Last week marked the end of an era for many diehard “Jane the Virgin” fans. For the past five years and for the exactly 100 episodes, we’ve laughed, cried, and spent a lot of time getting to know the Villanueva family. Through the original CW show, we also became enthralled in the drama telenevolas many of us Latinx kids grew up watching with our families. JTV might have not been the most realistic portrayal of our personal lives or even real life for that matter, but at the root of it, the show focused on the importance of love, friendships, and family; it taught us lessons we’ll never forget.

 But most importantly, JTV’s Jane Villanueva made sure many of us saw ourselves represented through our television screen for the past five years. 

Ultimately, Jane Villanueva was us. She made us feel seen, heard, and she helped us navigate life as Latina women worthy of love and worthy of achieving the impossible.

The last and final chapter of Jane the Virgin, which aired earlier this week on the CW, was the fairytale ending we were all waiting for since. For seasons, devoted fans followed Jane Villanueva’s journey when she stepped off that bus and was artificially inseminated with Rafael Solano’s baby. Since then, characters have been killed, characters have been kidnapped, characters have died and then come back to life, Jane has written a book and then another, we’ve encountered and defeated many villains, and well, you know how novelas go. 

But on the last episode, there were no surprises. No deaths. No bad luck. Just pure bliss.

The cast of Jane the Virgin also shared heartfelt tributes to a show that’s also forever changed their lives. 

Justin Baldoni, aka Rafael Solano, posted so many sweet behind the scenes photos of him alongside the cast. 

The day after her 35th birthday and on the day of the series finale, Gina Rodriguez shared a heartfelt tribute to the show that brought us Jane Villanueva.

“We started shooting the first season of Jane in July 2014. A few days into shooting I turned 30 on set. Yesterday I turned 35. And today is the very last episodes, 99 and 100 airing of Jane The Virgin. Five years. Five years of love, laughter, growth, pain, surprises, deaths, new births and a shit ton of memories. To my warriors who have supported me from day one, Thank you. I am able to live out my dream career because of you and I will never stop making art to bring Joy and Laughter into your home/train ride/plane ride or classroom! Art is my savior. Art is what makes me feel like I can fly,” she wrote in her caption.

If you’re like me, and have been #TeamJafael since the beginning, Justin Baldoni’s tribute will make you cry.

“For the past five years you have welcomed us into your homes, apartments, dorm rooms…but more than that—so much more than that—you have welcomed us into your hearts,” Baldoni wrote. “This show has been magic because you all are magic. And there are not enough words in all the languages of the world to adequately express how deeply grateful I am. So I will just say thank you.”

Yael Grobglas, who portrayed Petra in JTV, posted footage of the final table read of the series finale.

In the video, Gina and Justin can be seen reciting their last lines of JTV ever, unable to hold back tears. We dare you NOT to cry. 

Grobglas also shared a photo with her alongside the other fierce women characters on the show. ” I’m so happy we got to end on our own terms unlike most shows and wrap things up at our own time but I’m still incredibly overwhelmed by this chapter ending. So people are asking me how I feel.. I don’t know,” she wrote.

Our favorite fictional mama, Xiomara, shared a video of her watching the series finale. We’ll miss you, Xo! 

Jaime Camil, the best fictional father and telenovela star that there ever was, also shared a heartfelt message to JTV fans on the night of the finale.

“100 episodes, 5 years, unlimited amount of feelings, indescribable friendships, overwhelming support, gratitude, joy, love and of course, the greatest fans. Thank you for giving us the privilege to entertain you. Your kind words mean everything,” Camil wrote in an Instagram caption. We’ll miss you forever, Rogelio de la Vega. 

Despite it being the final season of “Jane the Virgin,” it’s important to not forget that we’ll now be getting a spinoff! In case you forgot, Jane the Novela–which will be narrated by Gina Rodriguez–will follow the format of a American Horror Story definition of an anthology. This means it will be telling one complete story each episode like a traditional telenovela. 

Jennie Snyder Urman told PopSugar that if the show makes it to the second season, provided that it even gets picked up to be a series in the first place, we might get lucky and see other Jane the Virgin characters appear as well.

So this isn’t a goodbye, it’s hopefully a see you later for JTV fans.

“Don’t forget to enjoy the ride because every chapter comes to a close,” Gina Rodriguez says in Chapter 99, part of the two-part series finale. “So I have enjoyed the ride, things like this, they are winning the lottery. I will always thank Jane, the character.” 

We’ll never forget the 100 chapters Jane the Virgin brought us. *cries* 

WARNING, SOME VERY CHIQUITO SPOILERS AHEAD! 

The end of one of our favorite shows, Jane the Virgin, is near. For almost five years (it was first aired in 2014) we have followed the adventures of Jane Gloriana Villanueva, our heroine who was wrongly inseminated. Jane’s journey was also related to her career as a writer, a vocation that she tries to follow even though life sometimes gets in the way. The narrative accomplishes something almost impossible to pull off: it makes outrageous telenovela situations feel close to us. The 100th and last ever episode will be aired on July 31st, and fans are getting their tissue box ready for what promises to be a tearful finale. Because we don’t like goodbyes we will start our farewell now. These are some of the reasons why we consider Jane the Virgin to be a watershed moment in the history of Latino representation in mainstream television, and why we will miss Jane, her lovers, her family, and her amazingly quirky son. A llorar se ha dicho. 

