There’s always drama on Jane the Virgin — it wouldn’t be a telenovela if there weren’t.
The whole show started when Jane (Gina Rodriguez) was accidentally artificially inseminated with Rafael (Justin Baldoni)’s baby. Three seasons later, Jane and her husband Michael (Brett Dier) are raising baby Mateo, but the drama isn’t over. Michael’s incapacitated from a gunshot wound — because of course he is. Rafael learned he was adopted, because: soap opera. Rafael’s ex Petra (Yael Grobglas) was literally paralyzed by her evil twin sister who took over her life.
That’s not all that’s going on when Jane the Virgin returns.
Rotten Tomatoes met up with Rodriguez and series creator Jennie Snyder Urman at a CBS Television Studios party for the Television Critics Association (CBS Television Studios produces the CW show and Warner Bros. Television, in association with Electus). Jane’s star and Urman were forthcoming about what’s in store for each of the characters on Jane the Virgin.
Jane’s had many jobs in two and a half seasons, from Rafael’s hotel The Marbella to teaching to working on Rogelio (Jaime Camil)’s TV show The Passions of Santos. Urman said Jane would start looking for a new job in a few weeks.
“She’ll have her first interview around episode 10,” Urman said.
Whatever the new job is may be closer to Jane’s ultimate goal of being a writer. “What job she gets is pushing her forward, is the push forward that she needs,” Rodriguez said. “You see Jane still going after what she loves, even as a mom, when all these ‘obstacles’ she has, she really fights through them.”
Before Jane can get the job, she has to go on interviews. It wouldn’t be realistic if she got the first job she interviews for, and it certainly wouldn’t be a telenovela if Jane clicked with the first recruiter.
“I think Jane always is on bad interviews,” Rodriguez said. “Everything bad that can happen to Jane happens.”
Maya Kazan will play the boss Jane eventually works for. You can tell by the casting, Kazan is roughly the same age as Rodriguez. Working for a peer may have its own pitfalls for Jane.
“Jane is young, her boss is young, a young wunderkind who is Jane’s contemporary but much more accomplished than she is,” Urman said. “There’s definitely some tension and different feelings about having a boss that’s her same age and where they are in their life versus your life.”
Jane might just be too set in her ways for any boss to handle, Rodriguez added. “Jane is very particular,” Rodriguez said. “You can only imagine her up against a very particular woman or man.”
Jane always has several people pulling her in all directions. There’s her mother Xo (Andrea Navedo), her grandmother (Ivonne Coll), her husband, her baby daddy, and now her boss. Jane will struggle to find time for Mateo.
“That’s the challenge,” Rodriguez said. “Being a working mother, making sure she’s still present in her child’s life, making sure that she’s helping mold her child’s future. It’s such a balancing act for her, making sure that her child is not a terror. At the same time, making sure that she stays on track of the things that she wanted in life and not allowing herself to get off course.”
With his injuries, Michael has limited options for employment. This makes Jane the primary breadwinner, but it’s never enough.
“Right now Michael lost his job, so he’s finding a job as well,” Rodriguez said. “What they are learning to do is to budget as a new family and they’re working class. They’re making it work, and they’re trying to make it work. I think we’re going through the world of budgeting and the world of dealing with the new marriage.”
The only job Michael can get may be at odds with Jane. “Michael can’t work because of his medical condition,” Urman said. “So he’s going to be embarking on a new job, which is going to put strains on their relationship in different ways, having to figure out what he’s going to do and what his place is in the world.”
There’s nothing like a good book you can’t put down, especially when you’re the author. Jane is still focused on her novel, and future episodes will reveal more scenes from her book.
“You get to see different characters in her head, like the different Cecilias,” Rodriguez said. “She wants this book done, and she wants to be a published author.”
After regaining her life back from Anezka, Petra may be ready for love. As her past romances prove, it will take a very special man to open her heart. Petra may have to take some Petra time before she goes there.
“There are some new romances on the horizon that are exciting for Petra,” Urman said. “The new love interest [appears] around [episodes] 10-11. Petra’s always hard and soft at the same time, so I like to go back and forth. She tried being nice. Petra has a lot to go through first because she was frozen. She has to deal with the emotional, I would say, repercussions of that. That’s something that she’s going to be dealing with before she can open herself to love.”
Justina Machado landed her own show, Netflix’s One Day at a Time. Her guest arc on Jane the Virgin wraps up with her sixth appearance as Darci the matchmaker. “She thinks she and Rogelio should have a child together,” Urman said. “That is a little bit of the focus coming up: Will they do that and how will that change everything? We have her for one more episode.”
Being a grandfather suits Rogelio, and he has deep regret for missing out on Jane’s childhood. He won’t take just any offers though. Playing his daughter, Rodriguez previewed the other women pulling at Rogelio.
“I think he’s going to continue to go on his journey of trying to create another family for himself as well,” Rodriguez shard. “Him and Xo still love each other so much, but she doesn’t want a child and he does, so it’s going to be really cool to see Dad go on that search. He wasn’t in my life, he didn’t raise a kid, and he really wants that. We know Xo aborted, but will Rogelio try to find his family? That’s going to be really cool to see.”
You didn’t think Rogelio would forget about this. While he’s trying to make an American version of The Passions of Santos, Rogelio is also starring in an indie movie. The art film promises full frontal Rogelio, but fortunately The CW and broadcast standards and practices will keep it tasteful.
“The family is very nervous about having to go to that premiere,” Urman said. “We do it in a fun and artful way that keeps in the tone of the show and doesn’t stress anyone out in standards and practices.”
Jane the Virgin returns Monday, January 23 at 9 p.m. on The CW
