I have this problem where I get obsessed with TV shows and movies. If you ask my mom, it’s been a thing for as long as she can remember. It’s started with Elmo and manifested into Cinderella (The Rodgers & Hammerstein’s version), Lizzie McGuire, Twilight, the list goes on. My newest obsession is The CW’s Jane the Virgin.
The plot line of this show is insane; Jane, a 22-year old virgin, becomes accidentally, artificially inseminated. She decides to keep the baby because the person whose sperm it was was saving it since he can no longer have children due to cancer. On top of that, her boyfriend of 2 years proposed to Jane that same day; all of that happens in episode one. Once the viewers are sucked in, they have no choice but to learn the little hidden lessons amidst all the Telenovela drama.
(The most recent episode is my focus here. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS!!)
Last week’s episode explores sexuality, gender, and double standards–subtly educating us all throughout the episode. Jane finds out that her boyfriend is bisexual and, because of her conservative upbringing, it doesn’t sit well with her as much as she would like it to. Throughout the episode, she begins to explore her sexuality in hopes of understanding where Adam, her boyfriend, is coming from. They ultimately have a talk where Adam explains his sexuality and answers all the questions that she, and the audience, has about what it means to be bisexual. While this is happening, Jane’s parents are going back and forth because her dad refuses to get a vasectomy– exploring that stigma amongst men and the double standard put on women with getting their tubes tied.
Almost every episode has some type of hidden lesson about the social constructs that govern our society. I look forward to seeing how the writers of the show will attack them each week, while still keeping the crazy drama of a Telenovela.
I strongly recommend this TV show to anyone who’s currently searching for something to binge watch on Netflix over winter break.