S02.E13: AKA Playland

[Sakura12]

Then why was he complaining about being the one to keep the business afloat?  I still don't think it's about the money for Jessica. She took pizza instead of the cash in the first episode. 

[Gwen-Stacys]

"Then why was he complaining about being the one to keep the business afloat? I still don't think it's about the money for Jessica. She took pizza instead of the cash in the first episode. "

I think that had more to do with the fact that she wasn't giving him his due as her employee. While she was off doing whatever, he was making sure they had updates to send to their clients, etc. Her bills were gonna keep getting paid because of him. At least that's how I took it. I could very well be wrong.

[Sakura12]

I'm surprised that Jessica never came to the conclusion that she might have Octopus DNA in her. 

[bettername2come]

I liked the season. Overall I prefer season one, but there's a lot of things this season where I felt like Krysten Ritter really excelled as an actress. Seriously, if I could go back and tell my 2006 self that the woman playing Gia Goodman would one day be believable as a kickass superhero PI, I'd never have believed it. I think she did a great job showing some more subtle vulnerabilities coming through. I felt like Jessica was being pretty reasonable for an antisocial woman with trust and anger management issues.

I'm glad that Oscar turned out to be a decent guy and that Jessica isn't rushing into anything with him. But she broke up with Malcolm and Trish! I hope they can work it out. And that Trish doesn't go crazy with her newfound powers. I hate that Jessica doesn't have her friends now. I need Luke and Danny to show up at her door and tell her Matt's alive so she can get dragged into a new crazy adventure to keep her mind off the fact that her sister murdered her mother.

They made me like Jeri more. I kind of hate that. But I look forward to seeing some more interactions with her and other Defenders characters in future series. I'd also like to see that cop Costas some more. He was a good decent guy. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

17 hours ago, Sakura12 said:

Then why was he complaining about being the one to keep the business afloat?  I still don't think it's about the money for Jessica. She took pizza instead of the cash in the first episode. 

She took the pizza a) as an act of defiance and b) because she knew that the pizza owner likely wouldn't pay after Jessica put her on blast as to how she wanted Jessica to kill the cheater.ice/

Jessica isn't the most responsible person, so she (presumably) relied on Malcolm to do much of the clerical work that made sure they were paid, and that Alias Investigaions bills were paid and other needs were met. We saw Malcolm taking care of making her office/apartment look presentable, for example, and appealing to the landlord to let Jessica stay.

Edited March 14, 2018 by Chicago Redshirt

[shireenbamfatheon]

Trish was horrible this season. For all her insistence that she wanted powers to help people, her main priority was always herself. If we hadn't gotten a season of her being sympathetic and likable, I think people would be more liable to see this season as her villain origin story.

Everyone wants to feel special, to feel in control of their life, and for someone like Trish who's had most of her life dictated by her mother, the desire to be powerful is completely understandable and in-character. Also, I think most of us would be envious of having a sister with Jessica's capabilities, and that part of their relationship was very relatable. But the way Trish went about getting her powers, her complete lack of hesitance and remorse when it came to hurting everyone around her, even her own loved ones, is what pushed her into villain territory for me. It wasn't just the big moments that cemented her selfishness, like manipulating Malcolm's crush on her and forcing him into a trunk at gunpoint or forcing Karl to experiment on her leading to his eventual suicide, or trying to persuade Jessica to kill her own mother with complete disregard for how traumatic it'd be for someone who was already suffering so much, even though she couldn't bring herself to sever all ties with her own mother, but the smaller moments as well. The way her main concern after her little stint with Malcolm was to worry that he'd told Jessica, or that she saw her ex-boyfriend reporting from a literal warzone and all she felt was jealousy and contempt with not a hint of concern, or whining about Karl being her last chance at being special after she found out he'd committed suicide, or vigorously insisting that Jessica cared more for her than her own mother when Costa questioned her (before she decided to shoot her in front of Jessica). And then she just stood there outside Jessica's apartment door, completely remorseless about what she'd done to everyone, confident that she was in the right, and I was just done with her. 

[Cthulhudrew]

People in the Marvel Universe shouldn't be referencing "spidey-sense." Spider-man's super senses should not be something that are part of the common parlance there. 

Is that too geeky a complaint?

Anyhoot, this season was a slog to get through. They made the same mistakes they did with DD season 2, taking the best part of the show- the interrelationships of the characters- and tearing them down. 

Also: #notmyMalus

Edited March 15, 2018 by Cthulhudrew

[Chicago Redshirt]

7 hours ago, Cthulhudrew said:

People in the Marvel Universe shouldn't be referencing "spidey-sense." Spider-man's super senses should not be something that are part of the common parlance there. 

Is that too geeky a complaint?

 

No such thing as "too geeky a complaint." :)

At least in his actual appearances in Civil War and Homecoming, it doesn't seem like Spider-Man's Spider-sense was demonstrated or referenced. There was a trailer for Infinity War in which he seems to demonstrate it, though. Maybe it refers to something other than Spider-Man's ability. I missed the reference, though.

