If you’re looking for a new Netflix show, you’ve come to the right place! Jane the Virgin is an amazing show for a multitude of reasons, and here are a few of them!
The plot
The story of Jane the Virgin starts off with a woman in her early 20s. Jane Villanueva gets accidentally artificially inseminated. This comes out to be even more of a shocker considering Jane (as the title states) is a virgin! The story consists of twists and turns so the audience is constantly on their toes. You’ll find yourself loving a character in one episode and being frustrated with them in the next, which keeps you from feeling bored while you watch. Don’t be fooled by its placement in the romantic category on Netflix, JTV is full of suspense, crime, drug lords, murder, mistaken identities and various storylines that keep you intrigued as to what happens next.
The love triangle
JTV falls under the Romantic TV shows section of Netflix, so naturally, the romances that occur on the show play a great part in the story. The love triangle occurs between Jane, her long-time boyfriend Michael Cordero and Rafael Solano, her boss with whom she shared a romantic moment with back in the day.
I personally have never been the biggest fan of love triangles because I always feel that there is a clear person that is more suited to the character than the other. However, I found myself going back and forth between who I liked better as much as Jane did.
The structure of the show
JTV is a loose English adaption of a Spanish telenovela called Juana le Virgin. Due to this, the show follows the different elements of what makes a telenovela so entertaining such as emotional realism. The values and issues that make the show what it is are friendship, family, love, grief, motherhood, financial issues, cultural issues and more, and many of which are very realistic. Although a lot of the show is dramatized, these elements showcase real-life experiences and issues that many people can relate to, making the show that much better.
Additionally, since JTV is an English adaptation of telenovelas, it draws in a new fan base of watchers to enjoy telenovelas, which could potentially include you! A few of my friends and I started watching Spanish shows after watching JTV because we wanted to see the storytelling in Spanish telenovelas. Even if you don’t do this, I’m sure that by the end of the show you will have an appreciation for telenovelas and Spanish storytelling.
***Side Note: I would definitely recommend watching a Spanish telenovela after or while you watch JTV if you enjoy it. It’s also super fun to watch the show in its original language because
you can see and hear the passion in the actors and actresses’ voices, plus you’re supporting original content!! ***
The Narrator
This fits into the structure of the show but it deserves its own category. Throughout the show, each episode is referred to as a chapter, reflecting the fact that Jane is a writer, and her story progresses in the way that a novel would. Going along with this, there is a narrator who contributes to the show in various ways. He often says what you’re already thinking and provides a humorous aspect to the show. The narrator’s identity is unknown, which makes it interesting throughout because you wonder who this person is, but it is revealed towards the end of the show.
Character Development
I won’t give anything away, but I will say that the characters in Jane the Virgin really grow as the show continues. There are 5 seasons of the show, and each of the main characters change so much throughout, which really makes you connect to the show better as you can see what happens to the characters as they progress through life.
The Women Empowerment
Although the love triangle is often what is played up on this show, JTV thrives off of its strong female characters, specifically Jane, her mother and her grandmother. These three women demonstrate strength in various ways throughout the show. Jane relies on them both for each experience she goes through and they show that they are a strong support system for Jane each time. In addition to these women, the show itself showcases many instances where women are put down and subsequently s strong female responses to these difficult times. What I love about JTV is that even though romance is a large focus of the show, each decision that Jane makes is a decision she makes in order to better herself. Although you may not agree with everything Jane does, and she might frustrate you at times, she does a great job of not letting other people tell her what to do unless she wants to do it herself.
I can go on and on about why JTV is such a great show, but I’ll let you guys experience some of it for yourselves! Stay safe, healthy and binge watch some JTV!