Entertainment

'Jane The Virgin' Season 3 Started Off With A Bang

by Caitlin Gallagher
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As with any season of Jane the Virgin, the first part of Season 3 solved many mysteries for fans, but also added even more intrigue. Life is never boring for Jane Villanueva and the first half of Season 3 of Jane the Virgin more than proved that. While some major cliffhangers from Jane the Virgin Season 2 were resolved, new characters and new revelations for the existing characters meant that Jane's life will continue to be complicated when Season 3 returns on Jan. 23.

With only seven episodes of Season 3 airing so far, you might not think you need a recap of what already happened this season of Jane the Virgin. However, the last time viewers saw Jane was during the Nov. 28 episode, "Chapter 51." That means two months have passed since Rafael learned about a family secret and Jane's cousin proved to be untrustworthy. In order to adequately prepare for the rest of Jane the Virgin Season 3, I'm here to remind you of the major moments that have already gone down in the third season.

Jane the Virgin Season 3 continued to balance telenovela levels of drama with honest storylines about some of the most sensitive topics ever to grace TV with all the humor, class, and skill that fans have come to expect. So, be like Jane and study up on what went down in Season 3 so far before the series returns for "Chapter 52."

Michael Survived

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The series resolved the Season 2 finale cliffhanger of Michael being shot by Rose in disguise quickly in the dramatic Season 3 premiere. Jane's new husband survived the gun shot and even regained full mobility, thanks to Jane choosing that he undergo a risky surgery. That meant Jane and Michael finally got to live in (relative) domestic bliss for the beginning of Season 3 and Michael has plans of returning to the police force — even though his police work does upset Jane. The love triangle between Jane, Michael, and Rafael also came to an end (for now) with Rafael telling Jane that he was officially over her.

Xo Had A Medical Abortion

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Another twist at the end of Season 2 was that Xo had taken a pregnancy test and it was positive. Season 3 showed that she really was pregnant and the baby was Esteban's — Rogelio's number one rival. Xo had made it clear she didn't want to have another child in Season 2, so she decided to have a medical abortion. Although Alba didn't approve of Xo's choice, it was a powerful storyline about a woman being in charge of her own body.

Anezka Dated Scott

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At the end of Season 2, Petra's twin sister Anezka paralyzed her to steal her identity. While Petra was unable to move or speak, Anezka did a pretty good job pretending to be Petra. However, Rafael should have known Petra was not herself when she fell in love with Marbella employee Scott. Despite both of their scheming, Anezka and Scott's feelings for one another were genuine.

Jane Lost Her Virginity

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The name of the series became a misnomer in the third episode of Season 3 since Jane had sex with Michael. All of the anticipation made it a bit underwhelming the first time around for Jane, but by the end of the episode, our favorite former virgin discovered the joy of sex.

Rafael's Mother Was Murdered

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Luisa was hiding away with her love Rose in Season 3, but when she found out that the crime lord Sin Rostro still had a kill list — which included her half brother's mother and brother — she returned home. She confessed to Rafael that Rose was planning to kill his mother Elena and his brother Derek, but the warning was too late to save Mutter. She died in her prison cell, but not before leaving a cryptic message about "the son." As for Derek, Jane the Virgin hasn't shown whether or not he's really dead or alive yet.

Petra Woke Up With A Vengeance

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Jane was the person who realized that Anezka had taken over Petra's identity and Rafael used that information to help Petra finally emerge from her paralysis. Yet, rather than be grateful to Rafael and Jane, Petra was enraged at her ex-husband. She decided to keep it secret that Anezka had been impersonating her to most people, but confessed to Rafael that she would be taking him down based on things he had said when she was paralyzed. She tried to take the majority ownership of the Marbella, but Scott and Rafael formed an alliance to keep her from being in total control.

Jane Met Her Cousin

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Despite her abuela's protests, Jane had been writing about Alba's life for her grad school thesis. While researching Alba's past, Jane discovered she had a cousin Catalina, who is the granddaughter of Alba's estranged sister Cecilia. Catalina ended up showing up unannounced at Michael and Jane's house and though Jane was excited to have more family in her life, Alba didn't trust Catalina — and for good reason. Catalina is definitely keeping shady secrets and even started dating Rafael to further mess with Jane's life. Watch out for this one when Season 3 comes back.

Xo Reunited With An Old Love

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Xo made positive strides in her career when she decided to open up her own dance school after being inspired by a "Beauty School Dropout" dream sequence. Yet, she took a step back when it came to her love life since she started dating her ex-boyfriend Bruce. (Although he had never been on the series before, he was referenced in the very first episode of Jane the Virgin.) Before the series started, Bruce dated Xo when he was still married (which Xo admitted she knew), but in Season 3, he claimed his marriage was over. That didn't change Jane's opinion of her mother dating Bruce and this romantic relationship will most likely continue to be a problem for the mother and daughter in Season 3.

Rogelio Found His Baby Mama

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After Rogelio saw Xo making out with her ex Bruce, he decided to refocus his energy on having a child. So, he enlisted the help of Darci Factor, High Dollar Love Dealer. He unsuccessfully went on some speed dates with celebs Denise Richards, Carmen Electra, and Brooke Burke-Charvet before Darci realized that Rogelio should just have a child with her. Their relationship wasn't romantic when Season 3 went on a break, but who knows what will happen as these two big personalities attempt to have a child together.

Rafael Learned About His Family

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In an Alfred Hitchcock-themed episode before the show went on its winter hiatus, Rafael and Jane went to a church to unearth Rafael's past. Thanks to Elena's dying message and Jane's desire to bring Mateo to church, Rafael started having flashbacks about his childhood. He learned from Mother Superior Constantine that he isn't the biological child of Elena Di Nola and Emilio Solano, but he was adopted by Elena in Italy. That means more family drama for Rafael as he most likely will try to find his biological parents during the rest of Season 3.

With 15 more episodes left in Season 3, you can expect Jane the Virgin to bring more emotional twists and turns when it makes its triumphant return on Monday, Jan. 23 at 9 p.m.