Jane the Virgin Review: Chapter Eighty (Season 4 Episode 16)

Jane the Virgin Season 4 Episode 16, “Chapter Eighty,” does not showcase the best this show can be, but that doesn’t mean the strong messages of this penultimate episode should be overlooked.

What makes this episode feel slightly off-kilter is not the way it tries to balance the good and the bad, but how it tries to portray difficult situations in a positive light when it’s just not necessary.

This choice of direction makes for scenes that don’t hold the full gravity of the conversations they are trying to have.

Not to mention the constant shift in tone is just plain uncomfortable to watch.

Going from Jane and Rafael blissfully taking on new responsibilities as a couple to Rafael and Alba harshly debating whether Mateo should be spanked is not the smoothest transition. The contrast between these two moments is enough to give you whiplash and feels out of place amongst a handful of scenes that are already handling tough topics.

Between Xo’s cancer treatment and Rogelio’s telenovela falling apart in the development stages, Alba and Rafael’s talk about punishing children when their bad just seems unnecessary and unimportant to the overall theme of the episode.

The scene doesn’t actually set up for anything in the impending finale and at this point, every scene has to be working towards some kind of conclusion or it slows the momentum of the entire season down.

While there are some choppy transitions in “Chapter Eighty,” there are also some beautiful ones as well.

Transitions have always been Jane the Virgin’s specialty and if you have watched this show closely enough over the last few years, or days if you prefer to binge watch, then you’ve noticed that the show always finds ways to tie each scene to its previous scene.

This nifty trick is particularly prominent in this episode as the final scene transitions between Xo and River watching the main couple on their telenovela kiss to Jane and Rafael kissing each other. It is a cute and laughable moment that seems like a perfect fit in an episode scrambling to make various storylines work together.

Unfortunately, trying to balance Xo’s recovery and chemo treatment with the comedy of Rogelio playing the cancer card with Darci just doesn’t work. Seeing how exhausted and drained chemo has made Xo and then having to see her go through it alone after her treatment buddy passes away is all too sad and powerful.

Trying to lighten the mood doesn’t seem necessary in moments where the gravity and heart of the situation speak for itself.

Jane the Virgin does comedy well, but when it comes to its earnest moments, the show just does not give itself enough credit.

The message of strength and loss flowing through Xo’s arc right now shines bright and is accurately demonstrating the reality and severity of her situation. This is not just going to be some storyline thrown in to garner shock value and soften Xo’s reserved personality.

No, this cancer storyline has some true weight to it and going forward the series could benefit greatly from a dose of the severity it tends to avoid with more serious topics, especially when it comes to the horrible reality of cancer.

Nonetheless, the underlying messages Jane the Virgin tends to have with these more serious scenes are always moving and intelligent.

Although some messages are more subtle than others.

Rogelio’s divide with River over how to bring his telenovela to life in America opens the episode up to more feuding and comedic scenes than anything else. However, the idea that River would compromise the integrity of a beloved Spanish telenovela because she finds everything to be over the top in the original sets up for an interesting message.

Her character has never watched a true telenovela and yet she is adapting one. She is making alterations to a genre of television she does not fully understand.

Ironically, Jane the Virgin is an American adaptation of a Spanish telenovela called Juana la Virgen and is showcasing the fact that this show did not compromise when it came to casting and writing a more American version. Jane the Virgin has chosen to produce a show that is a quirky mix of telenovela staples and today’s American family.

But this storyline’s purpose isn’t just to brag.

Rogelio’s storyline looks to be a message to all people finding themselves in the same position as River and who are adapting television shows. Educate yourself on the original source material and do not compromise when it comes to making a more American version of another country’s beloved series.

Jane the Virgin never compromises and “Chapter Eighty” is a testament to the positive ramifications of that as we get a show that shines even in its weakest moments.

What did you think of this episode of Jane the Virgin? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Jane the Virgin airs Fridays at 9/8c on The CW.

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