Jessica Jones (Netflix, formerly in development for ABC)

[Backward Galaxy]

I'm on episode nine and am blown away so far. It is so good and so complex and so layered... I am loving it.

[KSiteTV]

I'm not really sure what I thought of the first episode of Jessica Jones.

On the bright side: The flashes of David Tennant were creepy and made me jump from my seat. Luke Cage seems interesting. And the original Alias comic book series that introduced Jessica Jones was amazing.

On the down side: I know the original comic had gratuitous sex, and I'm not a prude, but that Jessica/Luke scene in the pilot seemed unnecessary and uncomfortable to watch. I loved Krysten Ritter on Don't Trust The B-- In Apartment 23, but sadly, that's all I see when I see her now, including when she did the Veronica Mars movie. The main character is pretty unlikable and I'm not sure people would have even taken notice if it hadn't been based on a Marvel comic.

However, I do want to see more. I'd love to see some flashbacks involving Jewel and "Trish" Walker (why is she not "Patsy?" I guess they'll explain that). I just don't think I'm as "rah, rah, this was amazing" as most were.

[Carmine-Infantino]

I'm not really sure what I thought of the first episode of Jessica Jones.

On the bright side: The flashes of David Tennant were creepy and made me jump from my seat. Luke Cage seems interesting. And the original Alias comic book series that introduced Jessica Jones was amazing.

On the down side: I know the original comic had gratuitous sex, and I'm not a prude, but that Jessica/Luke scene in the pilot seemed unnecessary and uncomfortable to watch. I loved Krysten Ritter on Don't Trust The B-- In Apartment 23, but sadly, that's all I see when I see her now, including when she did the Veronica Mars movie. The main character is pretty unlikable and I'm not sure people would have even taken notice if it hadn't been based on a Marvel comic.

However, I do want to see more. I'd love to see some flashbacks involving Jewel and "Trish" Walker (why is she not "Patsy?" I guess they'll explain that). I just don't think I'm as "rah, rah, this was amazing" as most were.

I agree, the main character is not someone you can root for. You are also right about the Marvel label propping this show up. Dare Devil is much better.

[Shelby Kent]

I've finished the pilot and half-way through 2nd ep. Wasn't sure if I would like it b/c I haven't found Kristen Ritter too likeable in the very few things I've seen her in (not a commentary on her or her acting, but rather the characters she's played....). I'm totally unfamiliar with this comic book character so wasn't drawn in by any prior knowledge. Surprisingly, and unlike some viewers, I find her very likeable so far and do find myself rooting for her. Maybe this is b/c for all Jessica's "sour" attitude (not sure how to describe it really) and her "badassness" and "hostility" I also find her vulnerable in her "messed-up-ness" as well as b/c of her last minute reluctance to do the right thing ( a not uncommon staple of the hero/heroine show I admit) but she does do the right thing... The other thing I really like is the sense of humor running beneath some of the scenes and that can also be seen from Jessica's viewpoint (for instance, the running joke about her broken door....). This character interests me b/c she is complicated and unexpected and I find myself very curious to see what she's going to do next. I like Daredevil a lot and don't know if I'll end up liking this as much, but it did take me a bit longer to get "hooked" into Daredevil, whereas with Jessica Jones I'm already hooked (hopefully it will last!). Also, really like the background music, the lighting and camera work so far (have no education with regard to these aspects of TV/film -- or any aspects really -- so not sure of the "right" words to use, but point is, for me all these things are well done and add to the atmosphere, moods, emotions and situations).

Oh, and definitely agree, don't really like gratuitous sex scenes (find them boring). I too found the scene between Luke and Jessica to be uncomfortable, but then thought maybe that's what I was supposed to feel? That, despite her attraction to Luke, Jessica felt conflicted and so it was not a particularly romantic or comfortable situation.... if it was supposed to be other than uncomfortable, well then I guess I missed the nuance..... it sure didn't seem steamy or erotic or anything else to me.... But other than the sex scene so far I do like the chemistry and interactions of the two characters....

[Halberdier17]

However, I do want to see more. I'd love to see some flashbacks involving Jewel and "Trish" Walker (why is she not "Patsy?" I guess they'll explain that). I just don't think I'm as "rah, rah, this was amazing" as most were.

