Jane the Virgin Season 4 Episode 14 Review: Chapter Seventy-Eight
Lizzy Buczak
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Jane the Virgin always successfully juggled heavy storylines with lightheartedness and humor. Come on, a Bon-Boobage party?
And that's no different when it comes to Xiomara's cancer, which Jane the Virgin Season 4 Episode 14 revealed is stage three.
Unfortunately, this is one situation even Vivaporu can't fix.
Before I go into it, I have to say that the Vicks Vapor Rub tidbit resonated with me because that's exactly what my grandmother and mother always told me when I was little. Scraped your knee? Put some Vicks on it! Feel a cold coming on? Nothing Vicks can't solve.
Is that something that is only relevant for children of immigrants? Or is it just super common?
Anyway, given all the loss and heartache Jane has endured in such a short period of time, I was hoping Xo's cancer wouldn't be in the advanced stages.
I don't think Jane can handle losing another loved one, especially her mother, with whom she's incredibly close.
Related: Jane the Virgin Season 4 Episode 13 Review: Chapter Seventy-Seven
Coming to terms with the diagnosis takes a toll on everyone, but ultimately, Xo has to make a decision about a possibly life-threatening disease.
While many women wouldn't think twice about removing both breasts, it was obviously going to be a struggled for Xo who has put so much stock into her features; it's part of her identity.
Petra: Jane, I meant what I said. Call me if you need anything. Not sexual.
Jane: Got it.
Petra: Cause I would rather go to Chuck E. Cheese during flu season.
Jane couldn't relate because she's never thought of her body in the same way as her mother. She was approaching it from a more practical side, which obviously makes sense, too -- you don't want to risk the cancer spreading.
I was waiting for Rafael to come into play and offer his advice since you know, he's a survivor. We never saw Rafael deal with the disease so, in a way, we can find out more about his experience with it as he helps Xo beat it.
I love that Xo involved Rogelio, her life-partner, in the decision. While her family and friends are torn that she's going through it, the decision only affects her and her husband.
Since they've been in each other's lives for so long, we forget they are still a fresh couple and as such, it kind of rocks their world during a time when they are still in the "honeymoon phase."
Just the possibility of Xo dying allowed the viewers, and Jane, to realize that Xo is the rock of this family.
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Lately, Xo's been feeling like she doesn't have it together, but as witnessed, without her, everything falls apart.
Jane writing this book about her relationship with her mother worries me a bit because, at times, it feels like a memoir. Almost as if history is repeating itself.
Her first book came from a place of love but also tragedy and pain. Michael died, and she needed to share her story. This time, there's also the deep love and tragedy aspect, but I hope there's also a happy ending.
Raf's quest for his mother has been put on pause as Xo's health has become a priority. However, he's finding himself on a new journey of finding God through his son. It's interesting to see him navigate it considering he's a non-believer and his son, who was raised in a religious family, wants to experience it with him.
Jane: Why are u acting so weird?
Rafael: That’s what I wanted to tell you. I think Petra has feelings for you.
Jane: What?
Rafael: Romantic ones. I overheard her saying she wanted to ask you out even though she knows it’s complicated. She wants to speak her truth.
Out of all the characters, Petra has undergone the biggest transformation, and honestly, that's a good thing.
We've cracked through the ice queen exterior and revealed a new, quirky side of Petra that we always knew was there; it was just hidden away.
And it's all thanks to J.R.
After sleeping with her former lawyer, Petra has turned into a complete mess.
Did you ever think there'd be a time when we saw Petra nervously talking to herself in the mirror and practicing what she would say to Jane?
Rafael had me in tears of laughter when he thought Petra was trying to come onto his Jane.
That's what I mean by the series interjecting tense moments with some comical relief. Raf didn't even question what he overheard, he just blindly believed that Petra was into his girlfriend. Why would that even be a thing?
I just wondered if I’m not your type, who is your type? And the next thing I knew I was driving after you.
Petra
I'm surprised that she came out to Raf and Jane and remained so calm and composed. Considering how nervous she was about confronting J.R, you'd think she'd be a bit more timid around her ex and his new girl.
But then again, this is still Petra, and timid isn't exactly in her vocabulary.
I don't know what was better to watch -- Raf and Jane's reaction to the news or Petra's disgust at the idea that she'd ever be into Jane.
She even asked Raf for advice, which was surely unexpected. When the series first started, I never thought that we'd see these exes so comfortable talking about their sex lives with each other.
However, I'm down for Petra's love story with J.R because it finally, and permanently, pulls us away from the Jane-Raf-Petra love triangle while keeping all of their friendships intact.
Petra: Jane, I meant what I said. Call me if you need anything. Not sexual.
Jane: Got it.
Petra: Cause I would rather go to Chuck E. Cheese during flu season.
Friendship before anything else, remember that.
Seeing Petra so disheveled because of her feelings is also a welcome change of pace. We always see her as dominating and in control, but she literally became the girl who stalked her crushed and then reversed into a car.
Vulnerable Petra is way hotter than ice queen Petra.
JR
And J.R, who was playing hard to get since she knew this was Petra's first "girl-crush," found it romantic.
Look, we have different ideas of what romantic is.
And Petra wearing sweatpants and eating pickles in bed? Almost as great as when she dressed up as the tooth fairy. Almost. Petra is the silent star of this whole series.
Are we sure this isn't Anezka?
Alba and Ro make a great team, even if she is yelling at him half the time. It's understandable given the current situation, but she assumed no one else was as affected as she was, which couldn't be further from the truth.
But this is a telenovela after all, which means bad things happen; there's bad like 'cancer bad' and then there's 'creepy, menacing mystery man walking at the end of the episode' bad.
What was that all about? Does it have to do something with Rafael's search for his biological parents? Or Rose?
I don't think Petra is off the hook for those murder charges. I said it before -- Krishna had to be working for somebody. Is it Milosz?
Keep up with the Villanueva ladies and watch Jane the Virgin online! Don't forget to leave your comments below!
Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..
