When news first came out that Jane the Virgin was in development at The CW, we were a bit confused. The show follows bright-eyed Jane Villanueva, an aspiring school teacher who is accidentally impregnated. Then I figured it out: This is The CW, so surely Jane must’ve been abducted by some hot space aliens and became pregnant after a series of scientific tests and probing; or maybe it was a new vampire/werewolf rule that allowed humans to get pregnant without actual intercourse.
I thought I figured it out, but I was wrong. The show, which is based on a Venezuelan telenovela, follows Jane as she shows up at her gynecologist for a routine pap smear and is accidentally artificially inseminated. I will be first to admit that early on, I ridiculed the show for its premise, but after watching the pilot in May, I loved it so much I actually watched it again four more times over the course of a few months.
With the series premiere just hours away, OMFGTV has made a list of reasons why you should take a chance and tune in to this new series.
IT COULD HAPPEN | Many who read the logline laughed at its incredulous premise and found it outlandish. But don’t dismiss the show; series star Gina Rodriguez says that it could happen in real life. “When you see the show,” she explained on The Late Show with David Letterman, “it is scarily plausible.” She even offered up a warning to the women in the audience. “Watch out, ladies,” she said. “I’m serious, watch out.” It was certain special circumstances, which you’ll see in the premiere that lead up to the accidental insemination.
GREAT CAST | This is The CW after all, so in true fashion, the cast is comprised entirely of sexy, pretty faces. Andrea Navedo, Brett Dier, Justin Baldoni, Azie Tesfai, and Yael Grobglas (to name a few) are all very pretty to look at. And while this adaptation is a star-making vehicle for Rodriguez, it is Navedo as the often hilarious and always inappropriate mother of Jane who grabbed our attention and steals the show with her quotable one-liners. All her character needs is a gay best friend, and she’ll be set!
LOVE TRIANGLES | The Jane the Virgin pilot definitely sets up a love triangle that certainly will be explored in the coming episodes. And we love a good triangle. This one is between the love of her life and hopefully soon-to-be fiancé Michael and the source of the sperm in question, Raphael.
TWISTED | The premiere episode alone has a lot of shocking OMFG moments enough to cover the span of an entire season! One of my main concerns was if the show would be able to sustain that for an entire season. Fortunately, showrunner Jennie Urman revealed at Paley Fest that each episode will have a lot of twists and turns!
FRESH | On a network whose primetime lineup consists mostly of vampires, witches, and comic book superheroes, Virgin is a breath of fresh air. So why not start off your week on Mondays watching this gem of a show before diving into the deep, dark supernatural goodness for the rest of the week? We were also impressed that the show uses a lot of the Spanish language. Abuela Alba speaks English in all the promos, but in the pilot we watched, she spoke solely in Spanish. We asked Urman back in May which language Alba will be speaking on the show, and thankfully she said that it will be Spanish only!
BONUS TIP | If you don’t want Gina Rodriguez to find you and cut you(!), you better tune in!
Final Word: Virgin is a fantastic romantic comedy with a twist. Not since Ugly Betty have we seen a pairing of two familial women with such a strong bond. Jane the Virgin delivers the twists, the laughs, and a whole of love, and if you can get past the title and the premise of the show, I think you’ll find yourself falling in love with the series.
Jane the Virgin premieres tonight at 9pm on The CW.