We Need Answers About Mateo When 'Jane' Returns

From day one, Jane the Virgin has pretty much been master of the cliffhanger. Fans of the show have learned to hate nothing more than the telltale words, "To Be Continued" tap-tap-typewritten across the screen at the end of every episode. That said, it should come as no surprise that the first season left us dangling off the biggest cliff of all: After a drama-ridden labor, Jane's newborn baby Mateo was kidnapped in the Jane The Virgin Season 1 finale — by none other than Sin Rostro.

Unfortunately for us, Jane the Virgin's cast and creative team has remained characteristically tight-lipped on the mystery (which will, of course, be a major plot point in the show's Season 2 premiere). When asked about the kidnapping by Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman would reveal no more than the fact that, "It wasn’t some random act of crazy ... Sin Rostro took him for a specific reason and once that is resolved, different things get launched as a result." She also (rather ominously) revealed, "You haven't seen the last of Sin Rostro." Uh-oh.

So, there's a method to the madness, but what is said method? What could the mercurial (and perhaps face-swapping) big boss possibly want with Jane's baby? Let's go ahead and speculate, because hey, a little educated guessing never hurt anyone.

As A Power Grab

As the wife of the former patriarch of the Solano family, Sin Rostro is no doubt embroiled in all of that hotelier drama. Inheritance has long been a favorite topic on Jane the Virgin, so it's not much of a stretch to assume that Mateo's kidnapping could have something to do with seizing control of the Marbella, along with Emilio, Rafael, and Luisa's other various assets. After all, Rafael did conveniently mention the fact that he was closing a lucrative sale... maybe Sin Rostro wants in.

As Collateral

What more powerful of a bargaining chip could you ask for than a loved newborn baby? Sin Rostro has a lot of unfinished business with a lot of people close to Jane and Mateo — Rafael pops to mind first, of course. Then, there's also Michael, who's been instrumental in leading the charge against Sin Rostro from day one. Rose could be using Mateo against any of the above people.

As A Cover-Up

Urman also brought up something in an interview that, to me, suggests Mateo's kidnapping could be something of a last-ditch attempt to prove some sort of point on Sin Rostro's part. In a Season 1 postmortem interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Urman happened to say that most hospital kidnappings happen because of a "woman who has told somebody in her life that she's pregnant, and isn't, and gets desperate." Could this (or a version of this) be the case where Rose is concerned?

As Immunity

Last we saw them, Michael and Nadine were hatching a plan against Sin Rostro — complete with Nadine turning triple agent with a tracking device. Maybe Mateo could be some sort of "get out of jail free" card to protect herself from the cops currently closing in on her operation.

As A Love Token

Now, I'm not saying Sin Rostro kidnapped Mateo to raise with with her one true love, Luisa (though I would totally watch that spinoff), but we have to consider the fact that the kidnapping had something to do with Rafael's sister. After all, the show's narrator has made it abundantly clear that Luisa is Rose's Achilles' heel. Could the kidnapping of her girlfriend's nephew have something to do with their relationship?

Knowing the masterfully telenovela-esque plotting on Jane the Virgin, it's probably a little bit of all of the above. I'm sure Season 2 will find a way to explain the kidnapping in as complex and satisfying manner as possible, tangling up as many characters as it can in its delightfully messy wake.

Images: Patrick Wymore, Danny Feld (2), Greg Gayne/The CW; Giphy (2)