It's just way way way way way too long!
I went on a brief hiatus from writing because I wanted to write a review of this show, after I finished it. And it is incredibly long. For those who don't know about Jessica Jones, the new Marvel show, on Netflix, check out the trailer below.
So you get it? For those who have seen Daredevil this is a show in that same universe and your going to see two more shows focusing on individual superheros and then another show including all of them called the Defenders. Most of you know that I loved Daredevil, for the most part, there was some ridiculousness in the end, but I liked it overall. The grittiness to it, the blood, the violence, the acting, for the most part. Jessica Jones continues in the same vein, taking place in Hell's Kitchen in New York City and follows Jessica Jones, private eye, as she attempts to understand the trauma that she experienced while also solving some, albeit a small amount, of cases.
The things I liked about this show:
Mike Colter as Luke Cage. I've been a fan of him ever since I saw him on The Good Wife as Lamont Bishop. Very happy that he is going to have his own show and we are going to get to see more of him. Although his scenes in this show are limited, he still pulls it off quite well. He fell into his character's skin, even in an instance when he tells Jessica to put her helmet on because it's against the law not to have one. This is an allusion to the fear that Luke Cage has regarding prison and returning there. I won't spoil it but there is a lot of trauma and backstory there. Very much looking forward to his performance in his own show.
David Tennant as Kilgrave. He absolutely falls into this character and the scenes he shares with Krysten Ritter you can see him running circles around her. The scenes that stands out in my mind is an interaction that he and Jessica share in a police station. Even his appearance in the scene is fantastic. He played such a great villain on top of all of that and in my mind stands shoulder to shoulder with Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker.
The darkness and noir-ness of the overall show. I love noir. Mr. Robot dabbled in this. Daredevil dabbled in this. I love it when shows dabble in and but also include modern day issues/problems within them. This show does a good job of showing a darker grittier New York with it's violence and just generally awful people. There is an aspect of this noir that I did not enjoy however which moves me onto the aspects I did not enjoy from this show.
Things I strongly disliked:
The narration. Sweet Jesus was this too much? Yep it was. I felt it was incredibly obtrusive and did not miss it when it was gone and was shocked when it returned. Not only did it push me out of the show, some of what she was saying was nonsensical.
Krysten Ritter's overall performance. She played this in a fairly dead-pan fashion. I get it. She's been through a lot and she's fairly stoic about it but it just seemed like she was hardly there especially when compared with Colter and Tennant.
and finally, as I mentioned before, the length of this show. This show would have been fantastic if it was 8 or 10 episodes but 13 episodes allowed for a lot of unnecessary characters and A LOT of unnecessary plot. Such things as the other tenants in Jones' building, the support group, Sampson, Dr. Kozlov, and many many other various things. This was what made me fairly unhappy with the show because once we got to the end I was more tired then anxious and I just wanted to get it over with so I could watch something else.
If you watched the show, what did you think? Let me know!
Written by cwm on Dec 7, 2015
in reply to gjuniorX about Jessica getting her ass kick when they 1at had Kilgrave, he had about have a dozzen bodyguards w/ very strong stunn gunns all going at her at once ans she was having to fight them off.....any other person is would have knocked them on there ass and down for the count.....u saw what it did to Trish so as far as im concered i thought she did the best she was able to do with what she was going though...they made sure she could get know ground to get up.....pls they have yet to really go into depth as to the extent of her powers and how far they will go....hopfully we will find out in season 2 if there is one
Started out slow, got really good, then the last few episodes fizzled out. The whole business with Simpson and his drugs was just terrible.
sorry if you took my comment the wrong way, just trying to emphasize that at the end of the review, you are basically saying that everything and anything you did not like was not necessary to the show, when it is in fact part of what makes it stand aside from others.
As someone else also said, it's a badass girl hero show as well, as none that I can remember have done so far
I came into this series knowing nothing about the character Jessica Jones. After the first couple of episodes, I was starting to wonder why this was a "Marvel" series, but then Jessica's powers started to emerge. To some extent, I agree with your critique of the pacing. Certainly this show would struggle on a broadcast or basic cable network, as modern audiences have a very short attention span. But as an avid book reader, I appreciated the character development and feel satisfied with the number of episodes in season one, and hope for a season two.
Yeah have to agree wtih thatswhateesaid ,was awesome seeing a true female hero,unlike the DC Supergirl where all she does is take pot shots at Superman & woo over Jimmy Olsen,Jessica was bad ass when she was bad ass,only thing that got my goat was episode where they first grabbed Kilgrave & Jessica seemed not to have any powers,ended up having her ass handed to her,but the cop was kicking ass & just before that Jessica kicked ass in the bar fight with Cage,I was really looking forward to her kicking some serious butt & taking names & hoping that will come in a season 2 :) .
