Ashtyn Britt
abritt@lc.edu
Telenovelas are an underrated genre of television. While telenovelas are more popular in Latin America, the CW Network has graced America with its very own Telenovela soap opera! Jane the Virgin is about a 23-year-old virgin named Jane Villanueva who after spending her life as a devout Catholic is preparing to get engaged to her love, Detective Michael Cordero Jr. However, her life is entirely upended when she becomes pregnant through accidental artificial insemination and finds out that the baby’s father is a handsome multi-millionaire named Rafael Solano. Things become even more complicated as Jane decides to go through with the pregnancy, and begins finding herself attracted to Rafael.
If you thought that paragraph was a lot to take in, try to comprehend the fact that Jane’s mother, Xiomara Villanueva, runs into Jane’s long-lost father, Rogelio de la Vega. Rogelio, while being absent from Jane’s life after impregnating Xiomara at 16 years old, had become a famous telenovela star. Now, much to Xiomara’s protest, he wants to be involved again in Jane’s life, despite Xiomara having kept the identity of Jane’s father a secret for her entire life.
Again, if you thought that paragraph was a lot to take in, think about the fact that Rafael is married to a woman named Petra, who is cheating on him. Or that Rafael suspects his father may indeed be an infamous and elusive crime lord known as Sin Rostro. Not enough drama for you? Rafael’s sister Luisa is the doctor who accidentally artificially inseminated Jane, and is also having an affair with her and Rafael’s stepmother Rose.
The worst part: I have barely scratched the surface of all the dramatic turns this show takes. That is why I believe everyone should watch it, too! You never know what’s coming next, and every episode leaves the audience on the edge of their seat dying to see what happens next. If you enjoy a great romance with wonderful character development and learning about other cultures, then this is the show for you! The first four seasons can be streamed on Netflix, and the fifth and final season is soon to hit the CW Network as well.
