"Jessica Jones" Season One Talkback (Spoilers)

[Yojimbo]

Please note, this thread may contain spoilers and references to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This thread is for members to speak about all 13 episodes or the majority of them at once.

Series Talkback
Friday, November 20, 2015 @ 12 a.m. on Netflix
Website: https://www.netflix.com/title/80002311

Following a tragic end to her brief superhero career, Jessica Jones tries to rebuild her life as a private investigator, dealing with cases involving people with remarkable abilities in New York City.

Melissa Rosenberg: Writer and Executive Producer
Starring: Krysten Ritter, Mike Colter, David Tennant, Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss, Eka Darville, Erin Moriarty, and Wil Traval
Filming: February to Mid-August 2015 in New York
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Social Media: Twitter,
Sources: Deadline 11/12/13, Cosmo 12/12/14, Newsarama 12/22/14, IGN 1/8/15, List 3/8/15, Cnet 4/26/15, MCUEx 5/8/15, CBR 6/9/15, Bendis 7/20, IGN 7/28, /Film 7/28, CBR 7/29, CBM 7/30, ET 7/30, JJ Tweet 7/31, CBR 7/31, IGN 7/31, CBR 8/19, CBR 9/11, CBM 9/11, Marvel 10/2, CBR 10/10, Collider 10/10, CBM 10/29, CBR 11/2, CBR 11/9, CBR 11/12, CBR 11/13, TG 11/13, TG 11/13, CBR 11/19, CBR 11/20, MTV 11/20, CBR 11/23, CBR 12/5, CBR 1/13/16, CB 1/19,
Casting: Reddit 9/20/14, Deadline 11/19, IGN 12/4, Marvel 12/5, Newsarama 12/22, CBM 1/19/15, CBR 1/26, Radio 1/29, Marvel 1/29, CBR 2/2, CBR 2/19, CBR 10/10, CBR 10/11,
Filming: CBM 2/5/15, CBM 3/20, CBM 3/25, CBM 4/12, CV 4/14, SpoilerTV 4/15, CBM 4/22, CBM 5/22, CBM 5/29, CM 7/8, CBM 7/8, CBR 7/10, CBM 7/16, CBM 9/9, Collider 10/11, Collider 10/14,
Images: Imgur 3/16/15, CBR 7/11, CB 8/13,
Teasers: CBR 9/10, CBR 9/30, CBR 10/6, CBR 10/8, CBR 10/29,
Clips: CBR 11/16, CBR 11/18, CBR 11/19, CBR 11/20,
Trailers: CBR 10/23, CBR 11/10,
Stills: CBR 9/17, CBR 10/28, DTN 11/5, Marvel 11/8,
Comic: CBR 10/7,
Posters: CBR 10/8, CBR 10/21, CBM 11/12,
Future: CBR 11/20, CBR 1/8/16,

Info on TV pitch that might not be valid anymore: Principal cast includes Luke Cage and Carol Danvers. Villains include Purple Man. Pilot includes Tony Stark and Stark Industries
Sources: io9 11/17/11, Hit Fix 11/16/11, iamRogue 11/9/11, io9 12/17/10, CBR 5/15/12, CBM 1/11/13,

This thread is for members to speak about all 13 episodes or the majority of them at once.

If you want to only talk about an episode in particular and not be spoiled on the rest of the season:
#1.01: "AKA Ladies Night"
#1.02: "AKA Crush Syndrome"
#1.03: "AKA It's called Whiskey"
#1.04: "AKA 99 Friends"
#1.05: "AKA The Sandwich Saved Me"
#1.06: "AKA You're a Winner"
#1.07: "AKA Top Shelf Perverts"
#1.08: "AKA WWJD"
#1.09: "AKA Sin Bin"
#1.10: "AKA 1,000 Cuts"
#1.11: "AKA I've Got The Blues"
#1.12: "AKA Take a Bloody Number"
#1.13: "AKA Smile"

 

[dmxx116]

Is Netfilx showing one episode at an time or all at once.

 

[Yojimbo]

Is Netflix showing one episode at an time or all at once.

All episodes should be available.

 

[Mostezli]

So far so . I watched the first 2 and I plan on catching the next 2 (maybe 4) during the Thanksgiving break.
Hopefully, this doesn't get to the big climax midseason and then manage to crawl towards the finish line. After all, there may be enough characters, relationships and story here, this time around, to gradually build tension and momentum. J Jones's fits of rage might even get worse the closer she gets to Killgrave's trail.

 

[TheVileOne]

I think it makes more sense to keep most of the Jessica Jones discussion here instead of 13 individual episode threads. All the episodes got released at once.

Really good season. Great performances by all of the main cast, especially Krysten Ritter and David Tennant. Jessica Jones is a very well rounded character who has gone through some terrible events in her life, but she keeps getting up and keeps fighting.

David Tennant was terrifying. Just pure evil incarnate. It's frightening because he's capable of just about anything. His evil has no depth.

I will say a lot of story and writing misteps were made in the last few episodes. There's a bit too much of certain subplots that they spend way too much time on. I think the fighting was also not executed as well as Daredevil. Overall though, a good start to the show.

These are the dark corners of the world the Avengers dare not look.

 

[Troy Troodon]

Wo-Woah boy, I've seen dark superhero stories before, but man... not only was this dark, it was uncomfortable.. But in a good way!

 

[Mostezli]

I think the fighting was also not executed as well as Daredevil.

I already knew going in I wouldn't be getting that kind of direction since this show's fighters are clearly flexing their super powers (Cage showing mild interest whilst flinging a guy with just a head tap ). That bar fight in the 2nd ep was exceptional; the highlight of an ok episode.

...the last few episodes...Overall though, a good start to the show.

Something's amiss ^.
Did you finish?

 

[TheVileOne]

Mostezli, not sure why, but maybe you aren't seeing my complete post? I was just saying in my opinion there were some writing missteps in the last few episodes. Some choices I didn't completely agree with. Not a deal breaker though.

 

[Mostezli]

@TheVileOne Yeah, my bad. I mistook "good start to the show" for the first few ep of the season.

 

[Yojimbo]

Visual effects featurette. There was 600+ VFX shots for the season.

 

[reflection01]

Marvel does a good job with their fight scene direction. Every character seems to have a signature fighting style or lack thereof as is the case here with Jessica and Luke. Jessica is super strong, but not invulnerable. So she doesn't fight when she doesn't have to and is somewhat careful how she chooses her fights. I didn't like that she only got taken out by a wooden beam from her annoying neighbor. Luke is invulnerable but not trained.

 

[Yojimbo]

4/22: Jessica Jones got a Peabody Award.

9/11: Won a Creative Arts Emmy in "Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music"

11/21: Pre-orders for the Zavvi exclusive Steelbook began earlier today. It's at 29.99 pounds currently.