You get flashbacks though minor spoilers the first flashback I noticed that dealt with anyone's childhood was either episode 7 or episode 8. That is the first time I noticed it was obvious that it was a flashback to a childhood moment.

[DoubleDevil]

Just not feeling the love for Ms. Jones. The pilot was decent, but then the pacing went into slow motion. David Tennant just can't pull off being evil, creepy yes, evil no. The fight scenes weren't particularly well done and were few and far between. The over arching theme of an abused woman sinking into a bottle, only to fight back against the man who attacked her has been done to death, and should be left to the lifetime network. Apparently Marvel didn't want to spring for more than one expression for the actress playing Jessica, because it never seemed to change. The fellow playing Luke Cage was a very bright spot in a very dark, depressing and hard to watch show.

I may have over hyped what we've seen but after watching so much sub par storytelling I think it's easy to lift decently executed material above and beyond what it actually deserves.

The slow starting pace seems to be a staple of the Netflix series and I was perfectly fine with David Tennant being simply creepy instead of us seeing another "evil" character for our "hero" to face off against. The fight scenes were nowhere near the quality of Daredevil but I was able to accept them for what they were because I felt they didn't carry the same weight in telling the story as they did in Matt's story. And as for the abused woman fighting back against her attacker, there's rarely a storyline that hasn't been done over and over again in some way, shape or form. This take was drawn out for a very long time but I found it none the less fitting for this show this season. Do I want a second season with more of the same? I doubt it but since I know next to nothing about Jessica Jones I don't know what else they'd have to offer. Overall I got the feel I was watching a female version of Mike Hammer and fully enjoyed it.

In short, to each their own but I'll still rank Jessica Jones as miles above what broadcast television has brought to our screens with regards to classical comicbook superhero shows.

[DoubleDevil]

I've finished the pilot and half-way through 2nd ep. Wasn't sure if I would like it b/c I haven't found Kristen Ritter too likeable in the very few things I've seen her in (not a commentary on her or her acting, but rather the characters she's played....). I'm totally unfamiliar with this comic book character so wasn't drawn in by any prior knowledge. Surprisingly, and unlike some viewers, I find her very likeable so far and do find myself rooting for her. Maybe this is b/c for all Jessica's "sour" attitude (not sure how to describe it really) and her "badassness" and "hostility" I also find her vulnerable in her "messed-up-ness" as well as b/c of her last minute reluctance to do the right thing ( a not uncommon staple of the hero/heroine show I admit) but she does do the right thing... The other thing I really like is the sense of humor running beneath some of the scenes and that can also be seen from Jessica's viewpoint (for instance, the running joke about her broken door....). This character interests me b/c she is complicated and unexpected and I find myself very curious to see what she's going to do next. I like Daredevil a lot and don't know if I'll end up liking this as much, but it did take me a bit longer to get "hooked" into Daredevil, whereas with Jessica Jones I'm already hooked (hopefully it will last!). Also, really like the background music, the lighting and camera work so far (have no education with regard to these aspects of TV/film -- or any aspects really -- so not sure of the "right" words to use, but point is, for me all these things are well done and add to the atmosphere, moods, emotions and situations).

Oh, and definitely agree, don't really like gratuitous sex scenes (find them boring). I too found the scene between Luke and Jessica to be uncomfortable, but then thought maybe that's what I was supposed to feel? That, despite her attraction to Luke, Jessica felt conflicted and so it was not a particularly romantic or comfortable situation.... if it was supposed to be other than uncomfortable, well then I guess I missed the nuance..... it sure didn't seem steamy or erotic or anything else to me.... But other than the sex scene so far I do like the chemistry and interactions of the two characters....

I felt like the sex scenes were pretty much needed in this show although I'm not so sure ALL of them were needed. The first scene was uncomfortable and later in the series we see why it felt so uncomfortable. Another part was that Jessica is such a broken and disturbed character that is constantly trying to escape herself, either with alcohol or sexual escapades so that either they needed a bottle or a bed to show it. I didn't really need to watch Trish and Simmons frolicking in bed as often as they showed, once would've been enough for me.

