Take Three: Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones: Season 1, Episode 3 “AKA It’s Called Whiskey” (B+)

I’m measuring this show’s meter of darkness on a weekly basis, and this one had a few moments where it seemed that it was venturing into even grimmer territory, but fortunately things actually worked out okay on a number of fronts. The most potentially brutal development was Trish’s death, but fortunately that was staged so that Kilgrave’s minion would think that he had completed his job and leave so that she wouldn’t be further harmed. I love that Trish doesn’t back down and makes sure that Jess is open and honest with her, and that she apparently has her own baggage which explains some of the intense training she was doing in the previous episode. Working with Jeryn to get Hope’s story out there prompted her to really push and infuriate Kilgrave enough with her taunts that her life was threatened, and it led to the first time we actually saw Kilgrave’s face and he looked directly at Jessica. The revelation that Kilgrave ordered Jessica to kill Luke’s wife is a disturbing one since Jessica’s newfound relationship with Luke is one of the only things that keeps her sane and helps her to blow off some steam. Their dynamic is definitely complicated, but it’s good to know that they’re both impenetrable if not invincible. Jessica did a strong job of ensuring that those Kilgrave sent after her didn’t lose their lives, proving that, despite her failed stunt as a bona fide superhero, she’s still someone who is fighting the good fight and helping to prevent evil from prevailing.