By MARK
O’CALLAGHAN
Staff Writer
One of the best things about the Marvel Cinematic Universe is how many different aspects it can touch. From different genres to tacking issues in a clever way. The first season of “Jessica Jones” nailed both characteristics in such a compelling direction. A detective show about a private eye with powers dealing with PTSD proved to be easily one of the best shows on Netflix. Despite a few hiccups, season two still delivers a very thrilling show.
Season two follows Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) after a long battle with Kilgrave. She’s back to being a private eye until one case opens something up. It leads her to investigate a company that is responsible for people getting powers, including her own. Now she must dig deeper into her past from the car accident that killed her family and the company that gave her powers.
Easily one of the best things about “Jessica Jones” is Krysten Ritter herself. There’s just this rawness about her that comes out in every scene. She’s just this harden badass but not in an obnoxious way, and sometimes we see that façade get dropped for just a bit and it’s chilling. Ritter really feels like she pulled Jessica Jones straight from the comics.
I’m happy to see that some of the issues that Jessica faced in Season 1 aren’t resolved here. Some fans complained that she didn’t completely change at the end. The show does a fairly realistic job portraying someone dealing with PTSD and anxiety. It’s not all magically gone when an episode or threat is over. This season also deals with addiction in a metaphoric and literal sense with Trish (Rachael Taylor). People might find some of her actions unlikable but I think that’s what the writers were going for. Plus, Taylor’s performance helps to guide some of the bumps.
Really getting to binge it all in a short period of time works for this show because it’s a compelling mystery. Each episode leaves with a little thread or cliffhanger that makes you want to dive into the next episode. Like all of the other MCU Netflix shows, the episode count needs to be shortened. With 13 episodes, there’s quite a bit of fat that you can trim off. An eight to ten-episode season could do wonders.
The biggest issue is there isn’t a big compelling villain. When there was Kilgrave (David Tennant), he was downright scary but immediately just a tad bit sympathetic in his motivation. There isn’t anyone close to that in the villain department. Later on, in the season we find out the antagonists and they’re good but not as memorable than David Tennant’s performance.
Season two of “Jessica Jones” is a great show to binge right now on Netflix. Everything you loved about season one is back with some great new elements. While the villain isn’t as compelling as Kilgrave and the show runs a bit too long, that shouldn’t stop you from watching. If you like the first season then immediately start watching it.
