Sweet Lady Jane Spoilers and Speculation

[Blakeston]

I can understand why the writers would want to do a 4-year time jump. It's an absolute nightmare dealing with toddlers on the set of a TV show (or a movie). Lots of series have had characters go straight from being babies to being in kindergarten.

As for why they'd kill of Michael - if that's actually happening, and it isn't because Brett Dier wanted to leave (or needed to leave), my guess would be that it's a lot harder to come up with juicy, soap-tastic plotlines for a main character who's in a happy, healthy relationship.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Michael comes back in a "shocking" twist.

[Lady Calypso]

3 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

I can understand why the writers would want to do a 4-year time jump. It's an absolute nightmare dealing with toddlers on the set of a TV show (or a movie). Lots of series have had characters go straight from being babies to being in kindergarten.

Yeah, but it doesn't sound like they're having trouble with Aiden right now. In fact, from Instagram photos and Twitter, it sounds like they adore the kid. Of course, we don't really know. All I know is that it's weird to do it in the middle of the season. I guess the tenth episode, when this is supposed to take place, was supposed to be for the midseason finale and that's why it feels off. I just think that time jumping four years is weird, especially since they are in the middle of dealing with a lot of storylines and it's going to feel disjointed when they do the time jump and have to wrap up these stories in the next two episodes.

5 minutes ago, Blakeston said:

As for why they'd kill of Michael - if that's actually happening, and it isn't because Brett Dier wanted to leave (or needed to leave), my guess would be that it's a lot harder to come up with juicy, soap-tastic plotlines for a main character who's in a happy, healthy relationship.

I don't buy this. They've been doing just fine up until now with having Jane/Michael as a married couple and coming up with juicy, soap-tastic plotlines. The only loss they have is Jane having romantic soap-tastic plotlines. But if they can't come up with plotlines that are soapy that don't involve her dating around, then that's on the writers on not being able to do their job. 

I've definitely been looking up constant spoilers to see how true all of this is. I still don't want it to be true. Also, it's hard to believe that Brett Dier would want to leave, since every JtV post he makes on his social media accounts seem to indicate how much he loves the show. I know that social media can be deceiving, though. 

I don't know; I just find it all to off to believe that Michael would be gone for good. I'd really hope that it's a twist and he'll be back. 

[Blakeston]

1 hour ago, Lady Calypso said:

Yeah, but it doesn't sound like they're having trouble with Aiden right now. In fact, from Instagram photos and Twitter, it sounds like they adore the kid. Of course, we don't really know. All I know is that it's weird to do it in the middle of the season. I guess the tenth episode, when this is supposed to take place, was supposed to be for the midseason finale and that's why it feels off. I just think that time jumping four years is weird, especially since they are in the middle of dealing with a lot of storylines and it's going to feel disjointed when they do the time jump and have to wrap up these stories in the next two episodes.

I don't buy this. They've been doing just fine up until now with having Jane/Michael as a married couple and coming up with juicy, soap-tastic plotlines. The only loss they have is Jane having romantic soap-tastic plotlines. But if they can't come up with plotlines that are soapy that don't involve her dating around, then that's on the writers on not being able to do their job. 

No matter how lovable and well-behaved Aiden might be, he isn't going to be able to deliver lines or understand blocking to the extant that an older child can. That's generally the issue with toddler actors - even when they're cooperative, they're almost never directable the way that slightly older kids are.

Regarding the writers' ability to come up with plotlines for Jane and Michael as a happy couple, I agree that they should be able to do it. But it's something that TV writers struggle with constantly.

[Joana]

But this very show has proved that happy TV couples can exist! Just because Shonda Rhimes or whoever doesn't know how to do it, doesn't mean it's impossible. Of course, there was always going to be a chance that they'd hit a block somewhere down the line and make Jane single again to shake things up, but I don't think it's happened just yet. And they certainly wouldn't just randomly pull it off in the middle of the season. It must have been something out of their control.

I do agree though that a time jump was probably planned at some point, not only because it would be more practical to have an older child at the set, but also because an older child opens up for more possibilities regarding storytelling than a toddler can. 

