What I’m Watching: Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin: Season 2, Episode 21 “Chapter Forty-Three” (B+)

Just as it did at this time last year, this show is seriously amping up the telenovela factor and throwing some crazy wrenches in its plotlines, but I guess that’s to be expected. It’s not too surprising that Anezka has ulterior motives, but her character development doesn’t totally make sense. I thought that she wasn’t actually Petra’s sister and was one of Mutter’s patients who had her face changed, but it appears she’s merely allied with their mother in a nefarious plot to get revenge on Petra. Hopefully Anezka’s good heart will spare Jane’s new competition her life or whatever serious heartbreak awaits her. The bigger shock is that, after we see Mutter conniving with Derek on the boat, we now find her bound and gagged under the Fairwick, a puzzling development that tells us that Derek is working with another partner who I’m pretty sure is not Petra’s mother. All of this business about Mateo’s first birthday party was more of a distraction than anything, but the important takeaway is that they did make it despite everything, and Rafael and Jane are in a good place even if he’s starting to think there’s a spark between them that there definitely isn’t. Missing out on the opportunity to get her book published is a shame, but it’s smart that Jane is waiting. Rogelio going to such great heights – pun intended – to make sure Jane’s wedding could still happened as planned was very entertaining, and finding a way to helicopter Michael’s mother in was a nice touch. I look forward to watching him be the face of the strike as he fights for the rights of the crew members he neglected and abused for so long.