Above photo: “Marvel’s Jessica Jones,” starring Krysten Ritter, kicked off as a hit series following the success of “Marvel’s Daredevil.” In the second season, Marvel and Netflix attempted to build on that success but instead took a step in the wrong direction. Courtesy: Netflix/Marvel Television
By Jeffrey Waitkevich
After bursting onto the scene in its first season, “Marvel’s Jessica Jones” fell flat on its second go-round.
The second installment of the Netflix original series takes a deep dive into Jessica’s (Krysten Ritter) past while she struggles with the everyday life of being a “superhero.”
Jessica’s complex origin story allows for a solid premise, but the delivery was subpar.
She was the lone survivor among her family in a car accident, and when she wakes up, she has super strength. She finds out she wasn’t the only science experiment and uses her skills as a private investigator to find out what really happened after the car crash that killed her family.
The plot is full of twists but moves slowly and feels drawn out over the 13 episodes.
It also moves away from the powerful themes of rape and consent from the first season that were created by Killgrave, a supervillain with mind control.
This “superhero show” also lacks everything that is associated with the genre.
There isn’t a supervillain, which is a major disappointment after Killgrave nearly stole the show in the first season. Instead, the antagonists are unoriginal jerks and misunderstood personalities.
Worst of all, “Jessica Jones” somehow finds a way to make super strength boring. There are only so many heavy objects to lift and so many tall buildings to jump onto before it becomes a non-factor.
This season could have introduced Jessica’s flying ability that occasionally makes an appearance in the comic books or the return of Luke Cage, who appeared in the inaugural season but has now left for his own show.
It almost feels like a completely different show from the first season. The only characteristics that carry over are Jessica’s sass and alcoholism.
While Jessica is the star and namesake of the show, the characters to follow are Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), the adoptive sister and best friend, and former-junkie Malcolm Ducasse (Eka Darville).
Trish is the child star turned radio personality who grew up with a super-powered adopted sister, while Malcolm moves past his addiction to become more than just an assistant.
Exploring the dynamics between the three returning main characters is what saves this show.
However, Jeri Hogarth, a down-to-business lawyer, squanders her expanded spotlight as a shoehorned side story.
Aesthetically, the show is unspectacular. The setting is mundane and never goes dark enough to fit the serious mood of the show.
The acting – with Ritter in the lead role – is generally strong, but it has some low points that are hard to forget.
It’s worth a watch, but expect your socks to remain unmoved the whole time.
3/5 Stars
The Crow’s Nest rates television shows between one and five stars, with five stars being the highest possible score.
