Jane the Virgin is back and, as usual, it picks back up right in the middle of drama. The Latin Lover Narrator takes us through last season’s events, right up to the magical meeting between Jane and her first love, Adam (Teen Wolf’s Tyler Posey). With a quick aside to inform us that baby Mateo looks just a bit different than he did last season (the new child actor is just as cute, but, as the Narrator says, “in novelas you must be prepared for change!”) we are thrown back into the action.
Now that the story finally begins, a female narrator introduces us to Adam Eduardo Álvaro, and we learn how he came to find Michael’s letter to Jane. We quickly learn he’s a romantic (he saved the letter in his wallet!) and, oh surprise, that he almost married Jane when he was 19! Oh, and also, that he’s a Virgo. Then, record scratch, the Narrator comes in to remind us who the protagonist is.
Jane and Adam have great chemistry, and the flashback to their younger selves is both hilarious and endearing. Within the first few minutes, the premiere reminds us just where this show shines brightest: in the precarious balance of telenovela parody (I mean, homage) and honest, warm-hearted, hopelessly optimistic romance. And just like that, as Jane and Adam walk down to the beach to catch up, we jump to our favorite star-crossed lovers Ro and Xo who are starting their honeymoon night with as much drama as usual, but as in love as ever.
Xo has to keep Ro rational when he wants to call Darcy (his baby mama, remember?) names on Twitter; but Rogelio is the voice of reason when it comes to Alba and Xiomara who, with an actual telescope on hand, try to spy on Adam and Jane’s reunion outside the Marbella. The reunion that apparently involves skinny dipping! It doesn’t get a chance to escalate into more due to Alba and Xo’s meddling, but it’s clear that Jane wouldn’t mind it escalating a little bit.
Although for a moment, Jane forgets about the drama, Xo’s big mouth won’t let her get away from it. As you remember, Jane was considering the possibility that she might have feelings for her baby daddy. The whole family is #TeamRafael, but now that Adam is in the picture, I’m not so sure the audience will agree.
After all, Rafael is a boatload of drama that Jane just doesn’t need, and the fact that he’s napping in Jane’s porch after getting kicked out of the hotel is a stark reminder. The next morning, Rafael’s long-ass shower and his refusal to let Mateo know anything about their financial situation remind us that there are plenty of reasons why these two might not work. Jane worries that Mateo is spoiled, but Rafael wants his son to have a childhood without worries. As we know, Jane considers that this makes people too sheltered and shallow, and she doesn’t want her son to grow up without valuing what he has.
We don’t get to see these two talk out their disagreement, because Jane’s phone rings and… right, Luisa had told Anezka to kill Petra! However, Petra makes it out alive, though she is shaken and wet after falling into the water in a struggle for her sister’s gun; the police don’t know if Anezka survived. Either to lighten up the mood or to make the situation even more stressful, after Jane and Rafael pick up Petra, we get an extremely awkward talk in Jane’s car as the three of them confronted their clashing feelings, jealousy and whatnot.
It’s a mess, but at least Petra is sure that her hurt is way stronger than any feelings she might have for Rafael. We don’t get to linger too much on the love triangle (thank God!) because Petra meets Luisa at the Marbella… and Luisa thinks it’s Anezka impersonating her sister. Because of course, the only gay characters in the show continue to be murderous villains, and it’s getting pretty f*cking tiresome, but alas! Let’s focus on Petra, who quickly catches on and pretends to be Anezka. She already has a plan to get back at Luisa, and she tells Rafael so over the phone.
We jump back to our favorite inter-class romance! By which I mean Xo and Ro, of course. They are building a crib together and it’s cute as hell, even though Rogelio absolutely wants to hire someone to do it for them. As Darcy livestreams her 3D sonogram, we jump to Jane, who’s again faced with the elitism and classism at Mateo’s school. She wants to get her boy out of such an environment, but Rafael is too busy to listen to her when she calls him about it. And, then back to Ro again. Without Xiomara to keep him rational, he lets his temper get the best of him and falls right into Darcy’s trap.
Rafael wants to talk, but Jane has that date with Adam. He remembers exactly how she likes her grilled cheese after nearly a decade and we learn that, oh my God! he composed the song on the guitar that plays every time Jane has a romantic scene! The Narrator calls it “Jane’s love cue”, and both Jane and the watchers are swooning! Too bad the scene is interrupted by Adam’s female Narrator, who says “what’s her face walking through a hallway with papers”. And, ugh, we learn that everything Luisa is doing is for her abusive murderous lover, Rose. These writers really hate Luisa, don’t they?
But let’s focus on the positive. The positive being our new favorite romance, Adam and Jane, who are stargazing on Adam’s roof. Too bad Jane is too caught up on her feelings for Rafael. However, Adam is absolutely understanding and tells her that she should face them. As Jane takes the bus to talk to Rafael, we’re back to Ro’s war against Darcy, where Xiomara continues to be the voice of reason.
It looks like things are looking up for #TeamRafael, but just as Jane is about to get in the shower with Rafael, the money issue proves to be, again, what makes them “totally and completely wrong for each other” (Jane said it, not me). Rafael simply doesn’t understand that Jane values dignity and respect way more than she cares about luxury and status, and it seems like this is a breaking point for them. The way this show deals with class remains excellent, even if I want to murder Rafael after he said Jane had “a small life”.
Finally, as the episode approaches its end, Xiomara stops being Rogelio’s voice of reason so she can express her own feelings. Damn it, she deserves to have a proper honeymoon, not be caught in the middle of the De La Vega vs. Factor war. Alba and Jane finally convince her of this too! Too bad Darcy might be going into labor right now.
As usual, the episode ends with some big reveal and Marbella-related drama, but we’d rather close with Jane and Adam deciding to get coffee sometime soon. Every novela needs its evil twins, manipulative villains and evil rich people; but it’s our heroine’s search for happiness what truly keeps us hooked to the story. The villains’ plans feel disconnected and kinda boring now that they don’t directly affect Jane, but the promise of a new love, a baby sister, and the hint of Jane’s next creative adventure in Adam’s graphic novel; are more than enough to make this season premiere a delight.
Author: Andrea Merodeadora
Editor: Trianna Nguyen
Keshav Kant, aka Mx. KantEven, is a med student tuned Executive Director of Off Colour!
You’ve probably seen her on Twitter and TikTok, both @MxKantEven, or caught her work on Off Colour's many channels.
From consulting on films & shows, manuscript review, conducting interviews, or hosting podcasts & panels, if there is some way to bring sensitivity and authenticity to diversity, inclusion and equity conversations, Keshav will be there.