Jessica Jones Review: AKA It’s Called Whiskey (Season 1 Episode 3)

There’s a message of female empowerment hidden underneath this show’s other-worldly abilities. Jessica Jones is not a female superhero, no.  She’s just a woman trying to push through in a world that wants to make it harder on women. That she also has superpowers is just an added bonus.

Much of the focus of Jessica Jones , even in the first few episodes where we hardly get to see them, has been on its male characters. That’s a mistake. Sure, Luke Cage is impressive, and Killgrave is terrifying, but they’re not the center of the universe, not the focus of Jessica’s life. For so long men have been the most important thing in the stories of so many women, and though, at first glance, Jessica Jones might come off as just another superhero show, it really is much more. It’s a message wrapped in a pretty costume and spoon-fed to us by a charismatic actress.

And not only am I gobbling it up. I want more.

The best thing about the lesson mentioned above? It’s not just about the titular character.

No, instead it’s about Hogarth and her plan to save Hope. You might hate her for setting up Trish that way, but you also have to respect her. She took Hope’s case, and she’s’ going to do whatever she needs to do to get her client out.

It’s about Hope and her words, her desire to fight, even when fighting seem like a stupid idea. It’s about being strong enough to recognize you’re not to blame.

And, it’s about Trish. Especially Trish. This show might be called Jessica Jones and Marvel might have made a name for itself giving us characters who are more than human, but there’s no doubt that, even without any special abilities, Patricia Walker is a heroine in her own right.

The woman of this show all are. And yes, by next episode we might once again be focusing on how much Killgrave makes us want to hide under our beds, or how, eh, entertaining Luke and Jessica’s bedroom escapades are, but right now, it’s all about these kick-ass ladies.

As it should be.

Other things to note:

• Jessica and Luke? I ship it. And, I figured I might, but it’s one thing to “ship” it on paper and another one to stare at the computer screen as Luke closes the door in her face and go: YOU IDIOT, SHE’S TELLING YOU THE TRUTH.
• How big was that apartment where Killgrave was staying? How much would a place like that even go for? No, wait. Don’t tell me.
• That scene with Trish opening the door for the cop was like the beginning of every scary movie ever made, with the character doing precisely what you KNOW they shouldn’t be doing.
• I barely stopped myself from hitting play on episode four. BARELY. But I said I was going to review as I watch, and I’m sticking to it. For now.

What did you think of this episode of Jessica Jones? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Jessica Jones Season 1 is available on Netflix right now.

Lissete Lanuza Sáenz

Lawyer. Writer. Columnist. Geek. Falls in madly in love with fictional characters. Hates the color yellow, misogyny, and people who are late. Can always be found with a book. Watches an absurd amount of TV every week, often, while eating coffee ice cream. She has no regrets. You can check out her blog here: Absurday. Lissete is a senior writer for Tell-Tale TV. Follow @lizziethat