“Okay, Universe, Jessica thought. I get it. If Mrs. Brady could be a trailblazer, maybe it was time for Jess to try too.”

Early on, Jess realizes she has grown a bit too comfortable in her life as a freelance statistician and single mother. While she enjoys routine, it may be limiting her happiness—particularly in terms of her love life. She has yet to fulfill her New Year’s resolution of becoming more of a risk-taker, and she suddenly decides that now is the perfect time to start. If Carol Brady from The Brady Bunch could find a fulfilling relationship as a single parent, so can she.

“The weight of his full attention felt like a physical pressure on her chest, pushing the air out of her lungs.”

During Jess’s first interaction with Dr. River Peña, she experiences an intense reaction despite her distaste for him. Their brief exchange defines their early dynamic as fraught with tension. Jess responds to River’s curtness with both immense displeasure and physical sensitivity, as he literally takes her breath away. Although Jess is averse to the man’s demeanor, she can’t ignore her strong feelings around him.

“Jess leaned back in her chair, admittedly—and unexpectedly—impressed.”

Because Jess is so dismissive towards River, she doesn’t expect to find herself impressed by GeneticAlly and his DNADuo matchmaking service. Her intense animosity is temporarily halted by the fact that his technology could help her find true love. This moment of reverence indicates that her negative attitude towards River has the potential to change.