I too felt Krysten Ritter was well cast in the role and I enjoyed her snarky and sarcastic attitude that seemed to fit her perfectly. The reluctance Jessica Jones has for being a hero and doing what's right anyway in the end I couldn't see any other show currently shown capturing anywhere nearly as well as done here. So many cliché's were broken such as Jessica putting the mission first over helping an individual character that she cares about done better than Arrow.

[Shelby Kent]

I felt like the sex scenes were pretty much needed in this show although I'm not so sure ALL of them were needed. The first scene was uncomfortable and later in the series we see why it felt so uncomfortable. Another part was that Jessica is such a broken and disturbed character that is constantly trying to escape herself, either with alcohol or sexual escapades so that either they needed a bottle or a bed to show it. I didn't really need to watch Trish and Simmons frolicking in bed as often as they showed, once would've been enough for me.

Okay, good to know this: that, if there are going to be more, there is a point to most of them -- I'll resist the temptation to just fast forward, which is what I end up doing with several shows (Showtime series seem to be the worst, I think, b/c lots of times the sex scenes are predictable -- [in terms of how a character is going to behave, for instance: oh yes and this character has sex with every girl he meets so time to insert yet another prolonged sex scene] -- and therefore pointless and boring)

In regard to other matters: I've just seen the first two eps of Jessica Jones and will probably get through the series within the next week. But another reason why I realized Jessica is not so totally off-putting to me is that, as messed up as she is, she does have some things (outside of herself) that she cares about. If I know that a character -- any character, even a villain -- has something that he/she cares about (that does not involve pure personal gain) then I'm always able to feel a sense of connection and, even if it's a villain or someone who is not a villain but is still generally unlikeable, the knowledge that the character cares about something gives me a different way to see them. And I always enjoy characters when I have multiple ways through which to view their actions and motives as I try to decide "what kind of person is this? what is this person likely to do next?" When I see unexpected "sides" to characters ("good" and "bad" characters), then I'm likely to stay more interested and engaged b/c I can't really operate on "cruise control" with regard to what I think they might do -- I have to keep a "closer eye on them." In some respects this may be why I think I got "hooked" on Jessica Jones faster than I did on Matt Murdock on Daredevil, because I'm pretty sure I can "trust" Matt to be a "good honorable decent guy etc" in his motives/actions, whereas with Jessica I have to keep a "closer eye" on her with regard to what she might choose to do -- and why she might choose to do something -- while I try to figure her out and predict her behavior. (However, I am a huge fan of the Matt Murdock character and am not at all saying that I want him to start acting as a less decent guy -- I like that character so much in part precisely b/c I can "trust" him). Of course, all this is based just on 2 eps of Jessica Jones, and thus is subject to change I'm sure...

[DoubleDevil]

Okay, good to know this: that, if there are going to be more, there is a point to most of them -- I'll resist the temptation to just fast forward, which is what I end up doing with several shows (Showtime series seem to be the worst, I think, b/c lots of times the sex scenes are predictable -- [in terms of how a character is going to behave, for instance: oh yes and this character has sex with every girl he meets so time to insert yet another prolonged sex scene] -- and therefore pointless and boring)

In regard to other matters: I've just seen the first two eps of Jessica Jones and will probably get through the series within the next week. But another reason why I realized Jessica is not so totally off-putting to me is that, as messed up as she is, she does have some things (outside of herself) that she cares about. If I know that a character -- any character, even a villain -- has something that he/she cares about (that does not involve pure personal gain) then I'm always able to feel a sense of connection and, even if it's a villain or someone who is not a villain but is still generally unlikeable, the knowledge that the character cares about something gives me a different way to see them. And I always enjoy characters when I have multiple ways through which to view their actions and motives as I try to decide "what kind of person is this? what is this person likely to do next?" When I see unexpected "sides" to characters ("good" and "bad" characters), then I'm likely to stay more interested and engaged b/c I can't really operate on "cruise control" with regard to what I think they might do -- I have to keep a "closer eye on them." In some respects this may be why I think I got "hooked" on Jessica Jones faster than I did on Matt Murdock on Daredevil, because I'm pretty sure I can "trust" Matt to be a "good honorable decent guy etc" in his motives/actions, whereas with Jessica I have to keep a "closer eye" on her with regard to what she might choose to do -- and why she might choose to do something -- while I try to figure her out and predict her behavior. (However, I am a huge fan of the Matt Murdock character and am not at all saying that I want him to start acting as a less decent guy -- I like that character so much in part precisely b/c I can "trust" him). Of course, all this is based just on 2 eps of Jessica Jones, and thus is subject to change I'm sure...

