If Jessica Jones taught us anything, it’s  hard to be a hero.

Note: This review is mostly spoiler free.

After finishing season one of Jessica Jones in about three days back in 2015, I was already hungry for more and began searching the web for a confirmation of season two. Sure enough, a second season was in the works, but first Netflix planned to release Luke Cage season one, Iron Fist season one, The Punisher season one, and The Defenders season one.

The long-awaited season two of Jessica Jones was released on March 8 and has already been renewed for a new season.

Season one is by far amongst my favorite pieces of Marvel productions. The plot was unpredictable, and the villain, Kilgrave, was so powerfully portrayed that I felt almost as angry as Jessica herself.

Krysten Ritter does an incredible job with her role once again although the plot of season two is slower than the first. Being a show about superheroes and action packed crime-fighting, many ended up disappointed.

Season two begins as Jessica returns to her own little world as a private investigator after she premieres in The Defender’s season one. She is the same sarcastic, alcoholic private investigator we know and love. She is immediately thrown into another mess she did not ask for as a client shows up asking for help and tells her he was given powers he did not want.

Jessica is forced to explore her traumatic past and wrestles, as always, with the idea of whether or not she should be called a hero. The complex nature of Jessica’s being is emphasized in this season as Jessica revisits the terrible accident that led her to be experimented on, and ultimately, that gave her the powers she has today.

Should you watch?

I think Ritter’s performance is one of the main reasons that the season succeeds. Jessica’s wounded existence and her ever-lasting, complicated friendship with Trish is one of the most compelling storylines in Marvel. Although the season fell flat in action and plot, the character development for Trish, Jessica, and Malcom is a highlight of the season and this character development (for one specific character) ends up being the cliff-hanger we are left with for season three.

The back story that season two provides is worth the watch even if you have to power-through it just to be prepared for a (hopefully) stronger season three. Another good reason to watch is for the show’s addressing of consent and other ethical dilemmas, as Kilgrave would force Jessica into doing things she did not want to do. Jessica herself has to deal with ethical and moral decisions that make us and the people around her question her intentions and the supposed ‘goodness’ that a hero is supposed to embody. But, as we know, Jessica does not like to be called a hero, so it’s an interesting situation where we are left without proper means of discussing what her being entails.

Upcoming Marvel Installments

Netflix has also renewed Daredevil and Luke Cage. Daredevil season three and Luke Cage season two most likely will be released mid 2018 and early 2019. Iron Fist season two may be pushed back to 2019.

---

By Carolyn Roque

Creative Writing major at FSU. Love basketball, poetry, coffee, and dogs. Class of 2019.

Follow

---