What I’m Watching: Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin: Season 4, Episode 14 “Chapter Seventy-Eight” (B+)

As Xiomara’s cancer continues to be a central plotline on this show, Jane is becoming a background character in her own story. I don’t think that’s problematic, since it allows others to shine. It was particularly nice to see Rogelio paying so much attention to Alba, who initially loved his show when he first returned to Jane’s life, in this hour, and to see him speaking in Spanish to her rather than forcing her to have one-way conversations with subtitles. Trying to force into therapy with a hired dinner guest was his usual over-the-top style, but he managed to win her over when she found out that he had done something immediately to ensure that he could take care of Xiomara, who he helped make an important decision about what to do with her breasts. On a much more humorous note, it was funny to see Rafael’s reaction when he thought that Petra was pining for Jane, and her horrified response when confronted with that information, which offended Jane because of just how disgusted she seemed by it. Her grand romantic gesture was rather embarrassing, but now she’s won JR over enough to not mind kissing her after she was eating pickles in bed. At the end of the episode, the narrator hinted at something (and someone) dark to come, but we still have plenty of other things to wrap up, like Rafael’s search for his parents and all that, so I’m intrigued to see what’s next after everyone’s present happiness.