What I’m Watching: Jane the Virgin

Jane the Virgin: Season 5, Episode 16 “Chapter Ninety-Seven” (B+)

We’re getting down to the wire here, and it’s nice to see some of the more troublesome elements of this show being put to rest for good even while others are becoming more unfortunately prominent. Having all this play out in the context of Jane writing her novel and having to figure out how to make the drama more enticing without exactly reflecting real life is clever, and I liked the role that Alba played in this hour. I wasn’t sure where her not knowing how to use her new phone was going to go, and I’m glad that she managed to be able to use it for her good when it counted to finally rid Petra and the rest of us of the destructive force that is Magda. That was a nice moment for her, and it helped Alba get back to being in a good place with Jane. Worrying that Rose might have switched Mateo for another baby felt like a rabbit hole Jane and Rafael didn’t need to travel down, and fortunately that turned out not to be an issue. It’s a relief to know that Luisa was working with the police the whole time, but it didn’t help much since Rose still managed to get away even when they had her cornered, and I’m sure that she’ll show up to threaten Jane since she has to be involved in all this in some way. Rogelio going to such lengths to help River reestablish a relationship with her daughter, played by Eden Sher from “The Middle,” was sweet, and it’s probably for the best that he’ll decide to be with his family instead of pursuing his big TV dreams. Or maybe he’ll move to New York – we’ll see!