"Jessica Jones" Season 1 Review (Spoiler-Free)

In the build-up to Jessica Jones' release, I wasn't sure to what degree I would enjoy it. Honestly. I'm not someone who gets excited by a movie or show that has dark violence and sex in it. But, it looked like it had a compelling story, and I loved what Marvel and Netflix did with Daredevil earlier this year, so I was excited, yet cautious. Luckily, the first season of Jessica Jones is fantastic, despite a few stumbles here and there.

The show follows the titular Jessica Jones, a former superhero turned private investigator in New York, and her crusade to hunt down and defeat her old enemy Kilgrave, a man who can control anyone's mind with a simple command, and who had her under his control over an extended period of time.

In its debut episode, "AKA Ladies' Night," the first half of the plot drags a bit, as we are introduced to Jessica, her abilities, her associates, and her job. Things pick up, though, when Jessica learns of Kilgrave's return and his involvement in the disappearance of a girl Jessica is tracking. After that episode ended, I couldn't stop watching.

Krysten Ritter does a great job as Jessica. Like Matt Murdock in Daredevil, she's written and played like a real person who ends up caught in unbelievable situations within a bizarre world and who just happens to have superpowers. She gets frustrated with noisy neighbours and a lack of toilet paper all while fighting a kind-controlling sociopath. Whenever her plans fall through, you really feel bad for her and want her to succeed with her next one.

Jessica's allies are also, for the most part, well-written for and well-acted. Rachael Taylor's Trish Walker is Jessica's best friend who was once a child TV star, now a radio talk show host. She gets some great moments. especially when she gets a slice of some action. Luke Cage, played by Mike Colter, actually isn't in the show as often as the trailers had us believe, but when he does show up, he's awesome. Jeri Hogarth, played by Carrie-Ann Moss, gets some good lines and scenes, but all the time devoted to her marriage troubles seemed unnecessary since they don't add anything to the show's main story. That arc's conclusion, though, is pretty solid, though dark. Will Traval's Simpson starts off as a really likable guy, but ends up going bananas. Side note: Traval looks like an almost perfect clone of Chris Evans, which makes sense given his character's comic book alter-ego. Eka Darville and Erin Moriarty round out the hero cast as Malcolm and Hope, and both give fine performances,

Now we gotta talk about David Tennant as Kilgrave, who steals every scene he's in. He's charming and has a really twisted sense of humour, but, at the same time, is so sinister, despicable and somewhat pathetic.I was never not entertained whenever he used his powers. It's just such an interesting take on mind-control that, even when Kilgrave was making someone do something horrible, a part of me was going "Whoa." Kilgrave is probably up there with Loki, Red Skull, and Grant Ward as one of the best villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I'm 83% sure I won't be able to watch a Tenth Doctor episode of Doctor Who the same way for a while.

Speaking of the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, references to the films and other TV shows are pretty tame, much like Daredevil. There's a small connection to the Inhuman madness going on in Agents of SHIELD when people refer to Jessica, Luke, or Kilgrave as "one of them." There's a scene in one episode that deals with the effects of The Avengers, and a character from Daredevil makes an extended cameo in the finale, though it's borderline distracting.

There's not much else I can talk about without delving into spoilers, so when the dust has settled, I'll have to write a more in-depth article. 

What else can I say? The action scenes are great, especially towards the end of the season. There's some fun twists over the course of the season that really enhance the experience if you go in cold. The brutal moments are pretty brutal for the faint of heart and the sex scenes are graphic. Basically,if you enjoyed Daredevil, you'll enjoy Jessica Jones possibly even more. Those who are like me in regards to being uneasy about sex and violence may want to proceed with caution.

Rating: 9.2/10

I enjoyed Jessica Jones, really enjoyed it. This, along with Daredevil, Agents of SHIELD, and Agent Carter, prove that Marvel is acing their TV shows as much as their movies. 

Here's hoping we get a second season.

Noah