All this week, we are taking a look back at the TV series that we covered during the year, and sharing our five favorite moments from each. We will be doing similar retrospectives in July, August, and September, focusing on different aspects of each show. Enjoy!
Jessica Jones’ first season proved that Marvel was willing to break new ground in their cinematic universe. This was a show that addressed heavy issues like rape, abuse and post traumatic stress in a way that I’d never really seen before. Unlike Daredevil big fight scenes weren’t really featured. This was a psychological game so for this show, maybe saying “best” moments is probably not the right word for this show. Some of these moments are more shocking or thought provoking than anything else. Some are even disturbing. So with that said, let’s jump into this. Oh and yes, there will be spoilers.
5. Luke Cage and Jessica Jones Bring The Heat
Let’s start things off on a lighter note. During my recaps, I mentioned my undying love for Luke Cage as a comic book character. Very few comic book adaptations get me amped anymore but seeing Luke Cage in a live action show, fully powered up, making out with Jessica Jones was everything I wanted and more. The two of them couldn’t keep their hands off each other in the earlier part of the show. It was absolutely the hottest thing Marvel has ever filmed and I loved every minute of it. Later on we discover that Cage was another person manipulated by Kilgrave and a lot of things are called into question. Regardless, Colter and Ritter have a ton of chemistry with each other and with the comic book history the couple has, they’ll definitely be reigniting this fire.
4. A Demonstration Of Power
It is in “A.K.A. Top Shelf Perverts” that Kilgrave proves how pathetic he actually is. In essence, Kilgrave is every guy that never took no as an answer. He’s the guy who feels entitled to any one and anything he wants. Some might even call him the ugly parts of the internet as a person. In this episode, Kilgrave uses his power to bring an entire police station to a standstill. Everyone in this building is looking at a horrible death unless Jessica gives Kilgrave what he wants – her love. That’s it. All this anger, all this abuse, all of it is just so he can get Jessica back into his arms. He “loves” her and forces her to come with him. It’s a chilling scene for any woman who’s ever been harassed and it really shows just how depraved this guy is. David Tennant was amazing in this role and completely shattered the sweet illusion he built up with Doctor Who.
3. Failing At Sympathy
This is going to sound weird but one of the best things that happens on this show is how much the show fails at making Kilgrave sympathetic. This is obviously the point but for a while, we’re led down this path where we’re supposed to question what we know about him. Kilgrave is a monster and always was. We were shown that Kilgrave was experimented on and Jessica at another point tries to help him become a hero. What we learn is that Kilgrave always was a monster and his parents were actually trying to help him. He murders them and doesn’t feel a thing in doing it. It’s a twist that set him apart from every other villain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe because he’s the first actually horrible one that can’t be redeemed. A criminal mastermind like Kingpin can be written with more nuance but Kilgrave? There’s nothing redeemable about him and he’s horrifyingly scary for it.
2. Hello Nurse
Claire Temple is too pure for this world. After appearing in Daredevil, Claire shows up again in Jessica Jones to help another Marvel hero out of a jam. This jam however involves a shot Luke Cage who’s skin is unbreakable, making treatment almost impossible. Claire figures it out, because she’s perfect, in a crazy scene involving needles and an eyeball. It’s not only medical care that Claire offers. She’s great at giving advice because of how empathetic she is. She’s a true caregiver in every sense of the word and will hopefully take on a bigger role in the years to come.
Continued below1. The Neck Snap Heard Around The World. (No, not that one)
The ending of Jessica Jones has been debated a bit because some say that she should have killed Kilgrave much earlier than she did. I disagree with that entirely. She’s a hero. She can’t rely on murder as her first option even though he’s awful and deserves far worse. She tried to do things the right way and ultimately had to give in to eliminating him with brute force. With Trish’s well being on the line here and all the victims that came before, it’s easy to see why this is where Jessica ended up. She’s painted as a hero after this and more folks than ever want her help. It furthers the examination of violence and it’s impact on victims. Is Jessica going to be emotionally damaged from deliberate murder? What is that going to do to her already damaged psyche?
There was a lot left out by this list but I only had 5 spots to work with. What were your favorite moments of this season? Let me know in the comments!
