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Post by The Hawkeye God on Jan 8, 2016 7:11:21 GMT -6
I'm up to episode 5. The show is amazing! It is, hands down, the best Marvel Television production thus far already, and possibly the best outing for Marvel since Guardians of the Galaxy or (IMO, since I thought GotG was overrated, The Avengers), though in a different way than normal. It's more sublime, cerebral, and mature. It's not tremendous on action, but on pacing and intrigue, on storytelling. It's darker, grittier, and handles realistic problems realistically. It's the perfect example of how comics can be used as a critique of modern issues.
Krysten Ritter is absolutely expertly cast and magnificently portrayed, and she brings the perfect balance of edge and vulnerability to the show. I actually find her very easy to relate to in regards to my own struggles with PTSD, something that I only very recently decided to do something about. Her alcoholism (something that I pretty much share, down to paying for the cheapest liquor on the shelf at a convenience store) and her struggle to push past her past while simultaneously shutting people out and trying to get them to come to her hits really close to home to me. And then, it's David Tennant (of course) who completely steals the show. I went into the show more for Rachael Taylor (and Tennant of course, and it was intriguing to hear about Mike Colter being in it for a Halo fan), but I find myself completely immersed in the story and the characters. Tennant is easily the best on-screen comic book villain since Heath Ledger.
Jessica Jones is one of those comic book characters that I never got into for Marvel. I know about her, I know she's there, know here significance, but she was always a secondary or background character in the series that interested me.
It's not a gripe, but if there's one thing I could change about the series, it would be... not a change in the portrayal of Kilgrave, but some added complexity (not that there isn't a lot at all). In the comics, Kilgrave not only has the power of mind control, but the ability to release pheromones that make people more suggestive. It creates a charm for him, not just blatant 'do this, wear this, fuck me, etc.' Imagine that he was like a drug, a powerful drug, and instead of being outright mind controlled while under his spell, Jessica was addicted to him. Think about it: Mind control works in the short term, but the pheromones that Kilgrave release would be like a drug, and someone exposed to him long enough would, with time, not need to be mind controlled since they're already addicted to his drug, and willing to do his bidding to get their fix. She became a part of his world (and he his) in such a way that she couldn't stop taking a drug, and was an addict on him. The show talks about rape and assault, and handles the issue of consent very well, and I think they could have added addiction and drug abuse into that mix, with Jessica struggling to overcome her past with him, not just in the sense of rape and being mind controlled for years, but also in that she was addicted to him and couldn't make herself leave him until the traumatic incident that happened. To me, there are several scenes that show the acts of a drug user, particularly the girl hope. Her freakout in episode one, in the bed, reminded me of an addict trying desperately to get a fix, going almost insane to score that she has to be physically subdued. Jessica's struggle in particular seemed perfect for trying to psychologically get over him, not just in the PTSD sense of being in a relationship that is really little more than rape, but to have the physiological need for him. Also, I think there should have been some legitimate feelings over Kilgrave for Jessica at some point (as in, perhaps early on she really did love him, or as time went on, Kilgrave showed enough positive/pitiable/sympathetic traits, at least on the surface, that she didn't have such a black and white perspective until he revealed his true nature later on). I'm not big on the 'hey, you're hot and beat up those guys, you're my girlfriend now, let's go home and have sex for several years'. I wanted to see, well, more.
I guess I was hoping to see Kilgrave as a higher order villain, sort of like Sebastian Shaw of the Hellfire Club. He would run his own underworld in New York (as is the comics), while presenting himself as a high society type person. The show has him largely as a loner, though they do explain why, as I understand. It works, and it works perfectly, but I just wanted to see the added complexity to his status and position. I also think it was a foolish decision to kill him so quickly, despite what the producers said about the nature of his character (they daresay that his ability is possibly one of the most powerful, since he so easily is able to get anyone under his sway instantly).
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