Superhero Media: Jessica Jones - Season 2

I've mentioned before that I get two passes at each of these before I do the Superhero Media, and I have to say that it tends to pay off. Rather than sitting on my initial impression of these programmes, being the Marvel Netflix productions, I get to come back and take a longer view of them. The second season of Jessica Jones, much like Iron Fist, rose in my estimation the second time around. Yes, the season is lacking without Purple Man in most episodes, and I'm disappointed that Jessica and Luke Cage aren't together, but Jessica is still a really strong character with a great supporting cast and the series is better than a lot of things on television. The season opens with Jessica, Trish "Patsy" Walker and Malcolm investigating the origins of Jessica's powers and doing their best to keep a low profile after the death of Purple Man and the events of The Defenders. When a genuine lead turns up, Jessica backs off, afraid of actually engaging with her trauma after all of these years. 

Although lacking the punch of the Jessica/Killgrave dynamic, the second season of Jessica Jones has a strong narrative through-line, with Jessica trying to connect with family, Trish hunting legitimacy in her life and Jeri dealing with her own impending death. Themes of abuse are pushed aside for those of self-destruction, family bonds and finding hope, which may disappoint some, but I felt made the characters grow from where they were at the end of the first season. As usual, the season was a little too long, it could easily have lost 2-3 episodes without much effort, but unlike Iron Fist or The Punisher, it never seems to drag and make me wish for it to be over already. The best episode is "AKA Three Lives and Counting", where Killgrave returns as a manifestation of Jessica's psychosis, urging her to take more lives and embrace the darkness within her. As is to be expected, David Tennant and Krysten Ritter work brilliantly together, I could honestly watch an entire season of Purple Man lurking in the background, whispering evil into Jessica's ear. 

It's xmas eve 2018 as I write this, and the fate of the Netflix MCU is in flux, but doesn't look good. Whilst I honestly wouldn't mind the chance to have Ritter's Jessica and Charlie Cox's Daredevil make their way to the films and recast Luke and Danny, I really don't want to say goodbye to the characters entirely. Disconnected from the films as these series may be, they have been quality programming for the most part, with Jones and Daredevil especially being iconic versions, but I really don't want to see the back of Collen Wing, Foggy Nelson, Misty Knight or Jeri Hogarth either. Should we have to say goodby to Jessica though, it will sit proudly alongside other cancelled gems in my collection, like Whitechapel, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip and Agent Carter. Still a great programme if you have the will to give it a go.