1. Jane the Virgin was finally a show that represented the many complexities of Latino communities in the U.S.: it made us laugh and cry in equal measures.

There have been some shows about Latinos in the United States, and titles such as Netflix’s Mr. Iglesias seem to be gaining more traction. However, Jane the Virgin could break into the mainstream, escaping the niche denominator of “Latino”. It was wonderful to see the very specific Florida Latinidad represented on the screen. 

2. The show discussed the uncomfortable issue of migration and the perilous path to citizenship. Te queremos, Alba!

The show touched in one of the main issues that define the Latino experience in the United States: migration. Alba’s citizenship journey was equally stressful and hard to watch, and we are sure it resonated with millions of Latino families in how vulnerable migrants can be before attaining citizenship. A call to action that was also told in a tender, extremely human way. 

3. Jane proudly wore her Latina identity, in her life and literary work.

Instead of trying to “fit in” with Anglo culture to blend, Jane Gloriana Villanueva embraces and celebrates her Latina identity. From her clothes to her cultural references (Chilean novelist Isabel Allende makes a cameo!) and her literary work, she tries to uncover what Latina identity means today in matters of love, family, sex and professional life. 

4. It showed us that true friendship with your exes and your exes’ exes is possible (you know this is a telenovela, right?)

Well, maybe this is not that in tune with reality, pero se vale soñar. We love how Petra, Jane, and Rafael find a way to co-parent three cheeky monkeys. 

5. It gave us a strong, independent, queer woman.

Petra is perhaps the character that developed the most. She went from being a terrible telenovela villana to being a member of the Villanueva clan. Her backstory is fascinating and through the seasons she found a way to discover herself: she is a survivor, and the ultimate way to survive is accepting who she is a powerful queer businesswoman, and a loving mother who allows herself to be vulnerable and ask for help. 

6. It serves us some old-world Latino charm.

When Jane imagines her romantic epics, and also when Alba tells her life story, we get to see some of the old world Latino charms that have made the romantic narrative a staple of the region. This is also a way to deal with 

7. It provided us with one of the most truthful representations of the joys, frustrations, and awesomeness of parenthood.

Right from her pregnancy, Jane embodied the shock and delights of motherhood. The show does not give us a vanilla version of how pregnancy sorta wrecks the female body and how hard it is to raise a child. Mateo is Jane’s world, and it is amazing to witness Jane embrace her power, but also her cluelessness as to how to be a mother. Nadie nace sabiendo. 

8. Four words: Rogelio De La Vega.

Mexican actor Jaime Camil, a former telenovela heartthrob, found his ideal character in Rogelio De La Vega. He is funny and charming, vulnerable and the best father ever. We would totally watch a spin-off featuring only him! 

9. The genuine chemistry and friendship shared by the cast.

Gina Rodriguez and Jaime Camil really do look like father and daughter in this photo. Judging by interviews and their social media accounts (including photos of Gina’s recent wedding), cast members have formed a true family offscreen, which translates into the amazing chemistry we see in the show. 

10. The show is a true picture of the multicultural United States.

Yes, the cast is primarily Latino or plays Latino characters (even the blonde Michael has a Latino last name: Cordero), but the show has Eastern European, Anglo, Black and even Indian characters. Rather than being insular and only focus on Latinos, it is a mosaic of the cultural diversity of Florida, where the narrative takes place. 

11. Primero la familia: a message that resonated with Latino audiences worldwide.

Through the show, we are witness to the perpetuation of family rituals. The Villanuevas have dinner together, come rain or come shine, and they spend time together even if they are upset at each other. Later in the show, Petra and Jane find a way to create new traditions for Mateo and the twins, unlikely half-siblings who are growing up together. 

12. Simply put, Jane the Virgin is funny as hell.

Jane the Virgin is a cleverly written comedy that blends huge amounts of drama, very tender and human moments, and gags that are anything but cheap. Every joke or unusual situation in the show reveals something about the characters rather than looking for cheap laughs. For example, when Jane’s life spins out of control she usually becomes very clumsy: the physical comedy reveals characters’ inner state. We can also think of Rogelio’s hilarious gift baskets! (we wouldn’t mind getting one by the way). Or how Petra’s twins often make reference to the creepy duo from the horror film The Shining.

13. But above all, the show gives full agency to female characters, something rare in any TV show.

In today’s media industry, it is extremely rare for a female-led television show or film to be approved, even more so if the character is a Latina played by a relatively unknown actress. Jane the Virgin was a rarity and a novelty: a sitcom that got pretty dark at times, which offered dialogue in Spanish and was unashamedly influenced by telenovelas. The Villanueva queens and Petra drove the narrative, un matriarcado televisivo like no other. Jane did not make her decisions solely based on what her romantic counterparts demanded: she was in control of her feelings, her sexuality and her experience as a mother. We will miss you, Jane hermosa.

READ: ‘Jane The Virgin’ Actress Opens Up About How Anxiety Kept Her From Showing Up To Set