a love letter to my favorite show

All through life, I have found myself returning over and over to one show: Jane the Virgin. I just finished yet another rewatch (it feels like the hundredth time), and somehow, I’m even more in love with it than before.

I’m not sure when it became a favorite. But there it always was, waiting for me, four or five rewatches later – always ready to teach me something new, or make me feel something different.

But what made it so special? The writing, direction, acting, editing — it’s all absolutely BRILLIANT. Jane the Virgin is one of the most uniquely edited mainstream TV shows I have ever seen. Inspired by telenovelas (those gloriously dramatic Latin American serials), it artfully blends reality and drama with touches of magical realism that feel…well, magical. At its core, this show embraces the truth that life is messy, emotional, complicated, and deeply human. It doesn’t hide from that, it leans into it.

“Life is full of tough moments, you have to fight for what you want.” —Jane

Characters That Feel Real

The characters are so layered…they are relatable yet completely their own people. The protagonist, Jane Villanueva, is an aspiring and struggling writer who is emotional, thoughtful, quirky, and overly caring. She watches telenovelas with the same devotion I watch my Bollywood movies. And somewhere in her – especially in her love for writing – I see myself.

It’s taught me so much about life, too. Alba’s wisdom. Jane’s resilience. Xiomara’s fierce spirit. Rogelio’s flamboyance. Michael’s unwavering loyalty. Rafael’s complicated and sincere love. Petra’s unapologetic badassery.

If I have to explain the kind of work I want to do as a writer, I’d probably point to this show. It’s genre-defying, refusing to fit neatly into a single category. And it is funny, heartbreaking, suspenseful, and socially aware all at once. The characters are compellingly real, tackling big themes and emotional elements without losing their humanity.

As a writer, I’m in awe of how well this show is put together. It juggles so many genres, tropes, and tones – all while delivering one of the most creative, clever, and heartfelt pieces of TV I’ve ever seen.

All the Feels (and then some)

There are countless moments and lines in the show that changed how I saw things. Words that stayed with me. Scenes that made me cry (a lot, I’m a certified crier). Dialogues that made me pause and reflect. And the show remains consistently sharp and witty through it all. It doesn’t rely on making the characters stupid or keeping them stagnant to manufacture drama. Everything develops organically.

The Villanueva women felt like home to me. Three generations under one roof. Fiercely loyal, endlessly stubborn, always loving…even when it’s messy. They were different women shaped by different times, and watching them clash and care for each other felt so real.

This show doesn’t offer just one love story, but many: Jane and Michael, Jane and Rafael, Alba and Jorge, Xiomara and Rogelio. Each relationship has its own texture, its own truth. And what I appreciate is that the love here isn’t simple. It’s not always tidy or deserved. It’s messy, it hurts, it heals. It changes people.

But through it all, love remains constant. It’s sincere, passionate, and deeply comforting. No matter the challenges, these characters choose to fight for love, to hold on to it, and to grow because of it. This all might sound cliché, but once you watch the show, you’ll be more than willing to embrace all the clichés and all the cringeworthy moments :))

Who are We?

One of the most powerful parts of the show is how it constantly questions identity. Who are we, really? If we change, can we go back to our old selves? How significant are labels in our lives?

[⚠️ spoiler alert!] For me, one of the most powerful storylines about sex is embedded in the title itself. When the show begins, Jane is 23 and still a virgin. Even after accidentally getting pregnant, becoming a mother, and getting married, she doesn’t have sex until later in the show. When she finally does, the series doesn’t erase its premise — instead, it embraces her growth. The title card keeps evolving each episode: “Virgin” is crossed out and replaced with something new – Jane the Roommate, Jane the Ordained, Jane the Girl In Love, Jane the Published Freaking Author!! The point is clear: she is so much more than that one label.

A Story About Stories

This work, along with many other ones that I love, all have one thing in common: storytelling. The way the story is told, the creative and narrative choices, the intelligent writing, and the editing all work towards telling this incredible story. At its core, storytelling is how we survive our own messiness. How we take random, painful, funny, confusing events and stitch them into something meaningful to share with the world. Or with ourselves.

Jane the Virgin is honest about being a story. It doesn’t pretend life is neat – it leans into the drama, the twists, the tropes, the emotions, because that’s often what life feels like. Messy, unexpected, over-the-top. It celebrates storytelling as a craft. The narrator, the chapter titles, and the voiceovers are all reminders that someone is consciously telling this tale with love and intention. In a way, we do the same in our own lives – add an imaginary soundtrack in our heads, turn our struggles into monologues, exaggerate the drama of day-to-day moments. Maybe it’s a coping mechanism, or maybe it’s our way of making meaning….who knows? That’s what Jane the Virgin does so well, it makes the ordinary feel magical, without ever losing its honesty.

Watching this show reminds me of the kind of storyteller I want to be. Brave enough to blend genres. Honest enough to show flaws. Passionate enough to address important topics and themes. And resilient enough to keep trying. It teaches me that a good story should not be afraid of being vulnerable. Or funny. Or completely ridiculous. Because real life is all those things too.

The show constantly asks: Who are you really? Are you one thing forever? Or do you get to become new things? Jane the Virgin’s story makes me believe we’re all works in progress. Always rewriting ourselves. And as long as we are telling our stories, however they are, that’s all that matters.

I know I will return to this show again, like I always do. And it will be waiting for me with new lessons, new reflections and the same old comfort.

What About You?

Have you watched Jane the Virgin? What stayed with you (a character, a quote, a relationship, a scene)? Do you have a show that always feels like home?

I’d love to hear what you think! Let’s talk stories.