The regular version of the DVD and Blu-Ray are also up for pre-order, but unlike the steelbook, these are Region B/2 only. Also on Amazon UK. Still, this is likely going to be the cover for the US release. Since they're out December 5 in the UK, best guess is the USA release will be January based on the Daredevil release schedule.

11/26: Season 1 is now on iTunes. You can watch the season for $29.99/

 

[Fone Bone]

Jessica Jones: The Complete First Season

This came out in 2015? That's a bummer. If it had come out late last year, or early this year, I have a feeling it would have broken out a LOT bigger than it did. For the same reasons Colony and their "Red Hats" and The Handmaid's Tale and their fundamentalist oppression did in 2016 and 2017. Jessica Jones is a LOT more relevant now than when Obama was President. To be fair to the show, it's not a political show in the least, but the allegory is absolutely perfect for the Trump regime. What happens when somebody is given the biggest and most dangerous power on the planet, and they were literally the last person who should have it? What if the one guy who can get anyone to do anything he says, is a complete sociopath with no regard for anyone else, or even an iota of human decency? I struggle with the idea that this came out a couple of years ago. Because it is actually relevant now. House of Cards seems to have come out a couple of years too late. This was a couple of years too early.

What really upsets me most about Kilgrave is David Tennant's performance. I know, he's a rapist, and he SHOULD upset me, but he upsets me specifically because Tennant doesn't play the character as upsetting at all. Kilgrave is exactly as outwardly charming and goofy as the Tenth Doctor. It is literally the exact same performance. And that messes my head up beyond belief. I cannot get over seeing Ten do and say the things he does in the exact same inflections he used when he was saving humanity and goofing around with Rose Tyler. The producers think Kilgrave is secretly sympathetic on the level of Vincent D'Offrio's nuanced performance of Kingpin from Daredevil. I do not, and the most upsetting thing about Kilgrave is that the producers think I perhaps should think that. I hear the comparisons and they are bogus. I legitimately do not think Wilson Fisk is a monster or a terrible person. There is literally nothing about Kilgrave that isn't terrible.

Mind control sucks. What I love about the show is that it agrees with me. And it seems to be the only superhero show that does. Most superhero shows (including other Marvel ones like Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.) think mind control is a fun way to make their hero do something horrible and not have to actually deal with the fall-out from that. It's the producers way of having their cake and eating it too. I think it sucks. I think it is a trope only engaged by hack writers who cannot actually think up good stories, and decide to give the heroes an artificial set-back to add a little fake drama. I complain a LOT about what a storytelling crutch nanotech is. Mind control is about a thousand times that, probably because nanotech isn't actually present in every genre show ever, and mind control is. But mind control is used by writers with no talent or imagination, who refuse to tell their narratives responsibly, or have their heroes respond to the violation of the scenario in any real-world way. In reality, somebody who has been forced to do the things Superman has been forced to do REPEATEDLY would have a huge case of PTSD, and practically be a quivering basketcase. The producers would argue he can do that because he's Superman, but even the non-superpowered humans seem to be able to walk it off by the next episode. Which is morally wrong for a writer to portray. And I firmly believe that.

Which s why Jessica Jones is a great show. There are actual traumas involved, and support groups for people who have encountered Kilgrave. Kilgrave's power isn't neat, and a way for a hero to not take responsibility for their actions. The real struggle is the hero and the other victims not being able to totally believe they held no responsibility whatsoever. Which is the correct reaction, even if it isn't their fault at all. Real victims of abuse and violations question themselves all the time. They don't have a ready made excuse like mind control ready, so that Superman and Batman can say, "Not my problem" and move on. "Is there anything I could have done differently? Was my abuser in control the entire time, or were there a couple of times I could have run, but chose not to? Did part of me not fight back hard enough?" All of these are questions that a real person would have after being mind-raped, and that every other superhero show ever doesn't think are worth exploring. And frankly, this probably makes Jessica Jones better than any other live-action superhero show I can think of. It's not the highest quality thing ever, but damn it, it commits to the storytelling and consequences for the characters in the way no other superhero project is ever willing to. And it gets more credit from me for that than anything else on the air.

Best episodes are the Pilot, which wound up being the best episode of the season (AKA Ladies Night), The beginning of the downfall of Will Simpson (AKA 99 Friends), Kilgrave as Hannibal Lecter (AKA Sin Bin) and the (mostly) satisfying season finale (AKA Smile). No bad episodes this year but I'm not especially fond of "AKA I've Got The Blues". It seems incredibly weak when compared to the rest of the season. Season Overall: ****1/2.

AKA Ladies Night:

And the Pilot ends with Jessica deciding she's gonna do something about it. Perfect. Do you know what strikes me as especially cruel about that ending? Kilgrave didn't actually need to have Hope kill her parents to deliver that message. It turned out GREAT for him ultimately, because proving Hope's innocence is the thing keeping Kilgrave alive for the rest of the season, but don't tell me he planned that. Kilgrave does not have that much foresight or perception about what upsets people. It is all SO freaking unnecessary. And just the fact that he has Hope tell Jessica to smile shows that he's cruel for the sake of cruel. I love that the broken door thing is treated as a normal broken window / door action moment in a superhero show. Except Jessica Jones is NOT Bruce Wayne, and does NOT have an Alfred to clean up after her. She's going to have to find the time and the money to fix the door herself, and it's sort of a background problem all season, as is Malcolm's love of chunky peanut butter being some kind of giveaway. Speaking of Malcolm, I love that he says she uses sarcasm to distance herself from other people and she laments that he's still there. Another funny moment was upon Jessica needing money, Malcolm offers her his TV, before clarifying he stole it. She figured. I personally love that Jessica throws up after she has sex with Luke. She should. She is disgusting for it. I love their bad sex. It doesn't start out as bad, but it peters out into something very unsatisfying to them both, because neither is aware the other has superpowers, and are each holding back for fear of hurting the other one. What strikes me as especially unforgivable about Jessica sleeping with Luke is that she did NOT get carried away in the heat of the moment. He did not come on to her. She 100% initiated the encounter with the husband of the woman she killed. She planned this. She is so gross. I love that after Jessica destroys that kid's art she calls it a mercy killing. "I'll pull your underwear through your eye," is a great threat, especially because you kind of have to pause and think for a moment how she'd actually do that. Kilgrave licking her face in the dream being the thing that wakes her up is all kinds of ick. I love Jessica's fake bubbly voice when she impersonates hot girls over the phone. What I especially love about the voice is that there seems to be a hidden contempt underneath it. She's a bit TOO ditzy and pathetic and she almost seems to be daring her victims to call her on it. And they don't. And she's right to be disgusted by what a pass a hot voice gets you. I like that Luke lacks enough pretense to admit that he only invited Jess in for Ladies Night, because she's hot and that attracts customers, and similarly that Jessica is insightful enough to peg that Luke only flirts with people to get them to drink and pay more in his bar. Neither denies either of those things, which is interesting about the both of them right off the bat. The guy who spilled the wings was named Melvin? Is that the same Melvin from Daredevil? I like that the first thing the Asian waiter does upon realizing Jessica knows Kilgrave is to desperately ask her, "He's not coming back, is he?" Kilgrave is precisely the kind of wipe who will order a complex Italian dish in an Asian restaurant. He just LOVES inconveniencing people. The scene of Jessica dragging Hope out of the room while she was covered in her own piss, was brutal and harsh in its violence, and so effective because it instantly sets up the level of power this particular power has, and how useless people are at fighting it. It's the one thing in the episode besides Hope killing her parents, which really sets up the stakes for the audience, even if this is something Jessica is already familiar with. Speaking of the parents, there is a little moment I love. Jessica expresses surprise that they were referred to her at a police station. That is very unusual. And when the mother asks, "Why? Is that unusual?" Jessica feels the need to lie and say, "No, of course not," simply so she sounds like an actual professional. Something like that is the kind of thing that would get someone like Jessica instantly suspicious, except she has to keep up the veneer of respectability, which prevents her from exploring it further at the time. It was a really fascinating moment. The moment where the doorman warmly welcomes Jessica back and asks if she'll be staying awhile made my skin crawl. For all of the appropriate reasons. Great Pilot to a great show. *****.

