Marvel and Netflix’s newest series debuted on Friday. Jessica Jones is the follow up to Daredevil, which was a hit earlier this year. Jessica Jones is part of Marvel’s plan for The Defenders, a crossover series featuring Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist. Luke Cage, who appears in Jessica Jones, and Iron Fist will also be getting their own Netflix series. I don’t know how Marvel is going to pull everything together, but Daredevil and Jessica Jones give me hope that Marvel can pull anything off.
So far I’ve only watched the first two episodes of Jessica Jones and I’m hooked. Thankfully Alycia doesn’t have student teaching this week, so maybe we can get some binge watching in on black Friday. Jessica Jones is very different from the MCU movies, but it’s also very different from Daredevil. So far I’ve appreciated the differences and can’t wait to watch the next 11 episodes.
Here are some of my initial thoughts after watching the first two episodes.
Broken
Most of the heroes in Marvel’s movies have had some character flaw to overcome. Tony Stark was selfish and Thor was arrogant. Once they get past those flaws, though, they pretty much emerge as the heroes we know and love. Jessica Jones, on the other hand, has more than one or two character flaws to overcome; she is simply a flawed character. A lot of her brokenness seems to come from her experiences with Kilgrave, the Purple Man. I like Jessica because she is a reluctant hero who doesn’t necessarily want to do the right thing. Even Matt Murdock wanted to be a hero and wanted to save lives; Jessica isn’t sure if she wants to do even that.
Kilgrave
We don’t really even see Kilgrave in the first two episodes, but we already know that he is evil. The first episode shows us what he’s capable of and Jessica’s response even to the thought of him being alive inspires fear. The Kingpin was a great, complex villain who had a lot of layers; he did bad things but his motivations seemed almost honorable. However, from what I know of Kilgrave, he just seems evil; his torturing of Jessica and others doesn’t appear to have any purpose behind it. Kingpin wanted to tear Hell’s Kitchen down so that he could rebuild it; the Purple Man appears to tear people down simply because he can. I can’t wait to see more of David Tennant as Kilgrave; Tennant was a great Doctor but he’s also an amazing villain.
Dark
So far on Twitter the word I’ve most often seen used to describe Jessica Jones is dark. I concur that the show is definitely dark, especially the end of the first episode. Some people appreciate its darkness and other people are turned off by it. I’m in the former camp; I like that the Netflix series offer a different take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Marvel’s movies have to have the widest appeal possible and tell easily digestible stories. As we’ve seen with Daredevil and now Jessica Jones, Netflix gives Marvel the ability to tell different stories that can slowly build and simmer over 13 episodes. These stories are darker than Marvel’s movies, but they also offer significantly more depth.
Only two episodes in, I already want more of Jessica Jones. Showrunner Melissa Rosenberg has created a fascinating character who I care about. I want Jessica to conquer the demons of her past so she can move forward. I also wouldn’t mind seeing her punch Kilgrave in the face.
What do you think of Jessica Jones?
Scott, before you continue with the show I warn you that later on in the show it will start condoning abortion in an episode or two.