I think you'll LOVE Killgrave. His motivations seem to twist and turn so much in the series that you're not completely sure what's true or not. It's not that the twist and turns are contrived but simply different views on the same subject that reveal them differently. Some seem to even rank Killgrave higher than Fisk as the best Marvel villain to date in the MCU.

[Shelby Kent]

I think you'll LOVE Killgrave. His motivations seem to twist and turn so much in the series that you're not completely sure what's true or not. It's not that the twist and turns are contrived but simply different views on the same subject that reveal them differently. Some seem to even rank Killgrave higher than Fisk as the best Marvel villain to date in the MCU.

Oh, good, yes sounds like I will really enjoy that. Altho' on a personal level I have always found David Tennant to be likeable in the things I've seen him in so it is a bit hard to see him as evil and/or creepy lol

And I meant to add as a general comment earlier: I can also see how some (many? most? a lot?) of viewers would not find Jessica sympathetic, likeable or want to root for her and that they would find the show to be overly dark or depressing. While that's not my experience (so far), I can completely understand that reaction given the material and presentation. I have found it interesting and enjoyable to read of the various responses to the show...

[DoubleDevil]

Oh, good, yes sounds like I will really enjoy that. Altho' on a personal level I have always found David Tennant to be likeable in the things I've seen him in so it is a bit hard to see him as evil and/or creepy lol

And I meant to add as a general comment earlier: I can also see how some (many? most? a lot?) of viewers would not find Jessica sympathetic, likeable or want to root for her and that they would find the show to be overly dark or depressing. While that's not my experience (so far), I can completely understand that reaction given the material and presentation. I have found it interesting and enjoyable to read of the various responses to the show...

If I was walking down the streets of Hell's Kitchen and ran across Jessica Jones I wouldn't want to hear her story. I dislike hearing about how somebody is always having to face hardships thrown at them as if they are the only ones not getting a fair break because I hear that much to often in real life, in contrast TV usually shows a much more upbeat attitude so that Jessica Jones lamenting about her life is a bit of a fresh breeze to watch. Weird how that works.

[Shelby Kent]

If I was walking down the streets of Hell's Kitchen and ran across Jessica Jones I wouldn't want to hear her story. I dislike hearing about how somebody is always having to face hardships thrown at them as if they are the only ones not getting a fair break because I hear that much to often in real life, in contrast TV usually shows a much more upbeat attitude so that Jessica Jones lamenting about her life is a bit of a fresh breeze to watch. Weird how that works.

Funny, would not have thought of that, but yes, now that you mention it, I could see that perspective ...

[DoubleDevil]

Funny, would not have thought of that, but yes, now that you mention it, I could see that perspective ...

I also love how a lot of things that most shows just gloss over and they "magically" appear without any thought put into getting them isn't how things are done on this show. Jessica has to actually search and fail before succeeding at getting drugs, plans go sideways only to succeed because the characters actually adjust to the new situation, she's not always supported in her decisions by her "team" and that does have actual consequences, shoot it takes multiple episodes just to get her door fixed because it doesn't just "magically" happen somehow behind the scenes. The show actually focuses on some of the most mundane things that other show just write off as being unimportant to explain logically.

[Halberdier17]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jessica-jones-rape-season-two-842318

Jessica Jones show runner comments on plans for Season 2.

[Carmine-Infantino]

Halfway through episode 9, and I'm agreeing with Luke Cage when he said "Jessica Jones, you're a p.o.s.". At this point I'm rooting for the Purple Man to finish her off. To be fair to Jessica, this could be because I'm such a huge David Tennant fan.