This post contains major spoilers about the Jane the Virgin season 4 finale. Jane the Virgin knows how to keep fans guessing, and the finale was no exception. Season 4 ended with the return of a familiar face — could that be Michael's twin on Jane the Virgin? Fans have been led to believe that Brett Dier's character died years ago on the show, and his return has viewers seriously confused. If Michael really is dead, then who's the guy Rafael revealed to Jane?
And while Jane the Virgin is no stranger to twists involving secret twins, it sounds like that's not going to be the case here. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman shared that this definitely isn't Michael's twin. But that doesn't mean it's necessarily Michael, either. Here's exactly what Urman told EW about the character at the end of the finale:
"It's not a twin. I can't say whether it's definitely Michael, that will be answered in the first episode of the fifth season. There's definitely going to be some questions because Rose has a dicey history, but it certainly looks like Michael. This person — and then we'll talk about him as Michael for clarity — has been somewhere and has had a journey so we'll be getting into that."
If the man Rafael revealed to Jane isn't Michael's twin, then the question stands: Could Michael truly be back? Because in terms of game-changers, that one would be major for the show's hero.
It's understandable to see why fans would think Dier could be playing a surprise twin. Jane the Virgin has given us plenty of twin reveals already, after all. There was Petra's twin Anežka, as well as Roman's twin Aaron (who, as it turns out, was actually Roman in disguise). Plus, Petra and Rafael have twins, Anna and Ellie, and Rogelio has twin ex-stepdaughters, so there are definitely plenty of twins to go around on this show.
But as for whether or not this is actually Michael, well, the verdict is still unclear. In addition to Urman's comments to EW, there's also the fact that during a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Urman was similarly vague about Dier's return. The showrunner discussed how Michael's character's return could affect the storyline "if this is indeed Michael," which means it might not necessarily be Jane's late husband back from the dead.
Then again, it could be — Urman's statements are purposely vague. Here's exactly what she told THR's Jean Bentley, after being asked whether there's a specific ending for Jane in mind:
"We are heading toward the final chapter, certainly. Jane started to write at the end of this episode and it was the first words from the pilot. Her stories are coming together. The three books that we've seen her work on; her love triangle — I mean, if this is indeed Michael — is back but in a totally different form. We have reset things and the pieces are coming into place for how the ending will play out ultimately."
Based on this quote, it sounds like the figure actually could be Michael, which would bring Jane right back to the same love triangle she was in before. Rafael's comment about feeling like he's not Jane's first choice could have even more meaning if Jane is in a situation where she, once again, is stuck between him and Michael.
If it's not Michael, though, there are plenty of other Michael theories that could make sense that aren't about long-lost twins. The person who looks like Michael could be wearing a rubber mask — impractical in real life, but it's happened on the show. Michael went through an entire investigation without knowing his partner Susanna was actually Rose in a very convincing disguise. And Rose pulled off the trick again when pretending to be Luisa's girlfriend Eileen.
Luckily, it doesn't sound like fans will have to wait too long to find out just who this new mystery man is. Urman told EW that the first episode of season 5 will reveal whether or not it's actually Michael — until then, let the fan theorizing commence.
