From an outsider’s perspective, Jane The Virgin can be written off as a corny, preteen drama show. I certainly wrote it off as such when I first saw the trailers on TV. Jane Villanueva, a religious virgin, gets accidentally artificially inseminated, and the sperm just so happens to belong to Rafael Solano, a man whom Jane once had a huge crush on. It’s easy to see how this plot could sound cheesy to someone who has never watched the show, and this cheesy plot kept me from watching this show for way too long.
Thankfully, Netflix kept putting Jane in my recommendations, until the day I finally decided to give the show a try. I wasn’t expecting to become completely obsessed. Now, I’m the one forcing my friends and family to watch, with the constant reassurance that it’s not as cheesy as it sounds. Trust me, it’s not, and I’ll tell you why:
1. The cast is diverse as hell.
Jane is a half-Mexican, half-Venezuelan woman—and not only that, but she’s the star of the show! There are so few shows on TV, or anywhere, really, with a woman of color as the lead with her skin not being the main focus of the show.
The majority of the main cast are also people of color, making the white characters the minority of the show.
2. Not every character is straight.
Also, refreshingly, not every character in this show is heterosexual. Rafael’s sister, Luisa Solano, and their stepmother, Rose Solano, are lesbians, and again, their sexuality is not something that is focused on in the show—it’s just one of the characters’ many traits.
3. It has a positive and progressive portrayal of Latin culture.
The entire show is portrayed through a telenovela format—and everybody knows telenovelas are a classic part of Latin culture. Jane takes all of the stereotypes from telenovela dramas and challenges them. Jane’s mother Xiomara and her grandmother Alba are expressions of the stereotypical female characters often seen in telenovelas—but with a modern, progressive twist!
Xiomara represents the sassy, sexy Latina woman often seen in popular media, while Alba represents the devoutly religious and strict grandmother who is also often seen in TV tropes. However, Jane knows that women hold multitudes, and that there is more to women than the traditional boxes we often subconsciously put them in.
4. None of the characters are defined by their sexuality.
Despite the show’s title, Jane’s virginity—and all of the other characters’ sexuality—does not define her character. Jane is just as much of a sexual being as any of the other characters, despite her abstinence, and she is much more than that as well. Jane is a writer, a mother, a daughter, a teacher, etc. Jane reminds viewers that women—like all people—are much, much more than how much or how little sex they have.
5. The glorious romance.
I’m just going to leave it at that. If you’re like me, you love a good romance, and trust me, Jane certainly delivers in that area, as well as literally all others. Whether you want Jane to end up with Michael or Rafael, you’ll be on the edge of your seat watching as each new telenovela-styled plot twist smacks you right in the face, leaving you hoping and praying that Jane ends up with the perfect guy.
Jane The Virgin is a show that is incredibly self-aware, honest and fun. It takes stereotypical TV tropes and turns them on their head, while simultaneously leaving viewers adoring the cheesiness of the story itself. If you want to watch a show that’s hilarious, heartbreaking, well-written, and amazingly acted, then you’ve found your perfect match.