AKA Crush Syndrome:

Robin and Ruben are pretty much the most messed up brother-sister act ever. Is he wearing a diaper? Robin is quite the perceptive ahole. Even at this stage of the game, Ruben is incredibly sweet. Kilgrave's scene at the end shows that he never orders anyone to do anything remotely good or in their own best interest. The fact that he took two of a guy's kidneys says the same thing. He stomps on that kid's car and them makes the kids stay (and pee) in the closet. The fact that we never learned that family's ultimate fate tells me it was bad. I like Hope saying that she blamed Jessica for what happened, and that Jessica should kill herself. Jessica's response? "Maybe. But right now I'm the only one who knows you're innocent." I love how angry Jessica was at Hogarth's jury pool quip. Hogarth sucks. I like that Hogarth was surprised when Hope told her Jessica was a victim of Kilgrave. And I like that moment because Jessica certainly doesn't ACT like a victim, so maybe that's why it never occurred to Hogarth. That poor guy on the dialysis machine. His mother being a Bible Thumper and thanking God for the situation shows exactly why Godbotherers often suck. They often unknowingly celebrate somebody's misery and confuse it as a sign from God. I'll say one good thing about Jessica: She hid the "Kill me" note from the pious mother. I might not have in her place. I love that Luke's expression during his fight with the rugby hooligans is abject boredom. These hosers ain't even worth getting worked up over. Him telling that guy to go home and be with his wife, and that he was just going to forget the whole thing was probably more than that numbnuts deserved. Jessica is right about Trish being controlling. Sending a guy out to fix somebody's door unasked, and then offering to pay his hospital bills when Jessica nearly kills him are the acts of a control freak. Trish seems to think it's a low blow that Jess is comparing her to her mother. In this episode at least, the comparison is accurate. I love how afraid the professor is of Jessica. He's seen her picture, and he assumes that by seeing her there that Kilgrave is close by. The one consistent thing about everyone who has met Kilgrave is that they never want to meet him again. He is such a nutsack. I really like the ending where Jessica confesses she came over to fix things, and Luke telling her she can't fix him, because he's unbreakable. That was really cool. I do have to say that the idea that he was under Kilgrave's influence at this point does not play. Sure, Kilgrave can order him to say the things to Jessica he does here. But he can't order him to be a good actor, or do such a convincing job that she never suspects something is wrong. That does not play during this episode at all. ****.

AKA It's Called Whiskey:

Will Simpson is pretty much every woman everywhere's worst nightmare. It's the fact that he's well-intentioned, and that none of the horrible things he does are entirely his fault, which is why he is so dangerous. Can you believe Kilgrave ordering him to walk off the side of a building? There is no part of Kilgrave that doesn't suck. His "charming" phone call to Trish sort of said how badly she had stepped in it. Frankly, I'm a little bit surprised no-one bothered to ID Kilgrave on the phone to vouch for Hope's story. That would have been my first instinct. Both Simpson and Hogarth are interesting villains and unlike most other comic book villains in that they aren't actually evil. Simpson does evil things either under someone or something else's influence, and Hogarth makes a couple of deliberately evil choices, but as much as I hate them, their ultimate intentions are not harmful, but selfish. It's sort of an interesting dynamic to show in a series about a person forcing people to do horrible things, some of the people involved making poor choices on their own. This is the only episode of the season where the entire main cast appears and it credited in the opening title. You almost feel bad for Malcolm for what Jessica does to him in the hospital until you remember that he's the one who took the pictures. The fact that the family that Kilgrave lives with and their apartment is entirely different than the last family with small children tells me he killed that entire family and their kids. I hate him so much. I love Jessica wondering if she can take on three people at the hospital, sees one of the nurses is pregnant and counts it as four. Jessica has a conscience. That proves it. Ruben's "Everyone is a little bit racist" thing sort of disturbed Jessica because maybe she wondered if part of her felt that way about Luke. He DID ask if it was a racial thing. "Sweet Christmas." I know he said that for the fans, but I question the fan who actually wanted to hear him say it. SO dumb. Kilgrave operating Luke the whole time doesn't usually seem to play in hindsight, but if Kilgrave IS pulling the strings at this point, that might be the main and only reason he dismisses Jess' claims of mind control out of hand. Which raises an interesting question as to how much control (and responsibility) a person actually has in this scenario. As I was rewatching this, I was thinking, "No-one under mind control would ever have the perspective of 'You can see my skin. You can touch it. You don't know what I'm thinking.'" And the more I thought about it, the less sense it made that Kilgrave made him say that using those exact words. But Will's performance at the door with Trish sort of hints how he did it. Kilgrave did not direct Will to warn Trish about this winding up on the news so she'd open the door. The person under the control has to do what Kilgrave says, but they can use their own guile and methods to get the result Kilgrave wants. Which is absolutely horrible, and should drive the successful murderers that Kilgrave has directed insane with guilt. If I were Will Simpson, I would be questioning the fact that if I REALLY didn't want to hurt Trish, why was I so manipulative to get her to open the door? Kilgrave did not direct that part of the performance. And you only get how horrible this superpower is by thinking about its limits and implications for the people who suffer it. Luke is pretty sly in general this episode. When Jessica asks how unbreakable his skin is he asks if she wants to know on a scale of "I don't know to I don't want to find out". That's clever, as is Luke pointing out that he's a bartender in Hell's Kitchen when she ask him if he knows any drug dealers. It is almost tragic in hindsight that Wendy does not believe Jessica about Kilgrave, and refuses to help her. She got the drug anyways later, so I don't think anything would have changed, but there is an irony in store for this woman who didn't believe Jessica's crazy sounding story. We should have guessed Kilgrave had no hold over Jessica anymore just based on the flashback. If that didn't do it, the fact that he didn't try to control her this episode should have been the second giveaway. The moment I love upon their glare is right when Jessica is about to break through the door and grab him, he looks behind her and directs her gaze to Will falling off the building. Were I Jessica, I would have found that suspicious in hindsight, and a major clue he could no longer control me, and had to find a different way to get me to bug out. Kilgrave's Jessica room was super creepy, but then Kilgrave himself is super creepy. Speaking of which, Ruben is, generally speaking, cute. I actually found the scene where it turns out he has been watching Luke and Jessica bone with the door open more than a little bit creepy. And don't get me started on the tin foil covering the windows. Even Jessica doesn't want to know the deal with that. I like the guy who was fixing the door telling Jessica he doesn't run a charity for women with broken doors. I don't know why that's funny, if it's the fact that his son had to translate it, or just the fact that it seems deliberately unimaginative, but I laughed really hard at that. Disturbing episode otherwise though. ****.

