S03.E14: Chapter Fifty-Eight

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Quote

Jane feels guilty that she isn't around for Mateo as much as she would like, so she decides to run for Room Mom against none other than perfect mom, Petra. With the help of Jane and Xo, Alba tries to impress her crush, but it doesn't go as smoothly as planned. Rafael tries to be there for both Jane and Petra. Meanwhile, Rogelio tries to slyly get information from Mateo about Xo and Bruce's relationship.

Promo:

Edited March 13, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Clip:

[Primetimer]

A political campaign is just one battleground from which our new moms emerge wiser in 'Chapter Fifty-Eight'!

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[tennisgurl]

I guess I'm glad that Jane is ready to date, but I'm not sure I'm ready for Jane to date. I know its been awhile in Jane world, but damn it, it hasn't been that long in ours!

I did enjoy Alba getting all sexy for her crush, and falling on her face. I figured it would still work out, she still looked great!

[Dizzychickstar]

I had to shed a few tears this episode. I think they're doing a good job showing the progression of Jane's healing and Rafael's return to himself after his prison sentence. I don't know what dating would look like for Jane now, but I know they won't present it the same way as earlier seasons.  She is no longer the wide eyed innocent--she knows love, lust, and loss.  I see her dating someone who starts off as a friend first--but we shall see.  I trust the writers to handle this transition with sensitivity.

On another note, Rafael was definitely telegraphing his love and appreciation for Petra this episode--plenty o' lust as well so it appears. I wonder what the potential fall out will be for everyone. 

Poor Bruce--I'm no fan, but he turned out to be an alright guy which is part of the problem, I guess. Rogelio is such a passionate personality for better or worse. And Xio is drawn to that. 

[Lady Calypso]

I think the three week break from the show broke part of my connection with it, because I didn't love this episode and I felt myself somewhat bored by it. I am not ready for Jane to date; I get it's been plenty of time for her, but it's been a month for us. I was annoyed by female detective in the Petra scene for the sole fact that she wasn't Michael. I shouldn't have been annoyed (well, besides the actress' bad acting), but I just couldn't help it.

I love Zen Rafael. I don't quite know how I feel about him and Petra. Maybe it's because she's rebounding from Chuck, but it didn't feel right to me with that ending. And to think, a couple of months ago, I really would have been all for it.

I didn't love Alba's dating storyline. I tried to, but I just didn't love it. The family scenes were wonderful, but I just don't care for Alba dating. It's odd, but maybe it's because Alba's not a character that I've loved.

The politics scenes were ok, but I think I get enough politics from all of my shows now. I'm a bit tired of it, but from an entertainment standpoint, I get why they're going for it. Capitalize on real world events and all that. But overall, I guess I'm tired of Jane vs Petra. I did like the overall message and the plot was presented beautifully. 

Wait, I thought that Mateo was two when Michael died, not eighteen months. Mateo's aide, Alex, is pretty great. I actually enjoyed the dynamic that he brought. 

Yeah, yeah, show. You're going for Xo/Rogelio. They're probably getting married by the end of the season. You don't have to hit me over the head with the anvils. It just makes me feel sad for poor Bruce. He really is a good guy and he's trying, and so is Xo, but apparently, we're getting the cliche of two exes being still into each other after many years of being broken up and after three years of Xo in another relationship. I really like when shows divert from endgame couples that are planted early on in the series. At least they're trying with Rafael/Jane, and now I don't see them 100% getting back together, so that's nice. Xo/Rogelio, on the other hand....nah, I'm good. I'll just fast forward through their scenes now. 

[AnushkaR]

I think they are still going to go for Jane and Rafael at the end. They have a lot of time left until the finale. 8 one hour episodes of season 3. That is pretty much a whole season for some shows. 22 episodes of season 4 and maybe even a season 5.  Jennie Urman has stated numerous times things "click" in the end and she knows how it all ends. It does not seem like she is deviating from her original endgame plan. I don't like shows where the creators are so obsessed with the original planned ending they ignore the characters' journeys. For JTV though, I feel differently. I believe them when they say they have planned every little thing. 

I enjoyed the Petra Rafael scenes. It's beautiful to see how far they have come. I still can't root for them knowing their history but their scenes showed the kind of respect and affection they have for each other and that was beautiful to watch. Even if their relationship does not work out again, the friendship they have will remain strong I think, or I hope. 

