‘Jane the Virgin’ recap: Jane chooses her man

The best thing about any given episode of the CW’s “Jane the Virgin” is the effortless way in which it invites its audience into its blissfully chaotic universe. Even when it’s flailing, the show creates a space where viewers can feel confident that they their enjoyment is in the hands of people who want nothing more than to show them a good time and will succeed more often than not.

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It’s this trust and goodwill that creator Jennie Snyder Urman and crew have fostered with their audience that allows “Jane the Virgin” to embrace the more fantastical elements of its telenovela roots and use them as a tool to discuss serious and important issues, such as immigration reform, in an episode that also prominently features Britney Spears and a roving pop posse.

For the uninitiated, “Jane the Virgin” centers around a young, virginal woman who is accidentally impregnated when she goes in for a pap smear and ends up in a love triangle with the man she has a child with and her fiance at the time of her impregnation. In true telenovela form, there are myriad complications, including the appearance of an absentee father who happens to be a TV star, a grandmother living illegally in the U.S. and a murderous mystery drug dealer.

In this week’s episode, Jane finally comes to realize that she wants to be with her ex-fiance Michael, news that she has yet to share with Michael or Rafael, the father of her son, Mateo. She’s torn by the development as she doesn’t want to hurt either man nor upset the delicate balance she’s created for Mateo.

Meanwhile, her abuela, Alba, is finally taking the first steps toward becoming a U.S. citizen, but it hinges on daughter Xiomara’s sponsorship, something that’s in question when it’s revealed that Xiomara has a secret felony charge in her past.

Alternatively, Jane’s father, Rogelio, is excited because Spears is in town and he’ll finally have an opportunity to confront her about their falling-out a few years back.

As if that weren’t enough, there are no less than two other storylines at work in “Chapter Twenty-Seven” and it’s this kinetic energy that keeps the series rocketing along, with nary a moment spent getting bogged down in any whys or wherefores that might arise.

In all honesty, “Jane the Virgin” is a difficult show to recap, as nothing is gained by picking it apart and seeking out weaknesses in its infrastructure.

Too often, we want all our hourlong shows to look the same and be judged on the same metric. Though that may work for shows such as “Fargo” or “The Leftovers” or “The Americans,” it’s all but impossible with a series such as “Jane the Virgin.”

But in no way does that diminish what “Jane the Virgin” accomplishes every week on the television landscape. Merely by centering a show around three Latinas, the series distinguishes itself from most other shows, providing desperately needed representation in a medium in which is is too often lacking.

More than that, however, “Jane the Virgin” exists almost wholly in a realm of light and love that just doesn’t exist on most other hourlong shows. Jane has faith, she has hope, she has the belief that things will work out in the end, all while being ridiculously grounded about the world she lives in. That, in and of itself, is somewhat miraculous for a television character.

When Jane decides that she needs to choose neither of her suitors and instead focus on raising her son in a stable environment, she does so not as a pawn but because it’s what she believes will create the best life for everyone involved.

What “Jane the Virgin” offers is a sense of frothy and fun entertainment that serves largely as a front, while the show itself consistently delivers politically active and inclusive commentary. In “Chapter Twenty-Seven,” it urged viewers to vote in order to stabilize ever-changing immigration policy.

“Jane” delivers showmanship and substance, all while creating an atmosphere that welcomes its audience into the family. No matter what metric you use, it’s simply great TV.

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