AKA 99 Friends:

Sob! Not Malcolm! I totally get Jessica's single tear at the end. Do you know what else Will Simpson is? The perfect cautionary tale of abusive men. He is truly disgusted with his actions, and thinks he's a monster, and is filled with genuine shame and remorse. And all of the times he has hurt Trish this season were when he was under Kilgrave's influence, or under a drug's. The fact that he is willing to bust down Trish's door to find her body and incriminate himself suggests he is even willing to take responsibility for his actions, and is a good person deep down. So are many abusers. Many abusers are also under the influence of drugs, or have a VERY good reason as to what made them commit the abuse. Everybody has demons. This is why Simpson is the perfect cautionary tale. He's good. He's decent. He's remorseful. It's never his fault. But see, that doesn't mean he isn't gonna do it again. And he'll do it over and over and over and over again until Trish realizes he's not gonna stop, as much as he hates doing it. That's how abusive people work. Not every abusive person everywhere has a completely black soul, and doesn't regret their abuse. But they are also either unwilling or unable to change. This was the first episode that made me seriously think that Hogarth was the second worst person on the series besides Kilgrave. Her referring to Kilgrave's mind-raping powers as a "gift" and "a shame he isn't on our side" is a startling insight into what an amoral person she is off the top of her head. But I think the worst thing is that she takes Pam to the restaurant her ex-wife proposed to her at. And when she tells Wendy she is never going to get back with her even if she breaks her new coupling up, I was like, "That's not why she's upset. At all." The look of pain and regret on Wendy's face said less that she regretted that things were over, and more that they had gotten as far as they did in the first place. What kind of person says and does those things? And even Pam looked sick about it. Speaking of sick people, Audrey's plan for revenge was outright stupid. When Carlos says at the end of the scene of Jessica destroying their apartment, "I want a divorce," I was like "Yeah, and Jessica probably wants the entirety of the past couple of days back." The divorce line was pretty much the perfect punctuation to the end of that scene. Jessica's rant as she destroyed their apartment was righteous. It is NOT freaking normal to go around killing random strangers when you lose someone. The fact that Kilgrave uses a little girl to deliver such a dark message to Jessica shows exactly that he is 100% the last person who should have the specific power that he does. Jessica is truly disturbed in that moment going by dialogue alone. "Stop it. Jesus." I like Will's justification for burning his G.I. Joe's and his sister's Dreamhouse was that he was committed to the scenario. The montage of the various victims of Kilgrave, real and fake was by turns comical and disturbing. Kilgrave is pretty much the perfect alibi for a neighborhood of virgins getting knocked up. I realized something unsettling about Kilgrave's orders. He doesn't simply order someone to "Do this" or "Do that". He's prefaces what he says with "You'd like to" as if it's a suggestion rather than an order. He makes the people he makes do horrible things actually like doing those things while they are doing them. I don't know how a person like that could ever live with themselves, just based on the "You'd like to" thing. Trish claims she only won an acting award because her mother blew half the awards jury. Trish was still a kid when she was acting. So how did she know that? Did her mother tell her? It's the fact that the episode doesn't actually say or pretend it's weird which is why I think it's a totally bogus idea, and plot point. I like Jessica telling Pam she couldn't hear her over her print. I liked that when Hogarth asked Jessica when she was paying her tab, Jessica's answer was simply, "Not today, Hogarth. Not today." I liked Jessica telling Will at the beginning that Trish was just being dramatic. I was like, "Dude! Trish can actually hear you!" Watch out for Will Simpson, ladies. And NEVER open the door. No matter how sorry he is. ****1/2.

AKA The Sandwich Saved Me:

Before Kilgrave / After Kilgrave is such a powerful concept that is hammered home by what happened to Malcolm. He was going to be a social worker before all this. And when Jessica sees the drugs in the toilet she decides to send the picture. It is less a victory for Kilgrave than for Malcolm. I am impressed that Malcolm admits that he often went back to Kilgrave no longer under his power, simply for the drugs. He's partly trying to push Jessica away by saying that, but I kind of feel like if he hadn't immediately admitted that, and we found out a couple of seasons after the fact, I might not have forgiven him. As of now, this is a betrayal that I (and Jessica) are willing to let him come back from. I was incredibly moved when he said "You can't save me again" and his history with her was detailed. I especially liked her dropping the pretense and saying that he was her fault and that if he dies Kilgrave wins. She asks him to save her for once and that's the thing that gets through to him. Eka Darville's eyes were amazing in that scene. They were dark and so filled with regret and pain. I like Ruben and Jessica because Ruben is the only person on the series who treats Jessica like a normal person. I really regret him being killed off because her disturbed reactions to normalcy were not only funny, but also instructive as to the life she leads. Who gives somebody banana bread they baked? And yet, he did. What does he get out of it? Jessica's confusion over Ruben is not just funny, it endears them both to me. I like the fact that we didn't actually hear Jessica's response to his idea to taking her out to a movie. The romantic in me likes to think she said yes, even if it was just to get him off her back. I like that after Kilgrave removes the tooth he laughs. He has never been in more mortal danger in his entire life, and he loved every second of it, because it had never happened before. They actually almost pulled it off. The reason they didn't was because Kilgrave was smart enough to hire help that wasn't controlled by him. Kilgrave would be much less dangerous if he were stupider. Because he plans for things like that, is why he is going to be tough to beat. I am about as squicked out by Will and Trish as Jess is, but as the rest of the season proves, I'm kind of supposed to be. "Pants?" "Good call." Funny moment. Kilgrave is awful in ways big and small. He tells a newsstand owner to throw hot coffee in his own face, and then yells to Malcolm, "Come, junkie!" as if he's a pet. He is such an incredibly dehumanizing person. Sociopaths are all terrible people. Kilgrave is somehow even worse than most of them. I like Jessica's first meeting with Kilgrave because the viewer is aware of what danger she is before she is. I mean, he's funny and charming, and even if he's making her go with him, he hasn't done anything remotely evil yet. And she's intrigued. And I think that might be where part of her survivor's guilt comes in, and her need to believe she could have done more. But hindsight is 20/20. I like that the Marvel Universe is a place where a kid can go outside dressed in a random Captain America costume and it's not even Halloween. Part of me wants to live in the Marvel Universe. I like the Jewel reference and Jessica shooting the name down as that of a stripper. The costume was tacky too. The flashbacks at the beginning were so much fun and hinted that Jessica could have been a reasonably well-adjusted person if not for Kilgrave. I loved her blackmailing her boss into firing her (and then knocking over the cabinets) and then humiliating the bald headed bishop guy like that. How messed up is a guy to admit he yanked at a child star? I don't care if he was 12 at the time, it's a super creepy thing to remember fondly. I like Trish telling Will she's pretty sure he is a decent person. The tragedy is that she's probably right. Hope's meeting in prison with Jessica devastated me. Hope has completely run out of, well, HOPE. Malcolm's scene with Jessica in the elevator was a great bit of acting from Eka Darville and Krysten Ritter. Malcolm senses something's off, and he's trying to desperately pretend it isn't. Tense moment. I like that Kilgrave is disappointed in the flashback that Jessica doesn't actually have a superhero name and his mock disgust over the idea that she helped somebody and made a difference. Just the fact that she said that honestly and without irony tells me exactly how thoroughly Kilgrave ruined this good person. Great episode. ****.

