Cry of the Week: 'Jane the Virgin' and #TeamMichaelForever

Welcome to our new weekly series "Cry of the Week," in which we highlight whatever moment made us ugly cry on our couches the most in the past seven days.

In Season 3, Lost attempted to balm the impending demise of a fan favorite character by telling us that "the universe has a way of course-correcting." Borrowed time must be returned, and on Monday night so came the time for Jane the Virgin's Michael Cordero (Brett Dier) to pay the proverbial piper and shred all our hearts in the process.

Jane the Virgin warned us as early as Season 2 that Michael's days were numbered. At the end of it, we thought we'd lost him to a bullet wound, but he survived -- only to die suddenly of complications during Season 3, episode 10.

Much like the Season 2 finale, "Chapter Fifty-Four" was loaded with irony, giving us moments of Jane-and-Michael perfection that only preemptively salted the wound of his imminent departure; Michael tearing up with excitement at the prospect of a new baby, Michael and Jane revisiting the site of an early date, little Michael dressing as a cop for Halloween (file under: How Dare You).

If you glimpsed any of the rampant spoilers for this episode, you may have second-guessed them while actually watching it. After all, Michael retired from the police business after his bullet wound and the nasty business of Mutter and Sin Rostro has taken a backseat for several episodes. His only big plan was to take the LSAT, and who ever died taking an LSAT?

MICHAEL, THAT'S WHO.

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

If a melodramatic television show using death as a plot device seems indelicate, take a moment to remember that death is as indiscriminate in reality. As I noted reviewing the Season 2 finale, "sometimes life shatters your favorite snow globe moments after you've received it."

In a Feb. 7 blog post, showrunner Jennie Urman mentioned that the show's writers consulted grief counselors to make sure that Michael's death was handled properly. We're with Jane when she finds out and sinks to the floor in anguish -- a gut-wrenching piece of acting by Gina Rodriguez -- but beyond that, the episode doesn't intrude on her grief.

The series will pick up three years after Michael's death as Jane begins to feel like herself and move on with her life. There will be flashbacks and explanations of the intervening period, as well as guest appearances by Dier where they make sense. Losing the love of her life will change Jane forever, but the story -- like life -- will go on.

We're here for you, Jane. But please pass the tissues.