All Hail Petra Solano, the Most Underrated Character on "Jane The Virgin"

We are not emotionally prepared to say goodbye.

We have been blessed with five seasons of the emotional masterpiece that is Jane the Virgin, the satirical telenovela-inspired show that has gifted us with some of the sweetest love stories, most epic twists and best sobbing-on-the-porch scenes of all time. But more than anything, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman has consistently presented us with characters who are, to their core, fundamentally flawed.

That has always been the undeniable heart of Jane the Virgin: its inability to disregard the complexities of being human. While Jane (Gina Rodriguez) has evidently navigated a myriad of challenges, the most complex character of all was none other than Petra Solano (Yael Grobglas).

Petra has essentially gone from being a conniving ice-queen to a multi-dimensional, comedic powerhouse. Making this level of personal development appear authentic is no easy feat, yet Israeli actress Yael Grobglas has done it with exceptional class.

Honestly, with the show officially coming to an end in Australia on Foxtel tonight, we don’t quite know how to let go. Well, we can start by reliving Petra’s ten best moments from the past five seasons.

*Spoilers for all five seasons of Jane the Virgin ahead.*

"Chapter Twenty-Five": Petra finds out she is pregnant after artificially inseminating herself via turkey baster.

In "Chapter Twenty-Three", we see Petra struggling to decide if she should artificially inseminate herself with Rafael’s sperm. She then goes for it, via turkey baster. It sounds wild, and it is. However, the doctor doesn’t confirm she is pregnant until "Chapter Twenty-Five", where we realise how hopeful she was that Rafael might still have feelings for her. Poor Petra.

"Chapter Thirty-Six": Petra names the twins Elsa and Anna.

After giving birth to the twins, Petra announces to Jane that their names are Elsa and Anna. "Like from Frozen?" Jane scoffs.

"Only you would think of that," Petra replies. Oh, Petra. You are too pure for this world.

"Chapter Thirty-Eight": When she buys a house for Jane and Michael, so they can afford the rent.

It's that warm and fuzzy side we weren't accustomed to in Season Two. 

"Chapter Forty-Nine": Petra confronts Rafael after being forcefully paralyzed by Anezka.

Seeing Petra’s more vulnerable side might be warm and fuzzy, but it was equally as fun to see her claws come out. Hey, if you were forcefully paralyzed by your evil twin sister for three months and no-one noticed, you’d be fuming too. In "Chapter Forty-Nine", Petra lets Rafael know in the sassiest possible way that she heard him tell Anezka (who was impersonating Petra) that he was worried she was "missing the mum gene". Ouch.

"Chapter Fifty-Nine": When she rides a mechanical bull just to prove she’s fun.

Firstly, Petra should never have to prove anything to anyone. But, when she does, she does it with conviction. In "Chapter Fifty-Nine" she loses a tooth while riding a mechanical bull to prove to Chuck that she isn’t that uptight.  

"Chapter Sixty-Four": When Petra realises she should be more than just Rafael’s second choice.

Even though Petra and Rafael getting back together in Season Three seemed redundant, it was still super empowering to watch Petra finally break it off and move on.

"Chapter Seventy-Six": Petra develops feelings for JR.

A major turning point for Petra in season four is realizing she is bisexual after working with lawyer, Jane Ramos. It’s easily one of Petra’s best character arcs, but more than anything, it is refreshing to see a woman coming to terms with her sexuality in such a confident way.

"Chapter Seventy-Seven": Petra dresses up as the tooth fairy for Mateo.

In "Chapter Seventy-Seven", Jane is furious at the twins for telling Mateo that the tooth fairy isn’t real. Since Petra does not believe in lying, she condones it at first. Except, she totally redeems herself by dressing up as the tooth fairy and visiting Mateo. We don’t know about her outfit though.

"Eighty-One": When she admits to JR that she did push Anezka off the balcony.

This heartbreaking scene sees Petra tell JR that she pushed Anezka off the balcony after she threatened the twins. Even though you should definitely not push people off balconies, we couldn’t help but rejoice that Anezka was finally gone.  

"Chapter Eighty-Four": Petra tells Jane she’s like her sister, and they proceed to talk about their feelings in a tent.

Yeah, there are a lot of Janes. Of course, this time we are talking about Jane Villanueva. But seriously, it feels like this moment perfectly encompasses Petra’s incredible character development. In this scene, she manages to take accountability, express her feelings, and engage in small talk. We can’t help but feel proud.

The final episode of Jane the Virgin airs on Foxtel in Australia on Thursday 8 August 2019.

Header Image: Netflix