CWJane the Virgin pulled a fast one on fans. The CW dramedy killed off somebody major—and that wasn't the only twist. Read on at your own risk.
In "Chapter Fifty-Four," Michael (Brett Dier) died from complications of his gunshot wound from his wedding night, yes the same gunshot everybody assumed he was out of the woods on. Talk about drama. And then Jane the Virgin jumped three years into the future. Phew. Tired from all those twists and tears yet?
Jane the Virgin executive producer Jenni Urman addressed the tragic twist in a letter to fans. She started the note praising Dier's performance and explaining this had been in the works.
"It was also a decision made very early on, when I thought about our story as a whole. And even in season one, I knew it would be a hard thing to actually do, which is why there was a line (which many of you noticed) about how Michael would never stop loving Jane. And the Narrator confirmed, ‘For as long as Michael lived, until he drew his very last breath, he never did,'" she wrote. "Honestly, I put that line into the script at the last minute to hold our feet to the fire, to make sure we went through with it. Because even back then, the writers could all see the magic of Jane and Michael together. Not to mention Rogelio and Michael!"
That line was also included to prepare viewers. "If the writers and actors loved Michael so much, then I knew it would be devastating for the fans," she said. "So then, the only surprise we had left, was when…"
Urman said she intended Michael to die earlier, but Dier's performance kept the writers changing things up.
"You'll recall, back in the pilot, Jane was on a path. Things were mapped out. And then she was accidentally artificially inseminated and everything changed. Well now, everything is changing again. How does our romance-loving hero move on, how does she get back the light and the hope…?"
Urman explained the three years later jump was so there could be flashbacks to fill in the gaps and show the emotional impact. "After talking to grief counselors, this felt like the right time to reenter Jane's journey. She'll always feel Michael's absence (and trust me, we will too), but it opens up our storytelling in new and exciting ways, while allowing for the light and bright Jane world that we love to write."
Read Urman's letter in full on the show's site and see where Dier's Michael ranks in our gallery of upsetting TV deaths now. Sorry for bringing up all these painful TV departures.
Jane the Virgin airs Mondays, 9 p.m. on The CW.