Jane Probably Isn't Part Of 'JTV's New Mystery

Spoilers for the Feb. 6 episode of Jane The Virgin ahead. Let's be honest: As soon as you found out Michael was dead on Jane The Virgin, you started to wonder how long it would take Jane to get back with Rafael. A three-year time jump only exacerbated said thoughts, especially since it included Jane going to a wedding without revealing who was getting married. Could it actually be Jane getting married in the Jane The Virgin flash-forward?

It doesn't matter if you're Team Michael or Team Rafael, the thought must've cross your mind (after you cried for the appropriate amount of time, of course). It's harsh, but fair. Throughout its three seasons, this very carefully calibrated love triangle has been a major part of Jane The Virgin. And just when everything finally stabilized, the writers went and majorly shook things up. So, as crass as it may be given the relatively short time we've been mourning Michael, the questions this opens up for Jane's romantic future are definitely valid.

Though the details of this wedding are still anyone's guess, we can glean some insight from the thoughtful remarks showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman posted on Tumblr shortly after Michael's death. She explained that the show jumped forward three years to give a realistic depiction of the time it takes to grieve. "After talking to grief counselors, this felt like the right time to reenter Jane’s journey," Urman wrote. "She’ll always feel Michael’s absence (and trust me, we will too), but it opens up our storytelling in new and exciting ways, while allowing for the light and bright Jane world that we love to write."

Still, it's tough to imagine someone of Jane's temperament forming a whole new relationship to the point of marriage so quickly. Plus, we all saw what Jane was wearing as she got ready for the wedding: A stylish, yet decidedly non-bridal, peach dress, and no ring.

Besides, in a perfect world, we'd want her marrying Rafael, right? It would make for pretty amazing shock value if they were indeed the nuptial pair in question, but if you think about it, it would also be narratively unsatisfying. If (more like when) they do eventually get back together, aren't we going to want to watch them court each other from the ground up? Aren't we going to want to see all the glowing hearts and floating flower petals (and hear all the sassy narrator comments) all over again?

Oh, and here's yet another fly in the potential-Jafael-wedding ointment: TVLine reported that Rafael may be dating a new character played by Minka Kelly post-time jump. It's fair to expect things to shift pretty significantly over the course of three years, and on a fast-paced telenovela-inspired show like Jane the Virgin, who knows — it could mean new romantic pairings all around. (Heck, maybe Alba will even be with that gift store guy she's been slowly flirting with all season.)

Michael's death has been tough to weather all around, but it's safe to say that the time jump and subsequent wedding talk has stirred up enough intrigue to keep fans excited for the future of Jane The Virgin. And if said future means the return of another effective love triangle in the form of a still-heartbroken Jane slowly falling for a Kelly-dating Rafael? Well then, so be it.