"Jane the Virgin' Cast, Recap, Spoilers & Trailer: Freshman Series Offers Whimsy and a Clear Voice
"Jane the Virgin," the freshman CW drama starring Gina Rodriguez, Andrea Navedo, Yael Grobglas and Ivonne Coll, is charming, and it's delighting viewers and fans everywhere. "Whimsical" and "miraculous," the series is one of a few new shows that place Latinos in the lead this season, alongside ABC's "Cristela," starring Cristela Alonzo.
Jane (Gina Rodriguez) is a virgin, pregnant, a devout Catholic and a bride-to-be. Four episodes into the new hit dramedy and a great deal has already happened: Jane has been unintentionally artificially inseminated during a routine gynecologist visit; she's now pregnant with her boss's child; she's set to wed her long-term boyfriend, Michael; and Jane's mother, Xiomara, tracks down Jane's father, who is a telenovela star and has been absent since Xiomara became pregnant at 16 years old.
"Jane's life becomes that of telenovelas. She just has this now extreme roller coaster of life that's ahead of her," Gina Rodriguez, 30, told People Magazine regarding her character. "I love that Jane is strong. She's independent. She's smart and she makes the unpopular decisions in life. She decides that sex, drugs and rock 'n roll is not the life she wants, and she's not afraid of that. She's not afraid of being different."
Based on a Venezuelan telenovela "Juana La Virgen," the heartfelt series happily introduces American audiences to telenovela-style television during prime time, without the foreboding music or lighting tricks. However, the series has the obligatory narrator (Anthony Mendez), who is credited as the "Latin Lover Narrator."
"Jane the Virgin" is entertaining and it has an authentic voice. The show blends witty dialogue, colorful storylines, complex characters, culturally fragrant content and the family's heritage. The fun series is unlike anything else currently on network TV.
"Jane the Virgin" airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on the CW. Each episode is available for viewing on CW's website and Hulu. "Chapter Five" airs Nov. 10, and in that episode Jane moves in with Michael -- which isn't as great as she thinks it'd be. Also, she gets to know her father.