Gal Godot as Wonder Woman may have cornered the market for Girl Power on the big screen, but when it comes to kicking ass and taking names on the smaller streaming screen Jessica Jones is in a league of her own.
Marvel Studios have been spewing out superhero incarnations on the big and small screen since Iron Man became the unexpected mega hit of 2008. Ever since that first screen outing fell ass-backwards into a money pit the studio has churned out 18 films that have grossed over 14 billion dollars at the global box office.
Spurred on by this success, the transition to streaming TV series was a no-brainer. When Jessica Jones debuted on Netflix in 2015, it heralded a game change in the popcorn Marvel universe.
Trading in the silly spandex leotards and cheesy catchphrases for jeans, a leather jacket and surly demeanor, Jones’ world is the darkest and most adult in the franchise. The surly whiskey swilling private investigator/superhero vigilante returns to Netflix this year and she is as charmingly difficult and bitter as ever. Brandishing a ‘fuck you’ attitude and superhuman strength Jessica Jones is an unparalleled female superhero on TV.
Season one explored far more adult territory than any of its predecessors and season two delves even further into the depths of Jones’ twisted psyche and also gets a hell of a lot gayer.
Carrie Anne Moss returns as power dyke Jeri Hogarth, a top shelf attorney who acts as Jones’ sometimes ally and occasional enemy. Hogarth is not just a token corporate power lesbian. She’s a fully developed character with multiple storylines exploring her relationships and is the first major gay characters to be portrayed in the Marvelverse. The supporting cast also includes Australia’s Rachel Taylor and Doctor Who’s David Tennant as her ghostly nemesis Kilgrave.
Jones’ brokedown palace of a brain gets pried open to explain some of the unanswered questions from season one. The fractured narrative jumps about in time which makes for occasionally confusing viewing but like any drug, one hit is never enough.
What makes this such compulsively addictive viewing is not just the unflinchingly brazen Miss Jones and her shadowy Neo-Noir New York. It’s the murky complicated waters of this part of the franchise that haven’t been navigated before. The bonds and definitions of family, sexuality and friendship are the overarching themes.
In an industry that is still heavily dominated by men, particularly in the superhero genre; Jessica Jones is a stand out proponent for girl power. Every episode is directed by a woman and with every episode released simultaneously this is prepped and ready to binge.
4.5 Couch Potatoes!
Clinton Little
