S3E13 "Chapter Fifty-Seven"
The episode starts with a flashback two years earlier, eighteen months after Michael's death. Rafael tells Jane that he is dating someone (so he's been dating Abbey for two years!) and he encourages Jane to start writing again. This encouragement is perfect. In the present, Rafael lets Jane know that she prefers female authority figures over male authority figures, as she prepares to meet her new, male editor. It's funny when she meets him, and he is overly excited about her novel. Jane works on adding more obstacles to her novel, and the obstacle she adds of the Rafael-based character trying to win the Jane-based character back results in some funny moments for Justin Baldoni.
Jane later decides to add a part where a character based on Xo seduces Rafael's character, and it is very funny when Xo opposes this. Jane tries again with an obstacle by adding Petra in the story, and it's very funny. Jane goes to her editor, and when they talk she discovers that they actually work together well. Jane continues to work on her story, and it's funny when Alba asks when she gets to show up in her story. Jane talks to Alba, and she has wonderful insight about how Jane's former love for Rafael deepened what Jane and Michael had.
Jane and Rafael get Mateo an aide. Jane thinks that a mom is being mean to her, and when she overhears something she snaps at her and the person she's talking to, which turns out to the the president of the school. Petra helps Jane try to fix this, which goes poorly. Jane volunteers for a fundraising event, but ends up selling way less raffle tickets than last year. When talking to the aide, Jane realizes that she doesn't like the aide because she gossips about the parents and kids. So, Jane and Rafael decide to go with the male aide instead.
In the other stories this week, Petra can't get her mind off of how she moved the bones, Rafael deals with Abbey wanting to move in with him, and Rogelio tries to settle his breach of contract. These stories weren't as strong as Jane's. The Petra story had some good moments, but the Rafael story and the story with Rogelio and Xo weren't all that interesting. Bruce proposes to Xo, and it's a great scene. At the end, Abbey tips the police that the investigation into Scott's death should be re-opened, a nice cliffhanger for the next episode.
Jane's stories this week were strong, especially the writing one. I love Jane's writing-themed stories, as long as they don't copy previous plots, as has happened. The scene between Jane and Rafael at the end of the episode seemed to indicate that the Jane and Rafael romance may be coming back soon, which I hope doesn't happen because it just feels wrong now.
Score: 8/10
What did you think of "Chapter Fifty-Seven"? Leave your thoughts in the comments!