Jane the Virgin: The Evolution of Petra

In its sophomore year, Jane The Virgin has firmly planted itself on the side of must-see television. Led by the talented Gina Rodriguez, and a stellar supporting cast, it’s been embraced by critics and viewers alike. The writing is funny and quirky with an unabashed devotion to story lines straight out of a soap opera.

Right from the start, in keeping with the telenovela theme, Petra Solano (Yael Grobglas) was the quintessential bitch. The beautiful, lying, cheating, conniving wife of Raphael Solano, determined to hold on to him at any cost. The very antithesis of the virginal Jane.

The first season did nothing to present her in a redeemable light. She hooked up with Raphael while she was engaged to then fiance Lachlan. She cheated on Raphael with his best friend. She uses his sperm sample to impregnate herself without telling him.

Then, when she found out that Jane was mistakenly inseminated with Raphael’s sperm, she schemed to keep them apart. She tried to sabotage Jane and Raphael’s career. The list was long and it definitely wasn’t pretty. She was clearly an antagonist in the Jane-Raphael story.

Season 2 has taken time to explore what makes Petra the person she is and it’s been a interesting journey. Almost all roads lead to her mother Magda, who is quite possibly the worst mother on television.

She’s the one who encouraged Petra to use Raphael’s sperm without his knowledge the first time around. She also forced Petra to cover for each of her many crimes. First when she pushed Jane’s grandmother down the stairs, then when she kept their blackmailer (Ivan) hostage, and finally when she accidentally killed him. Poor Petra also had to bury Ivan, digging his grave while pregnant! And we haven’t even discussed all the emotional blackmail at play!

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s the violent, creepy, controlling ex-boyfriend (Milos) whom she first met in the Czech Republic. When she finally broke up with him, he was so upset that he tried to throw acid on her. He missed, but the acid fell on her mother instead — cue the cause for emotional blackmail. When Petra and her mother escaped to America he followed them there. And then, he blackmailed her and forced her to marry him!

Life’s been tough for Petra. But the one thing that has resurfaced repeatedly are her feelings for Raphael. So when Raphael’s sister convinced her that he still loved her, she impregnated herself with his remaining sperm in the hopes of winning him back. It’s a tangled web and Petra is right in the middle of it!

Pregnant Petra is the most likable Petra yet. She’s having a tough pregnancy — with twins no-less. She’s alone, yet again, with no one on her side looking out for her. Compare that to the strong support system that Jane has and you truly feel sorry for her. Jane has her mother, grandmother, father, and two men vying for her affections! Petra has mommy dearest with an eye-patch and a hook for an arm!

So when Jane offered her hand in friendship and Petra tentatively accepted, I did a little fist-pump! Jane tried to talk Petra out of marrying Milos and even invited her for thanksgiving dinner. It was probably the first time in a long time that anyone had done something nice for her and Petra was truly touched. She tried to reciprocate the friendship but was thwarted by her mother at almost every turn. Yes, the friendship was short-lived, but I see much potential there. Frankly, I think Jane should take a break from both Raphael and Michael and hang out with Petra for a while.

In the mid-season finale, Petra spilled the beans to Raphael about everything that had happened so far, all the twists and turns, the not-so-good stuff and the even-worse stuff. Raphael finally understood where she was coming from and promised to help her out. But in a final twist, Petra’s mom laid the blame for Ivan’s death on Petra and she was arrested.

Petra’s sense of relief  to have Raphael on her side was heartfelt and earned. Yes, she was devious and manipulative,but she also stood by him when he was diagnosed with cancer and stayed with him the entire time during his recovery. That has to count for something! They were happy once and having Raphael on her side gives me hope — these two might work out after all!

So here we are, less than two seasons in and Petra has had quite the journey. The transformation is, in part, to the great writing. But mostly, it has to do with Yael Grobglas’ portrayal of her. Petra is a fighter and a survivor and a bit of a lost soul and Yael really showcases these qualities. there’s an underlying vulnerability about her that shines through. That’s hard to pull off when you are lying, scheming, and cheating all day!

Then there’s her comedic timing. Yael’s villainous act is really quite fun to watch. She is often in the most bizarre situations, spouting ridiculous lines, and she does it with an easy assurance. In the gif above she is talking to the identical twin brother of her murdered ex-lover, about his ashes! Her actions are often reactionary, an attempt to protect herself — it’s like she can’t help it! So even though you want to, you can’t quite bring yourself to hate her! Not all her actions are justifiable, there are definitely shades of gray and that is what makes her more interesting to me.

I’m so glad that the writers decided to give her more dimension. I don’t know if this is the path they originally planned for the character, or if her portrayal caused them to change it up a bit. Either way, I’m excited to be rooting for her — I want her to find love and happiness just as much as I want it for Jane! It’s going to be a long, complicated journey, but it will be fun ride.

Have you enjoyed Petra’s arc on Jane the Virgin this season? Do you find yourself rooting for her? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Riya Verghese

Riya is a software engineer by day and a writer by night. After years of writing code for a living, Riya decided to make time for her original love, creative writing. When she's not writing, she loves spending time with her kids, reading, tweeting, and cooking. Riya also writes for DocBrownTV and UntitledTV. Follow her on Twitter: @rsarahsays