When a genre becomes popular suddenly every broadcaster wants in on it and a genre trend happens. That’s what has happened with the superheroes genre as the comic book to screen trend continues to expand. Superheroes are a hot commodity now and so far most of the shows put forth since the superhero explosion began have been excellent. The downside to so many shows of a similar genre is it becomes hard to differentiate them as themes and storylines tend to be quite similar especially with shows that live within the same universe and it isn’t until a truly special one comes along that the similarities become blaringly obvious. The genre is oversaturated by guys getting to play the hero and there is nothing wrong with that except the obvious lack of female counterparts. Young girls, and even grown women, want to see female superheroes representing us just as much as guys do. While heroine Black Widow has represented on the big screen for years it has only been within the last few seasons that we’ve seen female superheroes emerge on television, but none of them have been the leads of a series.
That is until November 2015, which will forever be known as the month that changed the superhero genre forever.
Supergirl was a much needed breath of fresh air for the genre, and holds the prestigious distinction of being the first female led superhero show, but
Jessica Jones has taken it to a whole new level. DC and Marvel have been battling it out for decades, so it’s only fitting that each delivered a TV property equally capable of changing the genre within weeks of each other. With that said, and no matter how much love I have for
Supergirl, I have to declare that
Jessica Jones is the superhero show all other superhero shows will be compared to. Marvel won this round and set the bar so exceptionally high that it will be hard to top even within their studio. Unless I’ve missed something, and I may have, Marvel is also easily winning in the superheroine category with far more than the mere four DC has and all but one are currently on
Arrow. Granted I know both companies have more coming down the line in the coming months and years, but DC has some catching up to do. Marvel made it even harder for their competition with the release of this show.
WARNING: SPOILERS BEGIN AT THIS POINT!!! STOP READING IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED!!!
Jessica Jones is raw, gritty, and dark in a way all the other superhero shows can only hope to be allowed to be. We have a superhero in Jessica, but she’s fighting the title with every ounce of her being. Unfortunately for her people keep need saving and she keeps trying to save them no matter how badly she wants to turn her back and walk away. She may not have a cape or a cool code name yet, but she’s every bit as much a superhero as those that have both.
Jessica Jones isn’t the ultimate superhero show because the lead is a woman, it does get bonus points for that though, but because it has tapped into the very essence of the darkness that dominates almost every comic book I’ve ever read. Nothing is sugar coated and no one gets a get out of jail free card. Jessica can’t save everyone and the stakes are very real and when people die there is no magical way to resurrect them. There will be those that argue all the comic book based superhero shows on TV are dark, and they wouldn’t be wrong, but none have been able to reach into the source material and latch onto the darkness the way this show has. This is a show that was never going to be allowed on a mainstream broadcast network and that’s a good thing because the censorship on this show would have been off the charts. Yet within all the darkness and mayhem they’ve found a way to weave in a tiny bit of hope that helps to offset the overwhelming darkness. This series is the closest and most accurate representation of comic book themes that I’ve seen.
While companion series
Daredevil is dark even it paled in comparison to
Jessica Jones.
Daredevil is also extremely action oriented while
Jessica Jones uses action scenes sparingly and appropriately as the story calls for it. This is a series designed to be propelled by the relationships between the characters and doesn’t rely on action to drive the story forward. There is nothing wrong with the all action approach, and I’m a fan of
Daredevil including its heart-stopping action sequences, but often times the story gets pushed to the side for it. Jessica’s relationships with Luke and Trish propel her forward and each plays a critical part in her life with the latter being arguably the most important person in her life. If it ever came down to her having to save them both but only being capable of saving one of them it is without question that she would save Trish. Even Kilgrave was capable of realizing that with his observation that Trish is the only person Jessica has ever truly loved.
Casting is everything in a series like this and I like many questioned if Krysten Ritter was the right pick, but after seeing her in action I can’t imagine any other actress being able to carry this show like she did. The series surrounded her by equally compelling actors and actresses with Rachael Taylor, David Tennant, Mike Colter, and Carrie-Anne Moss all having extraordinary chemistry with Krysten. Since relationships are such an important part of this series I’d be remiss to not take a look at each one individually.
