The new Marvel property to hit Netflix is finally out. Not sure if the hype for JJ is similar to Daredevil, I’d say this is a riskier move and because of that they have more freedom to play with it and in this episode it shows.
What happens in this episode: Jessica Jones is hired to find a young NYU student who disappeared, but it turns out to be more than a simple missing persons case.
I really enjoyed Krysten Ritter playing the broken, dark and twisty titular character. Her acting echoes Jane Margolis, the character she played on Breaking Bad, which is a departure from the frivolous bitch parts she usually gets stuck with. Although Chloe, the Bitch From Apt 23, was a riot. Ritter is a really well rounded actress and she nails the multidimensional part and makes it seems effortless.
Like on Daredevil, we have a MAJOR baddie called Kilgrave (played by David Tennant), but we don’t see him in the first episode and it doesn’t matter because he is terrifying. This will be the main difference between Daredevil and Jessica Jones, aside from the obvious: Wilson Fisk is raw physicality and rage, Kilgrave is creepy AF! The scene where he licks her face? Shudder.
One thing I noticed about this show is how visually beautiful it is. Great use of colors! You could say that the cinematography in JJ is even superior to Daredevil. Although sometimes it can be flat and predictable. But it’s OK, because the real focus here is the emotional depth of the show.
In this episode, Jones has to find the young NYU girl who went missing. Her parents come all the way from Omaha to see what’s going on and somebody at the police station refers JJ to them. She promptly takes the case. We are also sort of introduced to Jeryn Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), but it’s hard to tell if she’s just a client or if there’s more to it. She seems to be some kind of a mentor to be. We have encounters with her neighbor Malcolm (Eka Darville), her best friend Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) and, of course, Luke Cage. I won’t get into any details, but things get really exciting really fast!
I have to say though, the show was adroitly adapted by Melissa Rosenberg, and even if you never heard of comic books or Marvel, you’ll still enjoy it.
Jessica Jones has a dark edge and minimalist action sequences focusing on the profoundness of the characters and its a welcome addition to the Marvel Universe.
