TV

Jane the Virgin’s Chapter Eighty-Seven aired this week, giving fans a much-needed break from all the heartache. Mujeres Problemáticas co-founders Cristina Escobar and Nicola Schulze discuss.

CRISTINA: Well we’re six episodes into season five of Jane the Virgin and we finally have an episode that doesn’t feel like getting stabbed in the heart! Hooray! And Chapter Eighty-Seven was so funny. I mean Alba sharing masturbation advice – amazing! And who hasn’t at least considered Barack Obama as their fantasy man of choice (just me?)? Whatever. It was delightful.

NICOLA: Yes, it’s very refreshing to be reminded that surprise! women don’t stop having or thinking about sex at age thirty-five like most television shows would like you to believe. And watching Rogelio and Xiomara figure out their sexual chemistry after chemo felt authentic and hilarious at the same time. Rogelio’s fantasy was particularly funny as it took jabs at the inner thoughts of hetero men.  

CRISTINA: Yes! There was a lot of sex for a show with the word “virgin” in the title. Petra’s awkwardness in front of JR’s friends was great but of course, the best scene was Jane trying to teach her to loosen up on the dance floor. The sexual tension, the silliness, these two great, different women’s bond. It’s why I’m such a fan of the show

NICOLA: Let’s face it the last couple episodes have been kind of a bummer but Jane and Petra’s relationship continues to be a ray of sunshine in an otherwise emotional roller coaster of a show. Each of them is learning how to build more than just a cordial relationship with each other but an honest true friendship and it’s fun to watch.

CRISTINA: And this episode also brought back the Sin Rostro plotline. I knew she didn’t give the real reason she killed/gave Michael amnesia! But there are still so many unanswered questions. What’s the deal with her black web thingy? Who’s our nefarious hacking, pie-bringing friends? How’s all this going to relate to our central conflict: the love triangle?

NICOLA: Ugh the love triangle. To be honest I’m still mad at the Jane the Virgin writers for doing this to us. I mean there is no way everyone (anyone?) can make it out without severe emotional scarring whether it’s Rafael and his depression, Jane and her relationship with Mateo, or Michael’s confusion around his own identity.

CRISTINA: I don’t care whose team you’re on, you’ve got to feel for Rafael! Jane is putting him through hell (I mean she’s in an impossible situation too, but still) and all of his attempts at drawing healthy boundaries get thwarted. Give this man all the anti-depression pills. He’s just trying to take care of himself and no one will let him.

NICOLA: Agreed. I’m just tired and I’m ready for this to be over. Although I am excited for Jane and Michael’s trip to Montana. Hopefully, this time together will end with either a sense of closure or a new beginning for both characters so we can all move on. Also, I’m hoping that we get to celebrate Xiomara being cancer free soon because I don’t think my heart could take any more bad news.

CRISTINA: Xo better be ok! This show has served off enough heart break already! I can’t even think about the possibility of her not making it. As much as we’re both #TeamJane, I do wish she’d hurry up and pick. Because the thing is, the show isn’t really about the love triangle between Michael, Rafael, and Jane. It’s really about the one between Jane, Xo, and Alba. That scene on the bench where they all started crying and then cracked themselves up – it was perfect. Can we have more of that, please?

NICOLA: Yes, more simultaneous crying sessions please. At the heart of Jane the Virgin has always been the Villanueva women and it’s comforting to see that no matter what happens they’ll always have each other.

This week on Jane The Virgin, the Villanueva’s explore the themes of conflict and communication. Whether it’s a dealing with a former nemesis-turned-friend or two great loves, making decisions and dealing with conflict is difficult to say the least. And no TV show know how to deal with these themes better than Jane The Virgin. The founders of Mujeres Problemáticas discuss their favorite parts of the episode and how to recover from the emotional whiplash of the ending.

NICOLA: Wow! I’m still reeling from that cliffhanger! But before we start delving into the shocker that was the last minute of the episode, let’s talk about the rest of the episode.