[Blakeston]

On 1/26/2017 at 0:20 PM, Joana said:

But this very show has proved that happy TV couples can exist! Just because Shonda Rhimes or whoever doesn't know how to do it, doesn't mean it's impossible.

Of course it's possible. But TV writers generally seem to find it a challenge. It's probably why Xiomara and Rogelio haven't stayed together - keeping them together, and happy, would have eliminated a lot of the storyline possibilities.

If Michael is indeed being killed off, my guess is that it's something they planned from the beginning. That "until the end of his life" line from season 1 isn't something writers just throw out there for the hell of it.

[Joana]

But getting him back from the dead only to kill him off for real just 10 episodes later is horrendous writing. I cannot believe these writers would do something that nonsensical if they had any say in it. If they truly wanted Michael out of the picture so soon, either they would have had him die in the first episode of the season or S2 would have ended differently. 

Of course, it's all moot now. 

[Irlandesa]

On a lark I went back to reread this thread and it's pretty interesting.  We were discussing an interview Jennie gave after the finale and one of the things she mentioned was structural changes she was excited about.  I posted this back then:

On 5/20/2016 at 10:21 PM, Irlandesa said:

But Jane losing her virginity wouldn't be considered structural, would it?  Structural to me suggests something like we jump forward to a point in time and then jump backwards to see how we get there. 

My guess might be closer than I realized.

10 hours ago, Blakeston said:

If Michael is indeed being killed off, my guess is that it's something they planned from the beginning. That "until the end of his life" line from season 1 isn't something writers just throw out there for the hell of it.

I definitely think she has had it planned out from the beginning.  I believe Jennie has said she has maybe five seasons planned out and know how this thing ends.  And she actually gives away more in her interviews than we sometimes realize. 

Look at the interview from May.  She was already telling us that Jane would lose her virginity so we knew Michael would live.  But she also said something to the effect that the line in season 1 about how he'd love her until her dying breath was true whether that dying breath is now or later.  After he lived, it became obviously later but not as later as many of us anticipated.  And the structural changes?  Well that was likely referring to the time jump. In another interview, I also remember her mentioning something about seeing Jane learn what it's like to parent a child at different stages which was another hint towards this time jump.  Additional hints towards Michael not being around include how she wanted Jane married and the triangle dead.  And I seem to recall her talking about focusing on where Michael was shot.  I thought that was strange unless it somehow prevented his death but I now think the "where" is what kills him.  So, in effect, they did kill him in the finale.  He just isn't going to die until midseason.

On 1/26/2017 at 10:21 AM, Blakeston said:

Regarding the writers' ability to come up with plotlines for Jane and Michael as a happy couple, I agree that they should be able to do it. But it's something that TV writers struggle with constantly.

They do struggle with it but JTV never really put the tools in place that are needed to make that feasible.  For one, Michael's stories of depth have predominantly been related to Jane. 95% of what we know of him has been fleshed out vis a vis his relationship with her. And last season, they spent the final ten episodes reiterating over and over how in sync they were.  They didn't have many disagreements which is one of the reasons I felt they were going to kill Michael in the finale.  That kind of relationship was going to be hard to sustain.  They've done better this season but most of their conflicts are still related to external factors like Rafael and Catalina.

[Phebemarie]

Quote

 

brett dier ‏@Brettdier  Jan 26

I heard my first rumor about me today. That nobody can look me in the eyes on set. HAHAHAHA! Amazing

 

I don't know how to pull something over from Twitter, but Brett Dier posted this yesterday.  Wouldn't the infamous third episode back from hiatus already be 'in the can'?   (I guess they could bring him back as a ghost...)

[Irlandesa]

That would fit the magical realism that we're supposed to get this year but I don't think has ever really happened.  But there are flashbacks that this show loves to do.  And Jane is writing a book set in the past sort of based on her life with Michael and Raf.  I would imagine we'll have more fantasy scenes reflecting that story.

[chocolatine]

52 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

That would fit the magical realism that we're supposed to get this year

Magical realism? Unless the writers have the skills of Isabel Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I doubt they'll be able to make it work.