AKA You're A Winner!:

Jessica doing a bubbly bimbo voice over the phone will never get old. It totally threw Luke too. This was not his world. I have to say, this was the most horrific abortion scenario I could ever imagine. If you were completely, 100% anti-choice, and against it even in cases of rape and incest, and to protect the life of the mother, I sincerely doubt you would still have a problem with Hope's decision here. It's not a real-world scenario, but it's the best way to win a Game Of Scruples with a fundie, and pretty easily to boot. I'm antiabortion, and when she says "It feels like he's raping me all over again. It feels like he's shooting my parents all over again," it is another thing that affirmed to me that my personal distaste for the subject is utterly irrelevant to whatever scenario the woman is facing. This isn't a real-world scenario. But maybe a ton of other real-world scenarios are just as justified if I sat and listened the stories the women could tell me. And it's not a cut and dry issue, whether I want it to be or not. When she seems to say a prayer for the pill to work quickly, I realized exactly how much she was suffering. When Luke tells Jessica she's a piece of sh*t, I agree with him, just based upon the sins he listed that Kilgrave had nothing to do with. She was never going to tell him? Even I didn't suspect that. And she claims sleeping with him "just happened"? Rewatching the first episode, that is not true. She made a conscious overture there. She initiated things in a scenario that would never have happened if she had not. She is full of b.s. about that. The reveal at the end of the street signs saying Birch and Higgins brought home exactly how horrific Kilgrave buying that house was. Those streets are her mantra because that was her one safe space. And he's now taken that from her. I find it interesting that he refuses to use mind control when he buys the house. He believes he has to do this one thing completely properly and legally to lay claim to Jessica's soul. And it's pretty much the only thing he did this season that I didn't absolutely loathe. It told me where the line was, and that he has a small, specific code in this one area. It's not much, but for Kilgrave there is literally nothing else about the guy worth praising. The poker game was so stupid. Does Kilgrave actually enjoy doing that? Because it's stupid, and if I played games of chance, that would be totally ruining the experience. He doesn't just suck because he ruins everyone else's life. It's that he has no clue what a worthwhile life feels like to begin with. And that moment is the Stonecutters letting Homer win at cards. And nothing more. And it's as if Homer were dumb enough to actually like it. How he takes pleasure in an risk venture whose outcome is never in doubt is beyond me. The worst thing? He tells the guys he's humiliated that they'll now have an unbelievable story to tell their wives and girlfriends. He actually thinks he was doing them a favor, or as if the money he stole was actually services rendered. Hogarth keeping the fetus is another thing to hint at how detestable the character is. I wish she was actually evil. She'd be much harder to hate then. It's also incredibly stupid. She never thought about what would happen to her if Kilgrave found out? It's not like he's the kind of person who can order somebody to tell them anything he wants. And we see that's exactly what happened by the end of the season. And this was the specific information her guilty conscience decided to tell him. What was she thinking? Man, this episode bummed me out at the end. Because you kind of only realize exactly how much Jessica sucks upon Luke laying out all of her crimes against him like that. I've been pretty much rooting for a terrible person all season. I think the worst part of the episode for me is that it does not hang together in hindsight. The last episode of the season says that Luke has been Kilgraved all season. Which makes no sense whatsoever in this episode. If he WAS Kilgraved, Luke would probably already know the truth about Jessica, or at least not be as surprised and angry as he seemed by it. In fact, if Kilgrave HAD been controlling Luke, he probably would have directed him to instantly forgive her to keep up the farce. I understand that Mike Colter wasn't contracted for every episode, but there is no part of the idea that Luke has been Kilgrave's the entire time that holds up to the slightest bit of scrutiny, due to this episode. Plus, he never would have needed to ask Malcolm about Kilgrave, as that would raise Malcolm's suspicions, and there was no need to do that if he DID know who Kilgrave was. Speaking of Malcolm, I love that he tries to protect Jessica from Luke, as if the poor sap could. It's a little annoying that Luke thinks he's sweet on her, but his devotion to Jessica is far deeper than that. I love that he says Elves don't exist. He's never seen Thor: The Dark World. Lucky guy. I love that Jessica asks Luke if the dogs are okay. Because if she didn't, the audience would wonder about that. It was literally the first question on my mind when he reappeared. If the show played that moment jokier, they could have made it a legit meta moment. Sissy saying she has to keep her digits to pleasure the ladies shows that Sissy is disgusting. That's not homophobia on my part, by the way. That's just a super gross thing to say, gay or straight. Interesting to note that as angry as Luke gets, he refuses to strike Jessica. Very sharp contrast with Will Simpson and Trish. Good episode, but it doesn't really fit the mythology in hindsight. ****.

