Fandom Speaks: Jane the Virgin Edition
Looking through Tumblr posts following the Jane the Virgin premiere on Monday, there appear to be three main topics of interest to fans:
- Baby Mateo is safe! Rafael holding him is life.
- So many conflicting feels in regards to the Michael/Jane/Rafael love triangle.
- Petra’s “Con List”
So first, it was very surprising to many viewers how quickly Baby Mateo was found and brought back to his parents. Many expected the storyline to span over at least a few episodes, but are glad he’s back safe and sound and is happily being super adorable in daddy’s arms. The question is: what craziness will come next? If the baby being kidnapped was resolved so easily, what much more horrible things might the writers have in store?
And second, the show is not making it easy for fans to be #TeamRafael OR #TeamMichael. Between Michael saving the day and breaking the law to bring Baby Mateo home and Rafael cradling his infant son in his arms, hearts are melting and being tugged in two directions at once. Writers, if you’re reading this, it is most definitely being suggested that an OT3 be considered here. Instead of making everyone choose whose team to be on, many are asking for #TeamRafaelANDMichael and reminding anyone who will listen that polyamory is a thing.
However, the most intriguing of the discussions on Tumblr revolve around Petra’s con list when she’s contemplating whether to try to impregnate herself with Rafael’s last sperm sample. The list reads as follows:
Cons
Pregnant
Baby
Motherhood
Maternity Clothes
Now, this was surely meant to be comical. A telling joke about how selfish and self-aware Petra is as a character. However, it has brought to light what is perhaps a surprising revelation. Petra’s con list is extremely relatable for many fans.
In days past, it was expected that young women would want to procreate, become mothers, let their nurturing side thrive in their home lives. But that is not necessarily the case anymore.
Women are now acknowledging the difficulties, the annoyances, the discomforts of pregnancy and how that disrupts their previously well-established routines. They are more aware than ever of the negative, inhibiting aspects of having a newborn and are realizing that those things merely change or evolve as the child grows rather than magically disappearing and making things ‘easy’ again.
Motherhood is HARD. Maternity clothes cost a fortune as does everything else about having a child. And parenting isn’t a job you can quit or decide later that you’re no good at.
Once you have a child, nothing is ever the same again. And women today know that and take it into consideration more than ever before.
So Petra, here’s to you. You may not have been portraying every woman in this episode, but you sure were representing many a woman. Fans salute you and thank you for being honest with yourself and with us.