Remember back in 2015, when I reviewed every single dang episode of the first season of Jessica Jones? A couple years later, here I am up at The ARTery, compromising by reviewing just the first five episodes of the series’ new season, which is available for streaming on Netflix now. Bad news: It’s not as good as the … Continue reading
“Luke Cage might be super-strong, but the hardest blow he lands in Jessica Jones is his frank appraisal of Kilgrave’s odds of getting back together with Jessica, which tally to zero. ‘Tell me the truth,’ Kilgrave spits at Luke, ‘did you bugger my chances with her?’ ‘No,’ replies Luke. ‘You screwed that up yourself.’ (Via … Continue reading
“Jessica Jones has made a point of being judicious with flashbacks; they’re used sparingly when they’re used at all, and they never overstay their welcome. Take, for example, “AKA The Sandwich Saved Me,” which visits a Jessica and Trish in the B.K. (before Kilgrave) days of their friendship, when everything looked bright and optimistic (by … Continue reading
“Is this whole virus/vaccine plot device played out? Does boiling down a character’s super powers to nothing more than an airborne infectious agent rob them both of their dramatic oomph? Back in the day, Blade (incidentally the Marvel film that laid out the groundwork for the rise of comic book films through the aughts and … Continue reading
“…well, that got out of hand quickly. Nobody would ever mistake Jessica Jones for a planner. That’s not to say she is incapable of planning; for reference, see her nearly successful joint bid at capturing Kilgrave with Simpson in Trish back in “AKA The Sandwich Saved Me.” Jessica is smart enough to put together a … Continue reading
“Well, now, Kilgrave has set out quite the homecoming for Jessica, hasn’t he? That house he snagged at the end of “AKA You’re a Winner!”—he’s done it up just like she remembers it, every last detail painstakingly researched and set in place to make Jessica feel more comfortable. The security guard is a new addition, … Continue reading
“Finding good reference points for Jessica Jones outside of the obvious is a bit tricky. Yes, the show has very clear noir roots (or neo-noir, for all the pedants out there); sure, Krysten Ritter’s role suggests shades of Veronica Mars. There are even a few brushstrokes of Demme and Fincher in here, too, exhibited in … Continue reading
“We knew it had to happen. We knew, as soon as Jessica Jones illustrated Jessica’s role in the death of Luke’s wife, that her unwilling complicity in the tragedy would come to light sooner than later. That’s why, after all, she has been dutifully avoiding Luke for the last few episodes, and why she cut … Continue reading
“Daredevil and Jessica Jones: One of these things is not like the other. You’d expect there to be a shared mentality between these two shows as far as action is concerned; they’re Marvel’s first two moves in the ever-expanding Netflix sandbox, and the building blocks of their “street-level” comic book brand, which will continue building … Continue reading
“Hey, what do you know? Hot on the heels of “AKA It’s Called Whiskey,” the fourth installment ofJessica Jones, “AKA 99 Friends,” bears out some of the exact concerns outlined by Jessica and Luke in their cathartic bonding: Being a hero puts a target on your back. In Jessica’s case, that means being held responsible … Continue reading
“Superheroes invite metaphors for discrimination by their very nature. People fear what they don’t understand; this is especially true when the “what” happens to be a giant green monster or a Norse god, but what Jessica Jones and Luke Cage lack in enormity or mythology they make up for with power. In “AKA Crush Syndrome,” … Continue reading
“Here’s a conundrum for your average building-vaulting, wall-punching superhero: How do you stop a dude who can monopolize your will from turning you into his own personal arm candy, or enslaving entire families to act as his beaming servants? In “AKA Ladies Night,” Jessica Jones did the bare minimum necessary to establish our leading lady’s … Continue reading
“Marvel’s television brand has come a long way since the 2013 premiere of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.That show was the company’s coltish first step into the widening TV world—an awkward, gangly attempt at bringing their operatic, costumed rumpuses onto a smaller screen with a larger creative space. Over time, the series has shaped itself into a … Continue reading
Maybe I’m the wrong person to write about superhero stuff in 2017. Guys, really: I just can’t watch superhero things without finding big philosophical flaws in their makeup and intent. I’m afraid to sit through the second season of Jessica Jones when it airs next year, even, though then again, Jessica is the best thing about The Defenders, … Continue reading
Remember all those times I reviewed Jessica Jones? Have you been missing those times? Miss no longer! Now I’m reviewing Luke Cage, aka “the best screen thing Marvel has ever put their name on,” which is maybe just a smidge hyperbolic but, well, I don’t care. Luke Cage is great. It also has vaulted Marvel’s Netflix and television … Continue reading
A Constant Visual Feast 