AKA Top Shelf Perverts:

Jessica's plan was super dumb. Super, SUPER dumb. She is lucky she did not get locked up as planned, because that never would have worked, and she'd have no way out of it. She is so dumb. Speaking of which, how stupid is Trish for ignoring Jessica's phone calls in the specific dire situation they are all in? I love Mrs. Walker saying taking in Jessica was the worst mistake of her life, and Jessica replying, "Thanks, Mom." Mrs. Walker is the kind of low-rent person who always has to bring up to Jessica that she took her in in every single conversation, and the earlier she brings it up the better. The guy in the trash who asks Jessica for a dollar? That should have been Stan Lee. How did Marvel actually miss that moment? I love that Jessica gives him a Blimpie's punch card instead. The Mickey Mouse phone is good Disney synergy. I hate that Kilgrave only kills Ruben because he loves Jessica. As messed up as his relationship is with his sister is, you can tell that Robyn really loves him, and cannot function without him. Her meltdown at the end was absolutely heart-wrenching. You think it's the most unfair thing in the world that she's blaming Jessica for her brother being gone, but it's actually true. If Ruben didn't know Jessica, he'd still be alive. I love that he is the kind of person who draws his and Jessica's initials in an Etch-A-Sketch, and loves going to the zoo with his sister to see the giraffes. Her talking about how much Ruben valued necks bordered on creepy, considering what happened. But I think Jessica WILL remember that. I laughed at Malcolm telling Trish she promised she wouldn't scream, until she pulled a gun on him and it got dark fast. Speaking of which, everyone in the precinct bursting into laugher was funny and creepy in a gallows humor sort of way. I like Clemens. As reasonably suspicious of Jessica he was earlier in the season, he can tell she's innocent a mile away. I love him telling Hogarth to leave since she no longer had a job there, and then her snippily reminding Jessica she still owed her a favor right before she storms out. Jeri continues to be the worst non-mind controlling person in the MCU. Were I Pam, I would not have backed up her story to Wendy. And Pam is right that it is incredibly hard to defend a person against someone who actually knows them better than you do. I feel so bad for Wendy, and how hard Hogarth is making this for her. As detestable as Jessica nearly killing her is, I am much angrier at Jeri who directed it to happen. I do not see what either of those women could possibly see in her. Will keeping his mouth shut the entire episode is a big hint he is playing an entirely different long game. And the very end hints that he instantly regrets his covert mission. How can he possibly explain himself if he witnesses Jessica going into the house? He literally cannot save Jessica's life so long as people would know he's been lying to them all. I like that they did a pan around the precinct of the cops holding the guns to their heads on the moment Kilgrave told Jessica he loved her. It sort of immediately brought home how completely bogus that idea is. THAT is not love and never was. I thought the last scene of the Kilgraved people pretending to be Young Jessica, Mrs. Walker and Trish was super confusing until the next episode cleared it up. Although it still doesn't make too much sense (which can also be said about Kilgrave's motivation's in general). I like that Malcolm is becoming Jessica's biggest booster and acolyte. Jessica's entire shtick is her grousing that everyone is worse off for having known her. I believe the exception is Malcolm, even if Jessica was never able to see it. Even if he never became Kilgraved and a junkie due to not having Jessica in his life, I think his role in protecting Jessica and her mission is far more noble and important than that of a social worker. And I think he understands that and appreciates it too when Jessica won't. I absolutely loved the moment at the beginning where he walks her through the building to her apartment. Things went full circle in that moment. Another great Malcolm moment was him insisting to Robyn that Jessica was a good person. Like I said, he's her biggest acolyte at this point. Good episode. ***1/2.

AKA WWJD?:

I much as I hate Kilgrave, I kind of love him standing up on Jessica's behalf and admitting her horrible neighbor to say she lied about Jessica's family to feel important. I don't agree with him blowing her up with a bomb, but when Jessica says that felt a little good, I know why. Kilgrave's actually got brownie points from Jessica for that and was stupid enough to touch her and completely obliterate the only bit of good will she has ever shown him. I don't sympathize with Kilgrave's backstory though. Plenty of people have had childhoods that bad and don't grow up to be sociopathic killers. He cannot take responsibility for anything. He says Jessica saying what he does is murder is splitting hairs, and him saying he doesn't like the word "rape" is him pretending he gets to define society's definition of right and wrong himself, which is textbook narcissism. I learned that he has in the past inflicted damage without meaning to, by his example of accidentally telling a guy to go screw himself, but I think that only bothered him because the person was simply not doing what he meant by that. If he had intended to get that person to kill themselves he wouldn't regret it. What does he gain by telling his cooks to not close their eyes? How does that get Jessica home any faster? His minions would be a lot more effective if he wasn't always torturing them to exhaustion. I like the cook saying he was fired from his last gig for being drunk on the job, and Kilgrave claiming to give people a second chance. Very canny of Jessica to test the limits of Kilgrave's powers and what if any back-up plan he actually had in place. I love Kilgrave telling Jessica the cooks fixed her favorite meal, and her correcting that it was actually HIS favorite and it now makes her nauseous. I liked Jessica playing the Game Of Scruples with Trish and asking if she could control Kilgrave's power, if she would. I think the correct answer is that you shouldn't do that. I personally don't think there is an actual way to use Kilgrave's powers for good. Using the powers is simply a person making over the world into whatever they personally want, without giving people any choice. I do not see what Jessica and Kilgrave did for that family as exactly saving them. Then again, I see why Jessica might want to stick around and guide Kilgrave anyways. He points out he legitimately did not know it would be wrong to tell the guy to blow his head off. That blew my mind. I was equally interested at how shocked he was by the genuine gratitude shown by the mother. He has probably never gotten that look from anyone in his life and I recognized immediately why that was significant. I love Jessica telling Kilgrave she'll wear a dress to his funeral. That needle in the kid's back on the video was probably the most horrifying visual of the season. I learned a little bit more about the Kilgrave rules by his cooks begging for mercy. If Kilgrave orders you do something you have to do it. But you can beg him to rescind the orders while you are doing it. I thought the moment where Wendy asks Pam if Hogarth asks her to call her Ms. Hogarth in bed was extremely crass and vulgar, especially since Pam has been taken special care NOT to sleep with Jeri during the divorce. Wendy has the high ground in her pain in every other scene in that season. I think that one moment was where she stepped completely out of line. I love how Jessica proves to Trish over the phone she isn't Kilgrave. Pissed Kilgrave off, that's for sure. Jessica should have suspected Kilgrave couldn't control her after the "Say Hi Hank!" moment. The fact that she didn't, meant she was free. It's weird picking up those moments in hindsight and you kind of wish Jessica had guessed that in the moment. Good ending too. ****.