Trish (Rachael Taylor), without question, is the most important person in Jessica’s life. Ultimately in the end it is the unconditional love they share that allowed Jessica to finally kill Kilgrave. Time and time again throughout the season these two sacrificed for each other. Trish nearly paid for this love with her life no less than four times and that’s probably a lowball number. Each time Jessica finds herself over Trish’s beaten or dying body her terror and panic grows exponentially. Kilgrave was right, Trish is the only person Jessica has ever been capable of loving and to survive they need each other. It is a very codependent relationship, but one built on an extraordinary level of love and trust. Their relationship wasn’t always as it is now as they once wanted nothing to do with each other. In living with Trish and her mom Jessica realized the horror being inflicted on Trish and became her protector and Trish became Jessica’s heart. As most everyone knows Trish in the comic books becomes Hellcat and this season certainly set her up to follow her comic book counterpart down that path. When Jessica was to hurt to beat Simpson Trish didn’t hesitate to put her life on the line to save her sister. They may not share a single drop of blood, but they are more than just best friends they are sisters in every way that counts. Trish is destined to be a hero in her own right and I look forward to watching her journey as she becomes the hero she is meant to be. I also look forward to seeing how Jessica handles Trish putting herself in dangerous situations.
Luke (Mike Colter) is the only other person that Jessica cares about, but I don’t think she’s able to declare her love for him just yet. Her feelings for him are very real and that shouldn’t be discounted it’s just that love isn’t something Jessica freely hands out. I believe in time, and many seasons from now, she will declare her love for him and he’ll join Trish in a very elite club, but by the time Season 1 ends they aren’t at that place in their relationship yet. It was a beautifully vulnerable moment in the season finale when Jessica crawled into bed beside his unconscious body. She knew what she was about to face and she needed that physical connection even if he couldn’t reciprocate it. That one singular action, more than any other, showed just how far their relationship has evolved since they met. I imagine we’ll see Jessica appear in the Luke Cage series, so we’ll see how the relationship continues to evolve across the two shows.
Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss) is one of those characters you love to hate because you know she’s only out for herself, but she does manage to hide a heart under that tough shark lawyer exterior. A point she manages to prove over and over throughout the season as she does what she perceives as the right thing for all the wrong reasons. Ultimately it costs her people she loves and leaves her forever changed. It will take a long time, if ever, for Jessica to trust her again, but I predict she’ll have a big part moving forward as Trish and Jessica tackle whatever threat IGH will bring to them. I doubt Pam will ever forgive Hogarth, but I do hope that next season they give her a love interest that can hold her own against the tough as nails lawyer. I think it’ll be interesting to see how she evolves over the seasons.
Kilgrave (David Tennant) became the most depraved and psychotic villain to ever grace a superhero series or movie from any studio. He puts Loki, Joker, and Ra’s al Ghul to shame and those are three psychotic villains not to be messed with. At least those villains, and most others, have some odd sense of honor, but Kilgrave does not have that. He doesn’t value life, not even his own, and rapes and murders for the fun of it. If that wasn’t bad enough, and those things are the worst of the worst as it is, he causes people to do horrific things to themselves and others against their will. I’ve watched a lot of TV in my life and as a fan of
Criminal Minds I’ve seen some twisted stuff on television, but nothing I’ve ever seen can compare to the depravity of Kilgrave. He was a brilliant villain for the first season of the show, but I’m glad he presumably didn’t survive the season. It would be hard to watch his horror inflicted on Jessica and those around her for another season. The show is going to have an incredibly hard time finding another villain that can top Kilgrave and if they do manage to do it we’re all in for one dark and twisted ride with this show. It will be interesting to see if Jessica can face down her PTSD now that he’s gone or if the horrors he inflicted on her will continue to haunt her. It was fun to watch their battle of wills throughout the season and while Kilgrave thought his love for Jessica would win in the end it was in fact Jessica’s love for Trish that brought his downfall. He let his own ego get in the way and was outsmarted by Jessica who took a hell of a gamble especially after he had his hands on Trish. Once Kilgrave threatened Trish and forced Jessica to hurt Luke to stop him all bets were off and there was no way Kilgrave was escaping that final encounter with his life. He tried to break Jessica by striking at her heart and instead she broke him in a gloriously gratifying scene that I’m sure had many viewers cheering Jessica on.
In complex scenes, which
Jessica Jones has in spades, actors have to be able to project off of each other and that requires a staggering amount of trust. I can only imagine the amount of trust Mike and Krysten must have shared to pull off their sex scenes, but they not only pulled them off but they made the chemistry they shared pulse off the screen. On the topic of trust Rachael and Krysten had to guide their characters through some incredibly tough and emotional situations that must have required an unparalleled level of trust. Each had to deliver a high level of vulnerability with each other that isn’t easy to achieve and still they managed to easily deliver the right tone for the complicated relationship Trish and Jessica share. Rachael was a standout for me and I was extremely impressed by the journey she took Trish on this season. She was perfectly cast to play opposite Krysten as they have an incredible ease together. I have never watched
Doctor Who, and before anyone asks, yes, I’m aware I’m only one of like ten people on the planet to not see it, so I came in having no idea what to expect from David Tennant, but I was very impressed by the performance he delivered. Kilgrave’s complicated obsession with Jessica was well served by David’s chemistry with Krysten. They truly delivered on the creepy nature of this extremely dark and twisted thing between the characters. Carrie-Anne Moss is a sci-fi legend thanks to her
Matrix days, but I was somewhat skeptical she and Krysten could pull off the push and pull that dominates the Hogarth and Jessica relationship and I’m very happy they proved me wrong. They had a wonderful dynamic and energy when on screen together.
