What I’m Watching: Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin: Season 4, Episode 12 “Chapter Seventy-Six” (B+)

Jane and Rafael made such a big deal about breaking the news of their relationship to their family members, but it turns out that their unsubtle behavior was noticed and they had even taken bets to determine when they would finally spill the beans. Things moved quickly from there with Jane taking her father’s advice to do an improv class, something that goes against the way she operates and approaches everything in life. Critic Jane sure was obnoxious, but it was nice to see a device like that used again. Critic Rogelio was scathing and memorable in his lone scene, and that helped open Rogelio’s eyes right away to how he was indeed too much sometimes. Everything with Xiomara happened in a flash, with her apparent affair revealed to just be a dance competition that happened right away before a big fall that has now revealed a lump on her breast, giving this show its first real bit of seriousness since Michael’s death. Rafael searching for his birth mother wasn’t going anywhere all that interesting, but the fact that Luisa covered it up for some reason makes it considerably more intriguing. JR seemed very ready to passionately make out with Petra to cover her tracks, and it was entertaining to see their relationship progress as Petra tried to play it cool and JR commented on her enthusiastic participation in that first kiss. They’re going to have to figure out what to do now that JR’s mother is being threatened so directly, and they still don’t know which of her many enemies want her behind bars.