AKA Sin Bin:

This season woulda been a LOT easier on Jessica if she had known the entire time Kilgrave couldn't control her anymore. That wicked smile of hers at the end said everything. And did I mention Hogarth is a monster? Because it bears repeating. She actually thinks Kilgrave can be used. I love how frustrated she was over Hope wanting a second opinion from Jessica. Because that right there put into sharp focus at how second rate Hogarth actually is at her job. The person the people in the mess actually trust is Jessica and Hogarth is too stupid to recognize it. I love the slow knock on the glass from Kilgrave as she slowly turns around. I was grinning ear to ear at Ten Wilfred Motting Trinity. That knock is pretty much the beginning of the end. Hogarth is SO screwed! Speaking of which, I'll tell you the moment I knew Clemens was dead. When he quipped he only had two years left on his pension. Black cops two years from retirement? DOOOOOMED!!! For some weird reason, whenever Wil Traval puts down a phone, he always seems to have an extremely confounded look on his face. I love Trish's reaction to the gun being empty upon Kilgrave telling her to put a bullet in her skull. It was relief that there wasn't a bullet, and horror because the urge hadn't stopped. I liked Jessica telling Malcolm his superpower was helping people in the group. I love Jessica torturing Kilgrave with the images from his childhood. Just because it was diametrically opposed to the way Kilgrave made her suffer. Her intentions are much crueler, which is good, because it's actually his ACTIONS that are the cruelest thing ever. Kilgrave psychologically tortured her, but he did it while keeping her in posh surroundings and outward comfort. The dirty cell with muddy water and fast food is a stark contrast between their tortures. I love Kilgrave trumpeting that he saved lives, even though he had to be dragged kicking and screaming into doing it. He loves taking credit for things he had nothing to do with, which is another Trump parallel. When she said to him "Does Eric complain when he goes into the Sin Bin?" I laughed. I learned that a Sin Bin is a penalty box in sports like Rugby from the TV show Lucifer. I also laughed at her making fun of the name Kilgrave as if Murder Corpse was too on the nose. Great, climatic episode. ****1/2.

AKA 1,000 Cuts:

That was brave and genius what Hope did at the end. Kilgrave might have won the season if she hadn't killed herself. She was literally the only thing keeping him alive. Once she's gone, Jessica can actually kill him. Robyn frustrates me. She's smart enough to realize it's odd that Jessica threw out the fliers, and too stupid to live upon seeing that "she has a captive". It's possible Hope would not have needed to die if Robyn hadn't fudged things up there. It would have been tougher for Jessica, but doable. But Robyn is all kinds of stupid. Kilgrave killed the wrong twin. Speaking of which, it amazes me that it seems Hogarth has learned nothing from her experience. She refuses to accept blame or examine her own evil behavior. She exclaims "I didn't know! How could I know?" Except everybody was warning her about that all season, and she simply thought she could manipulate the situation. Her keeping the fetus shows exactly how in over her head she is. Did she ever think of what would happen when Kilgrave found out? And did she ever seriously believe a guy who can compel anyone to tell him anything never would? She actually chose to tell him that herself as the specific thing he didn't already know! She didn't realize how dangerous that secret was to her? And poor Pam. I'm kind of grossed out by her seduction scene, but "Do anything" does not include what Hogarth did, and Hogarth is incredibly sick to blame her for that. And she says to her that she chose to pick up the bust and kill Wendy of her own free will. And she's surprised that somebody who says that to a person who just saved her life doesn't want that kind of monster for their lawyer? Really, Jeri is the worst lawyer ever in that she is never looking out for her clients' interests, and only her own. I was extremely disappointed she both survived the season, and apparently became a fixture on future Netflix seasons I have not seen yet. I love that everybody is a LITTLE annoyed at the coat guy's story. And I kind of get it. Maybe it WAS a super expensive coat. But not all Kilgravings are equivalent. Obviously. He's probably the least damaged person in the support group (or at least was until the end of the episode). And finally we get to Will Simpson. He is horrified he struck Trish. But he still did it, and he's gonna do it again. That is precisely how abusers like him work. And it is fantastic the way the series almost makes you sympathize with and be on his side every time he does that. Now imagine how conflicted Trish always feels. And that is the struggle abused women go through. They have to navigate through the idea that it's possible outside circumstances caused the abuse, and that their abuser is good deep down. But as I said, an abuser CAN be a decent person deep down. But that doesn't mean they'll stop. They almost never do, and they always seem to have a reasonable and sympathetic reason for doing it. And this show is so smart by giving Will as much benefit of the doubt as it has been. That way we are just as disappointed as Trish is. But Will is out of control. I would probably resent Clemens dying more as the sacrificial black character if Luke Cage wasn't on this show. But it's still quite a bit irritating. And it's another thing to show that even if Will's goals and intentions are pure, Will's actions are not. Killing Clemens is the first proof that he is NOT a good guy deep down, but a bad one. But hey, at least he looked badass walking away from that burning building in slow-mo. I find it pretty appalling that Kilgrave has retconned the moment of him forcing Jessica to cut her own ear as the pinnacle of their nonexistent romance. That is some serious spinning there. One of my favorite scenes was Jessica telling Albert he was not a coward. I agree with her, and I liked her saying it, because that was the precise moment he needed to hear it. ****.

AKA I've Got The Blues:

It amazes me that Jessica does not actually hate Trish. If I had gotten the news that my entire family had died the way Trish "delivered" it to Jessica, I never would have forgiven her. I love Will telling Trish he didn't want to hurt her, and then him throwing her over the counter. How much more explicit could the show POSSIBLY make the domestic violence aspect with that? The thing I love most about the subtext to Will's violence is that the reason he is out of control is because he is trying to kill the guy who made him brutally hurt an innocent woman. And yet all of his actions wind him up in the place where he is physically hurting that exact same woman under no-one else's influence. He's beating the woman he loves to get back at the guy who forced him to beat her in the first place. This show is seriously great at twisted stuff like that. The look on Trish's face after she saw him murder those two guys said she didn't know him at all. I love that Jess and Trish are able to bride their way into the morgue because the attendant's a foodie, and Trish has the sway to get him into the restaurant of his choice. Carrots will often do just as nicely as sticks. I love that Trish kind of initially finds Jessica's name-dropping a bit embarrassing and pathetic. Speaking of which, I was a little alarmed that teenage Jessica threatened to tell the world that Patsy was a pathetic victim of child abuse. Which is another thing that reminds me that all teenage girls everywhere are outright terrible. I hate Robyn for encouraging Malcolm's suicidal ideation rather than trying to comfort him. But she was right at the beginning of the episode that a chick stabbing herself in the throat qualifies as weird. I like that Trish reasoned that she was the one who had to take the pill to save themselves from Simpson, because if Jessica took it and died, there would be no-one to stop Kilgrave. It is amazing that Will doesn't actually see how completely counter to his stated goals his actions are until Trish points this out. This was probably the weakest episode of the season, if I'm being 100% honest. The only thing I really liked was the moment near the end where the shady guy touches Simpson's neck and tells his men to take him. He doesn't even clarify if Will is dead or alive with those words. That is a mystery for another season. ***.