[Lady Calypso]

So here's the press release for 3x11, the episode after Michael supposedly dies:

Quote

 

FIXING THE PROBLEM – Working in publishing is not what Jane (Gina Rodriguez) thought it would be, until she learns about a showcase for up and coming writers. With Petra (Yael Grobglas) helming the Marbella, she decides to rebrand the hotel, but quickly butts heads with the rival hotel next door. Rogelio (Jaime Camil) and Darci (guest star Justina Machado) have made a new arrangement which has put a strain on his relationship with Xo (Andrea Navedo). Meanwhile, Jane and Rafael (Justin Baldoni) try to figure out the best solution to Mateo’s behavioral issues and they both seem to have different approaches.  Brett Dier and Ivonne Coll also star. Brad Silberling directed the episode written by Paul Sciarrotta & Jennie Snyder Urman (#311). Original airdate 2/13/2017.

Here's the thing; from that summary, it doesn't even seem like they do any sort of time jump. It sounds like it's easily still in 2017. Rogelio/Darci have a new arrangement, which would be weird if they did a jump four years into the future. The Petra helming the Marbella makes sense with knowing that Scott has the will that would have Rafael lose everything. Even Mateo's behavioural issues could still be during his toddler stage, as he should be hitting the Terrible Twos. The only part that could make it seem like jump is Jane's new job in publishing, but that could be explained in the next episode.

Taking a step back from Ivonne's interview, it seems like they'd be pulling Michael's death out of thin air. Also, just realizing that this episode without Michael would be the day before Valentine's Day. Happy Valentine's Day, Jane the Virgin and Jane/Michael fans! 

[Joana]

OK, I have literally no idea how they're going to pull it off in the next episode. I thought they'd use these two episodes following the break to lay the foundation for the storyline about Michael's death and soften the blow a bit, but that obviously hasn't happened. So what, he gets run over by a bus or something equally random? I guess his death could be related to the whatever mess comes out the addendum stuff, but it seems somewhat far-fetched. 

Meh. I was so thoroughly unimpressed with these two episodes as they were and knowing that Michael's days on the show are numbered hasn't helped one bit. 

[JyDanzig]

On 1/5/2017 at 2:41 PM, cailinoBAC said:

I don't get time jumps like that, does that mean everything up to now happened 4 years ago? Or it's set in the future?

 

On 1/5/2017 at 3:10 PM, chocolatine said:

Yes, I hate time jumps for exactly that reason.

This doesn't bother me about time jumps -- usually -- because most of the time I conclude there wasn't anything that specific going on in the first time frame, so it's easy to say that was the "past" and now, post-time-jump, we are synced up to the "present" for the first time.

And then this week had dialogue explicitly referencing Trump and Brexit as recent events!  If they really do a time-jump in TWO EPISODES, that was terrible writing!

On 1/31/2017 at 7:52 AM, Lady Calypso said:

So here's the press release for 3x11, the episode after Michael supposedly dies:

Here's the thing; from that summary, it doesn't even seem like they do any sort of time jump.

You think?  When I saw it earlier I thought: that confirms it, these sound exactly like the stories you would do to re-set the table after a time jump.  Jane being out of school and having a new career that is frustrating her.  Presumably Petra ends up in control of the Marabella next week, so we'd be checking in to see how that was working out after some time.  Whatever Rogelio and Darci's new arrangement is could also be a vehicle to explain to us what their arrangement has been for the first few years of their kids life.  Ditto to Mateo's behavioral issues, a good way to show us where the kid is at now, at age 5 or 6. 

Plus, doesn't next weeks release talk about Jane and Michael re-creating their first date?  That's exactly what you do on TV right before you are tragically killed!

I don't like the idea of Michael dying, but I do really push back on the notion that it's coming out of nowhere.  The narrator has been given us repeated ominous warnings. all the way back to early season 1.  And every time this show tackles a story idea I hate, they somehow save it an episode or two later.  So, assuming he does get killed off, I'm going to do my best to reserve judgment for a few episodes...

[Joana]

1 hour ago, JyDanzig said:

 

You think?  When I saw it earlier I thought: that confirms it, these sound exactly like the stories you would do to re-set the table after a time jump.  Jane being out of school and having a new career that is frustrating her.  Presumably Petra ends up in control of the Marabella next week, so we'd be checking in to see how that was working out after some time.  Whatever Rogelio and Darci's new arrangement is could also be a vehicle to explain to us what their arrangement has been for the first few years of their kids life.  Ditto to Mateo's behavioral issues, a good way to show us where the kid is at now, at age 5 or 6. 

I agree. All of it can easily be set in the future, even Rogelio's and Darci's new arrangement, if the child is already born. Also, the fact that Michael is not even mentioned (other than that Brett Dier is "also starring") is VERY telling and all of these happenings seem awfully casual for the immediate aftermath of his death, so I do think they're going along with the time jump.

What really pisses me off about his death (apart from it happening in the first place, obviously) is that he and Jane never had a chance to enjoy their marriage. There was always, always something in their way and they were constantly stressed out because of one thing or the other: the shooting, his rehab, money issues, moving, career change and so on. Even in the last episode before his departure they had a big fight. If they knew he was going to die, they should have at least given them a couple of episodes of pure, total, blissful, unconditional happiness. They were such a great couple and they deserved it. I know that's not how life works, but frankly, I don't care. They've been through so much and they should have their moment, and they never got it. 

[Serena]

The time jump is definitely happening. Here's a picture of grown up Anna and Elsa.

[Irlandesa]

On 2/2/2017 at 8:09 PM, Joana said:

They've been through so much and they should have their moment, and they never got it. 

I think they wanted to show the growing pains of marriage but I disagree they never had their moment in the sun.  The last ten episodes of season 2 were pretty much that.

 

On 1/29/2017 at 3:04 PM, chocolatine said:

Magical realism? Unless the writers have the skills of Isabel Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I doubt they'll be able to make it work.

Oh on that I agree but it's just something I remember reading.

[Lady Calypso]

Well, I guess today is the day. I guess that it's pretty much a given that tonight's episode is Michael's last, which...yeah. I still think it's a bad idea, but I don't know the circumstances that happened behind the scenes to make it a thing. It just feels all very sudden, especially in the middle of the season. I'll just hold out hope that Brett Dier will either make guest appearances or his character will magically come back by the end of the season....four years later. But I'm gonna hate it either way. I'm still gonna give the season a chance, though. Who knows? Maybe there will be aspects that'll keep me watching! Keeping an open mind here! Or trying to.

ETA: Oh! And this means we lose little Aiden as Mateo! I almost forgot to include him! So yeah, that sucks because Aiden is such a cutie and he has such a great bond with Brett and Gina, so it does suck to see him and Brett go in the same episode. But at least Brett can come back for guest appearances. 

[Lady Calypso]

So, Jennie confirmed that Michael is dead, Brett will only appear in some flashbacks, and they had this planned.

Wow, so this was not even Brett's choice. Good to know. 

[Chas411]

Wow.... I mean I guess I can see why from a story point of view they felt the need to do it but... He was such a great character. Now we're back to Jane and Rafael side of the ship - where he puts her on a pedestal, she never thinks he's good enough and both characters come off so unlikeable...

No thanks.

[Tikichick]

I wonder how reliable our narrator truly is?  Still skeptical about Michael long-term. 

Kinda hoping the wedding Jane is heading to in the flash forward is Rafael/Petra.

[dargosmydaddy]

Anyone think there might be a Michael baby (well, toddler) in the forward timeline? I know this show doesn't need yet another young child, but seems like it would be a little consolation for Jane (and Jane/ Michael shippers), plus they made a point of mentioning them having sex right before Michael goes off to take his test (and die).

[Artsda]

In one of the articles, the creator says no to a baby being in the future 3 year timeline. She wasn't pregnant.

I wish Brett luck in what ever his next role is. 

[JamieLynn832002]

I'm not sure if this the place for this but since it's about the promo, I'm putting it here. The scene where we saw Jane sobbing about Adam on her book tour for the book she wrote about Michael really bugged me. I wasn't even a Michael/Jane fan but so much of the actual book release being about Adam is gross. I think part of my problem is the skip after Michael's death meant we didn't see that much of her grief and now we're seeing a public breakdown over her few month relationship with Adam and it feels wrong. 

