Jane the Virgin: “Chapter 62” Review

By: Angela Russo (@NerdGirlForever)

This Week on Jane the Virgin

After several communication mishaps, Jane and Fabian decide to keep it casual and have a fling. Alba and Jorge have no such trouble, and easily express their love. When Rogelio and Xiomara realize Jane wants to celebrate their marriage, they decide to have a big wedding. Chuck tells Petra he loves her and makes a confession to the police that implicates a mystery woman as Scott’s murderer.

Themes

In the midst of comical Sex and the City gags and telenovela dramatics, “Chapter Sixty Two” offers nuggets of wisdom regarding the importance of imparting a positive message about sexuality, and the value of direct communication.

The Evolution of Jane’s Dating Perspective

After an epic night bonding with Fabian, Jane is determined to take things slow and let the relationship unfold naturally. However it quickly becomes apparent that they are not on the same page. Fabian dives head first into a serious commitment with alarming enthusiasm. Considering how much the telenovela hunk resembles Rogelio, it’s not surprising that he is similarly intense in his relationships.

As predicted, Jane and Fabian’s relationship is not something fans should be invested in for the long haul. However, I really appreciated the conversation Jane and Fabian had after they broke up. Fabian rightfully points out that they both formed assumptions about each other without any basis. He thought that Jane was a good girl only looking for a serious commitment, and Jane didn’t see Fabian as a person so much as an attractive man. This blunt observation is well received by Jane and they both learn a critical lesson about the importance of direct communication. Once Fabian and Jane reach an understanding, they enjoy a long-awaited night of passion together. This development opens up a new chapter for Jane. Her perspective on dating has come a long way from season one. It will be interesting to see how this develops, and how long it will be before she is ready for a serious relationship again.

The Birds and the Bees

Although Jane claims she is ready for a fling, she makes a discovery common to girls raised with more conservative views about sex: she feels guilty for exploring her sexuality. This realization is emphasized when Alba asks if she regrets waiting til marriage. Jane says that while she felt saving sex for marriage was the right choice for her, the negative sexual messages she received as a young girl were not healthy. I genuinely applaud the writers for openly addressing this. It is good to value making something as intimate as sex special, but it is equally important to take care that the way these values are taught nurture positive sexual self-esteem in adulthood.

Jane keeps this in mind when she and Rafael tackle a modified version of the “birds and the bees” talk with Mateo. By addressing the issue openly as a team, Mateo feels free to ask any questions he has, and is not upset by the circumstances leading to his conception. When Mateo asks his father if he is like a miracle, it was truly a heartwarming moment.

The Love Triangle

Honesty is the best policy…but when it comes to transparency, Chuck, Petra, and Rafael have a long way to go. In “Chapter Sixty One,” Petra was visibly relieved when Rafael denied having feelings for her. After the harrowing discovery that Chuck might have killed Scott, one might expect Petra to run straight into Rafael’s arms. It would certainly be in keeping with the constant will-they/won’t-they the writers have been toying with for the past three seasons. However, even though Petra has heard Rafael’s voicemail confession, she continues pointedly avoiding the subject. Meanwhile, Chuck has also expressed his love for her. At the moment, it seems like Petra is waiting to see if he is proven innocent of Scott’s murder before deciding to be with him.

When the police interrogate Chuck, he claims that while he did have a meeting scheduled with Scott on the night of his murder, Scott never showed. He goes on to describe an encounter with a woman on the beach who gave him one of her seashell bracelets in exchange for a drink. The shells from those bracelets were found scattered near Scott’s body. Chuck then gives her description to a sketch artist. The picture it creates comes as a shock to both Petra and Rafael.

The Woman on the Beach

Assuming Chuck is telling the truth, whose picture could it be? Formerly a crime lord, Rose would be a natural choice, but supposedly she has an alibi with Luisa. This leads to a number of outside-the-box options:

1.) Abbey Whitman

Rafael’s ex-girlfriend was a character whose presence was glossed over in a very blunt manner. She flew under the radar and was consistently forgotten by the narrator himself. Perhaps turning in the burn book to the police and implicating Petra was her way of evading suspicion herself. This makes Abbey my prime suspect.

2.) Catalina

Earlier in season three, Jane’s cousin Catalina suddenly appears into her life…and just as suddenly leaves. Her purpose on the show was vague, and her relationships were definitely suspicious. It is unclear why she would have any reason to kill Scott, but it’s possible there is something we have yet to see.

3.) Elena Di Nola (AKA Mutter)

One might discount this option from the female lineup since she was reportedly poisoned in prison. However, this is a telenovela. What if she faked her own death to escape and is now back to her old ways at the Marbella? Perhaps Scott recognized her and he had to be eliminated.

Whoever’s face is on that sketchpad, fans will likely have to wait till next week for the big reveal.

admin
via The Nerd Machine

http://www.nerdhq.com/jane-the-virgin-chapter-62-review/