'Jessica Jones' opens up with an ultra sleek opening sequence. My mind, when absorbing them, flashed to 'Casino Royale' because of the shadows and the style. I hope that it was intentional to play on that because that already opens a can of commentary on the traditional and the modern male spy and this fascinates me a lot that it uses that convention and applying it to a show to challenge that.
'Jessica Jones' following the lead of 'Daredevil' and shows such as 'Gotham' highlights dingy, darkened new york streets and it works the best. Although it is slightly redundant, it is important to implement and mirror because despite how much it has been used; there is not many references you can make of those shows having a female lead who can use the rich source material to base and exploit. Jessica's voiceover is very cheesy, and although she oozes sass and negativity something about it seems very 'sex in the city' but turned on its head which actually when I just wrote that, that made me like it a lot more.
Jessica reminds me a lot of Veronica Mars. Paired with a camera and radiating cynicism makes this comparison very rooted in evidence. As similarities go, that's a great choice and comics go with that quite often so it's not a copy and even if it was, it would only be a positive yet slightly outdated, seen-before style but obviously not for those familiar with Veronica Mars and it's great to reinvent characters like this that have gotten lost in the television cosmos. This is extremely relevant as Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) just appeared only recently in The Veronica Mars reboot movie
Krysren Ritter excels, just like she did in 'Breaking Bad' as Jane and 'kills it' with every move she makes. At a first impression, I felt and still feel slightly that Jessica is moody and over-powerful to a point of excess. It makes it hard to take her seriously because, at times, it's like she's a stock character that has to be so overall heightened in these things or she will lose her namesake of being an all-powerful female character. It's not a bad thing, but it's not perfected. At least, not in the first episode. Constant usage of stereotypical femininity and using it ironically is greatness in this programme and despite the career she's in seeming slightly first-level crime-drama, the show hits the mark when it comes to talking about uneven structures in the gendered world.
Jessica's environment, and she goes about her every-day life is rightfully unoptimised and these are the stories that pull us in the most. Jessica, initially, bears the 'unfulfilled' trope which I felt disappointed about because a powerful woman doesn't need to be happy (although showing her as being so wouldn't fit at all for anyone) which I hope is something that develops over time. Jessica can't climb up a building too gracefully and this is a nice reality change from the female heroes we have such as the unstoppable 'Black Widow', for example. Comments Jessica says such as "Ew" are graining occasionally just because it's like a 'high-schooler's comment associated with the way females are conveyed to talk and it's not entirely needed however it is an entertaining outlook and does look to subvert that kind of reaction in a way because it's not an exclamation of complete disgust, it's a reaction to morals. As we learn and start to watch her not to have them is even better because 'morals' is a thing that women are expected to have. It sets her up for character development.
As the plot thickens, we are continually introduced to her despairing at the world. Her roommate even explains this if viewers haven't picked up on it that she 'distances herself from people.' Again, cliched but as the episode gets into swing we learn more of and the depth that the show deserves.
Before a point in the episode, we are almost unsure of any aspect of her powers, if any. And the scene which really cemented the episode was the one of Jessica dealing with the guy in the car. Lifting it from moving and pushing the door shut with such ease was easily my favourite part in the way that she handled the situation. Being sarcastic, and toying with hero expectations she convinces him she has lazer eyes and as she walks away, murmurs "Lazer eyes. Moron." Brilliant. This might be my own interpretation but the way that her power works, and her ptsd having become entwined or a side-effect of her powers is very original and terrifying. The power she wields and it almost being like a sexual violation is incredibly powerful. You aren't sure what's her, and what happened to her and brings forward the assumption it was created by her experiences and thus she couldn't want less.
Lesbian characters from the get-go; great. Fantastic, even how it's one of the first introduced. Although matching with the theme of infidelity, it's appreciated. Knowing more and more about Jessica, things like "I buy in bulk" shows her in uncorrelation with society and activities such as going to the pub and highlights her mistrust in people and just being streetwise. Throughout the episode, there is a lot of commentary on words such as 'ladies', how people use them and assumptions like "You'll break' and how much nonsense they are. In the sex scene, it shows Jessica actively showing what she wants compared to other shows which deams the female passive. But, again, is this perhaps a feature she has only owed to her power or the control she didn't have when in her relationship beforehand? And also inadvertently hint that she wasn't like that before and what she is now is not the healthy ideal which is besides the point it should be making and probably, hopefully will as Jessica does seem to be someone aware of these kinds of issues. It does also seem to be there for the plot and the discourse on relationships and the work she does and whether she should do it especially if she sees herself as contradicting it.
The connection to her investigation and what she has gone through comes to light is an emotional twist and a brave one. I like how we wouldn't have known that unless she was asked to investigate it and that's a very important factor of how seeing a character like her as so capable and extraordinary. I love that the posters of a talk show host throughout the episode is her sister. She is always side-by-side with it in shots and it brings forward all kinds of contrasts. In femininity, expectations, self-image, and many more. Lines that Jessica uses towards her sister such as "I was never the hero you wanted to be" is interesting because she is the younger sibling when it is usually the eldest who adopts that role. And with this, we have a glance into Jessica's confidence and how she sees herself as a form of anti-hero mentally.
The abuse storyline and the endless way this show can go with these kinds of conversations is the number reason to be watching this show. Being an active voice of telling the victim to repeat "It's not my fault" is a basic, but eerily unseen device used in shows. The ending, and how Trish murdered her parents due to the conditioning of Kilgrave makes you want more. I am insanely excited to be introduced to him properly and see David Tennant working alongside Krysten because I think that that is probably an entire other level achievement.
Marvel's Jessica Jones Season one available now on Netflix
