Oh, wow, I was wondering why she looked familiar! Thanks!

Always love these reviews by Valentine!

I really have to second all of this, especially the expectations set up by season 1 for Joan's equality in the partnership. The lesser development of Joan ever since feels like reneging.

"but there are some uncomfortable racial politics in turning the show’s one black male character into a literal monster during an episode that is trying to combat the racist ideology of the time."

I think he's currently there primarily to show us how similar Rafael & Michael are—whenever one takes on the fantasy boyfriend role, the other has the resentful dumped boyfriend who can't bear to move on part—and to bide his time for both the romance and suspense plots to incorporate him in a major way.

Such a great episode…Xo and Petra throwing shade and compliments, Xo and Alba having that wonderful, wonderful, heart-wrenching and badly needed confrontation, and Jane and Petra being the world's best frenemies. What more could you ask for?

OK, you sent me to Wikipedia. I have heard a lot of jokes about how terrible that movie is, but that sounds worse than I imagined!

Yes, finally someone else sees it! I was surprised the reviewer didn't comment on it.

I agree on both counts.

Petra barking out how much she hated that film made me laugh hysterically!

Gina Rodriguez is fantastic at background reaction shots! See also 1) during that intense fight between Alba & Xo and 2) anytime Rogelio is being himself in the same scene.

I think that line about his last breath was very deliberate and about the long-term plot, but damned if I can figure out where they're going with it….

Likewise, I'll never be #TeamMichael (he was just too horrible in the first season, and the show is uninterested in correcting the flaws that bother me most, his ethical failures as a cop and with his brother), and for me Jane/Michael being happy together, though wonderfully acted, is just less fun to watch that…

The kidnapping storyline is also the writers being meta about the Stephen King book & film Misery—that's why his first telenovela is called La Miseria, and Paola is definitely channeling Kathy Bates!

All good points, especially the part about political candidates.

While I think the actors play their relationship incredibly well, I actually have trouble rooting for Michael and Jane because I don't believe they're going to end up together. There are too many signs that point against it…

Great review, and I love the point about how the camera frames Joan.

I thought she hit it out of the park in her two scenes, though; her presence in the final one changed the tone considerably.

I may have no sophistication, but every time they cut to Cheddar I laughed like a hyena.

That was PURE GOLD coming out of Diaz's mouth.