Clues Michael Will Return To 'Jane the Virgin,' Because Anything Is Possible

Just because a character is killed off in a season finale doesn't necessarily mean they're gone for good – just look at Jon Snow. This could especially be said for soap operas, which kill off characters left and right and bring them back with little regard to logic. Despite being a telenovela, at its heart Jane the Virgin has a kind of emotionally resonant realism that grounds even its craziest plot turns. This makes it hard to predict just what direction the show will go in now that it has pulled off one of its most affecting cliffhangers yet: Michael being shot not long after Jane finally married him. Will the show go the soapy route and find a way to keep him alive, or will it go the more realistic route and explore Jane's grief? Are there any clues that Michael will return to Jane the Virgin?

Sometimes death scenes are shot ambiguously, but unfortunately that wasn't really the case with Michael. Viewers saw him get shot in slow motion, bullet hitting him directly in the heart, with a spurt of blood that destroyed any hope that Michael wore a bulletproof vest under his wedding tux for some inexplicable reason. However, his body wasn't shown and there wasn't an official confirmation that he died. So what does that mean?

Potentially nothing. This show has killed off a character and resurrected them before, but comparing the two situations doesn't necessarily reveal much about Michael's fate. Rose was seemingly killed off earlier in the season before showing up again, alive, in the finale. When she died, viewers didn't get to see the actual act (which was offscreen) but they did get to see her lifeless body lying on the ground. Seeing her dead didn't prove that she was actually dead, just like not seeing Michael's body doesn't prove that he's actually alive.

Without any solid leads from the show itself, the only information to go on comes from behind the scenes – and neither showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman nor actor Brett Dier are revealing anything. In an interview with Deadline, Urman did say that fans would find out if Michael was alive early in the third season, but that isn't helping anyone right now. She also said Season 3 would center around the theme of "growing up – what it means, what it looks like, and what it costs."

That whole "what it costs" bit doesn't inspire much hope, but she did promise that the series would end with Jane happy, because Jane's happiness is important to the series. Since Michael has proven himself to be pretty instrumental to Jane's happiness, that could mean he's not gone for good. It would be cruel to put Jane through something like this, but her finding happiness after recovering from Michael's death might also be the direction the show chooses to go in. It would be a serious topic for a generally lighthearted show, but that doesn't mean the show won't go there.

Brett Dier did confirm to Bustle that Michael would be involved in the third season somehow, he just didn't know how yet. He said that there were three options: "Option a): [Michael] is revealed in a Lavender Vase, hand picked by Rogelio where his ashes will be held; b): a Lavender coffin, hand picked by Rogelio where his body lies; c): in a hospital bed. Not sure if it will be Lavender sheets, but I'm sure if Rogelio had the option, they would be."

Now, if the Jon Snow parallel holds, then we could note that Kit Harington made some pretty similar statements (sans all the lavender, of course) about only showing up to filming to play a corpse before it was revealed that he was alive. The jokey nature of Dier's answer makes it look like a hospital bed is the most reasonable (and preferable) option, and it wouldn't be a surprise if the show kept Michael's fate hanging well into Season 3, perhaps through a coma, another soap opera favorite. Whether he recovers or not is another story. In an interview with Vulture, Urman did specify that the writers discussed bullet placement "a lot" and that Michael was actually hit "near" his heart, which could mean recovery is a possibility.

Either way, fans will be sure to see Michael again in some capacity, even if it isn't for long.