'Jane the Virgin' season 3 episode 11 spoilers: What's next for Jane after Michael's untimely death?

Avid fans of the show have always felt that it was bound to happen, but Michael's (Brett Dier) sudden death in the previous episode of "Jane the Virgin" still came as a devastating blow for many.

Just when things seem to have started looking up for Jane (Gina Rodriguez) and her husband, Michael, fate steps in and takes all of their hopes for a new life away. Jane was on her way to fully realizing her dream of becoming a published writer, and Michael was all set to get into law school.

Unfortunately, Michael's weak heart could not keep up with the tension and excitement of a career change. While in the middle of taking his LSAT, complications from his previous gunshot wound caused his heart to give out. And just like that, the most popular fan theory about the show caught on and became Jane's reality.

Michael's death had been hinted on as early as the freshman season of the show, wherein the Narrator said in episode 10 that Michael would love Jane until he drew his very last breath. Fans previously expected it to happen during the season 3 premiere. What drove the writers to pull such a finale-worthy twist right in the middle of an on-going season?

Speaking with TV Line following the episode, series creator Jennie Urman shared that the decision came partly from wanting to tell more Michael–Jane newlywed stories before Michael's impending death and partly to pull the twist off right when the audience would least expect it.

She further added that "Jane the Virgin" has always been a show about drawing the line between fantasy and reality in the life of a romantic and idealistic writer.

"What happens when you had that, and you don't anymore? How can she get back her light and hope, and what does it mean to her?" Urman said, adding, "How did all of the dreams that she originally had change as a result of this?"

The next episode, "Chapter Fifty-Five," will continue on from the three-year time jump at the end of the previous episode, although it does not reveal whose mysterious wedding Jane was preparing for. The synopsis shares that while working in publishing, Jane will learn about a showcase for up and coming writers. Will this be the trigger that inspires her to reach out for her dream once again? She will also be working hand-in-hand with the father of her baby, Rafael (Justin Baldoni), as they try to figure out a solution to their growing son's behavioral issues.

"Jane the Virgin" season 3 episode 11 airs on Monday, Feb. 13, at 9 p.m. EST on The CW.