Random fun fact: in at least one run of the Alias comics, Jessica Jones went to high school with Peter Parker and was super-crushed out on him, but he barely knew she existed.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Chicago Redshirt

[Sakura12]

Maybe the spidey sense was a nod to the comic history between Jessica and Peter. Since in this universe they are different ages. 

[VCRTracking]

I haven't watched the season yet and I was spoiled by GIFs on Tumblr so I just said "fuck it" and watched finale scenes on YouTube.  I know I don't have any context about everything that led up the episode but I think if Trish had a better relationship with HER mom, she probably would not have done what she did.

Edited March 15, 2018 by VCRTracking

[100Proof]

Would've been real world satisfying if JJ beat the living daylights out of Trish. But its not.  Its a tv show. lol

[Lady Calypso]

I agree with the comments about feeling that this season wasn't as good as season 1. I did like some things here and there (Alisa was a great complex villain, Jessica had some great character progression as well as some setbacks, Jeri had some good material) but there were still several things that bothered me. 

I guess Trish was the biggest disappointment this season. I didn't want her to get addicted to Simpson's drug. But it turns out she's addicted to something worse: power, literal power. I do think that her wanting to be a hero isn't for the right reasons. Her not wanting to be powerless after having an abusive mother makes sense. Her lack of power with her mother, with that director, and then with people around her for her teenage years makes sense. Her obsession with having superpowers like Jessica was not for the right reasons. It just didn't make her look heroic, especially after waking up in the morgue and the first thing she wanted to talk about was how Jessica stopped the dangerous surgery from giving her powers. They really took several missteps with Trish, and I remember actually liking Trish in season 1. Her use and abuse of Malcolm, as well, salted my opinion of her. 

I think Trish has a very biased opinion of people with superpowers. She knows that even Jessica isn't all happy smiles with her powers. She's an alcoholic to numb a lot of the pain she went through, and the thought of being so dangerous that she could murder someone is ever so present on her mind. I know Trish's life is not what she wanted for herself and she's wanted to make a life of her own where she could do some good, but almost killing yourself for a chance at superpowers isn't the answer, and I don't think Trish will figure that out right away, if ever. Well, with Trish already displaying some ability, I hope her journey to become a superhero is worth ruining a chunk of her relationships. Now, she only has her abusive mother who is using her for fame. Trish is going to find her superhero life to be very, very lonely without someone to share it with, someone that she genuinely cares about. 

Malcolm is a great character, but he also made several missteps in this season. I think his journey this season was more to find a place that he lost last season because of Kilgrave. His obsession was to do some good, but also to be praised, to be validated in a sense. His feelings for Trish clouded his judgment about her actions toward him. She made him relapse and he still trusted her after that. I think, with him and Jess, and him and Trish on the outs for various reasons, he's going to need to figure out his own issues. Now that he's working for Cheng, however, I'm not nearly as invested in it as I should be. 

As for Jessica, I did like her journey with Alisa this season. There was a lot of struggle within her when it came to her mother. I think Alisa, in herself, was a fascinating character, but one I continuously have said that her story ended one way. I think Alisa's fate was out of her control, because she was out of control. Sure, she did manage to fight her urges by the end, but I think it was only a matter of time before she killed again, even if she was sent to The Raft. I will say that, by this finale, I did hope that maybe she could withhold her urges. Alisa didn't want to become a monster, and that earned sympathy points from me. Alas, even with her deciding to stop running, though it was a redeeming moment from her, it would only start a ticking time bomb on when her redemption would end and when she'd hurt or kill someone because of her uncontrolled anger issues.

I do think Jessica should have been the one to kill her. I think Jessica knew that Alisa needed to be stopped, and with her working to arrive at that conclusion for the second half o the season, it is a shame that they had Trish do the deed. Plus, it just separated both women for next season. It's just a real shame of that being the case, since they've always had their issues, but always managed to be there for each other. 

Jeri's stuff this season was all over the place for me. Ultimately, I hope she can be incorporated into the main plot better next season. 

[mrspidey]

You know, i'm glad Trish has powers now. That might mean Jessica can beat the living shit out of her without holding back. I'd pay to see that. You hear that, writers?

[backhometome]

Damn Trish that was cold. She was really unlikeable this whole season. I guess she has some kind of powers now.

 

I did grow sick of Alissa and her back and forth with Jessica. Cant be sad to see her go. 

 

I really like Costa. 

 

Malcom is really the only one I feel sorry for this whole season really. He is too good for everyone. 

 

Hogarth this season was too disconnected from the main story. 

[Anela]

I wish I hadn't watched this. I didn't need to see her lose her mother again. And having Trish be the one to kill her?? No. 

Malcolm and Pryce? That's sad. I'm glad that they at least looked like they wanted to talk (he and Jessica), and that she is still going to see Carlos and his son. I like her with the kid - she actually looks amused, and happier. 

If Trish is becoming a villain or anti-hero, or whatever, I wish we'd had more build-up. It felt wrong to have them so at odds this season, even though Trish and her need to be special in that way, was a theme in the first season. 

[Anela]

Also: why did she go to Playland? Was that where they were heading when Jess lost her family?

Did Griffin ever turn out to be tied to bad guys, or was his secret phone call about the engagement setup/"party"?

[Anela]

On March 11, 2018 at 11:55 AM, Chaos Theory said:

I think Trish's storyline is a woman being typecast as something they are not early on in life and not being able to overcome it and then having a friend, your very best friend, being everything you want to be and want to have and see them do nothing with it.  Jessica was taken seriously and admired which was something Trish never was no matter what she did people wanted Patsy.  Always Patsy.  Even her mother wanted her to be Patsy.  You resent that after awhile.    And at the same time her mother genuinely loved her and offered her a good life which is what Jessica wanted.  And yet when you think about it both mothers had alot of the same traits.  Both mothers sold their children out to dangerous people for their own needs and yet both mothers loved their children and blamed the other girl for their daughters failings.   Both Jessica and Trish both wanted what the other had and I think season 2 opened up those little wounds that are always there between even the best of friends.  I understand Trish because no matter what she tried to do......no one wanted her.   They wanted Patsy.   They wanted Jessica.   They didn't want her.  

 

 

Simpson wanted her, but he went off the deep end. It seemed like Griffin wanted her. I can relate to part of what you wrote, unfortunately.

 

On March 12, 2018 at 11:28 AM, Sakura12 said:

For me it's the way Trish went about getting her powers that bothers me. She was reckless and impulsive and it could've killed her. The ones that have powers forced upon them didn't hurt anyone to get them. They weren't given a choice.  The only choice they made was what to do with their powers. Trish hurt Malcolm and Jessica along the way to get her powers, she made those choices. 

There are plenty of heroes that don't have powers and still help people. If I saw Trish trying to help others before getting her powers then I'd believe she was more truthful in her motivation. What I saw was an addict that wanted powers to make herself feel better. That's why I hope she learns some lessons in season 3 and learns why Jessica is so hesitant with her powers. I'd imagine for Jess everyday she has to restrain herself, even doing normal things. She could crush someone by just hugging them. That's why when she was with Luke they were breaking furniture by having sex, that was the first time either of them got to have sex without holding anything back.  Jessica has to be constantly aware of her strength.  

 

Same here. I was annoyed, because in season one, we see her just as passionate about getting Kilgrave, talking about him on the air, insulting him on her radio show, knowing he would be listening - she didn't need a super drug to express herself, or to do something. She was learning martial arts, to protect herself. Wanting to be like Jessica, sure, but she could handle herself better than I could. She had money, her name, and the access to millions of people, to make a point if she wanted to. She could have negotiated a new contract with the people that contacted her, where she failed the audition/interview, easily in season one. 

On the other hand, all of these heroes have powers because of tragedies they survived. There was nothing magical about it, to them, and they feel compelled to help people, because they can. And then they get shit on by their friends when they're found out, at least at first, for thinking they can do everything, or they're thought of as murderers. People tried to hire Jessica as a hit woman, just because she killed Kilgrave. She was constantly fighting the image of herself as a murderer.

I did like the look on her face when the guy at the end asked if she was going to pay for her alcohol. She just saved his life, and his money (at least that night), and he says he's running a business. I was actually surprised she just intended to walk out with it, without paying. 

 

On March 12, 2018 at 4:42 PM, Sakura12 said:

I didn't have a problem with Malcolm. He should've left Jessica a long time ago. She was never going to let him grow as a PI. I think she will always kind of see Malcolm (through no fault of his own) as Killgrave's spy. That's how they met. Considering the number Killgrave did to her it's probably better for them to part ways. 

I understand Jessica's motivation, others understand Trish's, different opinions is what makes the world go around. It doesn't mean any of us are wrong for feeling the way we do. For me Jessica has a right to be moody and sorrowful, life keeps shitting on her. She has no idea what normal even is anymore. She got her mother back only to find out she's an unstoppable mass murderer then her best friend just shoots her in the head. The fact that she went to see Oscar and Vido after all that shows growth to me. She's trying to find a normal. 

Exactly. You shut down after a while. After what she experienced, I'm surprised she's getting out of bed at all. 

Edited March 20, 2018 by Anela

[thuganomics85]

Fare thee well, Alisa.  I guess this show doesn't believe in keeping its antagonists around after one season.  Janet McTeer did a fantastic job.

Well, it's probably going to be a long while before Jessica and Trish ever reconcile, now that Trish just killed Alisa right in front of Jessica.  And Trish has her own powers, which is kind of disconcerting.  Despite what she says, I still get the sense that Trish care more about the power and fame, then the nitty-gritty that comes with being a "hero."  She's going to learn real fast, I suspect.

Not surprised Malcolm ended up branching out on his own, but teaming up with Pryce and agreeing to do Jeri's next big scheme will likely be a bad idea.

Jeri really can never be underestimated.  She even got to still hold onto the Rand account!  And, of course, she was trying to put the moves on her yoga instructor.  You're such a cliche sometimes, Hogarth!

Hope Costa sticks around.

I choose to believe that Jessica quoting the infamous "Great power comes great responsibility" line means that at some point in her life, she bumped into Spidey during a case, and Peter told her that line.  And she then rolled her eyes and told him to piss off.

Overall, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first season, but it had its moments.  That does seem to be theme with Marvel's Netflix shows though (unless the second seasons of Luke Cage or Iron Fist really surprise me...)

[benteen]

Strong episode.  I didn't expect Alisa to go the way that she did (I figured she would get killed) so that was a shock.

Quote

BTW, I have to call some BS on that. It is a huge stretch that being on death's door for as long as she was, Trish deduced that Jessica and Alisa might head to Playland, managed to get there as Jessica and Alisa showed up, managed to make a difficult single-shot kill of Alisa. On top of that, the angle of the shot makes it difficult to think that the cops will ultimately buy that Jessica shot Alisa. 

Yeah, I'm calling BS on this too.  Maybe she would have figured out Playland but it was still contrived that she got there and found them, especially in her condition.

I'm worried that the show might have ruined one of the best friendships on television.  I can't blame Jessica for reacting to Trish the way she did and I actually liked it when she went after Trish after she shot her mom.  Alisa's a tough one...what Karl did to her was wrong and she didn't ask for it.  But she still killed the cop so I can't be sympathetic to her.  She did that intentionally.  Jessica definitely let her emotions cloud her judgment...understandably.  What Trish said wasn't wrong and she probably thought she was protecting Jessica but her motivations (which I found storyline contrived at times) were muddled and shitty.  I'm interested in her becoming Hellcat and I wonder how the relationship between the two will be repaired.

I can't blame Malcolm for moving on from Jessica, who often treated him like shit. 

I consider Season 2 to be the story of three addicts.  Jessica, Trish and Malcolm. 

I was glad that Jessica finally had dinner with Oscar and his son.  At least a sliver of hope.

I'm curious what it is that Hogarth is planning.

Krysten Ritter is once again amazing as JJ and they totally picked the right actress for this role.  JJ wouldn't be half as interesting without her.  While Jeri's plot often seemed unrelated to the main one, Carrie-Ann Moss gave a knockout performance.  Janet McTeer was great too and I enjoyed any time Jessica and Alisa were working together.

I did have some issues with the show.  I was fine with the villain problem although I hope we get a legit villain next season.  Someone for Jessica to really oppose.  Although Season 2 still has the problem of most of Marvel Netflix's shows in that its about three episodes too long.  Either do shorten seasons or write enough story for ALL 13 episodes.  The writers still clinging to the 13-episode cable model but not doing the legwork required for it.

I only wish we could get a new season sooner rather than later.

Edited March 23, 2018 by benteen

[Chicago Redshirt]

People's mileage may vary, but I don't think there was much in the way of filler scenes/episodes this season and I could have used more time and space to show the Jessica/Alisa bond, flashbacks to Jessica's childhood, more Malcolm, more of a fair amount of things.

[benteen]

Maybe not filler but Marvel Netflix often don't tell stories big enough for 13 episodes.  They could be wrapped up a lot sooner but they are very drawn out to get to 13, which feels like an artificial number now.

[Chicago Redshirt]

100 percent agree with the general principle. Like Iron Fist could have been actually been good if it had been a 6 episode series.

S1 of Jessica Jones definitely had moments where the only reason Jessica didn't snap Killgrave's neck earlier was the series had to run 13 episodes.

S2, I can't think of anything that was unnecessary and boring. Like sure, one could have cut the subplots with Jeri being ousted by her partners and being scammed, but I at least enjoyed them.

[methodwriter85]

5 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

S2, I can't think of anything that was unnecessary and boring. Like sure, one could have cut the subplots with Jeri being ousted by her partners and being scammed, but I at least enjoyed them.

They really took their time with this season. The problem with season 1 is that everything was rushed until the last few episodes dragged everything out, while the pacing with this season was much more even.

[VCRTracking]

I realized recently Jess and Trish are both a parallel and an inversion of Bucky and Steve.

Edited March 24, 2018 by VCRTracking

[Kel Varnsen]

Even though it sucks for their friendship, I kind of appreciated Trish killing Alicia. She is probably right that a police SWAT team wouldn't differentiate between a cop killer and someone aiding a cop killer. And if Jessica turned her mom in or had to kill her she would hate herself instead of Trish. I like the idea that she loves Jessica so much that she is willing to have Jessica hate her if it means she is safe.

Also what is up with Marvel Netflix series and the climactic scenes taking place on amusement park rides (it was a carousel for The Punisher). As part of Disney cross promotion with the big scene in Daredevil season 3 take place on the Tea Cups at Disney World?

Edited March 24, 2018 by Kel Varnsen

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I totally cracked up when Jeri's yoga instructor said, "You've made terrific progress!" How the hell would she know when she's had her back to Jeri for the entire lesson?

RIP Malcolm's gorgeous hair. But good for him for not just sitting around feeling sorry for himself and waiting for Jessica to come back. When Jeri accused him of stealing Jessica's case, I had to disagree. Jessica started looking into the partners' financial records but didn't seem to dig up anything useful since Jeri dismissed the charges that Jessica thought looked suspicious as gifts for clients. Malcolm, on the other hand, did some legwork to find one partner at the gay bar and then set up a meeting with the other partner so he's the only one who found information that would help Jeri.

I have a hard time believing that Oscar would have such strong feelings for Jessica when he's known her for like two weeks and boned her twice.

[AllyB]

On 3/13/2018 at 2:38 PM, mledawn said:

Were we to assume that was Trish's thought process? Or did she think Jessica was in direct danger from Alisa. My interpretation was that Trish thought Jessica was in direct danger, and shot Alisa. 

We weren't to assume it. Trish specifically said to Jessica after she shot Alisa that the cops were going to kill her (Jessica). And she (Trish) killed Alisa so Jessica would be safe from the cops. Trish only came to find them after Costa told her he'd try to take Jessica alive, in a way that implied it was very unlikely.

[Quark]

Season One was far better than Season Two, that's for sure.

I'm glad Jessica has decided to open herself up a bit more. Will be nice to see a happier Jessica in Season Three.

Can't stand Jeri, so I'm disappointed that she ended up in a (somewhat) happy place. The one thing I'm confused by from a legal point of view is that surely her clients won't want to stay with her since she is now a new one woman firm? They would probably want some stability?

I must say though, the acting was top notch.

Edited March 25, 2018 by Quark

[millennium]

On 3/14/2018 at 7:54 PM, shireenbamfatheon said:

 And then she just stood there outside Jessica's apartment door, completely remorseless about what she'd done to everyone, confident that she was in the right, and I was just done with her. 

Trish's smile in that scene was grotesque because it revealed just how meaningless everyone else in the world is to her.

I was at Playland last summer.  I go every year.   Playland is where Glenn Close took Michael Douglas' daughter in Fatal Attraction.   And where the kid got his wish from the fortune-telling machine in Big.

Here's a Trish-eye view of the ferris wheel:

 

But let me dispel one myth perpetrated by the Jessica Jones crew: there's no old-timey carnival music playing as the Playland ferris wheel goes around -- or any ride at Playland, for that matter.  Everywhere you go, every ride, it's ugly hip hop/rap blaring from the speakers. 

Edited March 26, 2018 by millennium

[Kel Varnsen]

20 hours ago, AllyB said:

We weren't to assume it. Trish specifically said to Jessica after she shot Alisa that the cops were going to kill her (Jessica). And she (Trish) killed Alisa so Jessica would be safe from the cops. Trish only came to find them after Costa told her he'd try to take Jessica alive, in a way that implied it was very unlikely.

Or Jessica has to kill her mom, or Jessica has to turn her mom into the police and mom goes to the raft, or she lives her life on the run as a fugitive. There were no good outcomes to this situation.

12 hours ago, Quark said:

The one thing I'm confused by from a legal point of view is that surely her clients won't want to stay with her since she is now a new one woman firm? They would probably want some stability?

Her biggest client is Rand because of her personal connection to Danny Rand, so he is probably more interested in staying with Geri. Plus I imagine someone with Geri's drive and reputation wouldn't have a problem picking up staff.

[Chicago Redshirt]

12 hours ago, Quark said:

Season One was far better than Season Two, that's for sure.

I'm glad Jessica has decided to open herself up a bit more. Will be nice to see a happier Jessica in Season Three.

Can't stand Jeri, so I'm disappointed that she ended up in a (somewhat) happy place. The one thing I'm confused by from a legal point of view is that surely her clients won't want to stay with her since she is now a new one woman firm? They would probably want some stability?

I must say though, the acting was top notch.

I'm guessing Jessica doesn't stay happy for too long. Either Jessica finds some way to self-destruct, or the impacts of losing Malcolm and Trish weigh on her or a new villain comes in her life to threaten those close to her again or something. I just hope that Vido isn't the one to pay any sort of price for being in Jessica's orbit. 

If Jeri is half as good as she's been bragging, she should be able to convince all her clients to stay with her. Heck, they won't even need much convincing because she's gotten awesome results for them in the past. Stability for the clients means staying with the person who they've known and trusted and who has the most insight into their accounts. Presumably Jeri will hire some number of associates to handle the day to day.

[RedHackle]

Loved this season. Perhaps not quite as much as last season, (I missed Luke and Claire) but still thought it was great. Here's the thing; my best friend and I growing up loved each other, but each of us despised the other's mother. Both of us were convinced that our own moms were a pain in the ass, but that the other's was so much worse. I can't tell you the number of fights this caused us because neither of us really liked hanging out at the other's house because of it. Anyway, this season really took me back there - and there's not a thing that Jessica or Trish said or did that I found false. I don't like that they're at odds with each other, but I totally believe how they got there. Anyway, looking forward to next season greatly. 

[Catfi9ht]

On 3/23/2018 at 11:01 AM, Chicago Redshirt said:

People's mileage may vary, but I don't think there was much in the way of filler scenes/episodes this season and I could have used more time and space to show the Jessica/Alisa bond, flashbacks to Jessica's childhood, more Malcolm, more of a fair amount of things.

I agree completely. For me, there was no complexity to Jessica's mom. She had two modes, rage on and rage off. Alisa did grow on me the last two episodes of the season when she was finally showing some nuance, but by then I hated the character so I was not emotionally invested.

It seems like they retconned Jessica's mom to be more like Jessica than Jessica remembered (or vice versa) without showing any actual context. I wish they would have shown two sets of flashbacks about the Jones family, one from Jessica's POV as an innocent kid and one from Alisa's as the adult. They could have added some complexity to Alisa in the past while allowing Hulk!Alisa to continue to be ragey.

Also, they minimally touched on Alisa vs. Kilgrave attempting to alienate Jessica from everyone else she loved, but they could have built a larger parallel between the Alisa and Kilgrave especially regarding the similarities of Kilgrave and Malus.

I realize I'm in the minority, but I think Jeri's storyline was the most emotionally interesting story this season even though it was an aside from the main storylines. Carrie-Anne Moss's despair at the empty apartment was heartbreaking even though Jeri is a pretty terrible human. I fist-pumped at Jeri getting back at Inez and Shane and getting her own law firm. I thought the entire storyline was in-character, well thoughout, and emotionally satisfying.

I'm really disappointed in Trish as a character and her relentless, selfish pursuit of powers. However, I thought her motivations were entirely in character so even though I didn't agree with her choices, they made sense to me.

Finally, Krysten Ritter was amazing this season. Her inner rage at Trish after killing her mom to her utter despair at her mom's death was awesome. I wish I would have actually liked Jessica's mom so I could have had some emotional response to Jessica's loss and the character's death.

[Paloma]

On 3/16/2018 at 2:02 PM, Lady Calypso said:

I do think Jessica should have been the one to kill her. I think Jessica knew that Alisa needed to be stopped, and with her working to arrive at that conclusion for the second half o the season, it is a shame that they had Trish do the deed.

I agree with everything else in your post but not that Jessica should have been the one to kill her. I understand why that would seem necessary, but Jessica could never have come back psychologically from killing her own mother, especially given the guilt she had lived with for thinking she caused the fatal accident in the first place. It was hard enough for Jessica to learn to live with murdering Luke's wife (which was done while she was being mind-controlled) and Kilgrave (who was so evil and dangerous that killing him was the only way to stop him). But Alisa was her mother and one who was apparently a good, loving mother before the accident. Although Jessica knew how dangerous Alisa was now, she also knew that Alisa was dangerous because of what was done to her--just like Jessica was dangerous because of what Malus and then Kilgrave did to her. Jessica saw Alisa's desire to control her rages, and she knew that Alisa still loved her (not in a sick way like Kilgrave). And Jessica still loved her mother and had hope for a possible life with her, despite how unrealistic that seemed.   

[Vella]

I can't help but think Jessica is reflecting on everything Trish had said and done in the last few days leading up to the shooting. How she didn't see Jessica's mother as Jessica's mother. How Alisa was just a monster needing to be put down.  She kept insisting that Jessica would not be with Alisa by choice, and yet, this was something Alisa had pointed out (taunted really) to Trish earlier when they had their prison visit.  Alisa was important. No matter what, she was Jessica's family and Jessica could not and would not ignore that and that when push came to shove, Jessica would 'choose' Alisa over Trish.  Alisa was a threat to Trish's place as top dog in Jessica's life. Trish loved Jessica but she was insecure and jealous of her as well, not only regarding the super powers but now, with Jessica's growing connection to Alisa.  Despite the fact that Jessica insisted Trish meant more than anyone, Alisa meant a lot to Jessica too and if anyone could 'dethrone' Trish, it would be back from the dead with superpowers Mama.  I think Trish genuinely feared for Jessica's safety and didn't want Jessica in the position of killing another person, but I also think Trish killed Alisa for her own much darker, selfish needs.  She didn't call out, she didn't let Jessica say goodbye, she didn't think, she thought and acted as she had done for days, the way an addict would.  Jessica would reflect on that too, if she'd only really focused on getting Trish the help she needed, Trish might not have gone down the path she chose. The one that cost Jessica so much and the one that pretty much blew up their relationship. So much messiness. I hope season 3 unpacks ALL of that.

[Anela]

On 3/27/2018 at 1:06 PM, Paloma said:

I agree with everything else in your post but not that Jessica should have been the one to kill her. I understand why that would seem necessary, but Jessica could never have come back psychologically from killing her own mother, especially given the guilt she had lived with for thinking she caused the fatal accident in the first place. It was hard enough for Jessica to learn to live with murdering Luke's wife (which was done while she was being mind-controlled) and Kilgrave (who was so evil and dangerous that killing him was the only way to stop him). But Alisa was her mother and one who was apparently a good, loving mother before the accident. Although Jessica knew how dangerous Alisa was now, she also knew that Alisa was dangerous because of what was done to her--just like Jessica was dangerous because of what Malus and then Kilgrave did to her. Jessica saw Alisa's desire to control her rages, and she knew that Alisa still loved her (not in a sick way like Kilgrave). And Jessica still loved her mother and had hope for a possible life with her, despite how unrealistic that seemed.   

Agreed, I think it would have been the worst thing to ever happen to Jessica, if she had to kill her mother. 

[rmontro]

I know we're suppose to believe that Trish was trying to save Jessica from a bad end and the trapped situation she found herself in.  But I just can't see her taking it upon herself to kill Jessica's mother, I don't care how wacky and dangerous she was.  That just wasn't her call to make, and I don't see how the two are going to remain friends after this.  But I guess they're more like family/sisters.  Still, it's hard to empathize with her this season.

On 3/8/2018 at 11:37 PM, jmonique said:

Not to be THAT person on the Internet, but: While Krysten Ritter is amazing, the Netflix Marvel shows are this never-ending wave of darkness. I'm kind of over it.

After watching the Punisher and Jessica Jones, I hear what you're saying.  I'd like to see a little more fun injected.  I'm not sure Jessica Jones is the series for that to happen though.

[Marigny]

Trish works my last nerve. 

[benteen]

9 hours ago, rmontro said:

I know we're suppose to believe that Trish was trying to save Jessica from a bad end and the trapped situation she found herself in.  But I just can't see her taking it upon herself to kill Jessica's mother, I don't care how wacky and dangerous she was.  That just wasn't her call to make, and I don't see how the two are going to remain friends after this.  But I guess they're more like family/sisters.  Still, it's hard to empathize with her this season.

After watching the Punisher and Jessica Jones, I hear what you're saying.  I'd like to see a little more fun injected.  I'm not sure Jessica Jones is the series for that to happen though.

I just hope in Season 2 we get a villain who is not someone from Jessica's past.  Jessica has enough issues to deal with in her own life without the villain having that kind of personal connection to her, which would be contrived.  I'd like to see her against a villain who is a legit unknown for her.

[rubinia]

On 3/23/2018 at 2:33 PM, Chicago Redshirt said:

S2, I can't think of anything that was unnecessary and boring. Like sure, one could have cut the subplots with Jeri being ousted by her partners and being scammed, but I at least enjoyed them.

See, I thought that the story didn't even seem to start until around episode 7 with this season.  I also miss Luke and need him and Jessica to get together.

[tennisgurl]

I think this season somehow was and wasn't better than last season. On the one hand, the season long arc and the story of Jessica moving past her abuse at the hands of Kilgrave made for a more powerful story arc, and the whole metaphor worked much better. And Kilgrave was such a great antagonist, its hard to follow up with him. But, on the other hand, I think the season flowed more smoothly. We weren't as bogged down with pointless characters and subplots, and I thought that exploring Jessica's relationship with her mom and how she got her powers was a good move for them to make. So, I liked the season. 

Wow, Trish really has become a hot mess, hasn't she? I hate that she and Jessica are so at odds right now. I am sure they will make up at some point (you dont let go of the most important person in your life so easily) but it will be a hard road. Jessica might have hated what her mom became, but she still loved her, and having your mom shot right in your face, as she tells you she loves you, is a pretty horrific thing to happen. Especially when it was her own sister who killed her, and on Jessica's behalf. Thats pretty brutal, even if Trish did have good intentions. Maybe now that the drugs are out of her system, she can start thinking straight again. I do feel bad for Trish, and I feel for her desire to be more than Patsy (I wish she would punch Dorothy a few more times), but she needs to sort her shit out. 

I am happy that Jessica has people in her life still, even if I dont see a whole bunch of chemistry between her and Oscar. He and his kid are fine as character, but I admit that I am still holding out hope for Jessica/Matt when he raises from the dead. 

I still love this show, and Jessica is still my favorite Defender, and character in Netflix. 

[rmontro]

7 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

I think this season somehow was and wasn't better than last season.

I agree with you, but what pushes season two over the top is that this season had I Want Your Cray Cray.

[readster]

I finally got around to finishing the show up. I have to agree, there were so many strengths this season. I also felt the arc between Jessica, Tish and her mother had a very sad and realistic feel to it. However, I do agree that there needed to be a bit more flashback episodes with Jessica's childhood and Malcolm. I think that would have worked better. I do want to figure out what they are doing Hograth because one moment it seems to be going some place. The next is just seems to spin. I hope with the inclusion in season 2 of Luke Cage that will focus on the Heroes for Hire prospect with Luke and Danny it finally goes somewhere with the Rand Account, but who knows. Either way, looking forward to season 3. 

