Jane the Virgin's Justin Baldoni on the Big Proposal, Losing to Team Michael

Forget living together. On Monday’s Jane the Virgin (The CW, 9/8c), Rafael decides to one-up himself and pop the question to his pregnant girlfriend. But will the pragmatic heroine accept after only six months of dating?

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While the hotel owner’s proposal is “very inventive,” his portrayer Justin Baldoni tells TVLine, there are issues that arise just from the idea of cohabiting. So it “doesn’t matter what answer it is, it’ll send a ripple through the telenovela universe.”

Not to mention, her ex Michael is far from out of the romantic picture. Off-screen, the jilted detective is also winning over hearts as the Jane cast is, much to Baldoni’s amusement, all Team Michael, the actor reveals below. (Hello? have they seen Rafael?!)

Read on for scoop on Jane and Rafael’s uncertain future, a possible bromance and the Petra-shaped thorn in Raf’s side.

TVLINE | Rafael suggested to Jane that they move in together, which definitely seems like an “Of course we should do that” thing. But are they on the same page about it?
No, I will say they’re probably probably not. But Rafael has learned to go with the flow a bit when it comes to Jane. We’re going to see what happens when two different people who have two different ideas of what happens in a relationship are presented with an option. Rafael and Jane are both very different people. They come from very different worlds and have very different opinions on things. So what may be the right next step for Rafael may not be the right next step for Jane and vice versa. We’ll see the ambiguity that comes from that situation.

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TVLINE | As big as Rafael’s proposal was that they move in together, it looks like there’s an even bigger one in Monday’s episode. What was it like shooting the proposal scene?
There are a few people who have seen me propose in real life after that video went viral. So it was just kind of funny doing it with Jane on camera. What’s nice about it is that’s all stored up in your memory, that feeling of what it’s like to really propose. It was very nice, and it was fun.

TVLINE | We had Jane/Rafael in the “Put a Ring On It” category in our Valentine’s Day gallery, so bravo on taking our advice.
[Laughs] He’s trying! He’s definitely trying. And thank you for including us. It’s one of the most fun, romantic characters that I’ve ever gotten [to play]. The relationship between Jane and Rafael has been one of the most fun things that I’ve gotten to do. Gina [Rodriguez] is just so present and so brilliant and so funny and also available emotionally, that it really reflects life. It’s beautiful.

TVLINE | [Executive producer] Jennie Urman told me she’s always trying to find ways to keep the love triangle alive. Should fans of Jane and Rafael be worried?
You’re never safe in Jane the Virgin, that’s what I’ll say. You’re never safe on a telenovela, that’s for darn sure, and you’re never safe on Jane the Virgin. The fans of Rafael and Jane should be very appreciative of the moment they’re in now. And the fans of Michael and Jane, don’t worry, Michael’s not going away.

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TVLINE | Is there a scenario in which you could see these two guys getting along and co-existing?
I would say anything is possible on Jane the Virgin. Brett [Dier] and I have a bromance in real life, which is fun. Brett and I and Jaime [Camil], we’re the three guys on the show. I know that Jaime is undeniably Team Michael. I feel like everyone on our show is Team Michael at the moment. I like to attribute it to him being the underdog, but also, Michael is adorable and Brett is just like a lovable, alien puppy in real life. [Laughs]

TVLINE | When I was on set last November, I was surprised by how many of your cast members said they were Team Michael. I thought it was going to be more evenly split.
I know! What’s up with that? I don’t get it!

TVLINE | And they haven’t changed their minds since then?
No, everybody’s still Team Michael on my show! Again, I try to not take that personally, of course, but I do send them articles and say, “Really, guys?” when people send me articles about my cast mates being Team Michael. Even Gina said she thinks she’s Team Michael. I think Jennie even said she’s Team Michael, and I went, “Wow, is Rafael just…? Alright.” [Laughs] It’s like Rocky. We all root for the underdog. It’s like Rudy. Michael’s like Rudy. [Laughs] That’s a joke, by the way.

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TVLINE | Moving on to other Rafael problems, how is he handling Petra’s new very hands-on role at the hotel?
Not very well. When you have your ex-wife who was sleeping with your best friend who stole your sperm sample who set this whole crazy thing in motion now owning a piece of a hotel, it’s not an easy thing to deal with. But Rafael also knows how important this hotel was for his dad and how important it is for him. It’s the only thing he has left of his dad. So he’s going to do whatever it takes to keep it going.

TVLINE | Rewinding a bit, what was your reaction to the Sin Rostro reveal and your TV dad being killed off?
It’s funny, most of us don’t get to read the scripts until the table read because they come the night before and the shooting schedule is so crazy. So a lot of the reveals happen in the room, and I remember we all were just like, “What?!” and yelling. It’s so much fun to find out these major reveals. But I thought it was brilliant, and of course, I loved the guy who played my father. But it was an important step for Rafael. You start to see the chink in his armor.

TVLINE | Jennie said it would be the beginning of a big emotional arc for Rafael. Are you seeing a lot of growth with him in the upcoming episodes?
Yeah, you’re seeing a lot of growth. You’re seeing a lot of real, human behavior. You’re seeing the result of a troubled childhood. It’s a snowball effect. The snowball’s just picking up steam. One thing leads to another… There’s so much happening. You finally get a little bit of what Rafael’s going through.

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