this is your last night of freedom. If that's true, then you're marrying the wrong person or you have a weird definition of freedom. I am married and I can go out with my friends whenever I want and do whatever I want. I'm glad that at the end of the episode, Jane told Michael that instead of feeling that it was her last night of freedom, it was her first night of freedom.

I also hate that Lina/Xo/Rogelio disregarded what Jane and Michael already had planned for their parties. Not to sound all bridezilla but these parties are for the bride/groom, not the mother/father in law/best friend. I have seen a wide variety of bachelor/ette parties and my feeling is that the bachelor/ette gets to decide what to do and if some of their friends aren't interested in whatever it is, they can suck it up or stay home. One of my friends' brothers went camping with his friends. Another guy went on a fishing trip. My sister planned her entire bachelorette party because she knew exactly what she wanted to do. I was like great, I will set it all up for you! What I did not do was change it to stuff that I wanted to do because I'm not selfish, rude, or presumptuous enough to decide that I should decide what she wanted to do.

At least I can appreciate that Rogelio was trying to pamper Michael so it was coming from a place of kindness (as opposed to the way I felt Xo and Lina were kind of bullying Jane into having a stereotypical drunken bachelorette party). I really do like Rogelio and Michael being friends but you still have respect people's boundaries.

Could Derek get any sketchier? First he has his friend bring up having Rafael invest in something and then as soon as Rafael says no, Derek says they should leave because now it seems like he's after Rafael's money. No, Derek, what makes it seem like you're after Rafael's money is the fact that you have no interest in hanging out with your brother after he says he's not interested in investing.

Petra has a twin sister? Heh, at least the narrator admitted that it was a  telenovela twist. I also loved when he pointed out that of course we didn't recognize any of Jane's supposed friends who we've never seen before. What if Petra's twin isn't really her twin at all? What if it's someone who had Mutter/Sin Rostro surgery to look like Petra and it's all some ploy to take down Rafael?

Oh, Xo. I know that she loves Jane and that really counts for a lot, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. I definitely would not want my mom getting wasted at my bachelorette party and making out with a guy my age (and that's even taking Lina's involvement with Chad out of the equation). It was one thing for Xo to be immature when Jane was a kid because Xo was in her 20s. But now she's 40 and still acting like a drunken idiot. What makes it even worse is that she's aware of her behavior but she has done nothing to change it. For her to give the same speech means that now she's just using it as an excuse to rationalize her behavior.

Xo and Lina are idiots for sending a stripper to Jane at school. Never send inappropriate ANYTHING (emails, strippers, etc) where someone is working or otherwise in a non-casual setting. That's just inconsiderate and STUPID.

Edited September 29, 2016 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Last Time Lord]

On 4/11/2016 at 11:52 PM, Lady Calypso said:

I thought the Michael/Rogelio storyline was so well done. They really are Brogelios

I keep reading this as "Borgias", and getting very confused. 

I love this episode, with my only real disappointment being we never saw Michael's drunkometer.