[MajesticMariposa]

Leaked info for final season. Looks like Jane and Raf are endgame. 

[Lady Calypso]

Yeah, it seems like Michael doesn't appear after episode eight. That's what I hear, anyway, which means his return was....basically just to give him a second chance of life but with little payoff to what he went through. They essentially wiped his slate clean so that they could make Michael fans a little happy that he's not dead but also justify Jane choosing Raf and him knowing that he's first choice. 

Meanwhile, Rose will survive until the finale (Bridget was spotted on set for the finale).

Rafael/Jane are definitely endgame, not that anyone should have had any doubt. 

[nilyank]

3 minutes ago, Lady Calypso said:

Yeah, it seems like Michael doesn't appear after episode eight. That's what I hear, anyway, which means his return was....basically just to give him a second chance of life but with little payoff to what he went through. They essentially wiped his slate clean so that they could make Michael fans a little happy that he's not dead but also justify Jane choosing Raf and him knowing that he's first choice. 

Meanwhile, Rose will survive until the finale (Bridget was spotted on set for the finale).

Rafael/Jane are definitely endgame, not that anyone should have had any doubt. 

Blech. So dull.

[Irlandesa]

Yeah that's basically info from the sides so there are still surprises to be had.  The sides for tonight's episode had been out forever but Michael getting his memory back was unexpected.  IIRC, there was no hint of it in future episodes either but now some things she does make more sense.

[Phebemarie]

If there's no twist, I'm disappointed.  Was it really necessary to bring Michael back just to prove Rafael and Jane are the real deal?  What about that lovely line that Michael would love Jane until his dying breath?  

[Lady Calypso]

44 minutes ago, Phebemarie said:

If there's no twist, I'm disappointed.  Was it really necessary to bring Michael back just to prove Rafael and Jane are the real deal?  What about that lovely line that Michael would love Jane until his dying breath?  

I've seen a theory about the narrator being Michael, which...would strangely work with me. I never thought the Narrator would be important, but Jennie Urman confirmed that there will be a reveal of who the Narrator is, so since we know that Narrator is important, I wouldn't be surprised if it's Michael. 

But yeah, it sounds like Michael was brought back as a plot device primarily. I mean, I'm glad he's alive but I'm not happy that he likely won't be in the second half of the season, especially if he doesn't get to kill Rose himself. I've tried to look for evidence that Brett has been filming for JtV the last couple of weeks, but all signs point to "no" at the moment. If he does appear in the series finale, it's likely only in a cameo role, perhaps at Jane's wedding to Rafael. 

They really could have stretched out the Michael/Jane/Rafael stuff past episode eight but the show doesn't seem to give a shit, so now we're wasting the last eight episodes on Jane/Rafael getting engaged and doing wedding planning. Great for the Jafael fans; shitty for the Michael fans in general.

[twoods]

At least there is a definitive episode where I drop this show again. Just blah to it all. I can imagine their last talk in Montana.  “Oh hey, Michael, I know you were my first love but now I’ve changed and love Rafael so have to let you go so I can tell him he’s my first choice so he no longer feels inferior to you. Sorry you lost your previous life because of a sociopath. Bye!”

Edited April 11, 2019 by twoods

[Lady Calypso]

7 minutes ago, twoods said:

At least there is a definitive episode where I drop this show again. Just blah to it all. I can imagine their last talk in Montana.  “Oh hey, Michael, I know you were my first love but now I’ve changed and love Rafael so have to let you go so I can tell him he’s my first choice so he no longer feels inferior to you. Sorry you lost your previous life because of a sociopath. Bye!”

Oh yeah. I'm basically done after episode eight unless I hear about Brett Dier coming back. I mean, I already quit the show at the beginning of last season. I basically only watched clips of Petra for season 4. I only came back for Brett. I have no problems quitting the show for good and not watching the last 11 episodes.

[Chas411]

14 hours ago, Lady Calypso said:

They essentially wiped his slate clean so that they could make Michael fans a little happy that he's not dead but also justify Jane choosing Raf and him knowing that he's first choice. 

