Jane the Virgin's Showrunner Explains the Emotional Reason Behind That Shocking Death

Major spoilers ahead for Monday night's episode of Jane the Virgin.

Monday night's heartbreaking episode of Jane the Virgin sent everyone on #TeamMichael into a tear-stained tailspin when the show's writers finally did what they've been hinting at for months: they killed off Michael Cordero. Since plenty of fans (and the cast) are understandably still reeling from the devastating turn of events, showrunner Jennie Urman took to Tumblr to explain why Michael (played by Brett Dier) had to go. The heartfelt letter is addressed directly to Jane the Virgin's many fans and confirms that unlike telenovela characters of yore, Michael will not be coming back from the dead.

"It was a decision made very early on, when I thought about our story as a whole," she wrote. "And even in season one, I knew it would be a hard thing to actually do, which is why there was a line (which many of you noticed) about how Michael would never stop loving Jane. And the Narrator confirmed, 'For as long as Michael lived, until he drew his very last breath, he never did.' Honestly, I put that line into the script at the last minute to hold our feet to the fire, to make sure we went through with it. Because even back then, the writers could all see the magic of Jane and Michael together. Not to mention Rogelio and Michael!"

Although Michael's death was a painful scene to endure (made even more so when Jane is seen sobbing afterwards — oof), it must be said that it was still done well. At the very least, it's a comfort to know that the minds behind Jane and Michael's romance did not take such a plot twist lightly. Read Urman's letter in full below: