S02.E08: AKA Ain't We Got Fun

[The Crazed Spruce]

While Jessica debates her next move, Malcolm confronts Trish about her erratic behavior, and Jeri makes contact with a healer.

[Eneya]

That healer guy. Shady.

[Wayward Son]

 • I have a lot of sympathy for Jessica’s mother. Last episode made it clear she kept away due to a fear for Jessica’s safety rather than abandonment. However, shitting on her childhood memories, as Jessica put it, was hardly the best way to handle their first proper talk. Poor Jessica :(

• Tris has led Malcolm back into addiction. The look of horror on his face when he realised what he’d done. Poor Malcolm :( 

• Since I know Malcolm is a genuinely open guy I can appreciate his words, but I wish his advice that Hogarth’s partner come out wasn’t tainted by the fact he was manipulating him for dirt to use against the third partner. 

• Oh crap! That shooter is going to wish they hadn’t woken the angry bear! Is it going to be someone working for the doctor who lied about loving Jessica’s mother? Or perhaps the rival PI back on the scene. 

[Scout Finch]

Jessica's mother could really use these for her anger issues!

 

[BakerStreet]

I like Jessica's mom, now that we see her as more than just a scary freak. She's FUNNY. And so is the doctor guy (ponytail), I love how he's written and the actor really sells it. I'm finding them both extremely sympathetic, you know, as homicidal psychopaths go.

[Helena Dax]

I liked this one. Mum's an interesting character and I can understand why Jessica couldn't just stand there and let her be arrested. 

Oh, Trish... I can't believe she offered that shit to Malcolm. Also, what Malcom did, turning Jeri's partners against each other, was pretty neat.

I forgot, I'm really interested in Jeri's subplot and I want to see if she manages to get rid of her illness and at what cost. If she ends up in that doctor's hands she might become another monster,. 

Edited March 11, 2018 by Helena Dax

[Kel Varnsen]

10 hours ago, Wayward Son said:

 • I have a lot of sympathy for Jessica’s mother. Last episode made it clear she kept away due to a fear for Jessica’s safety rather than abandonment. However, shitting on her childhood memories, as Jessica put it, was hardly the best way to handle their first proper talk. Poor Jessica :(

There are so many differwnt levels to what is going on between Jessica, her mom and the doctor that it is really making it interesting. I like that she spent most of the episode not knowing what to do and trying to figure it out.

And I really liked that Trish clawed a dudes face while wearing a yellow outfit. That was awesome. Although I really wonder if she has thought far enough ahead to the eventual point when the inhaler runs out.

The most hilarious part was the reference to The Raft and how no one ever gets out of there. Of course the last time they showed The Raft in the MCU a bunch of people werr breaking out.

[bettername2come]

20 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

The most hilarious part was the reference to The Raft and how no one ever gets out of there. Of course the last time they showed The Raft in the MCU a bunch of people werr breaking out.

In fairness, the breakout is probably a huge secret since they're apparently using its existence to scare the supers. 

I love Malcolm. He's just a nice, decent guy.  Seriously, what the hell was Trish thinking offering him that and claiming it wasn't addictive? I half-expected him to turn into a werewolf when he took off running. I feel like the season is finally picking up the pace.

[dkb]

On 3/11/2018 at 11:47 AM, Wayward Son said:

• Oh crap! That shooter is going to wish they hadn’t woken the angry bear! Is it going to be someone working for the doctor who lied about loving Jessica’s mother? Or perhaps the rival PI back on the scene. 

I wanna know who's shooting? All the previous killings were Alissa, maybe Pryce?

On 3/11/2018 at 5:38 PM, Helena Dax said:

Oh, Trish... I can't believe she offered that shit to Malcolm. Also, what Malcom did, turning Jeri's partners against each other, was pretty neat.

 

Not cool Trish, not cool at all. I hope Malcolm is strong enough to not get addicted.

22 hours ago, Kel Varnsen said:

The most hilarious part was the reference to The Raft and how no one ever gets out of there. Of course the last time they showed The Raft in the MCU a bunch of people werr breaking out.

I was laughing at this too.

 

I also agree that Alissa is pretty funny, when not being a homicidal rage monster. Her little head poking out from the side when Jess was talking to Oscar was funny.

[AimingforYoko]

Krysten Ritter really sold Jessica's absolute terror when she woke up in restraints.

The byplay between Jessica and Alisa absolutely have elevated this season. Things are getting good now, plotholes be damned.

[Lady Calypso]

Oh...oh Trish. She has no idea that the stuff really is addictive. I truly thought she was smarter than that. I feel awful for Malcolm, who figured it out too late. Now I'm hoping he's strong enough to go through the withdrawal afterward and not take it again. I briefly thought about this outcome happening, but dismissed the thought, thinking that Trish wouldn't be that stupid. Also, yeah, she does realize that pretty soon, she's going to have to hunt down Simpson's dealer for the stuff, right? I can't imagine the inhaler lasting much longer.

Oh hey! I called the Inez/Jeri hookup.

I actually feel sympathy for not just Alisa, but partially Karl as well (a very small miniscule bit; I guess that goes to show how well the episode was written). I genuinely buy that Karl thinks he's helping people and that he cares for Alisa. I also feel bad that Alisa's gone through all of this with no choice, but it's way too late now for her to become Jessica's mother again. At least, in the sense that Alisa will be able to function in society. I only see one way of Alisa's story ending, whether it's this season or next (and yeah, I think it's that she has to die). Also, Alisa's killed people. Karl definitely has a hand in it, but Alisa did the deed. It's an interesting question to ponder: we know she's at fault, but how much of it was also out of her control, due to the experiments run on her? 

I can see why Jessica took Alisa away, but that certainly added suspicion to her. She needs Costa on her side. Hopefully he doesn't fully turn on her once he learns the truth. 

Finally, this season has picked up after all my complaints in the first few episodes.

[backhometome]

Am I the only the one wondering what happens when that inhaler runs out?

 

I really didn't want Malcom to use that, Trish!

[Anela]

"Bite me, asshole!"

#forevermood. One reason I was so glad to see this show back last week.

I love how they think it's perfectly sane to beat up Malcolm, but Trish takes care of them, and they call her a psycho. I can't believe she offered that drug to Malcolm, though. No! 

I don't know why they couldn't leave Hogarth and the nurse as platonic. 

[thuganomics85]

Dammit, Trish!  You just had to get Malcolm hooked on that inhaler too!  I do not see this ending well.  And Malcolm totally seemed to be getting into the groove of things by finding a way to pit Jeri's partners against one another.  I really can't wait till Jessica hopefully finds about all of this crazy shit.  You know, once she's done dealing with the crazy hit involving her mother!

They're clearly bad people on a lot of levels, but Alisa and Karl are strangely romantic and even, gulp, cute at times.  Still need to be brought to justice in the end, but it's interesting seeing more regular and sympathetic antagonists, compared to Killgrave last season.

Totally knew Jeri was going to hook-up with the nurse.  And I'm guessing she will end up getting healed by that guy, but there will be an unexpected cost to it. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Damn it, Trish, why would you give that shit to an addict? Gawd. As for her trying to tell Malcolm that it's not addictive, YEAH RIGHT. That's why you were ready to start clawing at the walls when you couldn't find the inhaler the other night. I don't want to imagine what she will do when it finally runs out of whatever drugs are in there.

It was interesting to see Jessica's attitude toward her mother slowly change over the course of the episode. As Karl pointed out, Alisa is still her mother and she never stopped loving her. I'm not excusing Alisa murdering multiple people but I understand Jess having a change of heart and not wanting the police to take her away.

Heh, I wanted to high five Alisa when she went off on the cab driver for saying, "Don't get your panties in a bunch."

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Another thing I really liked in this episode was that when Malcolm initially confronted Trih about the inhaler, he refused to accompany her while she was still feeling the effects. I was afraid that the combination of having a crush on her and wanting to make sure she was safe would make him say that he wasn’t going to leave her side. Instead, he was smart and refused to be around her. That just made it even sadder when she convinced him to take a puff later. 

[Ottis]

This season is completely uninteresting. This is a soap opera, not a Marvel super hero show.

Jessica and her mom(s), Trish and her mom, Malcolm and his addiction, Trish and her addiction and past demons, Jeri and her terminal illness ... this is Days of Our Lives. 

Even the villain is a sympathetic character ... who happens to be Jess's mom. 

Give me an actual threat to the city, something that Jessica has to help stop. Or that she somehow started. Complexity is good. It just has to be about something beyond people battling their personal demons. Jessica already was doing that quite nicely in the role of anti-hero. We don't need *everyone* doing it. 

[Danny Franks]

So they're doing the same thing with Trish that they did with Simpson last season. An ally who pushes herself too far, and becomes a potential enemy. Already seen it, show, and I have no desire to see it with Trish.

I enjoyed Malcolm reiterating that he's an associate, not an assistant. That really does seem to mean a lot to him. I liked him trying to talk Trish around, and then just refusing to go along with her. She was full of justifications and excuses, which Malcolm obviously knows a lot about. But I have to admit, that excited, hungry look she gets in her eyes after kicking someone's ass is hot.

What is not hot? Her enticing a recovering drug addict to take drugs that she knows are addictive.

I have no sympathy for, or interest in, Jessica's mother. Why did she never get in contact again? Why does she flip out and throw shit? Like Jessica said "bullshit. Shut up." I don't like the actress, I don't like the character, every scene with her is an instant sign for my mind to wander. And just when I thought I couldn't be less interested, they combine the mother with the building super. Well, that's just super.

I have to agree with the view that this season just seems like a whole load of not very much. There's little overarching plot, there's no real jeopardy to anyone except Jessica (and even then, it seems like she's not really in danger). I may have lost interest somewhere along the way, but what exactly is Jessica investigating? Who killed the Whizzer? That's it? Because IGH has apparently been doing this for over a decade, but has only created Jessica, her mother and the Whizzer. Hardly a nefarious organisation, bent on taking over the world with the use of super-powered slaves.

[benteen]

Seeing Jessica and her mother together is a lot of fun.  I would totally watch a Jones Family Detective series.

Edited March 26, 2018 by benteen

[Quark]

It was a good episode, but I feel like the pace should have picked up by now. That ending helped though.

Also I really hope Jeri's plan doesn't work, I think she is one of the most despicable characters on the show. I think the relationship with this nurse is supposed to be making her sympathetic, but it really isn't working for me.

[tennisgurl]

Oh Trish, this so so bad! Come on, your better than this! And now shes trying to drag poor Malcolm into this too. The look on his face when he took the inhaler and realized what he had done was heartbreaking. I hope he doesn't get dragged into Trishes downward spiral. And it sucks that Jessica is so busy with the mom stuff, or else she could be more supportive. 

Granted, Jessica lecturing people on substance abuse is a bit of a pot calling the kettle black situation, but she is a pretty functioning alcoholic. Trish....not so much. 

I dont trust Inez and Shane. Jerri isnt thinking straight right now, I think under normal circumstances, she would be more suspicious of finding this guy who can heal people right now. 

I really like the actors playing Jessica's mom and Karl. I really do buy that they love each other, and both really dont see themselves as the bad guys. Its a really interesting dynamic. 

[Beatriceblake]

Damnit Trish, how did taking that crap work out for Simpson? I've not watched to the end yet but I can almost see her trying to get Dr Karl to make her superpowered.

I don't trust Jeri, the healer or Inez. I was hoping Inez would tell Jeri to get stuffed when she came home in a good mood and wanting a drinking and sex buddy.

Jessica and her Mum are interesting to watch together but as Jessica says, it won't end well. Also although Janet McTeer is really good as Alisa, I'm not sure I like that they went here. Jessica's backstory was tragic enough and it's annoying to see another action/adventure type series feeling the need to resurrect dead people to dredge up some more drama. It also throws up some issues about how the whole Kilgrave thing apparently passed Alisa by. That's retcons for you, I guess.

I almost wish they'd done a season where Jess was getting her shit together and Trish was the one backsliding. This is one of the rare shows where they could do with making it a bit lighter.

Edited April 23, 2018 by Beatriceblake

[AKA...CJ86]

It was kind of slow for a while but these last few episodes in small no small part of Alisa have definitely become the strongest.  I hope the remainder of the series continues to improve.

Alisa is such a fascinating, tragic character.

And Trish... dragging Malcolm into that. I did like Malcolm pitting Jeri's partners against one another. That was clever.  I didn't think he would do that.

I knew it was a matter of time before something happened between Jeri and Inez... I thought it would be sooner... and again... one of them is probably croaking by season's end.  Putting my bets on Inez, but maybe some unforeseen issues to go along with the healer's abilities? I realized, I don't really like either character, through circumstance we're to be sympathetic, but both are rather despicable...

[LeGrandElephant]

I am tired of plots where a character’s entire backstory is that their parent died tragically and then the parent pops up, not dead, when the writers need more drama.