‘Jane the Virgin’: EP Jennie Snyder Urman On Finale Twists & “Joyful” Season 4
SPOILER ALERT: The story includes details about the Season 3 finale of the CW’s Jane the Virgin.
Just like its Season 2 finale, the CW’s Jane the Virgin wrapped its third season with a big wedding featuring a Villanueva woman (Xo and Rogelio vs. Jane and Michale last year), which again faced a slew of last-minute obstacles, including Jane having to take the bus to the ceremony after her ride broke down. Once again, there was a surprise pregnancy (Darci revealed she was expecting Rogelio’s baby. Xo discovered she was pregnant last year, while Jane gave birth in the Season 1 closer).
In another parallel to last year’s finale, which ended with Michael being shot, there was a gun pointed in the final minutes. This time, it was Anezka threatening to shoot her sister Petra after finding out that Petra had impersonated her to beak up with Scott. The finale forged an unlikely alliance of scorned siblings, Anezka and Luisa who conspired to turn on Petra and Rafael, respectively. With Anezka’s help, Luisa got ahold of the addendum to her father’s will and moved in to strip Rafael of his inheritance and take over the Marbella. And Jane, just as she was going to profess her awaken feelings for Rafael, got a surprise visit from her first love, Adam.
In an interview with Deadline, Jane the Virgin creator/executive producer Jennie Snyder Urman discusses the twists in the finale, Petra’s fate, the future of the Marbella as well as Jane’s love life with Adam entering the picture, Rogelio as a newlywed and expectant father, and the overall theme of Season 4.
DEADLINE: There were a lot of similarities between the Season 2 and Season 3 finale – a Villanueva wedding, a car problem and Jane riding on a bus to the ceremony, a gun pointed at the final moments. Why did you decide to repeat these elements?
SNYDER URMAN: Our show loves to play with symbols and themes; it’s our way of acknowledging the “fairytale” elements in our story, as well as the idea that you are watching a story. So, the elements that were repeated are intentional and thematic. As you know, we began our series with that fateful bus ride when Jane fainted and realized she was pregnant. We incorporated the bus into our finale the first season; Jane was on the bus when she went into labor. In the second season, she ended up on the bus on the way to her wedding. And in the writers’ room, we wanted to find a way to incorporate the bus into our season three finale as well. The new element was that this time, she saw her book advertised (albeit in teeny tiny writing!). So, it signified another big milestone for the character — she is now a published author! We see the bus as both literal and symbolic; it marks Jane’s passage into different stages of her life. She travelled on it as she journeyed into motherhood, into marriage, and now — on her way to her parents’ marriage — she has a realization about romantic love, how it’s not something that happens to you, how it’s something you fight for.
We also wanted to end this year a little more optimistically. Less trauma! We wanted a wedding (that great signifier of television finales!) but one that didn’t have a big twist at the end. Our twist came at the end of the first act when Darci revealed she’s carrying Rogelio’s baby (another theme — a new baby at the end of each season!), because we wanted our characters to go into their marriage knowing that a wedding does not connote a fairytale ending. Xo and Ro know that life will be complicated and difficult, but they committed to each other anyway. And as for the gun… well, what is a telenovela without a big threat on the horizon!
DEADLINE: How big an impact will Adam’s arrival have on Jane? Are we headed for another Jane love triangle, this time with Adam and Rafael?
SNYDER URMAN: Adam’s arrival definitely changes the course of Jane’s life and trajectory. Our show likes to construct, deconstruct, and reconstruct the idea of “meant to be”. Whereas Jane started off believing whole-heartedly in the idea that you are “meant to” be with one person, as she matures, and the show matures, we look at that question, and ask if it’s really true. Or is life, and romantic love, more about timing? We are, of course, always teasing out the possibility of Jane and Rafael — but we aren’t looking at a traditional love triangle with those three. And I can’t say anymore!
DEADLINE: Is Petra’s life in danger? Will Anezka pull the trigger?
SNYDER URMAN: Her life is definitely in danger! I can’t say whether or not she’ll pull the trigger, but I will say there will be a surprising sequence of events…
DEADLINE: Will we have Anezka impersonate her sister again?
SNYDER URMAN: No.
DEADLINE: Will Luisa indeed take control of the Marbella (with Petra, who also has a stake in the hotel?) and will Rafael try to take it back? What is next for him?
SNYDER URMAN: Luisa is in charge! Rafael is out. And I’m so interested in telling stories about how Rafael adjusts to life without the trappings of great wealth and extreme privilege. Which is not to say he will give up the hotel easily; he definitely won’t. But at some point, he’s going to have to accept the fact that he doesn’t have money anymore. And seeing how his life changes is one of the storylines I’m most excited about for next year.
DEADLINE: Will we see more of Yara Martinez, who plays Luisa, next season?
SNYDER URMAN: She’s a regular on The Tick, but I hope to use her more often. I love Yara so much, I love the (slightly unhinged) energy she brings to the show, I love how she handles comedy and drama, and I am very anxious to explore what she does now that she’s turned on her brother and she’s left in charge of the Marbella! I will use her as much as I can!
DEADLINE: How will Rogelio balance wedding bliss and pending fatherhood?
SNYDER URMAN: Well, it’s going to be difficult… for him and for Xiomara and for Darci. They are all part of each others’ lives and there is no love lost at the moment. It’s going to be challenging for all of them. Xo and Ro are definitely not going to have the traditional “honeymoon period.” Right away their relationship will be challenged. But they are up for the challenge!
DEADLINE: Season 2 was about Jane as a mother, Season 3 was about her growing up. What will Season 4 be about?
SNYDER URMAN: Season 4 is going to be about “recapturing the joy.” The worst has happened. Jane lost Michael. And yet, she still has a lot of life to live. I want to see Jane fight for her joy, I want to see her go after her happiness, I want to see her open herself up to a new, evolved version of “happily ever after.”
Related stories
Warriors Win Push NBA Playoffs Series Ratings Up, 'Bachelorette' & 'Carpool Karaoke' Return Down
The CW New Series Trailers: 'Life Sentence' Starring Lucy Hale, Military Drama 'Valor'
Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
