Jane The Virgin Recap: Chapter Seventy Seven

Xo and Rogelio and Baby
So where we left off was the worst news we could imagine, it was too real and honestly I was just not prepared. We come back and we see the doctor letting Xiomara and the family know that it will take 3-5 days before the results of the biopsy will come back. Jane immediately decides to leave her writing group and stick by her mother’s side, Rogelio plans to cancel his meeting with River Fields everyone is 100% we’re here for Xo. She’s like no. We shouldn’t want worry until there is something to worry about.

Rogelio is so scared….Jane tells him to focus his mind on something, focus on getting River Fields to join Passions of Steve.

So Ro meeting with River Fields, it is a miracle she is even meeting with him. I found it a little strange that all of a sudden she’s like fine I’ll meet with you, but hey it makes great television. River is very upset about the writing the one dimensional stereotypical women is just not what she is about. Rogelio is all over it, says that he will change whatever she likes. She just goes in on the character – you know Rogelio was trying so hard to swallow his pride. River agrees to do the show! As a great gesture Rogelio orders her favorite Bananas Foster ANNNND burns her eyebrows off… awkward.

Later at the Villanueva house Xo gets a call from the doctor – we are all on pins and needles…false alarm, just confirming her mailing address. The suspense is thick and brooding this whole episode.

Continuing to keep busy and not worry until there is something to worry about, Rogelio is meeting with River about more changes to the script. Rive is just taking a red sharpie to this script – I almost feel like she isn’t even looking at the pages she is striking out. Then a crowd of paparazzi are just snapping away at the window. Rogelio is like – I didn’t call them. River did saying if they are going to be working together it’s always good to start some buzz.
Something is up with all this – and we find out, River is just using this show to get leverage for a part she could be landing in the new show “Confederate” (I feel like this is a direct jab at the Confederate pilot from HBO…that went nowhere.) Rogelio is, you know, Rogelio about it, this time as he should be – that is messed up. Only Rogelio can gain leverage from other peoples shows for their personal gain!

But some good news, Xo gets the call AND lump is benign!!!!! Phew let’s all take a deep breath, I think I was not breathing the whole show.

Rogelio then confronts River with a passionate speech! “What’s the deal? Do you want to be a side character or a lead character” that he’ll be Betty to her Joan. She says she’ll do it if he really is willing to do one big last change. Now they’re gonna be the First co presidents of the United States…whaaaaa??? How is the Passions of Steve?

Alba

When the waiting period begins, Alba puts on a brave face, just as anyone else in the room, she has to, she is the mom. I know first hand that look, my grandmother had the same look when my aunt was sick. You spend your life preparing your kids for the day when you might no longer be here, there is no way to prepare for the other way around. Everyone is trying to go about their lives for these 3-5 days and Petra comes to see Alba at the store. Alba speaks to Petra trying to keep it together – but Petra knows something else is up. Alba ends up telling Petra, it is for the best really. Later Xo calls Alba on the verge of tears going on about some door knob and needing her toolkit to fix it. Reading between the lines she is just petrified and needs her mother. Alba knows only to rush to her side. I know Alba may have the best poker face, but she is the most worried of all.

Petra and Lawyer Jane
Petra gets a call to meet with Lawyer Jane, her sensual excitement is quite apparent. Not having a sitter in time Petra – drops the girls with Jane (Jane Jane) and gets her LBD on to meet Lawyer Jane….mmmmm.

She shows up stunting in her black cocktail attire and Lawyer Jane gives her the uhhh ok look up and down. Lawyer Jane always has the this is not my first rodeo face when she can tell Petra is swooning hard at any given moment.

Lawyer Jane called Petra there because her mother remembered what the man looked like who pinned the note to her sweater. They worked with a sketch artist and the sketch is Prince Harry… hehehe. But in all honesty it was a real moment, giving a light hearted second on a real issue that Lawyer Jane goes through with her mother. Her mother is humming a song that Petra feels like she knows, but Lawyer Jane’s mom can’t remember where she heard it… That’s real.

Petra makes an advance at Lawyer Jane like “wanna come back to my place?” Lawyer Jane gives that face again and is like – “The other night, was one night thing, not an epic romance.” Petra is so let down, so in Petra fashion she is peeved.

During this time the twins have been just telling Mateo what’s what about the fictional characters in his life, namely the toothfairy. Petra is proud that she practices radical honesty with her children. I wasn’t gonna say it but, I think that is how I always treat children…I’ll think about changing that when I have kids – maybe.

Jane freaks out at Petra about the tooth fairy thing (probably because of the news about her mom) but at that time, Petra really didn’t understand the big deal.

Once she hears from Alba what is really going on, Petra literally dresses up as the Tooth fairy – she looks great! Really, the pulled back long white hair, pointy ears and glitter, she should definitely be in fantasy movies! Anyways, she really brings it home for Mateo he is a believer again, and may have a bit higher expectations for the tooth fairy having received $20 for one tooth. That’s easily worth a whole mouth of teeth.

Outside, Petra lends her heart to Jane. Talks about what it was like waiting to hear back about Rafael – and you remember that history, that Rafael actually did have cancer…
While talking to Jane, Petra has a memory that gives her a clue as to who the blackmailer is. The song Lawyer Jane’s mom was whistling is the same as one she played in Prague. Petra is convinced now that it’s Milos, her ex!

Lawyer Jane is not so sure, she does more digging and finds that Milos is still in jail in the Czech Republic. So who would even know these intricate details about her life, down to that song? Krishna!!! Wait what? Krishna the assistant is the blackmailer? – Good grief. I am over here thinking it’s Rafael in some two faced way, or Luisa just trying to get back at her – racking my brain on how Rose is the culprit and it was the assistant?! When they asked her why, it wasn’t even that serious.

