Matt Rodgers reviews the fourth episode of Jessica Jones season 2…
Hour four of Jessica Jones, and here’s where we stand in terms of our viewing case notes. Jessica and Trish are on the trail of the building-scaling monster, Jerri is trying to fend off a hostile takeover, as well as the news she has ASL, Malcolm is juggling Tinder trysts, and Alias Investigations are on the verge of eviction.
At this stage a recap feels necessary, mainly because ‘AKA God Help the Hobo’ is one of those episodes that blight this Marvel Netflix universe, in that not a lot really happens until the final few minutes.
Beginning with a The Great Escape style scene of bouncing ball against wall therapy, which allows Jessica to condense her traumatic origin story into an angry rant, the episode then settles into some mystery machine detective work. We’re not talking CSI levels of detective work here, no, a pivotal revelation comes from Trish’s knowledge of how many wigmakers operate in New York City. That’s the kind of episode we’re dealing with here.
One of the most unwelcome threads during the early part of this season has been the whole building super/eviction plot, which once again teeters into soapy territory with Oscar Arocho’s predictable truce.
While we’re on the subject of predictability, Hal Ozsan’s equally annoying Griffin Sinclair begins to show his true colours, making a late night phone call to an unknown recipient, reassuring them that Trish doesn’t know anything about it.
As we’re on a roll of negativity, you can add Pryce Cheng’s lawsuit to the frustrating peripheral plot lines. It feels like a strand too many, as if the show is trying to make up for the absence of a main villain by creating smaller obstacles, which even Jones can’t be bothered to take seriously.
As always it’s left to Ritter to elevate an average episode with her barbed retorts, “3 letters perve” before threatening to hit a lead, or “Not unless you’re going grocery shopping in Texas” as a reaction to Trish holding a rifle. But it’s her sign-off that leaves the most indelible impression, as Jessica witnesses the aftermath of the monster’s latest attack. Having just found out that it was a test subject in the same facility as her, she is subsequently arrested on suspicion of murder, and is left muttering “That’s not me, that’s not me” in a desperate moment of vulnerability.
SEE ALSO: Jessica Jones Season 2 Episode 3 Review – ‘AKA Sole Survivor’
Matt Rodgers