[Simba122504]

Really, show? I would have accepted anything( I mean anything! lol) but that. I doubt it will last but I didn't want to ever see again. I'm happy it wasn't Jane because even though I ship them it's way too early for that.  Good to know TPTB know that too.  I don't mind seeing Jane date. We never seen that on this show. Like real dating.  I don't think Bruce and Xo are done. I don't see TPTB putting Ro/Xo together until S4 or the end of S3. The Alba scenes were hilarious.  I still like Petra/Chuck. But can they survive bones?

Edited March 21, 2017 by Simba122504

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Awwww, Aladdin (hope you read that in Abu's voice)!

I guess the therapist wanted to give Jane a concrete sign so that she'll know when she's open to dating again, but not crying when you talk about how your husband DIED is the sign? It's been almost two decades since my dog died and I can't even type this sentence without beginning to tear up. Does that mean I'm not ready to get another dog? A clip of the Glee tribute episode to Cory Monteith popped up on the front page of YouTube a few days ago and I cried. Does that mean I'm not over the death of a stranger? I mean, I get what the therapist was saying in theory, but I don't know that it's actually true. I think it could be true for some people, but I don't think it applies to everyone. Some people rarely cry so that doesn't mean they're ready to start dating two weeks after someone died. Other people cry about everything but that doesn't mean they'll never be ready to date again.

The other thing I liked about Jane and Rafael's talk with the therapist was seeing the relief that they hadn't screwed up Mateo. They have both been carrying an immense amount of guilt about how their absence might have traumatized him.

What I really love this season is seeing what a family this group of people has become. Being family means you love each other, even when you don't get along. Jane and Petra are a very good example of this. They squabble and get mad at each other and insecure about what they think is better about the other person, which is what blood related family members do too. They're more like sisters and Petra and Anezka are. I also love how supportive and protective Jane, Petra, and Rafael have been of each other. Petra tore out that page because she loves Rafael (not because she was in love with him when she did it). Rafael looked at Jane with platonic love and happiness when he realized before she did that she was telling the story of Michael's death without crying. Those are the moments that I love seeing. Hee, and I loved Rogelio taking Mateo to get a custom suit. Adorable!

I am not 100% with Alex the aide. I get ignoring negative behavior to a point, but cutting someone's hair is way over the line so Mateo should have been told that he did something wrong. Parenting is about setting boundaries and if you don't tell a kid when he has crossed one, he'll keep on going. She could have just very calmly told him that no one is allowed to cut someone else's hair (or property) without their permission because he wouldn't like if it she did that to something of his.

I'm not excited about Petra and Rafael hookiing up, but I understand why it happened. Both of them are used to fending for themselves without support from others. Rafael told Chuck to quit yelling at Petra, and Petra tried to protect Rafael by tearing out the page with all the terrible things that Emilio said about him so they had a moment. I hope that's all it is (as opposed to getting back together). I think (hope?) they know that they're better off as friends and co-parents.

At this point, I hope Luisa and Rose just stay wherever they are and don't come back. I don't need them trying to screw with Rafael by taking his inheritance or the hotel. The show is fine without them.

LOVED Alba's makeover - ooh la la! She looked amazing in that blue dress!

Edited March 21, 2017 by ElectricBoogaloo

[mwell345]

8 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

I think the three week break from the show broke part of my connection with it, because I didn't love this episode and I felt myself somewhat bored by it. I am not ready for Jane to date; I get it's been plenty of time for her, but it's been a month for us. I was annoyed by female detective in the Petra scene for the sole fact that she wasn't Michael. I shouldn't have been annoyed (well, besides the actress' bad acting), but I just couldn't help it.

(Bold is mine) because I think that must be what happened to me.  Either that or the time jump, which I thought would work for me, hasn't.  I was bored with the last episode and only watched about 15 minutes last night before I switched channels.

It just doesn't interest me anymore.

[wonderwoman]

So few coments...

Well, I liked it! I particularly loved how the scenes between Rogelio and Mateo led to the conversation between Rogelio and Jane. His insightful observation that Jane and Petra each bring out the insecurites in the other was on the money; not just for the characters, but for all of us. Of course, the point of that conversation was for Rogelio to reveal to Jane that having another child was no longer a dealbreaker. 

I just wish it all hadn't happened so quickly: Jane tells Xo; Bruce figures it out and by the end of the episode  Xo and Rogelio are back on track. This plot point could easily played out over an episode or two -- maybe even three. -- and allowed viewers to savor the anticipation. 

