Jessica Jones is the second of Netflix's Marvel series, following the titular super strong PI, who is tormented by a sadistic mind controller called Kilgrave, a man who can force anyone to do as he says on command, and doesn't hesitate to use his abilities in horrific ways. Not knowing who around her to trust because of his immense power and influence, Jones must find a way to bring him down and stop his growing trail of death and ruin.
This is a brilliant premise for a series, creating a tense cat-and-mouse game between Jones and Kilgrave, one whose power would be impressive against any other villain, but is left powerless against a terrible force, the other an impulsive and emotionally unstable yet brilliant man who due to his condition has had his every whim he has had catered for. This dynamic, played very well by Krysten Ritter and David Tennant, is what truly makes the show.
However, unlike Daredevil, the supporting cast in this story is far weaker, with characters feeling far too one dimensional, dishing out dialogue that feels more like simple exposition than any meaningful interactions, or too many emotional exchanges that don't seem to go anywhere when the plot should be advancing, leaving me more than a little disinterested when Jones and Kilgrave weren't onscreen to do the heavy lifting.
I cannot fault the cinematography or music, however. Like Daredevil, it has its own unique flare, incorporating jazz and blues elements in its intros and scenes that give it a rough, noir detective feel, especially with Jones' inner monologues. Sadly, I also have a gripe with this atmosphere, as Daredevil managed to find ways to vary the settings and tones by creating a duality between Matt Murdock's day and Daredevil's night, and any supporting cast that may carry a scene always provided a new take that contributed to the story without feeling rehashed or stale. That variety that kept it feeling fresh and engaging was lost here, as Jones has no superhero identity, making each day, night, problem and event roll into one another leading to each episode and event to merging into one long, continuous stream that, while never confusing, couldn't maintain my interest beyond the first six episodes, a real shame considering the acting talents and direction I mentioned earlier.
What it also lacks is a sense of choreography to the fight scenes, making them feel far less significant. This could be attributed to the use of super strength in the show, rather than enhanced senses, but regardless it feels cheaper and lazier as a result.
Additionally, this series felt in its use of dark themes far more gratuitous and nihilistic than Daredevil, where every time Murdock goes out to fight crime, he does so out of principle, and when he pushes those around him away in order to do it, you get a real sense of the sacrifice he is making. Jones seems only to care for people when she finds out they are connected to Kilgrave, and, although deeply flawed, she never seems to grow or come, to any realisation about herself and her flaws. I understand the idea that she is jaded and bitter from her experience with Kilgrave, having made, and continuing to make, her life a living hell, but she never seems to overcome her many internal problems, turning her into a sort of opposite extreme to the infamous Mary Sue trope (albeit a bit more likeable).
All in all, this show was a big let-down from the heights of Daredevil, trying too hard to be bleak, using supporting actors and characters with very little noticeable range and story that feels much too stretched out for what it is worth. If it ditched its various subplots, it could easily have been streamlined to a show half the length with no quality lost, but with all that baggage weighing it down to a dull and dreary meander to the final episode, I have to give this show a 5.5 out of 10
5.5 OUT OF 10
SPOILER SECTION
Perhaps it was because of my childhood admiration of David Tennant from Doctor Who, but I felt he really stole the show, not quite chewing the scenery, but definitely putting the other actors to shame. He could be a real menace, with the mere sound of his voice posing the immediate threat of death and bloodshed by the hands of innocent people, but he can also be sadistically funny, using his powers for his own amusement in a way that you couldn't help be mesmerised by - at least in the first half. And, when he goes to explain himself to Jones, you could genuinely understand how and why he does the things he does. The problem comes in the second half particuarly, when he overuses the ability to make people kill themselves as a way to torment Jones and keep his own hands technically clean. By that point, the novelty had worn off, and the game of cat and mouse had long since become boring once they had entire episodes together at Jones' old family home. His eventual death also feels very anticlimactic, his enhanced abilities only being used a select few times and in a way that still feels cheap - a few patients and doctors attempting to kill Jones in the hospital, a security detail of police officers (something he already did before without even having to use his powers) and holding a few dozen people hostage at the end.
Luke Cage also appeared in this show, a character I know a fair bit better than Jones. However, his inclusion seemed more like some gratuitous service and sex appeal than establishing him before his own show. He doesn't even appear that much, popping in every so often for an episode or two, either to be shut down by Jessica, learn the truth about Reva's death and be manipulated by Kilgrave, not exactly a brilliant precedent for yet another offshoot show.
As for Officer Simpson, Trish Walker, Jeri Hogarth and everyone in Jones' apartment building, well I could only wait until the scene was over. Everything Simpson did seemed false or ingenuine, not just because he was keeping secrets yet to be unveiled about his associates. His acting was constantly stoic and flat, and I couldn't help but dislike him for that alone before his betrayal. Walker was pretty bland, and nothing interested me about anyone else, their personalities either bland or just plain cringeworthy.
The only thing that offered any relief was the appearance of Rosaria Dawson's Claire Temple, a welcome face in the sea of mediocrity, and tying the show back to Daredevil.
UP NEXT
Likely the first season of Luke Cage. After that, Doctor Who, seasons one to four. Since it is a childhood favourite of mine, I think I'll do it season by season, but I'm welcome to any suggestions on how I should go about covering it.
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