‘Jessica Jones’ May Be Marvel’s Masterpiece (TV Review)

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Marvel has never exactly been a studio that plays by the rules. Everyone thought the idea of a shared universe of movies—sequels that weren’t sequels—was risky, but now everyone is scrambling to concoct a shared universe of their own. When they expanded that universe into television with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. everyone rolled their eyes and then watched as it blossomed into the cornerstone of their entire endeavor. When they announced that they’d be expanding their MCU into adult territory with a series of mature shows on Netflix, people were intrigued but thought they might be overextending themselves. Then Daredevil happened, and it quickly broke viewing records on the streaming service and become one of the best reviewed new TV series this year. You’d think after all that, people would be willing to give Marvel the benefit of the doubt. But no.

While many were excited for Marvel’s latest Netflix series, Jessica Jones, the concept had its fair share of naysayers and scoffers. “Why on earth would they follow up Daredevil with a series about a hero no one really knows?” they all asked. Indeed, like a lot of their more recent moves, bringing Jessica Jones to life was a risk, but if Marvel has proven anything over the last few years it’s that risk is their bread and butter. If there’s an eyebrow raising decision to be made, Marvel is apt to make it. So while many were skeptical, Marvel kept being Marvel. And, once again, they’ve shut up the haters and created something that’s both groundbreaking and special.

Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) is a bit of an unknown within the Marvel universe, even among comics fan. As far as superheroes go, she’s a bit underwhelming. She’s got super-strength…and, well that’s about it. Even as far as strength goes, she’s no comparison to the likes of Captain America any of the rest of the Avengers. Put simply, her case of the supers can be best described as mild. Where her true talents lie are in detection, and Jessica Jones is a series that focuses on her real strengths. Jones is basically your averaged hard-nosed PI—she drinks, she takes pictures for money, and she lives a slovenly life while trying her best to stay off the radar. This all changes when a mysterious enemy from her past, a man called Kilgrave (David Tennant) comes back into town. His arrival kicks off a mystery that put Jones, and everyone she’s ever known, in serious danger.

As with Daredevil, Jessica Jones is less a television series than it is a 13-hour movie. It begs to be watched in as few sittings as possible, and always manages to stay enthralling. It helps that Ritter is so engrossing to watch as the troubled PI. Best known for her work as Jane in the second season of Breaking Bad, Ritter has really come into her own as an actress. She breathes actual life into the character who, as I’ve stated, wasn’t very well known before the announcement of this series. Tennant, as well, is delightfully terrifying as Kilgrave—a man who has the ability to make you bend to his will with just a simple word. But it’s more than that, really. His victims don’t just do what they’re told, they want to do what he wants. Tennant’s usual charm, as we’ve seen on Doctor Who, is completely in play in his performance but with the horrifying twist that his charms mask his total psychopathy.

Kilgrave is the control freak to end all control freaks, and this theme is explored in depth throughout the entirety of the show’s run. As with any good work, the themes are explored in varying detail through other subplots and characters as it winds through its narrative. Jessica wants to control her life by keeping other people at bay; her occasional boss Jeri (Carrie-Anne Moss) wants to control her divorce from her wife; Jessica’s neighbor Malcolm (Eka Darville) wants control over his addiction; her other neighbors, siblings Robyn (Colby Minifie) and Ruben (Kieran Mulcare) vie for control of their relationship. In a sense, Jessica Jones is a sort of meditation on what it means to have control and be controlled.

Because whether we like it not, we all do a bit of controlling and we all are, in some ways, controlled. This is a balance all humans must strike in order to become successful and healthy adults. Even Kilgrave, terrifying powers aside, has a few issues with being controlled. If there’s an underlying message to be gleaned from Jessica Jones this is it: You can take control of your life without taking control of others; as soon as your will impedes on the wills of others, you’ve crossed a dangerous line.

As with the rest of Marvel’s output, Jessica Jones also does a fine job with setting up future installments, pushing further an overall story that will interconnect at some later point. With their movies, these points culminate in the Avengers crossovers. Netflix is following a similar pattern with their series, with both Daredevil and Jessica Jones serving as two small pieces in a larger puzzle, The Defenders. As ever, Marvel has shown their willingness to play the long game. As much as Jessica Jones stands on its feet, it also serves as an introduction for Luke Cage (Mike Colter) who gets his own series sometime next year, after the second season of Daredevil next spring. Jones and Cage share a relationship that’s complex, to say the least, but the two heroes serve as interesting companions to one another. Neither is necessarily willing to be a hero and both are trying to live as normal a life as possible without becoming overly reliant on their powers. This is an interesting dynamic to explore within the MCU—we’re used to seeing heroes who take their powers in complete control, letting what they can do define who they are. Not so for Cage and Jones. To them, their powers are burdens to be hidden, not gifts to be explored.

That’s part of what makes Jessica Jones so compelling a show. She’s only incidentally a superhero, and most of them time she’s using her brains and her wits to figure out the problem. You could almost compare her to Batman if Bruce Wayne was a low class drunk as opposed to a billionaire with ninja training. She broods, she detects, and, when she has to, she kicks all of the ass.

That being said, it’s hard to guess just where Jessica Jones is going to go. It’s hard to see how she’ll overcome the difficulties faced by an enemy who can literally make anybody do literally anything he wants, up to and including committing suicide with smiles on their faces. And who knows? Maybe she doesn’t find her way out of it. It’s certainly not out of the wheelhouse and fits with the overall themes of the show. Sometimes situations are just out of your control. Sometimes the only option is to put a smile on your face, and jump. I certainly won’t be telling here. No, you won’t know unless you strap yourself and take the ride. Just make sure you’re strapped in tightly—this ride is a doozy.