Jessica Jones. Netflix. Three Seasons

On its glossy surface this three season super hero comic book adaptation might just seem only like that, all gloss and all surface. However lurking and slinking about this show is a Norish look and a book of stories and themes about friendship, feminism and especially strong women who fear and conquer. The men except for the villains play second fiddle and they are a very attractive group bringing lots of eye candy to the mix including Eka Darvill who is Jessica’s troubled drug addicted neighbor who becomes her assistant and grows during the 3 seasons, Benjamin Walker a blackmailer with a good heart and nice chest who has the special ability to sniff out the severity of evil in others giving him extreme headaches, and J.R. Ramirez who plays a divorced father and artist and the super of Jones’s building. The series concerns the adventures and indeed misadventures of a sometimes lax superhero who is also an alcoholic private investigator working out of a ratty office in a somewhat present day ratty looking New York City which by the way looks glorious and gorgeous, all hard edged in bright colors. The on location production work is superb even though the extras look like extras. 

Jessica played wonderfully by the raven haired Krysten Ritter is assisted by her best friend and troubled adopted sister Patsy Walker played by the blonde and pretty Rachael Taylor. Patsy is a big time television news host who was also a child star and for most of her life has been pushed and bullied by her aggressive stage mother played by the rarely seen but welcomed Rebecca De Mornay, who is a little worn but still looking good.  The super hero kinkiness is not overplayed or over done, but is complex and family oriented with Jessica’s tragic family background playing a big part in her super powers. As I said her powers are not overplayed and are used by Jessica sparely against her villainous rivals. How she gets these powers is a long and convoluted sub plot that is told in flashbacks and confusion.

And This is especially true with her deadly foe played to the hilt of comic book horror and villainy by David Tennet as Kilgrave Jessica’s one time mentor and long time tormenter. Tennet is a pro at this sort of role and takes up most of the space in the first season. Also good and scary is Jeremy Bobb as a tormented serial killer who terrorizes in the third season. Generally I’m not into super heroes or comic book marvels but for some reason this one caught my eye and I have to say I was taken with it for all three seasons. This attraction most likely had to do with the cast which also featured the great  Carrie-Ann Moss as a somewhat treacherous high priced lawyer and high heeled lesbian and the equally great Janet McTeer as Jones’s very troubled equally super charged mom. Also good is John Ventimiglia as a police detective who also happens to be gay, and the trans actress Aneesh Sheth who comes on later in the series as Jessica’s sassy take no crap from anyone receptionist. The series was written and directed by a long list of people, both male and female and is as one would expect from the comic book world violent and grim throughout.