[WatchrTina]

On 3/25/2018 at 8:52 AM, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I totally cracked up when Jeri's yoga instructor said, "You've made terrific progress!" How the hell would she know when she's had her back to Jeri for the entire lesson?

I also thought that was odd and assumed that Jeri preferred it that way because she likes looking at her yoga instructor's ass.  And what the high-paying private client wants, the high-paying private client gets.

Well, I binged my way through the whole season and actually I think it might have been better to have waited a week between episodes.  If I view the season as one long novel then I'd have to say it was very uneven.  But if I watched each episode separately and appreciated each one separately I might have enjoyed it more.  Maybe I'll try that with the next release from the Marvel TV-verse.  I'm still on board for this ride but I am sorry we won't be seeing The Defenders again for a while.  There were SO many more opportunities for humor when that motley crew got together.  Season 2 Jessica Jones, alas, was laugh-free.

[teenj12]

Yeah, Season 1 was far better than this one. There were parts I genuinely liked, but I think this show did take a big hit in losing Kilgrave, but only because the big bad this time around was not nearly as interesting. It's a shame too, as I was really looking forward to the IGH story. Another thing I was really looking forward to was Trish's journey to become Hellcat , but they went and crapped all over that by making Trish annoying af this season. Trish was certainly a far cry from the woman we knew in Season 1. And I hate what they did to Jessica and Trish's relationship. Their bond as sisters was one of the biggest reasons I liked Season 1.

Last thing, Oscar's little son was such a bright spot of the season in whatever scenes he appeared in. I definitely hope he shows up more next season. Super adorable and a great little actor.

Edited April 21, 2018 by teenj12

[jeansheridan]

On 3/10/2018 at 6:39 PM, Sakura12 said:

I also probably don't ship Jessica/Oscar since I low key ship her and Matt. I'm still holding out hope that Jessica will show up in Daredevil season 3 for an episode or two. 

I major ship them because when chemistry happens, you use it! The writers/producers had to have noticed. They're kind of perfect for each other. Both orphans, he loves tough women, they both have regular jobs where they can interact in a normal way (he could totally hire her to do research and she can direct clients his way). And chemistry chemistry chemistry. 

[Dobian]

So what is Trish's super power, circus acrobat?  The show certainly succeeded in making me hate her this season.

Trish's mom has to go.  She is never going to grow as a character and as long as Trish is around her, Trish is going to regress back to her Patsy days.

I liked Jeri's story the best this season, even more than Jessica's mom.  She's a great character.  Similarly, I really liked Malcolm's growth and I look forward to his partnership with Cheng and Jeri next season and the conflict that will surely come with Jessica.

Very sad and tragic about Alisa.  I felt for Jessica, losing her mom like that, her sister for betraying her, Malcolm.  She was totally broken, and if not for Oscar and his son she would have fallen to the bottom of the well.  I was really relieved to watch that final scene where she was saved from that dark path through a simple dinner with the two of them.

Edited April 25, 2018 by Dobian

[Beatriceblake]

I hope the show writers resist the temptation to pile any more personal tragedy onto Jessica next season.  Have conflict from whoever the new season long threat is and from Jess, Trish and Malcolm being at odds but lay off any more melodrama. This season took too long to get going and the underlying plot of the dead loved one being secretly alive is not a trope I like. Also for the last few episodes it was clear that Alisa was going to end up dead.

On 25/04/2018 at 8:00 AM, Dobian said:

I liked Jeri's story the best this season, even more than Jessica's mom. 

It will bug me if Jeri's never even questioned about the murder Inez committed. Unless Inez keeps quiet as part of a plan to try and blackmail Jeri into representing her.

[Dobian]

On 3/26/2018 at 3:57 AM, millennium said:

But let me dispel one myth perpetrated by the Jessica Jones crew: there's no old-timey carnival music playing as the Playland ferris wheel goes around -- or any ride at Playland, for that matter.  Everywhere you go, every ride, it's ugly hip hop/rap blaring from the speakers. 

I wouldn't go there just for that simple reason.

[AKA...CJ86]

Watching Hogarth's potential downfall and rising back up was the most interesting thing this season.  

Alisa was interesting.  She seemed to have a somewhat high intellect, not sure I would say genius, she had that combo of childlike whimsy and wonder with the childlike rage.  With everything I loved about the character, there just wasn't anyone, my opinion, on the level of Kilgrave last season.

Overall, bittersweet for almost everyone.

I say it almost every time with the Marvel Netflix shows, and I'll say it here too, I liked the Season, flaws and all, but overall, I enjoy the shows in the order they've come out.  

I've always been the biggest fan of female characters regardless of medium, media, etc.  and I loved this show much with so many vastly different portrayals of strong women.

Edited May 14, 2018 by CyberJawa1986