Marvel's Jessica Jones

3/3.5 stars

Recently started watching this show and for the first several episodes I was very intrigued. Kilgrave the super-villain (acted insanely well by Tennant), is compelling, and Jones at first is sympathetic, interesting, and supporting characters have promise.

Unfortunately by Episode 7 I had lost quite a bit of interest. After a while Jones - perpetually drunk, unwashed, sullen and angry - grates; she is very one-dimensional. Although what happened to her was terrible, other people have suffered at Kilgrave's hands, but no one takes it to the persistent pity-party levels Jones does, or does as good a job at alienating people. She's not coping, and snarls at anyone who tries to help her. She doesn't want people to get hurt because of her, but she is so emotionally crippled and wound so tightly by what happened it is difficult to trust her judgment and perspective, or sometimes even if she is sane. She can't see that every moment she lives her life in a broken way is a victory for Kilgrave.

Episode 7 is a good example. After Kilgrave leaves her a terrible 'present', she hatches a wacky, unbelievable plot that she eventually convinces her friends to sort of go along with, against their better judgment. (Just the idea that a 'detective' would THINK you could get locked up immediately in SuperMax is absurd.) It's not even clear that she has really thought this through but her wild ranting and demand that everyone listen to her finally 'wins' people over. You get the feeling after a while any price is okay as long as she beats Kilgrave. Kilgrave is a bloody monster, but I'm not certain Jones wouldn't be okay with the entire world going to Hell if she could finally catch him.

She's just too one dimensional. Her potential thoughtfulness and complexity is lost in a haze of booze, self-recrimination and self-pity. After a while she doesn't really engender sympathy but encourages eye rolls.

I also haven't felt the connexion with Luke. Carnally maybe, but there is nothing that gives you a feel for them together, except for one scene at a food truck and protracted interactions in the bedroom.

Ruben is a wasted character; I thought there would be more to him and his infatuation, but no. Malcolm and Simpson clearly have parts to play and I am still a bit curious what will happen but that is now really tempered. I was excited to see the next episode but I need time to recover after the mess that was 7.

Another drawback... I read Netflix is postponing season two until next year. That's just too long a break!