The series may have ended the Kilgrave plot in the finale, or at least it appeared that way, but they setup a very intriguing premise in the IGH storyline that will surely propel the show in Season 2. Netflix must surely realize the gem it has on its hands with this show and I imagine it won’t take long for them to release a Season 2 announcement. Until then I encourage everyone to watch their favorite episodes over and over because every view matters. Unlike broadcast TV where only a select few homes have the power every Netflix subscriber has the power to provide a bright future for
Jessica Jones for many years to come. This show was designed to be binged, so going into long holiday weekends and cold winter nights make time to snuggle down with your favorite device and binge
Jessica Jones.
Best Of Season One Awards (Post yours in the comments):
Best Scene: Jessica tells Trish that her code to prove she isn’t a “minion of evil” is “I love you” (Episode 13).
Best Episode: AKA I’ve Got The Blues (Episode 11)
Best Relationship: Trish and Jessica
Best Action Sequence: Tie Between the Trish and Jessica versus Simpson fight (Episode 11) and the Jessica versus Luke fight (Episode 12).
Best Standout Performance: Tie between Krysten Ritter and Rachael Taylor
Best Tear Jerking Moment: Trish almost dies in Jessica’s arms (Episode 11).
Best Heartbreaking Moment: Hope willingly stabs herself and dies in Jessica’s arms to set Jessica free to kill Kilgrave (Episode 10).
Best Holy Shit Moment: Jessica kills Kilgrave (Episode 13). I can’t be the only one who expected the Kilgrave story to be dragged on for at least another season, right?
Best Sarcastic Moment: Jessica tells Claire about Kilgrave and the only thing that shocks her is his choice of name to which Claire wonders why he didn’t just go with “Snuffcarcass” (Episode 13).
Best Hopeful Moment: Jessica looks over Kilgrave’s shoulder and makes eye contact with Trish and says “I love you” which is their code for “I’m free and about to kick his ass and oh yeah I do actually love you” (Episode 13).
Best Setup For A Season 2 Storyline: What is IGH?
Over the next couple weeks I’ll be posting mini episode reviews, so be on the lookout for those. In the meantime hit the comments with your thoughts about this show. What do you think was the most horrific thing Kilgrave did? Do you think Jessica will ever be able to truly love Luke? What is IGH and how will it impact Trish and Jessica going forward? Will the IGH story lead Trish to become Hellcat? Do you think Simpson is out there alive somewhere? Most important question, will Jessica ever be able to keep her Alias Investigations door intact?
Season One Star Rating: 5 out of 5
About the Author - Aimee Hicks
Aimee works for a local newspaper and has a BA in Broadcasting and Cinema. She has been a TV lover since before she really understood what TV was. She has a long list of shows that she loves to watch and can be found on twitter (@ahicks83) live tweeting about each new episode whenever she can. A list of her favorite shows includes (but is not limited to) the following: 12 Monkeys, Orphan Black, Outlander, Chasing Life, Scorpion, The 100, The Night Shift, Bitten, Black Sails, 2 Broke Girls, Arrow, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Continuum, Lost Girl, Faking It, Falling Skies, Finding Carter, Once Upon A Time, Orange Is The New Black, Switched At Birth, The Fosters, The Flash, The Originals, Teen Wolf, Under The Dome, & Z Nation. The upcoming shows she is most excited about are: Supergirl, Dark Matter, UnReal, Blindspot, Lucifer, Legends of Tomorrow, Stitchers, Recovery Road, Shadowhunters, Quantico, Code Black, Heartbreaker, and Chicago Med. She has a large and passionate dislike of ""reality"" TV, especially ""reality"" dating shows, but has a weakness for Americas Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance. But those two don't really count as ""reality"" shows, at least that's how she justifies those guilty pleasures. She was the original creator and co-founder of LOST Video Island (lostvideo.net) which is still operating under the management of the very capable and skilled group she turned it over to.
You can email her at aimee@spoilertv.com.
