5 Reasons You Should Watch Jessica Jones
Never before has a show this dark been so easy to love.
If you’ve seen any of the teasers for Marvel’s Jessica Jones, or are simply aware of the fact that Krysten Ritter plays the lead, you probably don’t need any more convincing from us that you should watch it when Netflix drops the full season this coming Friday. But we’re too excited about the show to shut up about it. We could have put many more on this list, but here are 5 reasons why you’d be a fool to miss out on this show.
1. Kilgrave might be that meanest villain you’ve ever seen on TV.
Kilgrave, aka “The Purple Man”, has a capacity for evil that knows absolutely no limits. Not only does this make him perhaps the most terrifying villain to show up on TV in ages (ever?), his hold on the otherwise tough-as-nails Jessica Jones makes the show even more fascinating. Kilgrave — played to creepy perfection by David Tennant — can keep his hands clean by using his terrifying powers of mind control to get other people to do his bidding. He’s an equal opportunity sadist who won’t hesitate to control small children or cops for maximum evil effect. And you don’t have to be on his list of enemies to be afraid — just look at him the wrong way and you might find yourself with a faceful of burning hot coffee. If there’s anyone who deserved to die, it’s Kilgrave — but poor Jessica has to keep him alive in order to save the life of someone else she cares about.
2. Jessica Jones is *pretty* sexually uninhibited.
It seems that no sex act is off limits on Jessica Jones — and it lets you know this right away with an implied anal sex scene in the very first episode. The raunchy sex doesn’t stop there — the thing about people with superpowers is that they don’t have to be very gentle with each other. But even the non-superhero sex scenes are delightfully NSFW.
3. Jessica Jones has no time for racial or gender stereotypes.
Without making a big fuss about it, Jessica Jones is remarkably inclusive: The central romance is an interracial one; the most successful businesspeople are women; a key male character from the comic book is gender-flipped; another important character is a heroin addict; even an incestuous couple is regarded with only mild annoyance. For someone who is pretty tough to get along with, Jessica Jones is refreshingly non-judgmental. Here’s hoping the show’s success will influence others to follow suit and recognize that it takes all kinds to make great television.
4. Trish Walker is your new favorite person.
A former child star with a solid head on her shoulders and a heart of gold, Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) is Jessica Jones’ self-appointed guardian and best (ok, only) friend. The one thing Trish wants is the one thing she can’t have: The ‘gift’ of superpowers to help fight evil in the world. But Trish makes the most of her resources, and keeps the series grounded but exciting as the voice of reason hiding just a flicker of crazy. Did we mention she’s drop dead gorgeous?
5. Jessica Jones is a post-9/11 drama without ever saying so out loud.
Even nearly 15 years later, with notable exceptions (like Homeland), television hasn’t quite figured out what to do with 9/11. But Jessica Jones, a series with an entirely unreal premise, has sort of figured it out: The show takes place some years after a massive, dramatic tragedy in New York City that forever changed those affected by it. The city has moved on, but what happened is never too far from anyone’s mind. Jessica Jones gets New York City right in a lot of ways — accurate subway stations in their correct neighborhoods, for example (I’m looking at you Mr. Robot) — and one of those ways is by capturing the below-the-surface anxiety, defeatism, and quiet despair of a city that has been permanently damaged.
Jessica Jones premieres on Netflix on November 20th.
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