Jessica Jones Review: AKA I’ve Got the Blues (Season 1 Episode 11)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it’s always darkest before the dawn. Though maybe, when I first said it a few episodes ago, it was premature. This is the dark. The rest was just a mirage.

During eleven episodes Jessica Jones has moved steadily along the path to Kilgrave, the path to redemption. Along the way we’ve seen peripheral characters get their own arc, like Simpson, Luke, and even Trish. We’ve seen them grow. We got attached. And now, it’s all coming to a head.

Not necessarily in a good way.

Malcolm, the nicest, most devoted guy in this whole Jessica Jones universe has lost faith. Simpson, the cop with good reasons, has gone off the deep end. And Trish, the one we could always count on to make the right decisions has made a reckless choice herself in order to save Jessica.

Oh, and Luke is back.

*cue cheers*

When we last saw Luke Cage, what feels like fifty episodes ago, I said he’d be back. It just made sense. At this point, though, I was starting to lose faith. Jessica didn’t really need him to beat Kilgrave. She was a bad-ass all on her own.  But in this episode, it became clear that Luke’s part in Jessica’s story wasn’t at all about need. It was about want.

Sure, he’s strong, and he can be an asset in the fight against Kilgrave. But Jessica can and probably will beat Kilgrave without his help. It’s in the being a normal human being part that Luke can help Jessica. It’s in the healing, in the letting yourself love again.

After all, Jessica makes clear in this episode, there are exactly two people she cares about. Trish has kept her afloat all this time. Luke can help her break the surface.

The genius of Jessica Jones, a comic book show, is not in how it handles the comic book elements, and the supernatural powers, but in how it handles the people. Kilgrave, the man who can make you do what he wants, and who’s a clear psychopath, Luke, the man whose skin can’t be broken, but whose heart is shattered, and Jessica, a woman with a very hard shell, who carries all the guilt in the world.

We might not be them, but we can identify. We understand them. More importantly, we want them to win.

Just two more episodes to go. You can do it, Jessica. We’re rooting for you.

Other things to note:

• They’re obviously setting up Simpson to be a bad guy, but it almost feels like they’re setting up Trish for some big superhero destiny too.
• This whole Luke/Jessica relationship only works out if they’re willing to have Krysten Ritter appear on Luke Cage. So, they better be willing.
• Robyn might just be a crazy person, but considering this show’s comic book roots, this might also be a setup.
• Kilgrave continues to be creepy EVEN when he’s not on-screen.

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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