Review: Jane the Virgin (Season 1, Episode 13)

Jane the Virgin achieves all that Ugly Betty failed to. It mixes comedy with emotion, much like any telenovela (Spanish/Mexican TV soap) and pairs this with an outrageous plot. This US adaption is based on the Venezuelan show Juana la Virgen. The comedy is refreshing and vibrant and the voice-over is just hilarious.

The plot focuses on Jane Gloriana Villanueva, who was taught by her abuela Alba, that her virginity is precious. However Jane becomes pregnant when she is accidentally inseminated in a medical mix up. With this accident her life gets turned upside down. In parallel we get involved with drug dealers, deceit and murders, which is all very intense but still comedic.

This being a US show we are treated to 23 episodes. By episode 13, Jane has broken up with her detective fiancée in favour of her accidental baby daddy. Both she and Rafael are looking forward to discovering the baby’s gender but there’s a risk of an abnormality with the foetus. Jane’s mother still struggles to accept Rafael, but agrees to try and help him surprise Jane. Meanwhile Jane herself faces another dilemma, she is stuck between reality and her telenovela fantasy of happily ever after, but when is life really like that?

One thing this show excels at is delivery, the timing of punchlines is perfect and makes you giggle at the most surprising times. This achievement by the writer Jennie Snyder Urman is unprecedented in any other romantic comedy. Jane the Virgin doesn’t waste time on endless soppiness and it’s not over the top like shows like such as New Girl. Gina Rodriguez, who plays Jane, has a great grasp on her character and matches the variety provided by the script.

This show succeeds where so many shows have failed, give it the benefit of the doubt and check out the trailer below. If I’m honest, I’m really not doing it justice, its lo mejor!

Jane The Virgin airs on E4 on Wednesday at 9pm.