Jane The Virgin Introduces Jane The Mother

Occasionally it occurs that even I -- someone who watches virtually every show on television -- find myself outside a prevailing programming trend. I never got into American Idol or any of the other singing competitions when those were big; other than Buffy and iZombie, I've resisted shows about supernatural creatures; and comic book superheroes have failed to interest me on screens of any size. Now the trend I can't get on board with is the need for even non-mystery shows to feature season-long mystery arcs. Like, it's not guaranteed that I would have stuck with Madam Secretary or State Of Affairs if both their pilots hadn't teased a shadowy conspiracy underlying the governmental intrigue, but we'll never know since they both apparently had to get that Homeland-iness all over them. In the case of Jane The Virgin, the show's format -- an affectionate gloss on the telenovela -- at least gives it a better-than-average reason to have featured an outlandish crime story through its first season -- and, apparently, beyond, judging by last night's season finale cliffhanger. But it's also the reason I personally can't give the season a completely unqualified rave.

Now that I've opened the door, let's get the bummer stuff out of the way first: I am so bored by almost all the Sin Rostro-related business. I say "almost" because even I can appreciate the humour and soapy outlandishness of a character with the resources -- both financial and technical -- to give herself a new face whenever she feels like it: it allows the show the rejuvenation of periodic recasting without all the other stuff that makes Doctor Who unbearable. But I don't know what Sin Rostro's goals are in terms of the Marbella, beyond getting back together with Luisa; I definitely don't care what Nadine has to do with the organization or how much her co-operation is coerced, and her repeated appeals to Michael to think of her threatened family members aren't that effective either given that I don't remember ever having seen any of them; and while a purloined newborn is certainly an effective lever of evil, that guy is only going to slow down Sin Rostro's criminal activities unless she's also hired a team of evil nannies. (By the way: I would absolutely watch a show about evil nannies.)

For me -- and I recognize that this very well could be my own issue and one no one else shares -- the long-term crime stories just distract attention from all the plotlines the show does right. I've even come around, finally, to accepting Petra and Magda and the story points their chaotic evil energy makes possible. Jane The Virgin is a light romantic comedy. The only business I want the villains to inject into the proceedings is stuff that directly affects our protagonists. Magda pushing Alba down a flight of stairs and putting her in a coma that incites a vow of chastity from her daughter qualifies (though I didn't like it at the time, that was more due to my issues with Alba and her sexual hypocrisy); Michael looking the other way so Nadine can go on the lam does not.

Kidnapping aside (and even I can appreciate that this is a very telenovela-y way to close things out), the season finale proves that the elements the show has always done right are no accident. From the cold-open flashback to Jane's own birth, and Alba's assistance to a young Xiomara; through Jane's teasing her mom with fake labour pains; and on to Xiomara's appropriation of Alba's words of encouragement for Jane's final pushes: the show's strongest relationships have always been among these three women, and I've bought into it so hard that my reaction to the announcement that Jane's had a son with the same shock as the Villanueva women. (Though unlike Xo I might have said not "We don't know anything about boys" but "Who cares about boys?" Rafael's reminder that he's "happy to answer any questions" is hardly reassuring; since when have any of these ladies needed his ass to explain anything to them?) I also practically did the wave at the scene in which Jane and Rafael discuss what the baby's surname will be: obviously, it's a conversation that had to happen, but on a lesser (and less-feminist) show, the lady might have let the dude talk her into giving the baby his name just because his wanting to claim it would be treated as a sweet and touching gift; here, when he challenges her on the matter, she is completely matter-of-fact: "I'm a Villanueva." Not even his guilt jabs about the fact that he wanted to get married, and that this will be his only chance to "pass down [his] family's name," can sway Jane from her position. She was ready to raise this baby with her mother and grandmother when she thought Rafael couldn't keep the child safe from the various threats it might face in his care, and right up until active labour, she still is. That's our girl.

Since Rogelio has always been and remains my favourite character on the show, I would be remiss if I didn't mention his contributions to the finale, though he is largely sidelined -- and, considering it's Rogelio, is pretty gracious about it. His hurt when Xiomara doesn't think to include him in her plans to leave the show in Las Vegas to be with Jane for the baby's birth show that there's more to Rogelio's insistence on Jane's continuing to call him "Dad" than his enjoying the trappings of fatherhood: his love for Jane is not just for show; his wish to make up for lost time and be there for her important milestones is sincere. That will probably be a lot easier for him to do now that he and Xo have been married -- and by RuPaul's Drag Race alumna Chad Michaels, no less!

It's hard to imagine the drunken wedding causing that much drama in Season 2 given that Xo and Ro are obviously still in love. Then again, the same thing did drive a wedge between Rachel and Ross on Friends, so there's probably room for some contrived high jinks around it -- Rogelio's desire not to seem unavailable to his fans...or maybe he'll want Xo to remain married for the sake of his image because he doesn't want anyone to know he might actually be fallible?!

However all that shakes out, I am far less interested in what happens to kidnapped baby Mateo -- since I'm PRETTY SURE HE'LL BE FINE -- than I am in seeing Rogelio headlining Jesus Christ Superstar in a lavender robe. Hurry up, fall!