Jane the Virgin S1E9 - "Chapter Nine" Recap

A flashback of Jane is shown to be writing her first short story. IT was the same night she learned that dreams weren't practical as she shortly thereafter went to show her mother who was in an argument with Alba about being behind on the bills and not being able to pay them by pursuing singing. In present day, Jane gets a letter that one of her short stories will be published. She expresses her stress to Rafael, who is taking the bus with her for the first time ever, because the story is a loose but unflattering caricature of her mother.

Rogelio is stressed about the upcoming Palomas which are like the Oscars for telenovelas. He is nominated for Best Actor, as is his nemesis Esteban Santiago. Meanwhile, Xo is stressed about an upcoming meeting with a big music producer so she prays to her musical idol Paulina Rubio. Michael and his partner are stressing about losing the Serbian war criminal. Michael develops a theory that Rafael is Sin Rostro and his partner thinks he's crazy, holding a grudge, and just indulging his vendetta based on circumstantial evidence. Michael ends up asking his brother to help him dig up information on Rafael to confirm his ridiculous theory. He steals Rafael's wallet and they find that there is a key sewn into the wallet. They later break into Rafael's office and find that the key unlocks a hidden safe that is stocked with cash, a burner phone, and multiple passports but they're unable to investigate further because a cleaning lady is passing by.

Jane and Rafael hit some stumbling blocks at their first sonogram when they realise they have different beliefs about how to raise their child. They make peace when they hear that their baby is doing well but then Petra shows up to demand that she be part of the child's life (really, all she wants is more money).

Rogelio comes over to Xo's to invite all three Villanueva women to come to the Palomas with him, which they accept. The after party will be happening at the hotel, by the way. Also, Ivan is shown to be plotting his escape by mimicking the escape he sees on the telenovela Rogelio is on. He later steals a nail file as part of that plot but misses the crucial moment in the plot since Petra had momentarily turned the television off.

Xo's meeting doesn't go well, as the producer had expected the singer he heard from her demo to be younger. When she goes to research expanding her dance studio using Jane's computer, she discovers that Jane had a story that would be published.

Jane is upset when Petra hires a big shot lawyer to make a play at custody for the baby and runs into Michael in the hallway and tells him about it when he insists on knowing why she is so upset. He offers to help by giving her a wire so she could catch Petra admitting that she just wants money.

Rogelio learns about the producer thinking Xo was too old and Xo gets into a small argument with Jane over the story. Jane says that it was only how she felt more so when she was younger. Xo admits that the one boyfriend she had that was serious caused Jane heartbreak when the relationship ended because she had gotten attached and that was the reason Xo dated so much (and never seriously). Xo also informs Jane that she already signed the consent form as Jane for Jane's story to be published.

Petra's back story is revealed. She was in the Czech Republic and her psycho ex-boyfriend was vengeful and tried to get her back. He tried to throw some acid at her but it ended up hitting her mother in the face, explaining the scars, and caused her to run into the street and get hit by a car, explaining her mother's paralysis.

Jane meets with Petra to try to bait her into revealing some shadiness but she seemingly doesn't take the bait. Michael tries to tell Jane that Rafael is no good but she won't listen, knowing his story doesn't hold up. Jane meets with Rafael, who had been listening in on Jane's conversation with Petra and notes that Petra's story doesn't add up. She claims that her father died before the Berlin Wall fell and they were unable to be reunited beforehand but Petra, according to her passport, was born after the Berlin Wall fell. It's time to investigate!

The Palomas are underway and all the Villanueva women are in attendance. Unfortunately, Rogelio doesn't win the award and his nemesis Esteban does. At the after party, Jane and Rafael confront Petra and inform her that the real Petra, the one whose passport she's been carrying around, died in 2008. In a flashback we see Ivan telling Natalia/Petra about a recently deceased woman named Petra whose identity she can assume to get away from Milos who had just tried to kill/injure/disfigure her. Petra has no choice but to quietly sign the divorce papers, drop the suit, and stay away from their baby.

Xo meets Paulina Rubio at the after party, who advises her to not give up on her dreams. Petra is resigned for her and her mother to just go back home and start over, even if it means Milos finding them. Her mother says that she will take care of things. Jane tells Rogelio that she had bet money on him to win the Paloma and he is overjoyed, feeling in that moment like he has won anyway. We then learn that Rogelio had arranged for Paulina to meet her and he goes outside to thank her. Jane advises Xo to pursue her relationship with Rogelio and that she shouldn't use Jane as an excuse.

Rafael has to show Michael and his partner his safe, as they have gotten a warrant off of Michael's brother's false testimony, but when he opens it there is nothing inside. They then discover a secret passageway in the room the Serbian was staying in. A drunken Alba goes upstairs to give Petra a piece of her mind and ends up discovering that Petra's mother is in the room with Ivan (who is very obviously a hostage). She tries to get away but Petra's mother is revealed to faking being crippled and pushes Alba down the stairs.

Jane the Virgin will return to Mondays on the CW at 9PM on January 19.