Ha there was nothing about this move that was done for the fans. It was purely done to service the Jane/Rafael romance. I don’t get why they couldn’t just leave him dead or have let them end up together. Nothing about her or Rafael is believable to me - I actually like her a lot less when she’s with him. With Michael at least I feel they were equally bespotted. With Rafael I feel like he’s constantly trying to prove he’s good enough for her.

[Thalia]

Yeah, I quit the last time Bret Dier left, and I'll quit this time too.  I'll record the last episodes, but won't watch unless I learn there is another Michael-related miracle.  With the exception of the line-dancing, I've pretty much hated every seen with "Jason."  He was monosyllabic, surly, and I grew to hate his facial scruff and that flannel shirt.  The flannel shirt he was wearing in MIAMI. 

[windsprints]

Quote

Yeah that's basically info from the sides so there are still surprises to be had.

Are the sides the only reason why its being said that he doesn't appear after episode 8? I haven't read them for Jane but if the sides are like other shows its very possible for Michael to be on the show & not in the sides.  

[Lady Calypso]

1 minute ago, windsprints said:

Are the sides the only reason why its being said that he doesn't appear after episode 8? I haven't read them for Jane but if the sides are like other shows its very possible for Michael to be on the show & not in the sides.  

I just read it somewhere on Reddit, to be fair. They don't have spoilers for every single episode. But with episode 7 having Jane go to Montana and episode 9 has her going back to try to woo Rafael (it sounds like they're either broken up or on the cusp of breaking up), it does SEEM like Michael stays in Montana. I mean, never say never; Michael could show back up in another episode, but I think his overall arc is done in episode 8 (as the remaining episodes that have spoilers about them is all about Jane/Rafael planning their wedding).

I'm willing to be wrong and I hope the person who told me about Michael leaving after episode 8 is wrong as well. I want Michael to stick around...but I'm not hopeful. 

[Irlandesa]

I didn't read the whole Reddit thread but from what I skimmed, it does look like the info came from the sides. 

As for Brett, the reason I do think he disappeared, for at least a large stretch of the season, is because of his series regular role on Schooled.  I don't know when their production ended but they were filming concurrently.  He could be in the finale, though.  But I don't know why they'd keep him off of Instagram now that we know he's alive. Bridget/Rosa has showed up.

[Lady Calypso]

From TVLine:

Quote

Is there even a tiny bit of hope, anything at all, for Jane and Michael on Jane the Virgin? –Salimah
As you might have since gleaned in the wake of Michael getting his memories back, “That charges everything,” showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman attests. “Now the love triangle is reactivated in a significant and major way, and it’s going to be torture for Jane and Rafael — and Michael, to some extent.”

So...yeah, just further proof that it's Jane/Rafael endgame...if Michael is SUCH an afterthought. Oh yeah, it's torture to Michael....TO SOME EXTENT? Dude lost his memories for four years and is now losing his wife to someone else. I'd say the resurgence of the love triangle SHOULD fully affect Michael.

[cardigirl]

To all that say Jennie doesn't change or deviate from the plan, she actually has, several times.  And one example of that is bringing Michael back. Never say never, says I.  Perhaps there are more than a few surprises left in the last 16 episodes. 

I've been rewatching the older episodes and have seen a number of things that could lead to plot lines for a telenovela that would be interesting.  Heh heh heh.  Probably just my overactive imagination though.

[Irlandesa]

8 hours ago, cardigirl said:

.  And one example of that is bringing Michael back. Never say never, says I. 

Gina said at TCA that she was told Brett/Michael would be coming back when Jennie killed him off but she couldn't say for a year and a half. 

[Babalu]

Is it possible that the ending will reveal that the whole show is a telenovela or novel? Jane could be a scriptwriter or novelist or actor with a completely different real life behind the scenes. Has Jennie Snyder Urman ever said anything refuting that possibility? It would be kind of cheap, unless done very thoughtfully, and the telenovela/novel would still have to have a satisfactory ending. 

