By: Angela Russo (@Amaruki99)
Giddy from the generous offer for her romance novel, Jane is eager to finally escape from her domineering boss. She dances into work planning to put in her notice in a professional manner. When Chloe declines her resignation and insults the quality of her book deal, Jane promptly quits her job in an uncharacteristically blunt outburst and storms out. Unfortunately, when she receives the legal documents outlining the terms of her deal Jane realizes the rashness of her actions. To her dismay, the payout is staggered over the course of several months. Jane desperately attempts to apologize to Chloe and begs for her job back. Rafael suggests an alternate solution, offering her the job of lounge manager at the Marbella, urging Jane to have more faith in her abilities as a writer. Jane is encouraged by his support, and eventually accepts.
Meanwhile, the drama surrounding Xiomara’s unflattering portrayal on Rogelio’s reality show continues. Anxious to make amends, Rogelio sends ‘Ropology baskets’ to Jane’s family and quits the show. His abrupt departure yields less than favorable results. He is now being sued for breach of contract.
After Michael’s passing, Jane began struggling with panic attacks. The techniques she learned in therapy punctuate the episode as she encounters Dennis, (a detective who worked with Michael). He is in charge of investigating Scott’s demise. Jane is still furious with Dennis for posthumously investigating Michael’s dealings with crime lord Sin Rostro. Her agitation is so great that she lashes out at him physically multiple times. Matteo exhibits signs that he is gradually learning better behavioral skills, asking Jane if she used her words with Dennis. Proud of her son, Jane takes the lesson to heart, deciding to practice what she preaches. She arranges a meeting with Dennis, and the two make amends as he helps her to vent her anger in the boxing ring. She later discovers that this has been a healing experience. Memories of Michael no longer trigger a panic attack.
Scott’s death is proving to be dangerous for the Marbella’s newfound success. Petra hastens to do damage control, publicly dedicating a fountain and scholarship fund in memory of the departed lounge manager. Behind the scenes she combs through old Marbella footage in an attempt to shed light on the circumstances of his death, hoping to prove it was accidental. However, a flashback shows Petra pushing the body over the property line from the Marbella to the Fairwick. In the present, Rafael has taken on greater responsibility at the hotel. As the episode closes, we see him talking with a friend he made in prison. Rafael says he is relieved that the cops have ruled Scott’s death an accident.
Jane
The past three years have changed Jane. She is a different person now in more ways than one. I sincerely doubt that “Jane the Googler,” of earlier seasons would be unaware of the details involved in establishing a book deal. Then again, Jane has also never been one to be violent in her anger. The writers do an admirable job of continuing realistic emotional fallout after Michael’s death. I applaud the inclusion of the cognitive behavioral techniques that Jane employs to manage her panic attacks. It is an important and informative snippet of hope to those struggling with anxiety. Her struggles are further utilized as a positive teaching opportunity for Matteo. Children learn how to deal with their own emotions by modeling their parents. This thoughtful look at relationships and emotion coaching serves to balance out the ridiculous dramatics and shocking twists that are characteristic of the show.
Dennis’s Investigation of Michael
It is entirely possible that Dennis’s role in the episode was purely to further the progress of Jane’s emotional journey. However, I do wonder about his investigation into Michael. Was it truly about Michael or is he somehow involved with Rose? What if he was gathering intel for her to see if there was anything else that could implicate her whereabouts? Dennis is lead investigator into Scott’s death, and Rose was known to have cops on her payroll. Could he be another pawn in her schemes? After he and Jane make up he seems to have no further interest in proceeding with his questions regarding Scott’s death. If Rose is involved, could he be helping her cover up the murder?
Who Killed Scott?
Although Scott’s death has been ruled an accident, that would be far too open and shut for Jane the Virgin. Petra’s sinister flashback and Rafael’s suspicious conversation with an ex-con certainly indicate that there is more here than meets the eye….or is there? I wonder if these convenient sneak peeks are just convenient misdirection. Petra could simply be determined to keep scandal away from the Marbella…but what about Rafael? I can honestly say I wasn’t quite buying his new “zen Rafael,” persona. However, he has shown ample evidence that he has changed through his relationship with Jane. While he very well may be up to something, I’m hesitant to jump all the way to murder.
Past seasons of Jane the Virgin prove that what is unsaid and who is unseen are often the most ominous culprits of all. While I still harbor strong suspicions about Rose’s activity in the past three years, there are others on the sidelines to consider – Rafael’s girlfriend Abbey Whitman for example. Her near invisibility in each episode is a very prominent and purposeful feature. Even the narrator continues openly forgetting her. Even less present is Petra’s twin sister Anezka. As Scott’s wife you would think that there would be some mention of her when his body washes ashore…and yet she is completely M.I.A. Anezka’s absence further reminds me of Magda. Last time we saw her, she orchestrated Petra’s paralysis, and was disapproving of Anezka’s relationship with Scott. Full of motive and mystery, join me next week for a new and exciting chapter!
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via The Nerd Machine
http://www.nerdhq.com/jane-the-virgin-recap-chapter-56/
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