**SPOILERS AHEAD!!!**
Marvel’s newest Netflix series, “Jessica Jones,” premiered about two weeks ago and it’s still on my mind! The show follows Jessica Jones, a P.I. and former superhero rattled by PTSD and alcoholism, as she embarks on a case that hits too close to home as it involves her former captor. The series stars Krysten Ritter as Jessica, David Tennant as the villainous Kilgrave, Rachel Taylor as Jess’s best friend, Trish “Patsy” Walker, Carrie Anne-Moss as lawyer Jeri Hogarth (a genderswap from the comics), Mike Colter as Luke Cage (soon to have his own Netflix series!), & many more!
The show is a dark and gritty neo-noir tale set in a world that previously has been considered somewhat family friendly. This show is not and I respect it so much more that way! Jessica Jones has always been a character and story that was dark seeing as how she first debuted on Marvel’s MAX imprint, which specializes in more R-rated stories. This show does not stray from that concept; when you have Jessica boozing up and occasionally having sex in almost every one of the 13 episodes. The creative team has found a way to take everything that was dark about last years “Daredevil” and step it up by several notches. I hold high praise for Melissa Rosenberg, who has been developing this show from the start, I’m glad to see her going back to more of her Dexter days.
The underlying themes of addiction and survivalist culture are very strong. Many characters in this show are addicted to something, be it alcohol, drugs, revenge or even power, and the way that we deal with it over the course of one season is pretty extraordinary. You also have Jessica and Trish who both have been struggle with the trauma of abuse, Jessica in the form of mental, emotional, and sexual abuse by Kilgrave and Trish in the form of physical and emotional childhood abuse by her mom. These characters have a choice to either let their addiction or trauma destroy them or motivate them to be better. Some choose the latter, which is the smarter choice, and some choose to let it define them. But no matter what choice they make, we find a way to follow and care about their journey. I can’t say the same for other shows I watch with addicted characters, most seem to make them stereotypical and unredeemable yet this show doesn’t, I credit that to the writers. They have found a way to make these characters so complex and relatable.
What I love about this show is how much while watching it I was comparing it to “Veronica Mars.” If anyone has seen the UPN/CW drama that ran from 2004-2007 then you may know what I mean. As with this show you have a main character who is badass feminist detective who has been through some tough things. From the very first voice-over I was on board. The way that both shows have used the noir style of voice-over and filming techniques is amazing. They manage to stay true to the genre yet don’t limit themselves to one box or another.These shows have also managed to have the main character not let their rape define them. Both shows have become very popular. “Veronica Mars” has gained a cult following maintaining a steady fanbase for over 10 years. The fans are so dedicated that in 2013 it was able to get a film continuation of the series crowd-funded in less that 24 hours! Which brought along a book deal for creator, Rob Thomas. Lucky for us… Krysten Ritter has played a major part in both franchises and I believe that Netflix has found it’s Veronica Mars in her and this show!
[ess_grid alias="article-side-bar-2"]