Yea Petra is a terrible boss, everybody has a terrible boss here and there – but framing them for murder because she’s “mean”??? Just quit! Petra tells her to go wait in her office and Jane and Petra both recorded Krishna’s confession so… That’s – that. Charges are definitely going to be dropped. They hear a loud thud in the office and go to see what it was, and Krishna had run, jumped out the window to the next balcony and escaped. She left quite a nice note, apologizing and letting her know when to pick up her dry cleaning.

Man I did not guess Krishna – although if you really look back, we should have known. The way Petra talked to her – she was gonna do something, she was just an amateur crook compared to the den of thieves that have graced the Marbella. Maybe we won’t see the last of Krishna…

So I guess it’s time to say goodbye. No! I won’t have it Lawyer Jane and Petra forever! Jane leaves and Petra does it! – she runs after her! But nope, she doesn’t have the gall and makes up some story of, “you forgot your pen.” Say it isn’t so – this couple needs to have just a little longer of a shelf life! Alas – this is me crying one single tear as Lawyer Jane walks away.

Rafael
Yea Rafael is getting his own section this time, his family deal is getting deeper into a rabbit hole, I had to put it on its own. Rafael came upon a bunch of old documents and in that pile the deposition from Luisa after mistakenly inseminating Jane. As Jane is having her own revelations reading through the document she sees the name of a place where Luisa’s mother stayed and tells Rafael to see if that is where she might be hiding – and it is!

She looks so tranquil, and not tranquil like following a weird fad to keep sober, tranquil like she is truly doing really well. She is working the front desk at this Inn, living a stress free life w/o the drama of murder and crime lords. Rafael asks about the docs from the orphanage. Luisa says, she was so mad at him that she destroyed them. Of course they got destroyed…
Luisa tells him to get in touch with Rose… ummm no.

AND Luisa gave their family inheritance away! What the deuce?? – who the hell? Okay… Everyone seems way too ok with this. I mean Rafael looks uncomfortable but then, I guess – says a mantra in his head like – water off a duck’s back or something and is like – welp. Idk I would need some type of grieving period for my lost fortune, and also time to shake Luisa senseless, just for my own well being. Anyways, Rafael actually goes to see Rose! She admits to knowing Rafael’s birth parents and will tell him if he tells her where Rose is. What a good brother – he won’t tell. I feel a twist coming on for sure.

Jane and Everything

Jane Joined a writing group and is completely prepared to give it up to be by her mother’s side. She remembers all the times her mother was right there next to her at every step of her life and wants to do the same for her. But the best way to do that, yup you guessed it, not worrying until there is something to worry about.

So she heads to her writing group and they are giving great writing prompts. Jane is convinced she has written her life story and this block is because of that. The group says write it again – it’s your story you can write it as many times as you like. They give the prompt to write the same story from the perspective of a side Character. The obvious side character is Petra, especially since she just finished a copy of a book all about her. Unfortunately, she tries it but it doesn’t stick.

When Rafael finds Luisa’s deposition about the mistaken insemination, Jane feels it’s just the side perspective she is looking for!
But as she is writing, she can’t keep her mind of Xo’s results and keeps searching, then erasing breast cancer questions.

She stops and distracts herself with the deposition again. Reading the story from Luisa’s side, about the day she inseminated Jane, that day being the day after she found her wife with another woman. She had drank all night and not slept. Remembering it from Luisa’s side is bringing up so much about her mother, and every moment that Xo held her hand stood up for her, feeling more and more how difficult it would be to live without her.

The feelings keep adding up. The twins have been ruining childhood for Mateo, telling him the tooth fairy and Santa are not real with everything that is going on Jane snaps at Petra. You know it’s so much more than the tooth fairy. I feel her, I don’t know if I can do this, dealing with another death and this time a mother – Xiomara!? I can’t. It was really amazing what Petra did for Mateo, where did this big heart come from?

Either way, the pain of suspense was killing me the whole episode. You can imagine the relief my heart felt when Xo got the call and Jane overjoyed with the news crying and hugging Xo.

At the end of the episode, we are in the Villanueva home all gathered with Xo. She has some news – this is me shaking my head at the screen, no, no. no no no no no. She only said that the results were benign because she did not want to ruin Rogelio’s meeting and Jane walking in – well, that was just bad timing.

The truth is – the lump is not benign, the results were positive, Xiomara has cancer.
Dammit – Damn this show. I can’t – this is too much, I legit am emotionally affected and don’t know how strong my heart is for what comes next.

Alba immediately drops to her knees in prayer. At this moment my goosebumps are full grown and tears welling up – once the rest of the family follows suit Xiomara including praying full on in Spanish – I am inconsolable.

Religion has always been a part of the show in the way it is in many Latinx homes. The whole premise of the show, saving oneself for marriage were all part of Jane and Alba’s religious beliefs. The show has never made us feel like this – with the family unquestionably giving all faith and prayer to the heavens. It has got to be one of the most moving moments in the entire show.

I’m praying for Xo.

Join us next week for Jane the worrier cuz now there is something to worry about.

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  • Aisha Jordan bio: Actor, Writer, Arts Administrator. I am a movie nerd. Born and raised, action and adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, cartoon enthusiast, and aficionado. Raised by a Trekkie mom in a world of Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park and Lord of the Rings. Foundation in social justice theater and playing in the nerd and entertainment world.

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