Jane the Virgin did the unthinkable last night and killed off one of its main (and most beloved) characters last night in a shocking twist and here’s why.
(Please don’t read this article without watching “Chapter Fifty-Four” of Jane the Virgin because it contains major spoilers that could probably ruin your whole day.)
On last night’s episode of Jane the Virgin, we spend a majority of the hour watching Jane and Michael lovingly support each other. After spending a few episodes worrying about the next chapters of their lives as parents and newlyweds, Michael finally took his LSATs. Unfortunately, we never learned the results because he collapsed while leaving the testing center.
Due to complications from his gunshot wound in the previous season, Michael Cordero died.
Yeah, for real.
As Jane the Virgin‘s creator and showrunner, Jenny Snyder Urman puts it, “He is dead. He is.”
This is shocking for two reasons: We thought Michael was out of the woods and they were going to have a happy life together. Plus, that’s not how Jane the Virgin typically does things. Jane the Virgin depicts a “si se puede” type of heroine. She’s hardworking, honest and really wears her heart on her sleeve. While the show satirizes the telenovela formula, Jane the Virgin always provides an optimistic and humorous outlook on things. As a Miami native, I connect with the show because of it’s realness — last night, Jane talked about living in Wynwood. I know exactly where Wynwood is. Previously, the show featured a flashback of Jane wearing a University of Miami t-shirt!
Jane the Virgin is dramatic, yes. But it’s without a doubt one of the most authentic shows on television. And at the center of that is Michael and Jane’s love story. Unfortunately, this is no more and it’s one of the most upsetting things to happen in recent memory. It’s right up there with the election.
Luckily, the Jane the Virgin people know this. Including Urman, who penned a letter to the fans to reassure us that “that Jane’s optimism will rise up.”
The ending (which came out of nowhere but actually didn’t) will lead Jane the Virgin into new territory. Presumably, it will be a journey masterfully led by Gina Rodriguez. Since the episode jumped ahead three years, we’ll be seeing Michael in flashbacks as we see how Jane copes. Everybody’s starting something new, so trust that Jane the Virgin, as the promo below shows, will continue to let some light in.
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Jane the Virgin airs Mondays at 9/8c on The CW.