The second season of the Netflix series "Jessica Jones" has finally arrived, nearly two and a half years after the first season ended. With last season's villain dead and gone, the new season introduces a new villain who mirrors the heroine herself. Jessica and the other characters are also dealing with the traumatic events of last season, but they may not be doing a very good job.
Jessica Jones, played by Krysten Ritter, was exposed to radioactive chemicals in a vehicular accident that killed the rest of her family. The exposure gave her super strength, as well as a limited ability to fly. However, after her short and uneventful stint as a superhero tragically ended, she retired to run a detective agency instead.
Jessica is very much the anti-heroine. Compared to Peter Parker, who himself suffered immense loss and unwillingly gained superpowers as well, Jessica is a darker, more brooding, bitter, and venomously sarcastic loner. In season 2, her drinking has also gotten worse, and she is still suffering from her earlier trauma.
That trauma is now compounded by the fact that she has killed a man — a man who had been her tormentor and greatest enemy in season 1, but a man nonetheless. In season 2, Jessica grapples with a choice: finally confront the source of her traumas head on, or carry on as she always has.
It seems that Jessica's actions (and Jessica herself) are motivated largely by anger stemming from her past. Thus, this season's villain may be more like Jessica than the protagonist would like to admit. The villain, an unnamed character played by actress Janet McTeer, is also a loner, and she also seems to be motivated by anger. Perhaps most remarkably, she also has super strength -- just like Jessica.
"Jessica Jones" has always seemed somewhat dark, even morbid, although often punctuated by the lead character's sarcastic wit. The show has always had a noir feel to it, which makes it markedly different from many other superhero shows. This season's mood has not lifted, as Jessica is not the only one still grappling with the events of last season.
The lawyer Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), who witnessed her wife's violent death at the hands of last season's villain Kilgrave, has begun engaging in self-destructive behavior in the wake of her loss. Meanwhile, Trish Walker, Jessica's adoptive sister, is also dealing with the trauma, although perhaps in a more productive way.
The pacing of this season's storyline may seem slow to some, but viewers can finally get a closer look at Jessica's origin story. While it may have looked like she got her powers by accident, things may not be as they seem.
Season 2 of "Jessica Jones" is available on Netflix.
