【homo eroticism in science fiction】

Warning: The homo eroticism in science fictionfollowing post contains spoilers for the most recent episode of Jane the Virgin.

Let's begin this post with a necessary disclaimer: If you aren't watching Jane the Virgin, you should be. The CW's effervescent telanovela about a woman who's accidentally artificially inseminated is now so much more; it's a dense drama about complicated relationships, with some light fantasy and scintillating scandal thrown in.

"Chapter Seventy-Two" is the midseason premiere of Season 4, and it effortlessly portrays how consent should work – without every appearing to be a lesson or underlining its message in red.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best TV shows of 2017 (returning)

When we last saw Jane, she was kissing Rafael over the kitchen sink after he told her with that sultry sincerity of his to chase her dreams and "be brave." This is huge, for the two of them and for longtime viewers, because Jane and Raf have been orbiting each other since the pilot. Jane literally left her fiancee to be with him, but ever since she and Michael got back together she firmly kept to thinking of Rafael as a dear friend and co-parent.

Season 4 started with Jane questioning that history and wondering if she could see Rafael as more than a friend (crucially, she could; she almost got into the shower with him). But at the time, that was a no-go; Raf and ex-wife Petra were giving things another shot, and after misreading the situation, Jane put it from her mind.

So, how'd we end up with that sink kiss? Jane and Rafael are best friends now, which means they are primed for television's favorite trope: Best friends who fall in love! They have a son together, their respective exes are out of the picture (sorry sorry sorry, #TeamMichaelForever), and they have established physical chemistry.

But in "Chapter Seventy-Two," the almost-lovers have vastly different interpretations of that kiss. Rafael tells Jane's abuela that it was basically the best kiss ever, that it "felt like coming home," while Jane was absolutely not about it. The timing feels wrong, since she just broke up with Adam, and she just wasn't feeling the magic of her previous kisses with Raf all those years ago.

When they finally get a chance to talk, Rafael comes prepared with a written list of reasons why it won't work out and his counterarguments for the concerns Jane will inevitably raise. Jane tells him the truth; it wasn't a great kiss.

Rafael, ever the ladies' man, cannot handle this info. How can he have been sharing an ah-ma-zingkiss with Jane that she didn't feel the same about?

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

"Maybe your head wasn't in the game," he suggests.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It doesn't stop there. The next day, Rafael apologizes again – not for imposing his judgment of the kiss upon Jane, but for "catching [her] off-guard" with the real talk and the list.

"Admit it's a possibility," Raf says, smiling like he's the hero in a rom-com.

"Admit it's a possibility that you're not quite the kisser you think you are," Jane retorts.

This is a brief but tricky scene that hinges immensely upon Jane and Rafael's tried-and-true friendship, and on the natural rapport between Gina Rodriguez and Justin Baldoni. Raf does not get to dictate what kind of kiss this was, but his denial has Jane more amused than defensive (as ifwomen would have paid for Rafael's kissing booth! Laughable!!).

After that, Rafael gets the message. He respects the boundaries Jane set between them and admits to her that he's always held on to the possibility of the two of them together, but now he will let it go.

"It's just hard to give up the idea that something perfect might not have been perfect for everyone," he tells Alba.

Fast forward to the end (I sure did), when Jane and Raf are back to their usual dynamic. In that friendly-flirty atmosphere, Rafael asks for closure: Does Jane really not think they have chemistry anymore?

It seems Jane may not have entirely closed the book on them. "You know what? Kiss me again," she says. When she laughs, he pulls away and says, "I don't want to," but Jane insists. "It's now or never," she tells him.

And then things get steamy, not because the two of them kiss again, but because Raf spends time on the buildup. He tells Jane to consider what might come after kissing, and he tells her exactly what's on his mind (whispered in her ear, thank goodness, because we wouldn't survive hearing the actual words). With all the information in hand, Jane makes her decision. She's turned on and she's into him, and she gives her consent in the form of that final kiss.

Voila!You just watched an episode about affirmative consent! Rafael learned to take his cues and respect Jane's wishes, and he learned the valuable lesson that a physical encounter can feel different to everyone involved and those feelings are valid. When he saw that Jane might be interested, he moved forward with disclosure and aplomb – and it was sexy!

Jane the Virginairs Fridays at 9 p.m. on the CW.

---

Featured Video For You

---

If 'Mean Girls' was a forbidden lesbian romance, this is what the trailer would look like

---

Topics The CW