[TV Show Review] Jessica Jones (2015)
Original Channel: Netflix
Based On: Jessica Jones by Brian Michael Bendis, Michael Gaydos
Creator: Melissa Rosenberg
Runtime: 60 min
Main Cast:
- Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones
- Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker
- Eka Darville as Malcolm Ducasse
- David Tennant as Kilgrave
- Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth
- Wil Traval as Will Simpson
- Mike Colter as Luke Cage
Review: by Nena
I must admit, I was a little slow to get on the Jessica Jones train.
A former superhero decides to reboot her life by becoming a private investigator.
What I Liked:
Where do I start? Jessica was pretty much everything I didn’t know I needed in a superhero. She was seriously flawed, but not in that overly melodramatic “I’m absolutely perfect except for this one tragic thing” kind of way. She had superpowers, but she wasn’t necessarily great at mastering them, especially flight. She was anti-social and grouchy, but not so completely stand-offish that you couldn’t understand her perspective. She was rough-around-the-edges and kind of a mess, but in a realistic, relatable way that made her that much more awesome overall, especially when you saw how deeply she cared for the precious few people who were close to her heart. Krysten Ritter did a stellar job of bringing this character to life.
Speaking of stellar performances, can someone please go tell David Tennant that he’s not allowed to have all the acting talent in the world? Nerds the world over know him as the Tenth Doctor (my personal favorite) from Doctor Who, but never let it be said that Mr. Tennant is a one-trick pony, because this man can become anyone anywhere on the morality spectrum and pull it off with seemingly effortless grace. Kilgrave, AKA the Purple Man, was a recipe for disaster in the worst (best?) kind of way. His mind control powers combined with his cringeworthy obsession with Jessica and his callous disregard for human life made him one of the most disturbing villains I’ve ever seen.
I also loved pretty much all of the relationships between Jessica and the other characters, but the two that stood out in particular were Luke Cage and Malcolm Ducasse. With Luke, there was both clear sexual chemistry and a slow but increasingly deep bond of trust. Even when things got tough and all seemed lost, they were never fully disconnected from each other. Luke was the kind of guy Jessica could be with in every way. As for Malcolm, I loved the almost brother-sister vibe they had going. It was really sweet to see how they supported each other despite having their own demons to fight. I hope we get to see a bit more of Malcolm in season 2. Luke’s got his own show coming (which I am appropriately 110% excited for), so we’re good on his end.
I wanted to briefly mention the action sequences as well. Soooo good. They were gritty and full of cool moves without being overly stylized. Unsurprisingly, the choreography reminded me of Daredevil, which is a very, very good thing. Best fight: The concert hall in the second-to-last episode. Second-best fight: the scene in Luke’s bar.
I could continue, but we’d be here all day. Onward!
What I Didn’t Like:
As I’ve made quite clear, I liked ‘Jessica Jones’ very much. This is not to say that it was perfect. I could have done without the subplot of Trish’s relationship with her mom. I liked Trish well enough as a character (bonus points for her studying Krav Maga), but to be honest, I couldn’t bring myself to care. It felt unnecessary.
Another thing was Will’s character development throughout the show. Without spoiling anything, I felt like things were really rushed with him. Over the course of just two or three episodes, the situation takes a rather unexpected turn and I really think the showrunners could have taken things more slowly so it seemed less jarring.
One last complaint: Robin. Robin, Robin, Robin. Ugh. She is on my Top 10 list of Most Annoying TV Characters. I only felt the slightest bit of pity for her after what happened, and even then, it was a stretch. She was just way too annoying and judgmental. That being said, the actress portraying her did an excellent job.
Summary
Hop aboard the Jessica Jones Express. Seriously. This show is amazing. Most people should watch it. I say “most” because it’s not appropriate for children (sex, cursing, drug abuse, violence) and senior citizens with heart conditions (sex, cursing, drug abuse, violence, interracial relationships…kidding about that last one). If you don’t fall into either of those two categories, go log into your Netflix account and prepare for awesomeness.
User Review
( votes)Images Courtesy of IMDB