All this speculation is reminding me of just a few weeks ago during the last few episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, when it seemed that hardly anyone was going to be pleased with the finale. The writers pulled it off, though, at least in my opinion, so I’m going to trust the JtV writers to have the same success. If they don’t, I’ll be  disappointed and much less likely to watch the spin-off, but at least I’ll enjoy the show until then.

[Phebemarie]

8 hours ago, Babalu said:

Is it possible that the ending will reveal that the whole show is a telenovela or novel? Jane could be a scriptwriter or novelist or actor with a completely different real life behind the scenes. Has Jennie Snyder Urman ever said anything refuting that possibility? It would be kind of cheap, unless done very thoughtfully, and the telenovela/novel would still have to have a satisfactory ending. 

All this speculation is reminding me of just a few weeks ago during the last few episodes of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, when it seemed that hardly anyone was going to be pleased with the finale. The writers pulled it off, though, at least in my opinion, so I’m going to trust the JtV writers to have the same success. If they don’t, I’ll be  disappointed and much less likely to watch the spin-off, but at least I’ll enjoy the show until then.

If that's the case, they can have a 'choose your own ending' that would satisfy both the Michael and Rafael fans...hmm.....

[cardigirl]

I'm curious as to what the viewing numbers were when Michael's character was off the show. I know that I did not have the enthusiasm for the storytelling as much then as I did when he was on the show. I have heard others express that opinion as well, saying that they stopped watching, etc.  It would be interesting to find out if there was a dip or increase in the ratings involved with that storyline. 

[BAH]

Me, too, cardigirl. I cynically assumed ratings dropped and that’s why MichAel was brought back 

[twoods]

IT seemed as if ratings dropped after Michael died and continue to do so following the time jump. I know I jumped ship because I was so pissed off.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.itechpost.com/amp/articles/89262/20170301/jane-virgin-season-3-rating-continues-drop-rafael-back-together.htm

[Irlandesa]

Ratings went up immediately after he died and then went down.  And up and down.

Ratings fluctuations are pretty common.  Sometimes caused by random statistical collection.  Different days can also impact ratings.  For instance, it's hard to compare Jane's fourth season ratings to the previous three seasons given that it aired on Fridays.  Fridays are a bit of a dead zone ratings wise.

It's also pretty well know that ratings go down in the spring, especially after daylight savings.  That's why it's also hard to compare past premieres with past premieres.  This is spring.  Those were in the fall.

Edited April 17, 2019 by Irlandesa

[cardigirl]

All I know is that, for me, Jane the Virgin was must-see TV before Michael died, and then, it wasn’t. I would DVR it and watch it a couple of days later. It wasn’t until River Fields came on that I started getting interested in the storylines again. 

I guess the tension of the triangle really did add to the show for me, because I just did not care about the other stories as much. My bad. 

[funnygirl]

Imagine that the best part of a critically acclaimed show centered on three Latina women is the white guy. I can't relate. 

I'm glad Jennie Urman got the space from the network to tell her story her way and end it her way. Ratings be dammed. 

Edited April 17, 2019 by funnygirl

[cardigirl]

By all means, damn the ratings, all they mean is fewer people are enjoying the show and it is not appealing as universally as it once was.   People say the same thing about Moby Dick, so I understand.  :)   I think Moby Dick is brilliant.

Edited April 17, 2019 by cardigirl
technologically challenged apparently

[cardigirl]

15 minutes ago, cardigirl said:

 

 

Edited April 17, 2019 by cardigirl
duplicated unwittingly.

[Snapdragon]

On 4/16/2019 at 12:22 AM, Babalu said:

Is it possible that the ending will reveal that the whole show is a telenovela or novel? Jane could be a scriptwriter or novelist or actor with a completely different real life behind the scenes. Has Jennie Snyder Urman ever said anything refuting that possibility? It would be kind of cheap, unless done very thoughtfully, and the telenovela/novel would still have to have a satisfactory ending. 

This has been my guess for awhile now.  What we're watching is actually Jane's novel, which is being read at a book reading by the narrator.  That's why he adds in all the little asides to the audience and why all the episodes are just chapter numbers.  Jane will end up with one guy in the "novel" version, then they'll cut to the "real world" and she'll be with the other guy.  That way everyone can get their preferred ending.