Since Marvel recently scored a huge home run with Daredevil Season 1 last spring, they have begun Phase 1 of their plan to introduce a darker Cinematic universe of heroes with three new shows like Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist. The big questions on fans' mind are what will happen in Season 2 of Daredevil, and how will the current Jessica Jones show affect this universe? This is what can be determined with Daredevil Season 2 Release Date, as well as a review of the Jessica Jones show.
Stories in Daredevil Season 2
Since the success of Daredevil Season 1, there has been a lot of news about what is in store for Season 2, which is already getting a lot of press. For example, Jon Bernthal will be playing The Punisher, an anti-hero from the Marvel comic-book source material that is known for taking vengeance on criminals with a "shoot to kill" mentality. In addition to The Punisher, Elodie Yung will be playing Elektra, another vigilante that will probably serve as a love interest for Daredevil.
This means that Daredevil (Charlie Cox) is going to have a lot on his hands when it comes to Season 2, and the best part is the recently released Jessica Jones serves as a prelude to it. At this writing, all 13 episodes of Jessica Jones were released to Netflix today. As much as this writer would love to binge-watch the entire season, this is my review of the pilot.
Jessica Jones Episode 1 Review
Just from the opening credit sequence that is done with a watercolor animation with a purple color palette, you are in for a film noir treat. Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) starts her show with the narration that you come to expect from a hard-boiled detective, and she is good at finding cheaters like any PI. She also has super powers, but uses them pretty sparingly and doesn't have a cape or tights.
From what is seen on the Pilot, it looks like Jessica Jones is doing a new case with each episode, and there are other plots in the mix. In addition to finding a couples' lost daughter on the first episode, she goes and delivers a summons by lifting a car, which has nothing to do with the overall plot.
What is interesting is that Jessica Jones is a smart show that is pretty competent when it comes to tying these myriad storylines together. The running plot is how Kilgrave (David Tennant), the main villain of the show, keeps speaking or touching her. When this happens, Jessica then just spouts the names of streets, to counter-act his mind control powers. Jessica and Kilgrave have some past together, and it is revealed that Kilgrave should be dead, but he's apparently not. Kilgrave is quite a monster and takes advantage of an NYU student in a way that only someone evil would do.
The other thing about Jessica Jones is it is disturbing, and a pilot has an ending that is just plain tragic that I won't spoil. Considering that Jessica Jones suffers from PTSD, the viewer could have similar issues after watching it. Please understand that I'm not giving this show a bad review, but I want to be clear that it is gritty in how it portrays evil. Jessica Jones wants to show the New York of Taxi Driver, and it is fitting that Jessica spends a lot of time in a taxi on the pilot.
Jessica Jones is going out of its way to show that it is for grown-ups, with some very intense sex scenes, but no nudity is shown, at least on the pilot. The show also doesn't hold back from showing that Jessica could use a little help with her alcohol levels, nor does it hold back from showing her making a phone call on her toilet with her laptop on the sink. It is odd and establishes a character that we're willing to see for twelve more episodes. By the way, she was out of toilet paper.
Yes, Jessica does a lot of things that you don't see superheroes doing. For example, there is also this man that she is stalking, for lack of a better term. This is not something that you see from any superhero unless you count Superman in Superman Returns. The man is Luke Cage, and he will have his show. Speaking of things that superheroes don't do, Jessica Jones was ready to skip town after a case. It is realistic, and it is a welcome addition to Marvel's idealistic heroes with the Avengers.
Will Jessica Jones Fit in with the Defenders?
At this point, the gritty, realistic world of Daredevil got kicked up a notch with Jessica Jones, a PI, who lives in a supernatural world that can be downright creepy sometimes. It is clear that with Claire Temple (aka Night Nurse) played by Rosario Dawson, that the two current Netflix Marvel shows are getting some overlap already.
Kilgrave is already being established as such a powerful villain that it could take Jessica Jones, Daredevil, and the rest of the Defenders to put him own. This is assuming that this wasn't done on episode 13 of Jessica Jones, which I'll have to take the time to see.