AKA Take A Bloody Number:

I found Luke's flashback at the beginning of the episode far more believable and compelling than the idea that it's been Kilgrave the entire time. It's not only gross, but it doesn't play in hindsight. Speaking of gross, when Mrs. Walker asks Trish if she was skipping the foreplay, I was like "This woman sucks at being a mother." Who says that to their daughter, much less seeming to be unaware that that crosses the biggest of boundaries? I was pretty much as appalled as Trish. Malcolm's scenes with Robyn were sweet. I like how she accuses him of being into her, and he doesn't deny it. Because I think he is. I love that Robyn's idea of Ruben's Heaven includes free express shipping. My heart breaks when she says she's no good without Ruben, and that nobody likes her, and they only liked Ruben. Because it's true. Part of the reason Ruben dying is so horrible is because Robyn is MUCH worse off. Her and Ruben always played it as if she took care of him, but him doing damage control for her meant that he was probably doing the heavy lifting in their relationship. She definitely needed him more than he actually needed her. I like Malcolm asking if the secret ingredient in the banana bread was crack. Because he may not have been joking. What is interesting about Robyn and Malcolm is how much time we spend with them, when they aren't really characters too related to the main adventure. Robin's actress isn't even a regular cast member, and the amount of screentime and pathos they gave her character is very unusual for a superhero show. I saw Luke breaking through the wall and grabbing Jessica coming a mile away. The writers weren't fooling anyone. My favorite "little moment" was Jessica reaching in through the broken door to lock it. It's funny, because I'm not sure who she's making that joke for. She's the only one who is aware she's doing it, so she's the only one aware of how funny it is, so the comedy is perhaps a wash. Kilgrave always forcing his slaves to work nonstop and never get any rest shows that he's probably stupid deep down. His father noted that he needed rest to stay focused, and he's actually right, despite Kilgrave scaring him awake. Kilgrave seems upset that his father is telling him the truth that he is doing everything that he can, but he shouldn't actually be surprised that someone that exhausted is being unsuccessful. Kilgrave is brilliant in that he plans for everything on paper. But he has no idea how to treat people and what they are actually capable of, which is what ultimately keeps tripping him up. He is both very clever and extremely stupid at the same time. I love Trish saying that Will's a good guy deep down and Jessica says "No, he's not." Jessica is the correct one. I love Jessica and Luke definitively telling the nightclub owner that "The twentysomethings look 30 and the 10 year olds look 20," thing is NOT an actual saying. Why's a dude lookin' at 10 year olds anyways? Squick. Trail Of Misery IS a good name for a band. One Luke and Kilgrave moment I liked is something I am a little miffed they retconned into probably happening. When Kilgrave asks Luke if he buggered his chances with Jessica (great phrasing there BTW) Luke says that Kilgrave did that himself, while Kilgrave cannot even work up the nerve to argue. It annoys me that that scene probably didn't actually happen. Because the franchise would have been better if it had actually existed. The episode seems good, but there are a ton of little nits in it that bother me. It's one of those episodes that does not hold up on a second viewing. It's still good, but not as good as a penultimate episode of a season should be. ***1/2.

AKA Smile:

There were some unlikely scenarios in the otherwise excellent finale. One of them I liked, and one of them I didn't. The one I didn't was Claire being the one who had to treat Luke. It seemed extremely far-fetched and convenient that she is the specific nurse Jessica went to and bonded with. Ironically, it probably would have BEEN a good idea for Claire to call Daredevil, even if Jessica didn't know it. According to the Wikipedia entry I checked, Purple Man's power don't work quite right on Daredevil because he's blind. Jessica has no way of knowing that, much less knowing that Daredevil's blind, but I am very aware that Jessica just turned down potential help from the one person in the city who probably actually COULD have helped her, and didn't even know it. That was not my favorite Daredevil crossover premise I could have imagined. I did like that they set up the corrupt district attorney played by Michelle Hurd in Daredevil: Season 2 here though. That was a GOOD piece of Netflix synergy. The good unlikely thing that I liked is "I love you" being Jessica's code word to let Trish knows she was still Jessica. It is beyond coincidental, and not at all credible that that is the specific thing Kilgrave "forces" her to say. But I kind of like it because it's unlikely. It's like destiny and weirdly perfect. It's like the stars aligned to give her and Trish that moment. It's not like the Marvel Universe never traffics in prophecies and destinies and the like anyways. I am willing to believe kismet was perhaps caused here merely in the name of great television. Makes about as much sense as a magic helmet destroying Asgard. But Kilgrave should have trusted his first instinct that Jessica was faking. I still think Jessica would have wound up killing him five minutes later, but he wouldn't have looked like such a total dumbass when she did. Kilgrave's actions with Trish were beyond appalling. He claims he isn't evil because he doesn't hate his victims. The fact that he doesn't care one way or the other makes him MORE evil, not less. Every single person the Kingpin has personally killed is someone he cared about for good or ill, which means that even if Wilson Fisk is a cold-blooded murderer, he is also not a psychopathic monster. It bothers him. The fact that it does not Kilgrave means he is a total monster. I am very appreciative that we didn't actually have to see the needle go into Luke's optic nerve. The Netflix shows often have graphic violence, so I was pretty relieved we were actually spared that. I expected the worst. The scene also points out the drawbacks to Luke's awesome powers. If Luke's appendix ever bursts, he will simply die because there is no way to operate on him. He isn't actually invulnerable, but simply vulnerable in a different way than everybody else. One line I hated was Jessica saying in the ending narration: "They say everybody is born a hero." No they don't. Nobody says that. That is not an actual saying. I hate that. I hate that television does stuff like that. And the show pointed out in the previous episode that it is aware that when people often say "It's a saying,", it actually isn't. I kind of wish the program hadn't just made Jessica sound as dumb as the pervy nightclub owner. Hogarth still sucks. She says, "How much more do I have to pay for my actions?" Maybe she can stop paying for them when she is willing to acknowledge she is responsible for them, and everything that happened because of them was her fault. I am glad she is laying the groundwork to clear Hope's name after her death, but I am never going to forgive or forget the damage she caused. Hope would probably still be alive if she hadn't freed Kilgrave when she did. Wendy certainly would be. But I will acknowledge her posthumously exonerating Hope was the one decent thing she did this season. I like that Jessica gets more and more disturbed by the phone messages as they start getting more and more dire. I especially like that it looks like Malcolm works for her now. All in all, a successful finale, and seeing Jessica snap Ratboy's neck is exactly as satisfying as you'd imagine. The one bad thing is that it's not as just or horrible a punishment as the amount of suffering he caused. He deserved a LOT slower and more horrific, which probably only didn't happen because his specific power means you have to kill him quickly. Still, I would not have minded watching Jessica rip out his tongue first. But maybe that's just me. Great finale to a great season. ****1/2.

Blu-Ray Menus: Fully Animated. No special features. ****.