Alba and Xiomara already had a huge fight in Season 3 of Jane the Virgin and while they worked through their differences, that won't be the last family member that Alba will have a dispute with in this season. Don't worry — it's not Jane — it's Alba's sister on Jane the Virgin. Although there is never a shortage of family drama on The CW series, Alba's about to get a whole new dose of old problems when her family is introduced in Season 3 — and it should not only add depth to Jane's abuela's storyline, but Jane's thesis as well.
During the Season 2 finale, Jane came to the realization that she should be passionate about her grad school thesis and came up with the idea of writing a love story loosely based on the relationship between her grandparents. As she told Professor Donaldson (while getting ready for her wedding), "It will start in Venezuela and explore class differences, religion, sexual stigma, their journey to America." And with Jane's thesis comes more information about Alba's past, starting with her sister — Jane's great aunt — since the description for "Chapter 47" notes, "Jane proceeds with her thesis, incorporating Alba's sister, much to Alba's chagrin." Oh no — "chagrin"?! Turns out that Alba will not have the same supportive and loving relationship with her sister as she has with her daughter and granddaughter.
Season 2 offered some surprising backstory for Alba when she revealed she had not been a virgin when she married Xo's father Mateo, but instead she had previously had sex with the cursed Pablo Alonso Segura. Because of this, I anticipate similar shocking reveals when it comes to her relationship with her sister. Although not much is known about Alba's sister as of yet, it's safe to assume based on that "Chapter 47" summary that Alba isn't her sister's number one fan. Does that mean Alba's sister betrayed her in the past? Or is it something more simple that can be resolved quickly?
Jane the Virgin excels at twists when it comes to who the characters are related to — whether it's Luisa sleeping with her stepmother, Rafael's mother being crime boss Mutter, or Petra discovering her long-lost sister Anezka. So the Villanueva family having some twists and turns in the branches of their own family tree is going to add an exciting dynamic. "You're going to be meeting people from Alba's family in Venezuela," showrunner Jennie Urman told Entertainment Weekly. "I think that will [bring] interesting characters into our world."
As Jane and Alba are the most grounded characters of the series, the fact that Alba's family is "interesting" makes me think that her sister is going to be a bit on the wild side — perhaps more like Alba's daughter Xo than Alba herself. While Jane the Virgin isn't afraid to have family members of beloved characters be capable of some truly heinous acts, I couldn't fathom anyone related to Alba being as diabolical as Rafael and Petra's relations, so I don't think "interesting" means we'll have another crime boss on our hands. And actually, since Alba's Season 2 secrets showed that she wasn't always the wise, advice-giving grandmother that she is now, Alba's sister could be the one holding a grudge. It wouldn't be out of the question that in her younger days, Alba made a mistake that her sister hasn't forgiven — like possibly stealing Mateo away from her.
No matter why Alba isn't excited for Jane to be writing about her sister, what I love about Jane the Virgin exploring Alba's past is that it continues to make an older character who could easily just be a stereotype be a full-fledged character with her own experiences and viewpoints. Yes, Jane the Virgin is about Jane's story, but Alba's identity isn't solely defined by Jane's existence. She lived for many years before Jane was even born and as Jane learns more about her abuela's fascinating past, so will viewers — starting with the introduction of Alba's sister.
Images: Mike Yarish/The CW; Giphy (2)
