'Jane the Virgin' Season 3, Episode 8 Recap: How come Alba isn't upset about IVF?

Jane the Virgin fans, it looks like there's a Rogelio, Jr. due to arrive in the near future. In the midseason Jan. 23 premiere of the CW series, Rogelio and matchmaker Darcy Factor didn't just decide to co-parent; they signed a contract to seal the deal. But at least as of season three, episode eight, they're not planning to make a baby the old-fashioned way. They're resorting to in vitro fertilization instead. That's because Darcy froze some of her eggs years ago and, as she puts it, wants to use the freshest ones available. Plus, Rogelio being Rogelio, he's (vainly) concerned that Darcy will fall for him if they "make love."

This sounds like a fairly modern and not entirely uncommon arrangement, except for one key fact: Rogelio and Darcy have only known each other two weeks. Naturally, Xo, Jane and Alba feel that he is rushing a life-altering decision. They're also worried about the fact that they haven't met Darcy. They understandably want Rogelio to co-parent with a trustworthy and responsible person. What's off is that Alba (and possibly Jane) don't have an additional objection: The use of IVF. 

Another controversy on the horizon

Considering that Alba is supposedly a by-the-book Catholic and Jane is also fairly observant (though less literal), it's surprising that neither one raises the point. The Catholic Church vehemently opposes IVF and the associated reproductive industry, saying IVF is not pro-life. According to this belief, children should be only be conceived by "natural" means, and infertile couples should turn to adoption.

Yet maybe Alba and Jane's silence on the matter is a sign of things to come. After all, Rogelio wasn't explicit about how he and Darcy plan to conceive their child. That doesn't mean he won't eventually tell the Villanueva women, though. When that time comes, there's going to be drama. (Might we have a case of Hitchcockian suspense in our hands?)

Viewers know that Jane avoids imposing her views upon others, but Alba is far more vocal about what she perceives as right and wrong. And Church doctrine definitely influences her moral judgment. After all, she was very upset to learn of Xo's abortion earlier on in season three and made that clear. She even told Xo that she may go to hell because she had an abortion. 

Yet even if Rogelio's reliance on IVF troubles Alba in a future episode, it's safe to assume she won't blow up about it. Will she be disturbed? Yes. Will she think it's wrong? Yes. Will she suggest Rogelio and Darcy conceive naturally? Probably. But abortion, not IVF, is the far more incendiary topic of the day. After all, on Jan. 23, the same day that the Jane the Virgin winter premiere aired, Donald Trump signed a controversial anti-abortion executive order. Throughout his campaign, Trump mentioned abortion — including making inaccurate comments about late-term abortion — but he never once publicly spoke about IVF.

Admittedly, it's refreshing to watch primetime TV depict a smart, career-minded woman like Darcy making an informed choice about her body and her life without any histrionics. Still, it's doubtful that her reproductive choice won't influence the show's storyline sometime soon. Xo's did.

Let's see if it comes up in Chapter 53. Stay tuned, Villanueva addicts.