Jane The Virgin Stages A Resurrection, Reunites Estranged Relatives, And Makes Rafael Take His Shirt Off

All over this fifth episode of Jane The Virgin's third season, the small but powerful choices that marked earlier episodes give way to huge plot moves. For instance:

1. Jane vs. Alba
   After finding out a little bit last week about the schism between Alba and her sister Cecilia, Jane convinces Alba to let her read the letters Cecilia has sent Alba over the years and used them to make a family tree more detailed -- so many cousins! -- than she could have ever imagined. But when Jane's contribution to her cousin Catalina's GoFundMe results in a phone call from Cecilia to Alba, the latter feels betrayed by Jane's inconsideration of her deep feelings of resentment toward Cecilia for turning their parents against Alba, to the degree that their mother passed away still furious with Alba. This is all very difficult for Jane, who's a people-pleaser in general and who specifically hasn't ever done anything to make Alba get angry with her. But ultimately she has to tell her grandmother that it's important to her to be in touch with her extended family, even if it hurts Alba in the process.
2. Rogelio vs. Obscurity
   Rogelio's pursuit of American stardom takes a huge step forward when he's cast in a one-scene role in a feature film (and a full frontally nude one at that). The problem is that there's a morals clause in his contract with Telemasivo, which means he can only do the scene at the company's discretion. The executives aren't saying no: they're saying there's going to be a quid pro quo. We just don't know yet what it's going to be.
3. Rafael's Mother Blah Blah Blah
   Something with Rafael's dead mother's prison Bible, who cares.
4. Petra vs. Paralysis
   Oh! And Petra wakes up. Rafael having installed a nanny cam (hidden in a teddy bear) to try to catch Anezka revealing herself, he storms into "Anezka"'s room just as Petra's about to top her up with her paralysis shot. But when Petra wakes up and Rafael asks who she is, she lies that she's Anezka in order to keep her sister out of prison and proceeds to try to dig them out of the mess Magda's gotten them both in, with minimal hassle -- which is easier than it would have been not very long ago given that Scott's found a possible buyer for what are now Petra's shares. Though it THEN gets complicated when Anezka, on orders to break up with Scott, instead accepts his surprise wedding proposal. When Petra tells him she needs to be on her own for a while, Scott graciously accepts, with the wistful observation that he can't believe she'd walk away from the Marbella after all the work she's put into making it a success. Petra realizes he's right and tells Rafael she's going to keep his shares and get rid of him...because she was awake for everything and she knows he thinks Anezka -- as Petra -- was a better mother to the twins than Petra herself is.

And yet, even in the midst of all these big advancements in the season's story, it's the tiny incidental moments that make the episode such a treat. Here are the ones that delighted me most.

1. Michael's Insecurity During His Gym Date With Rafael
   Jane is WAY too excited about the potential for friendship between Mateo's dads when Rafael casually suggests that Michael work out with him at the gym at the Marbella. For Jane's sake, Michael goes, and tries to strike up a conversation about what else the two of them might have in common -- baseball? (No.) Game Of Thrones? Strike 2.
   

   Though it's hard to form words when this is happening in front of you.

2. Scott's Pain
   Horrified at the idea of having to end her relationship with Scott, Anezka begs Petra for the chance to start cooling things off with him rather than breaking it off abruptly, but this may be more cruel: when Jane has to go ask Scott for help tracking down a mislaid pouch of cash from the gift shop (which is safely recovered, allowing Alba to keep her new job), she finds him like this.
   

   Scott is heartbroken about the idea of having to give up on #Scetra (ew) and convinced that he knows what he did to screw things up. "People pass gas," Jane assures him. "It happens." "She doesn't!" he hisses. Anezka managed to internalize her toots? It's that attention to detail that let her pass as Petra as long as she did.

3. Rogelio's Car
   This is my man's ride.
   

   With a lavender racing stripe. And a monogram "R." Words fail.

4. Rafael's Dramatic Disrobing
   I know it's a novela staple to have the hot guy take his shirt off for any reason or no reason. In this case, Rogelio needs a shirt for his big audition because he's ruined his changing a flat. But does it matter why this happens?
   

   Rafael's intense eye contact is his way of dominating Michael for having earlier misapprehended his attention to a married woman at the gym and tattling on him to Jane (which turned out to be in aid of lining up that audition for Rogelio) and added it to his rubber band ball of resentment over Rafael's having hit on Jane when she was engaged to Michael back in Season 1. Rafael opens up about his cancer, and how it's made him work harder on his health, and the two end up bonding over their shared (a) terror when Mateo wanders one lawn away from where they are, and (b) love of soccer, so it all works out, and we all got an eyeful of Rafael's torso.

5. The Narrator Spares Us Having To Watch Xo's Dance Students' Recital
   "I mean, it was cute...if your kid was in it." Word.
   

   But this is adorable, and leads to...

6. Xo's "Beauty School Dropout" Fantasy
   Still trying to figure out what her day job should be, Xo this week considers being a real estate agent or going to beauty school, which Jane chalks up to Grease having been on TV recently. But when Xo is taking her bows for what's supposed to be her last dance recital...
   

   ...she has the epiphany that what she should really do is open her own dance school. Since I kind of thought she'd had one this whole time, I approve?

7. Petra's Anti-Identity Theft Measure
   It's rough.
   

   But it's effective.