[Bouffe]

I feel pretty lukewarm about this episode. But there are still things I liked:

- I was not expecting to feel bad of Bruce. I thought he was going to be the ass he was first portrayed to be, but turns out he was a good guy. Glad it didn't end at the alter, like in so many other shows.

- Rogelio/Matelio moment. That was adorable. That little actor is quite cute.

- Alba surprising her crush, falling flat on her butt but still getting a call from her crush - loved it.

- Jane/Rafael meeting with Mateo's therapist. That was a really heartfelt moment.

And I will ignore that part where Raf and Petra hook up. Meh, meh, meh.

[Irlandesa]

Xo and Ro infuriate me.  It's not because they were set up as end game early on or the biology aspect or any of that.  But more than any other couple, I feel like these two are so wishy washy.  Xio just agreed to marry Bruce last week and now she's mired in doubts? Rogelio wanted to have another child and let a woman defrost her only egg only to change his mind at the last minute.   Rogelio's desire to have another child was an insurmountable obstacle and now he's like 'whatever?'  And Xio is "he used me, treated me like crap and didn't speak to me for two years but I haz the feelz?"  I don't feel like they've grown as individuals or as a couple since they were first together (or second together).  In fact, I feel like they've backslid a bit. 

On the other hand, it's nice to see that Jane, Petra and Raf have all grown.  (Or at least until that last scene.)  I like  that Jane and Petra both realized why they were so intent on winning and decided to back Rafael instead.  Raf and Petra I don't totally get.  They definitely seem to be in a more stable place which is good.  But the volatility from their last go-round would make me think that they'd rather stay in that stable place instead of go down this path.  Neither has been pining for one another. 

I also don't understand why Petra tore out that page from Scott's Burn Book and then kept it if all it had on it was insults about Raf. 

[Joana]

On 21.3.2017. at 3:48 AM, Lady Calypso said:

I think the three week break from the show broke part of my connection with it, because I didn't love this episode and I felt myself somewhat bored by it.

That's exactly how I feel. This was the first episode of this show that I found boring, but then again, I was already feeling less excited than usual going into it. 

For one, the show is just not as funny as it used to be. There are some moments here and there, but I remember the time that literally every other scene had me cracking up. Also, there's this feeling of constant deja vu. Everything seems like a particularly non-eventful filler S1 episode. 

The Xiomara/Rogelio stuff has dragged on for so long that whatever emotional impact it might have had is lost on me. I just don't care about them anymore. And I can't really take Petra's motherhood seriously as we get to see so little of her actually dealing with the twins. We're told she's a dragon mom, but you know the old TV rule - show, don't tell. 

I'm all for Rafael/Petra coupling and I think they have great chemistry together and work really well, but them hooking up like this at this point makes me pretty sure they're only doing it so that they could both get it out of their systems before Rafael inevitably reunites with Jane. The show seems determined to take the safe, bland, predictable route, and I'm not sure I'm here for it. 

And my God, if we never see that shot of Petra moving Scott's body again, it will be too soon. 

[Clanstarling]

On 3/21/2017 at 4:48 AM, mwell345 said:

(Bold is mine) because I think that must be what happened to me.  Either that or the time jump, which I thought would work for me, hasn't.  I was bored with the last episode and only watched about 15 minutes last night before I switched channels.

It just doesn't interest me anymore.

I feel the same. I watch all my shows while I exercise, and when I looked at the clock and saw I was only 8 minutes in and it felt like 30, I knew that I probably wouldn't be returning to this show. I would have stopped watching it if I had the time to switch to another recording.

Though I still like the main characters, the rough and rowdy Mateo storyline is just nails on a chalkboard for me. He's cute, but that doesn't overcome the distaste I have for the behavior. I long for someone to actually be firm with him. Not mean, not smacking. Just freaking clear and to the point.

On 3/21/2017 at 9:33 PM, Irlandesa said:

I also don't understand why Petra tore out that page from Scott's Burn Book and then kept it if all it had on it was insults about Raf. 

Me too. Seems like she would have destroyed it, unless she automatically keeps stuff like that handy to use as weapons if need be.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Clanstarling

[AudienceofOne]

On 21/03/2017 at 6:48 AM, Lady Calypso said:

I think the three week break from the show broke part of my connection with it, because I didn't love this episode and I felt myself somewhat bored by it.

Not the break. This episode was flat as a pancake. I've had problems with previous episodes but this is the first one I thought was actively not funny. 

And Raf and Petra hooking up was... barf. Ergh. I can't figure out if Raf has forgotten the disaster that was his relationship with Petra or the writers have.