The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been running for a number of years now, and has ventured out beyond film and into television. “Jessica Jones” is the latest in the MCU’s lineup of television series, and the second in its line of adult-oriented Netflix shows.
Following “Daredevil” from earlier this year is a hard act, but “Jessica Jones” successfully matches the bar of quality set by its predecessor. By relying more on film noir tropes and less on action, “Jessica Jones” sets itself apart from what some critics would call Marvel’s repetitive formula.
The titular character is played by Krysten Ritter, best known for her role in “Breaking Bad” and “Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23.” Ritter seems like she’s trying too hard to be dark and mysterious in the first episode, but that immediately changes by the second.
She ends up bringing an excellent level of nuance to the character, balancing well between a cynical private investigator and the caring hero her powers, including strength and flight, enable her to be. Jones is haunted by a man named Kilgrave (David Tennant), who holds her essentially against her will thanks to his mind control abilities.
The trauma leads her to develop a mistrusting and self-destructive personality. The conflict comes when Kilgrave returns from being presumed dead, and Jones must deal with the trail of used and broken individuals he leaves in his wake.
Tennant doesn’t make an appearance for the first few episodes, as the show reserves the reveal in order to make it more emotionally potent. At first we are only given a few glimpses, either from afar or in poor lighting. The show holds its card close to its chest, until an eventual reveal makes the wait worthwhile.
This display of self-restraint is incredibly respectable and shows how creator Melissa Rosenberg is dedicated to making an intriguing mystery instead of another comic book thrill ride. When Kilgrave does become a consistent presence later on, he is a looming threat that genuinely terrifies the viewer.
That is not to say that he is a horrific monster — he is just a man after all. But with the sadistic acts and abuses he commits, he may as well be a monster. Tennant does not slouch in bringing Kilgrave to life in a menacing yet charming way. The British-accented and clean-cut Kilgrave seems like a perfect match for Tennant.
The same goes for Mike Colter as Luke Cage, a friend of Jones’s who also has his own superpowers. Cage is another one of the heroes in Marvel’s lineup of Netflix originals and, while he will eventually get his own series, his origins are explored here.
Colter paints a portrait of a man who is literally indestructible but emotionally damaged from the loss of his wife. The complicated relationship between him and Jones is charming and dynamic, as they both bond over their so-called “gifts.”
As the plot progresses and the mystery unfolds, the show asks more and more of the audience’s expectations and trust of other people. The audience is constantly shown that people are not who they seem on the surface.
Jones’s friend Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), for example, is introduced to the viewer through a series of advertisements for a radio talk show. This is at first seems irrelevant, but later there’s a big reveal that completely flips a character we thought we knew well.
The show does this constantly. It plays on the audience’s expectations of characters, and then reveals that they are not at all how they seem on the surface. It is an exhilarating brain game to play, especially when questioning whether or not someone is under Kilgrave’s influence.
It is these themes of expectations and trust that steer the show to become a truly compelling noir drama. Even without the element of superpowers, the show is enough to be a good series. Yet it is because of those elements that show is truly great. They are not there just for the sake of entertainment, but rather, the show deals with real questions relating to the world of “Jessica Jones.”
Are superheroes like the Avengers actually heroes if thousands of people died because they were “saving” the world? Are powers truly a gift or are they a curse?
Among countless Marvel films that play out optimistically, “Jessica Jones” boldly asks the audience to question and reflect upon any preconceived notions they may have. The heroes may have saved the day, but at what cost? “Jessica Jones” proves that only by looking back can the MCU truly move forward.