I loved this one. It reminded me of the genius that is Jane The Virgin — no show better juggles multiple storylines and yet is able to give each one the detail and space they need. I was so happy this episode gave Rogelio more of a substantive storyline. He deserves it. And what a better way than to talk about one of the most pressing issues of today: pay disparity.

CRISTINA: Yes, any time Rogelio is on screen is time well spent! And he was just perfect in this episode — misbehaving on set, unaware of the pay gap (and then trying to argue that he should get paid more because he’s a man), recognizing River’s genius and still advocating for himself. There really is not a better man on TV. He’s over the top but sympathetic. A Latinx type but not a stereotype. I just cannot get enough of him.

I particularly loved how he pivoted the conversation from gender to race. Watching it, I was like “why didn’t I think of that?” And then how River used it for her own PR gain — priceless! Jane the Virgin is so smart on these social issues, addressing race and gender without being preachy. Did you notice that Jane was reading a headline about Trump’s racist immigration policy in the next shot? It was subtle but meaningful storytelling — one of the many reasons I love this show.

NICOLA: I think partnering Rogelio’s pay battle with the boys and girls fighting was a great parallel. In a world of so much conflict, it’s nice to remember we all used to be children and think about how much we’ve grown (or not). Watching Mateo, Anna, and Elsa show their frustration in specific ways, then seeing how gender plays into it was another great chapter in Jane the Virgin parenting.

CRISTINA: Chapter 84 had SO much good commentary on gender. There was the equal pay plot line, the difference in how boys and girls are allowed to fight, and the upper class version of female-empowerment Petra is teaching her girls. Did you catch that they were reading Lean In before brunch? What are they six? Petra’s raising little CEOs and I love it. Both her and the twins saying “don’t touch my body” was a great parallel too. No shrinking violets in the Solano family!

NICOLA: Jane and Petra have become one of my favorite relationships on television. If this was any other show, they would have trapped in a perpetual catfight. But on Jane the Virgin gender stereotypes are meant to be disrupted. It so important to flip the narrative and break the stereotypes of women fighting over a man, and the way they did that in this episode was even sweeter. Jane clearly thought that Petra was mad/jealous of her and Rafael when really she just needed her friend. It was the best and made my my heart sore.

CRISTINA: I loved how this episode revisited the show’s classic conflicts — Jane vs. Petra, Michael vs. Rafael — but updated them. You could argue that Jane and Petra have really come full circle, but they’ve been frenemies for so long, I’d say this sibling rivalry has been there for a long time.

My favorite way the show updated its long-standing themes was the sexy-times scene between Jane and Rafael. After her being so fraught about her sexuality (thanks Catholicism) for so long, it was great to see her enjoying sex, worry free. Get yours Jane!

NICOLA: Jane The Virgin really knows how to tell a story. Since the beginning, it was always framed as a story about love and that hasn’t changed. What has evolved is the concept of love — it can be romantic love, friend love, or familial love. I think the writers have created the perfect telenovela one that is evolved, complicated, and nuanced.

CRISTINA: That ending though. It had me punching my couch pillows. Jane had just let Michael go — again! How many times is she going to have to say goodbye? Is Jason going to turn into Michael now? Or will he still have Jason’s personality and interests but just with Michael’s memories? I just don’t know how much heartbreak one person (Jane, me, everyone else watching this show) can take!

NICOLA: I will confess I cried when Jason said goodbye to Jane. It felt like the end of a chapter, or a wound that just finished healing, until it WASN’T. Watching the final minute where Jason gets Michael’s memories was a shock — I felt so conflicted. I usually am Team Raf but in that moment, I empathize with Michael. And after some serious processing, I’ve decided I’m purely Team Jane. She has an impossible decision ahead of her and whatever makes her happy, I’m good with. I think no one envies her decision at all. All I have to say is good job Jane The Virgin writers you won.

CRISTINA: You know, I thought I was tired of the Jane-Rafael-Michael love triangle, but it turns out I’m not! The show creators keep finding new and interesting ways to present it and I’ll be tuning in until it’s over (and then rewatching the entire series back-to-back several times, I’m sure). Jane the Virgin is just that good.