Two and a half years after the release of its first season, Jessica Jones is back. Season one saw the investigator get revenge on her rapist Kilgrave (David Tennant). With one snap of his neck, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) brought an end to Kilgrave physically. Mentally, however, the pain and trauma he caused Jessica still lingers.
Creating another inner conflict she has to deal with. Even though she is a victim of sexual assault, the label of being a killer is something she struggles to deal with in season two. All while a new investigation linked to her past takes place. The biggest strength of the second season is its structure.
Instead of just focusing on Jessica’s trauma, the first 10 episodes are noir-like. Focusing instead on her investigative skills as she and her colleagues look into the deaths of other superpowered beings and how they tie to her past. Which leads to a twist and reveal I did not see coming.
This is not just another season of protagonist versus antagonists. This is a season that reminds viewers this is a detective show that just so happens to involve superpowered beings. The writers also do a really good job of immediately tying up loose ends and possible plot holes. Just as I began to wonder how certain reveals and events were possible, pieces of dialogue would explain it in a way that was understandable and made sense.
They also made me side with the antagonists and see their point of view. Supporting characters are also given more depth as well. Especially Malcolm (Eka Darville) who really shined through and became one of my favorite characters towards the end. His arc with Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Ann Moss) also sets up an interesting dynamic between him and Jessica at the end of the season.
But that is where the positives end and the negatives of the season piled up starting with Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor). Her whole arc was basically her getting in her and everyone else’s way. The cause of it being her addiction to a certain substance. Which made me roll my eyes because of the substance being something centric to her arc last season. Let’s just say it’s something that put her in danger two and a half years ago.
I understand that she is a recovering addict, but you would think she would be more hesitant when it came to certain types of substances. Even the reveal as to why she partook in its use was annoying. Simply because it was a cheap way to try to absolve her of her wrongdoings. Wrongdoings that would end of a lot of relationships and friendships in most cases without the possibility of being resuscitated.
Characters throughout the season lose trust with one another but use shallow and often selfish dialogue to regain it. Whereas trust would be something difficult to regain after some of the things they do to one another. Trish’s problems are a part of another issue with the writing. There are a lot of major moments in certain relationships that are triggered by a lack of common sense, especially the relationship between Jessica and Trish.
Throughout the second season, Jessica constantly refers to Trish as her sister. Yet even after something bad happens to Trish at the hands of the main antagonist, Jessica is mad at her. Why? Well, Trish does something to the antagonist that to Jess is a dealbreaker.
Which really makes Jessica a huge hypocrite. Not to mention her being one creates such unnecessary decisions in the last three episodes that make her look concrete-headed. This season of Jessica Jones showed 13 episodes is too much. Had those last three been cut, the season would’ve wrapped up a lot tighter, instead of feeling so stretched out.
When the season follows just one case, there is only so far you can go with it without breaking your own rules. Which is something the latter part of the season suffers from. There is a lot of stuff I’m leaving out because it’s all spoilers and is centric to the story and its twists. I will be writing a spoiler-filled review for season two of Jessica Jones next week.
