Matt Rodgers reviews the twelfth episode of Jessica Jones season 2…
Revenge is the order of the day in this penultimate season 2 episode; Alisa is after an unconscious Trish for the fiery demise of Dr. Karl, while Jeri is performing detective work of her own in order to track down Inez.
If you think this season has lacked a villain, look closely and you’ll realise that they’ve all been battling with their own individual nemesis; Trish’s inferiority complex, Jessica’s own mother, who she has mourned for years, turning out to be a monster that she still inexplicably loves, and Jeri, fighting a crippling disease, as well as the weakness of exposed vulnerability. You don’t always need a shady organisation to take down. This run of Jessica Jones has thrived on the relationships of its characters, and while not always successful (anyone remember Griffin?), it makes a refreshing change from the Netflix Universe formula.
Jeri’s actions in this episode are particularly cold. Hell hath no fury n’all that. We’ve seen so many different versions of Carrie-Anne Moss this season, it was wickedly enjoyable watching her plan unfold perfectly, but equally sad to see her reset to the calculated businesswoman.
If Jessica hadn’t already been put through the emotional wringer in the previous episode, ‘AKA Pray for My Patsy’ cruelly ratchets it up a notch by making Alisa an even more irredeemable character when she kills Detective Sunday. Few of the Marvel characters, big or small screen, have to face the kind of psychological turmoil that Jones has in two short seasons. She also has to deal with Trish calling her a coward, and how does she respond? In the most heroic way possible, by telling her that she’s the most important person in her life. Boo Trish!
Another excellent episode ends with Jessica giving Alisa a long overdue ultimatum, setting up a finale that will hopefully provide some cathartic payoff to what’s been the best of the OG’s (Daredevil, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones) Netflix series since season one of Jessica Jones.
Matt Rodgers
