‘Jane The Virgin’ Season 4 Finale: My Thoughts and Theories

Jane The Virgin is a show that has meant the world to me for many years.

I see my life and the things I care about, reflected in Jane’s life and the things she cares about. It’s a show that has brought me closer to my culture and made me proud of who I am. It’s incredibly written and acted and so self-aware. It’s funny, emotional, shocking, and heartfelt. I truly believe there will never be another show like it once it (allegedly) comes to a close next season.

The season 4 finale aired Friday night and there is one thing and one thing only that I want to talk about. From here on out, stop reading if you don’t want to be spoiled.

I was an idiot. I knew the hints were there all season long, but I refused to look into them because I didn’t want them to be true.

The final episode of the season ended with a cliffhanger and I knew it would, but the last thing I expected to see was formerly-dead Michael Cordero, Jr. in the apartment of Rafael Solano on the night he was supposed to be proposing to Jane Gloriana Villanueva.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I love Michael. With my entire heart. When he died, I cried like a baby.

Michael and Jane went through so much crazy stuff, and finally came out on top, only to have everything come to a sudden end. But I went through the 5 stages of grief along with Jane. I accepted his death and was finally ready for my girl Jane to make things work with Rafael.

And then in the season finale… Rafael opened his apartment door… Gave Jane that look that said she and I were not going to like what he had to say… And Jane walked into that apartment… And:

Michael. Freaking. Cordero. In a flannel. With a beard. And curly hair.

I won’t lie, I gasped. That’s a telenovela for you. That’s Jane the Virgin for you. Then the credits rolled and immediately I went into refusal mode.

This only means trouble. Rafael was supposed to propose. Jane was ready. Though she said she will always have a spot in her heart for Michael, she was finally living her best romantic life. She fell in love and was happy. She was planning on moving into a house with Rafael. She even got her writing mojo back. EVERYTHING WAS GREAT.

Now Michael is back in the picture… Or is he? Immediately upon seeing him, I felt every emotion. Joy. Sadness. Heartbreak. Anger. Love. And suspicion. Michael being back can only mean something shady went down.

Long lost twins are a common telenovela trope, as are faked deaths. And in Jane the Virgin, we do also have a villain who used to run an underground illegal plastic surgery operation to give criminals new faces so they could run free. It’s almost too easy.

If Michael has a twin… Let’s not even go there, honestly. That would be the lamest way to bring him back. We also already had the long lost twin trope with Petra and Anezka.

If this is fake Michael, and is one of Sin Rostro’s criminals or maybe even Sin Rostro herself, I’ll be more inclined to accept it, but I still don’t want it to happen. Like, at all. To be honest, I wish we could just let the Sin Rostro plot line die.

Now. If Michael willingly faked his death… Bitch. All hell is about to break loose if Michael Cordero, Jr. did that to my baby girl Jane Gloriana Villanueva. If he did that to Rafael. Rogelio. Xiomara. Alba. Mateo. NEED I REMIND YOU OF THIS:

If Michael faked his death, went undercover for some cop crap in order to get his job back, we’re going to have some problems. We all know how much he loved his job, a huge part of me wouldn’t put it past him. That’s so many years of damage and heartache he’s done to Jane. I will be so angry.

But if Michael’s death was unwillingly faked? If someone else made it look like he died and then he was either physically unable to get back to safety, or they forced him to keep it a secret? If this is the route that the writers go, then we’re in for a heck of a messy season 5, because this means that Michael probably still has feelings for Jane. And what would Jane do with that news? What would Rafael do?

It’s worth mentioning that another huge telenovela trope, and one that was spotlighted and talked about this season, is amnesia. When River Fields tries to get rid of the amnesia plot line in the Passions of Santos American remake, Rogelio loses his mind and insists it’s important to the show.

So, what if we go back to Michael’s death being unwillingly faked and to top it off, he has amnesia and is just finally beginning to remember things. How far back will he remember? Or, maybe he doesn’t remember anything at all. It was Rafael who sought him out, went and picked him up and brought him to his apartment. This idea makes me  sad, but I think it’s potentially one I could get behind.

So. Those are my Michael theories. But obviously the big question is, what does this mean for Jane and Rafael?

Realizing why Rafael was drinking and why he so passionately kissed Jane–because he didn’t know if it would be the last time he’d be able to do that–breaks my heart.

I’m not sure when season 5 will premiere, but I really hope it doesn’t take Jane+Rafael away from me. They’ve both had so much character development and I really began to root for them.

Also, if season 5 is the final season, I really hope we finally get to see or learn who the Narrator is. Okay, bye.