Nice review - captured a lot of my feelings for the show as well.
Overall, I enjoyed the show and Ritter's performance (especially Tennant and my heart melted every time Colter was on screen) but I do agree with you in regards to the pacing and narration. The narration was sporadic and not present in every episode (and when it was, it wasn't consistent enough) and the series dragged at times and felt repetitive which is significant for one season of a series - like come on, kill Killgrave already! With that said, I did enjoy seeing a female protagonist "superhero" (who doesn't really identify as one) and who struggled so much with her own demons and the relationships around her. I def think it could have benefited from a more compact season - this sentiment has been echoed from Vulture and other critics as well.
Regardless of the critiques, it's a pretty badass show (and loved that it has a woman showrunner and many women writers and directors as well)!
I agree that there is no need for attacking anyone on account of their comments.I loved Daredevil on account of been reading the comics since I was a kid and is one of my fave,Jessica Jones I have never read or maybe just in cross overs,I did not like it as much as Daredevil on account of less action,but will I watch it again or a 2nd season,sure will I would like to see where the story goes,do agree that it is a show that keeps you going ok one more,loved Luke Cage character & again was comics I read as a kid & still do today,Power Man and Iron Fist is another fave.Thing I really love about the Netflix Marvel series that not all series are going to be 100% positive for everyone,but there is something for everyone.
I appreciate everyone's thoughtful and thorough reaponses. I'm glad to see that everyone watched it and enjoyed it in its own right. I also appreciate the critiques of my own review as well.
That being said, I won't and will never attack an individual critiquing my work or review of a show that he or she feels especially passionate about. I write for tvmaze on a voluntary basis and have grown with this website as it has been formed, trying to provide it with reviews on a nearly weekly basis. I ask that you write why you disagree with what I said and try to keep it civil because when I write a review of a show that you dislike, I'm not attacking you personally, I'm not even attacking the show personally, I'm just criticizing it. So please attach my critique, rip it to shreds, but remain civil towards me. Implying that I was on the phone half the time while watching this show is not only unfair but untrue and telling me to watch it again is not only something I don't have the time for but fairly codenscending. I watched the show without scrolling through Facebook and these were my thoughts. To think otherwise is just untrue.
In conclusion, tell me why you agree or disagree with me and please do not make it personal. My words are not directed towards anyone in particular and I ask that you don't direct your words at me, but at my work.
Thanks!
Well, It is NOT Better than DAREDEVIL, but it is very good and it is part of my Marvel's Tv Series Consumption.
I fine JJ mysterious but yet reviling. Although we know most of her powers but yet you dont see enough of them and it makes you wonder just what all can she do and how she will use it. There are handful of character interactions in this show that i can see being some what useless now, but play a greater part in the future in some caliber. Is this series worth a second season? Hell Yes! And i am looking forward to all the interactions with any and all other Marvel show's and netflix Marvel's Shows Characters. IF that will happen, i hope so, at least with Netflix's Marvel shows.
As far as this show being to long and need less episodes. I disagree, 13 episodes is just fine. After watching the first half of this series and i am at the part i'm at now, i think a sacrifice, that is about to happen or seems as if it could happen, could be enthralling. And i see it creating future story lines, with lots of conflicts.
All and all JJ is a Dark mess that keeps you engaged and keeps you wanting more even if there is no action at that time, there is something about it, that makes you think to your self? 'Just one more episode, then i'll go to bed'.
Any way, JMO............
Take Care & Be Well.........
I loved this show, thought it was better than Daredevil. Personally I don't agree with any of the negative points you saw in it. Everything I like about it has already been covered in this thread, but I would add that it felt to me like Netflix had binge-watching in mind during the development stages (moreso than in their previous productions in my opinion).
While reading your review it occurred to me that JJ probably appeals to those on the older/more experienced end of the spectrum in the MCU audience. Pretty much everybody I've seen that's raved about it has been in the "more advanced" demographic; I have no control group, though - honestly (aside from the complaint about it being a bit too long [not that I agree with that]), this is the first time I've seen anyone who had anything negative to say about it.
It's not all going to be for everyone. As a production company Netflix is still incredibly young and the truly impressive feat is that they have so many different shows considered hits by so many different people. It's only natural that some aren't going to live up to to some of our expectations, regardless of how well acclaimed they may be. .