What I’m Watching: Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin: Season 3, Episode 10 “Chapter Fifty-Four” (B+)

Well, this is a true shock. This show has always featured betrayal and violence, to a degree, but never suffered any real, sincere pain that it can’t come back from. Killing off a major character, not to mention one of the leads, with absolutely no warning is unusual, especially in the middle of the season! I’ve always been on #teamrafael, but having Michael die right after completing a major test that was causing him so much anxiety is so completely tragic. There was no other move than to jump forward a few years since we couldn’t possibly bear the sight of Jane dealing with so much grief, and now Mateo is all grown up and someone is getting married. Perhaps it’s a clever way to skip past Rafael’s time in prison, and I suspect that it’s Xiomara and Bruce who are having the wedding. I don’t think this show needed this jolt forward, but I’m hopeful that it’s a positive thing and that there’s plenty of interesting material to cover in the future. Revealing that Rose is back and living with a new face as Luisa’s new girlfriend could have led to some tricky follow-up, and now we’ll just see whether they’re still together and happy after three years of secrecy. Maybe Rogelio and Darci have a baby, and what if Jane and Tess are really good friends? I’m not sure about this gamble, but at this point there’s no turning back, so let’s hope it was a smart move!