Jane the Virgin Season 2 Episode 19 Review: Chapter Forty-One
Amanda Steinmetz
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It's a good thing Jane isn't living in a silent film because she definitely needs her words to fully express herself.
Jane certainly had her hands full on Jane the Virgin Season 2 Episode 19. On top of missing quality time with her son, she and Rafael met with a mediator, she had to write a college essay for a privileged teenager, teach Anezka how to be a waitress, and Michael got suspended from his job.
Before we get into all the drama in Jane's life, let's discuss Rogelio's love life.
Despite Rogelio's reluctance to admit his feelings for Dina, it looks like he might actually be falling for her. This is definitely a blow to those who are waiting for Xo and Rogelio to reunite.
Dina's a writer. She wears hoodies and jeans. She's not nearly glamorous, charismatic, or TMZ-able enough for me to be with.
Rogelio
Even though Rogelio is doing the sex sniff around Dina, she appears to want to keep their relationship strictly physical. The man has a fragile ego, so her dismissal of an actual relationship has got to hurt him.
Xo handled seeing Rogelio move on a lot better than I would have expected. Sure, she was sad, but she behaved like a mature adult and even pointed out Rogelio's deeper feelings for Dina.
Rogelio isn't the only one developing deep feelings. Anezka's crush on Rafael is slowly growing, and now she's about to get Jane into some serious trouble with her university. At least the Narrator pointed out that no one is on board with a Rafael-Anezka pairing.
As I said in my review for Jane the Virgin Season 2 Episode 18, the addition of Anezka is entirely unnecessary. Still, I'd be lying if I didn't say how much fun it was to watch her speak and interact with people. Every uncomfortable movement or confused expression she made while attempting to waitress was hilarious.
Petra felt inadequate to Jane once again when she learned Rafael didn't trust her with their daughters' trust funds. Rafael's reluctance is completely understandable (and reinforced by the scrolling list of all the bad things she has done). No matter how far Petra has come, she still comes in second place to Jane.
We have a complicated history which mostly involves me being horrible and Jane being a perfect human being, and sometimes it just gets to be too much.
Petra
While Rafael trusts Jane more than Petra, that doesn't mean it's always rainbows and butterflies for them. Jane and Rafael finally sat down with a mediator, and it was the right move.
No matter how civil Jane likes to think she is, there will be times Rafael wants to parent Mateo differently. Sorry Jane, but a month long trip to Europe sounds awesome. I'm with Rafael on that one.
Thankfully Jane and Rafael were able to realize Mateo's best interests are what matter most. Co-parenting will be a lot harder than they think, but as long as they work together, they should be just fine.
Rafael: I really think as long as we both prioritize Mateo then we'll be fine.
Jane: I totally agree.
Elsewhere in the episode, Michael was suspended from the force after an article came out accusing him of bungling the Sin Rostro/Mutter investigation. Not only is this a blow to Michael's career and reputation, but this also put a lot of pressure on the almost newlyweds who are just about to move into a new home.
Jane, being the practical person that she is, saw an opportunity to get extra cash. Unfortunately, that meant having to cave toward an entitled mother trying to cheat her son's way into college. All of this extra work for Jane took more time away from being with Mateo.
It's a nice reminder, amidst all the twin twists and crime lord drama, that Jane is just trying to work out what it means to be a mother. She feels guilty whenever she is pulled away from him, and it's heartbreaking to watch.
Motherhood is rarely portrayed so authentically on a television series. Most shows occasionally touch upon the subjects of becoming a mother, but none have been as consistent and genuine as this series.
Extra Thoughts
- Rafael came clean to Derek about working with the cops. This is not good at all, and Derek's ominous phone call did not help to ease my worries.
- On the bright side, we might actually get movement on this Mutter storyline that hasn't been interesting at all.
- The image of Anezka attempting to type a simple email was pure magic.
So over to you guys! What did you think of the episode? Was Derek's phone call at the end about Rafael or maybe Michael? Is there going to be fallout from Anezka's letter? What are your predictions for Jane the Virgin Season 2 Episode 20?
Sound off below, and don't forget you can catch up on any missed episodes when you watch Jane the Virgin online via TV Fanatic!
Amanda Steinmetz was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She went into retirement in June of 2027. Follow her on Twitter.
