Jessica Jones Season 2 Review
Content Editor, Film Critic and Writer for ComiConverse.com, the Founder and co-host of the official Nerdcast Network Podcast
Jessica Jones Season 2 Review
Netflix
Warning: Season 1 spoilers abound below. If you haven’t seen the first 13 episodes, proceed at your own risk.
The second season of the American web television series Jessica Jones, which is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, follows Jones as she takes on a new case after the events surrounding her encounter with Kilgrave.
Several months ago, Marvel’s The Defenders graced the streaming service bringing the fan favorite detective Jessica Jones into a new world full of ninjas and ancient evil. But, what happens next? Netflix’s detective superhero returns with a focused second season, which delves head first into themes of abuse and loss. A far cry from the costumed ninja battles, placing the unlikely superhero into an emotional battle with evil. After the neck snapping climax of Season 1, Jessica Jones is now plagued with a tanking reputation in the eyes of New York residents. Her relationship with adopted sister Trish (Rachel Taylor) is better than before and her business at Alias investigations is going somewhat good. Overcome with the unpleasant memories of Killgrave, Jessica is slowly coming to terms with a life without that looming threat and suffers from restless nights due to a PTSD disorder.
Season 2 of Jessica Jones doesn’t reach the heights of Netflix tradition, instead, it relies heavily on an episodic slow burn with a heavy emphasis on character development. A problem which harkens back to 2015's Daredevil, with the 13-episodes being stretched out for no reason. Season 2 issues lie in the absence of groundbreaking villain Killgrave, as the character takes form only in a series nightmares. Turning the shift to alias investigations, exploring a generic case without the connections seen before: making it hard to route for anyone.
Netflix
Though the show is not another, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones season 2 experiences the same type of slump during its first mediocre five episodes. Caused by a very boring narrative, which occasionally delves into Jessica’s backstory. I disliked the constant barrage of references to season 1 because it made these episodes feel like a repeat viewing. The show brings Pryce Cheng (Terry Chen), a revival investigator who dislikes our superhero powered leads approach to solving crimes.
While the set-up sounds intriguing, Cheng’s actions just come across moronic and lack the needed tension to make a powerful villain. As a subplot, Cheng’s move against Alias Investigations brings Carrie-Ann Moss’ Jeri Hogarth and Eka Darville’s Malcolm deeper into the storyline, but the character just feels like an irritant rather than a threat. Cheng’s methods just get annoying, after calling Jessica a “Freak” for the hundredth time. I would have preferred Killgrave to return from his grave, least this season would have an entertainment villain.
The season's issues stem from the delivery of programming from Netflix, which makes a slow burn worse than it should ever be. Storytelling lacks the needed punch, instead just feels like a filler season of your favorite anime. Potential is there for a groundbreaking season, but the lack of cohesive storytelling pulls it away from greatness. It’s not all bad as Trish and Jessica’s relationship gets developed further, with their striking personalities bring some meat to a stale table. Jeri is the but of poor decisions, which cause her professional life to be impacted. Combined with Jessica’s bubbly characteristics, adds a good look at self-destruction.
Other, than that messy pacing and laughable villain make Jessica Jones season 2, a disappointing cold cup of ideas. I wanted to love Jessica’s latest journey, but it ended up feeling bloated and littered with plot threads that go nowhere, But, have you seen the show? Let us know your thoughts below.