Jane the Virgin Writers: PLEASE Save Michael

Jane the Virgin’s Michael Cordero (Brett Dier) is the epitome of the perfect man. He’s charming and sweet, but also one of the most genuine fictional characters I’ve ever seen on TV. Time after time, he’s proven his undying loyalty to Jane and her family. Despite how dangerous the situation may be, he always goes into it with such heart and soul. And those eyes! That sense of humor! *Swoon*

In short, Michael Cordero is Jane’s (and my) superhero. So, when his character was killed off during Season 3, you can imagine my grief. I truly will never forget the heartbreak I felt when the show lost him. It felt like I was losing my own best friend. This beloved character, whom I’d practically fallen head over heels for during the pilot, was gone and I couldn’t believe it. The heart and soul of Jane the Virgin wouldn’t be back anymore, and I shed MAJOR tears over it.

After stanning Michael and Jane for a whole three seasons, I was eventually able to move forward and jump on the Rafael-Jane love boat. But because Jane the Virgin is nothing without its twists, Michael, who allegedly died of a heart attack, ended up being very much alive and standing in Rafael’s apartment in the Season 4 finale. Possibly the most emotional moment of my entire 2018 was realizing that Michael Cordero was actually alive and well. Send in the doves and cue the applause because this is it, right? His “death” was just another twist and now that he was back everything would just go back to normal. Ha! If only it was that simple! A girl can dream though.

Nothing is ever that easy. I mean, yes, Michael is physically back, but mentally? Not so much. And while his return has been glorious and heartwarming, it’s also become a massive bummer. His amnesia has practically taken over the past four years of his life. Watching Michael not remember Jane or their relationship is almost just as painful as his seeing him die in Season 3. I don’t want to watch Jane the Virgin for Michael to think he’s just some guy named Jason. I want to watch for Michael. I want to see the happy-go-lucky detective dreamboat I fell for years ago. I want to see Jane’s soulmate. At least if Michael were dead, I could eventually move on and ship Jane and Rafael in all their glory. But knowing that Michael is actually alive but can’t remember a thing is probably the most painful revelation of all.

I don’t want to live in a world where Jane and Michael aren’t endgame. I know the magic of this show comes from its insane twists and turns, but I fell in love with Michael and Jane’s romance way harder than I ever imagined. This show has come so far and done so many things right. But if we have to end it off saying goodbye to Michael/Jason, was it really worth all that fuss? I refuse to give up on Michael now, and I hope the writers will do the same.

Lauren Garafano (@laurengarafano) is a TV-obsessed writer living in New York City. Her work has appeared on BuzzFeed, Decider, and TV Insider. She also ships Rachel Green with Joey Tribbiani and nothing in this world can change her mind.