*Spoilers Ahead*
It’s okay if you didn’t know who Jessica Jones was before Marvel’s latest show hit Netflix a few weeks ago. Out of the four superheroes picked to get their own shows on the streaming service, Jones is probably the least known and yet, she was one of the first Marvel heroes considered for a TV show back in 2010. Watching the show it’s easy to see why.
Jessica Jones is perfect for television. In films and on the big screen she’d pale in comparison to all of the other heroes we see on there, in the TV landscape though, Jones manages to feel different. She’s a snarky and abrasive P.I. who prefers to use her detective skills instead of her powers. Her costume is a leather jacket and jeans and when she’s not on a case she’s usually drinking herself into a stupor. In other words, she’s a regular noir detective in the style of Sam Spade or Phillip Marlowe.
It’s clear from the opening titles that the film noir style has a huge influence on this show. There are countless moments in these episodes, usually when Jessica is investigating at night or tailing someone, that feel lifted straight from the genre. That distinctive style sets Jessica Jones apart from both it’s predecessor and anything else in the superhero genre.
Whereas Daredevil made a name for itself by telling a gritty crime story and it’s use of elaborate and thrilling fight scenes, Jones prefers to stay more psychological, a necessary choice when your villain’s power is mind control but that isn’t the only reason. Jessica herself has been affected by the man she hunts down and he continues to haunt her.
David Tennant’s Kilgrave makes Wilson Fisk look like an anti-hero next to him. While he barely shows up at all in the first few episodes ever action Jessica takes is haunted by his presence. Tennant purposely seems to play Kilgrave with a bit of flair from his version of The Doctor that adds an extra creepy layer to his already stunning performance.
While the word “rape” isn’t used right away to define what Kilgrave does to Jessica and the other women he controls it’s clear from the get-go that his powers serve as a metaphor for the act even on the male members of the cast who never experience the actual rape he commits. While that alone would make Kilgrave a decent villain it’s not what makes him possibly the best villain in the entire MCU.
Daredevil spent a good portion of it’s time blurring the lines between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk by showing us how Fisk became the man he is. While Jones takes time to explain Kilgrave’s past it never adds enough sympathy to take away from his vile acts. He’s a man with a troubled past but it doesn’t excuse his actions instead it simply explains them further.
Despite the title though, it isn’t all about Jessica. The show keeps an interesting cast of characters around with their own stories and while some aren’t very compelling in comparison to the main plot it at least gives us a glimpse into the lives of these other people wrapped up in Jessica’s exploits.
The most successful, of course, is Luke Cage, who makes his debut here before his own Netflix show debuts sometime next year. Cage has the power of unbreakable skin and he and Jessica hit it off almost immediately. The chemistry between Ritter and Colter sells the relationship even before the story really gets going on them.
On the other side of the superhero spectrum is Trica “Patsy” Walker, better known as Hellcat to comic fans, Trish is Jessica’s best friend and adoptive sister and their dynamic feels lived in from the first encounter they have on screen and only gets better from there.
Lastly, there’s Malcolm, Jessica’s drug addict neighbor. At first, Malcolm seems like the stereotypical “weird drug-addled friend” role but the show later reveals that he became an addict due to Kilgrave’s meddling and from there he transitions into the heart of the show. The one character trying to keep everyone human while Kilgrave runs wild.
From there, the rest of the cast more or less falls flat. Whether it’s Carrie-Anne Moss’ no nonsense Jeri Hogarth, who is great but uncompelling when not sharing a scene with Ritter or Will Simpson, a cop who is mind-controlled by Kilgrave and later helps, then hinders, Jessica in her pursuit of him.
Naturally, as the only female-led show in the Netflix group and as only the second female character to get a lead in a Marvel production, Jessica Jones is heavy on the feminism. How could it not be? At it’s core it is the story of a woman overcoming her metaphorical and literal rape by helping to take down the self-entitled man who committed the act. Even outside of the main story the show manages to feel refreshing in it’s focus on the female aspect. Whether it’s the focus on the pleasure of the woman in it’s sex scenes or the time spent establishing a fully formed and believable friendship between Jessica and Trish. In the end though, the most feminist thing about the show is the lead character herself.
Krysten Ritter does a wonderful job portraying Jessica as a woman who is both confident in her abilities while also truly afraid of the man who made a mockery of them. As the show progresses and Kilgrave becomes more present however, Jessica’s fear turns to defiance and that’s where she shines the best. Such as the stand out scene where she learns that she has become immune to Kilgrave’s powers. The smile that stretches across her face shows the shifting of power in the relationship of these two.
Ultimately, power, specifically the super kind, is what ends up holding the show back. Much like Daredevil, Jones jumps into the more superhero-y elements in the back half of it’s season and it ends up distracting from everything that had made the show interesting and unique up until that point. While the show is still able to keep things interesting and fun, like the fight between Jessica and a Kilgrave-controlled Cage in the penultimate episode, it ultimately falters the farther away it gets from the detective angle.
In the end, Jessica Jones proves itself to be a step in the right direction by tackling unexplored themes and providing a distinctive style that keeps it in a league of it’s own. It might not be the most well-known superhero tale but maybe we just need more superheroes like Jessica.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Jesse Swanson is a would-be writer, podcaster and funny guy who covers TV shows of all shapes and sizes. You can find him on Twitter @JesseSwanson