'Marvel's Jessica Jones' – a different kind of superhero – Review

 

I was a bit late to the party with my discovery of Jessica Jones. My housemates had recommended it, and I had seen great comments about it online, but I was sceptical. Would it be just another superhero narrative? Good versus evil, the same old story?
In the end, I was intrigued that the superhero is a woman, and I was interested in how this would be handled. We’ve had Marvel’s own ‘Black Widow’ from the Avengers, and Wonder Woman (DC comics), but this is a TV show centred on a female protagonist from that world, and I hoped it would live up to the hype.
And it did just that.
Jessica Jones, (Krysten Ritter), is a tough, gritty character, who is interesting and frustrating. Based on the Marvel comic, Jessica is an ex-superhero turned private eye, and has the powers of super-strength and the ability to fly, which she uses as part of running ‘Alias Investigations’ out of her apartment (when she isn’t drinking heavily and having nightmarish flashbacks of her past).
Early on, we learn of the villain of the series, Kilgrave. An evil maniac who has mind control powers, Kilgrave returns despite Jessica believing he has died, and it is revealed that he used to hold Jessica under his control, compelling her to commit terrible acts, and inflicting terrible things on her, before she escaped.
Jessica has been rebuilding her life ever since, taking on mediocre cases for mediocre clients, desperate to bury the dark acts she committed under Kilgrave’s control.

As the series rolls on, it becomes clear that Kilgrave is on a twisted mission to capture her and return her to his control, so that she will be with him forever, at all costs. This forces Jessica to confront the idea of what a ‘hero’ really is, and the concept that she can’t help but be one.
Jessica Jones gives us a great depiction of a female superhero. Not only does it deal openly with issues such as rape, assault and mental illness, it shows us the progression of a woman who is forced to embrace herself and her strength.
The show is gory, violent, and confronting. Lots of people Jessica cares about either die or are in constant danger, and grief is a prominent theme in the show.
While Jessica Jones employs the ‘Good versus Evil’ foundation that all superhero TV shows and films rely on, it manages to stop short of corny. Jessica is a character that you don’t fall in love with straight away, there’s no tight, bright lycra constume to be seen, and she is not sexualised in the slightest.
I found this refreshing in an era where a woman being independent and strong isn’t usually seen as enough to entertain us. Jessica is a warrior, a friend, and an ally to those in need. She fights against this the entire time, and she is the definition of a reluctant hero, but somehow it all works.
Jessica Jones is an entertaining, important TV show. It is a breath of fresh air for the portrayal of female superheroes, and is remarkable in its refusal to shy away from intense issues.
As it is also part of the Marvel Comics universe, Jessica Jones shares continuity with and is connected to other shows that will air or are currently airing, such as Daredevil (2015), and Ironfist (2016), meaning that we can expect a lot more from the superhero world. It as has also received the green light for a second season, and you know what? I can’t wait.
By Helena Game