Be brave. 

That's what Rafael told Jane when he first met her on Jane the Virgin Season 1 Episode 1, and five seasons later, the theme of braveness continued on Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 19.

It should be noted that I had to tell myself to be brave while writing this review and wiping away so many happy tears. 

As far as series finales go, Jane the Virgin's hit every mark and was a treat for longtime fans. 

One would say it was the inverse of what made Jane the Virgin such a household name; it bypassed the usual telenovela-twists and opted for happy endings all around. 

There will always be things that I wish would have happened, but confined to a one-hour window, the finale was pretty perfect. 

If there's anything that Jane has taught me, it's to be the writer of your own story, to follow your heart, and to fight for what's meant to be just like Jane and Rafael always did. 

From the get-go, the narrator, who we found out was the adult-version of Mateo (WE WERE RIGHT!), told us that traditional telenovelas always end with a wedding.

With that in mind, there was no other way that the series could have ended. 

Rafael and Jane finally got hitched, but it wasn't without one final obstacle: Rafael was arrested after rushing Jane's edited version of the book to the presses.

What a romantic gesture.

Any real opportunity for something to derail their big day was immediately resolved and thwarted.

Lina: People think I grew up with four sisters but the truth is, I grew up with five. And I only liked one of them. Jane, you are...
Xiomara: Everything to me. The person I look up to most in this world, the person I want to be when I grow up. And the one thing I know...
Rogelio: is that, uh, becoming Jane's father late in life has been, well, the greatest joy of my life. It's true. And tomorrow, I'm so thrilled to be gaining a son. So, Rafael, I would be honored if you called me Dad.

• Permalink: is that, uh, becoming Jane's father late in life has been, well, the greatest joy of my life....

And that's because those telenovela-style shocks weren't necessary anymore. 

Rose's nefarious plan and Michael's resurrection were both wrapped up on Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 17. 

The road was cleared for Jane and Rafael to pursue their happily ever after. 

The finale called back to heartwarming moments from season one (Jane taking the bus) and re-lived some of the best moments that happened in the Villanueva household.

The montage of memories starting from Alba's arrival in America up until the day before the wedding was an emotional journey that highlighted the bond between three generations of Latino women. 

Because even though the love stories on Jane the Virgin centered around Rafael and Michael, the true love was between Alba, Xiomara, and Jane.

They were each other's soulmates.

Despite being Team Rafael from the beginning, I can't address their wedding without acknowledging Jane's wedding to Michael. 

Jane's been lucky. In her lifetime she didn't just have one great love story, she had two. 

Jane and Rafael's wedding was vastly different than Jane and Michael's, and that's a good thing. 

Both men represented two different parts of Jane and her heart. 

She loved both of them, but never in the same way. 

Michael, in my eyes, was Jane's, first innocent love. He treated her right and respected her. Their relationship was goofy and fun, and that translated to their wedding vibe as they celebrated with a huge party with Bruno Mars. 

But with Rafael, things always came so effortlessly.

Their wedding wasn't in a church but rather under the tree where they shared their first kiss. 

And they could barely get through the ceremony without kissing each other. 

Sorry, Abuela. 

Related: Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 17 Review: Chapter Ninety-Eight

There was also a heavy influence of Latin traditions, which was a nice touch considering how the show broke racial barriers. 

The ease with which their wedding unfolded proved that this was always Jane's end-game. 

They always say trust the timing of your life and that couldn't be more true for Jane and Rafael. 

Jane and Raf wouldn't have worked back in the day; they both had to go through their respective experiences and grow to be fully ready for this moment.

Jane the Virgin also answered the lingering question of Rafael's birth parents though unfortunately, that was a bit of a disappointment. 

It's not that I wanted Rafael's mother to be Rose, but it didn't make sense to spend so much time and effort trying to locate them only to find out that they were a normal couple who owned a bakery in Italy and died in a car accident. 

Related: Jane the Virgin Season 5 Episode 16 Review: Chapter Ninety-Seven

It may have given Rafael peace of mind and showcased that he's come so far since he wasn't too affected by the findings, but fans who were invested in the story were expecting a bit more. 

However, it did make Rafael's decision to refer to Rogelio as "dad" all the more special.

He may have never had the chance to meet his biological family, but the family he has now is incredible.

Jennie Snyder Urman, the creator of Jane the Virgin, teased that all the good people would get their happy endings, and there was no shortage of happy moments.

After a brief change of heart, Xiomara decided to be bold and agreed to move to New York City with Rogelio even though it would split up the family for the first time. 

I just love you two so much. Your love is something I aspire to. And I wish you all the happiness in the world, which is a really weird feeling because I don't usually wish happiness on other people.

Petra

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Petra reunited with JR thanks to Rafael who was feeling rather sentimental before his wedding, and the two women even exchanged 'I love you's.'

I would have liked to see a flash-forward to where their relationship was after the wedding, but I guess we're just supposed to be content with knowing that Petra got the girl. 

And though we didn't get to see this play out on the screen, it was revealed that Mateo would grow up to be a voice-over actor and the Narrator of Jane's book-turned-telenovela. 

I always knew Mateo was destined for greatness, though it would have been nice to see him as an adult. 

Jane's little nod at the end also assured us that we were the ones watching her novel play out as a telenovela. 

Urman teased a pregnancy which fans speculated might be Jane and Rafael's future baby despite his infertility. 

I was disappointed when that didn't turn out to be the case, but Lina's pregnancy was necessary and adorable. 

Final Marbella Musings

• Luisa's toast telling Jane "you're welcome" for accidentally inseminating her with Rafael's sperm may go down as the best wedding speech in TV history. 

• We didn't get to see any part of "This Is Mars'" success aside from a few magazine covers and Rogelio's social media following growing. I would have gladly traded all the pointless River Fields dramatics for more time exploring what everyone's life looked like after the wedding. 

Rafael: You seemed a little choked up about love.
Petra: Oh, please. Villanueva events are made for people to cry. It's just how they're constructed.

• Permalink: Oh, please. Villanueva events are made for people to cry. It's just how they're constructed.

• Petra's a triplet. Magda was exiled from Miami and went to visit her son, Pyotr, in Siberia. It's probably better that Petra never found out about him. 

• Anyone else completely lose it seeing all the different-aged Jane's walking down the aisle?

• Esteban proposed to Darci! I wasn't kidding when I said everyone got their happy ending. 

Jane the Virgin's series finale made my heart glow. 

If you watch Jane the Virgin online, you know it was the perfect mix of everything that made Jane the Virgin the heartwarming, memorable, and magical show that we've become obsessed with. 

With all the telenovela-twists pushed the side, it was an hour of pure bliss. 

It's been a pleasure watching and discussing with all of you Jane the Virgin TV Fanatics. 

I wish I could say "to be continued," but alas, the time has come to say ...

The End. 

Lizzy Buczak was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She retired in June 2021..