Netflix's foray into TV shows based on Marvel Comics saw Jessica Jones, a hardened, super-powered New York private investigator, brought to the screen for the first time. The show, which featured both superhero fight scenes and gritty drama of richly explored characters, garnered a lot of critical acclaim among audiences.
Despite this acclaim, Jessica Jones also received a fair amount of criticism from both fans of the character and general audiences alike. Whether it be confusing characterization or a lack of engaging material, some fans and general viewers of the series found many elements of the show unenjoyable and have since expressed these views on Reddit.
Not Enough Superhero Elements
Jessica Jones, along with the rest of Netflix's Marvel TV shows, adopt a grittier tone than the movies with which they share a universe. Despite such a tone being present in all promotional material leading up to these shows, certain fans were not pleased with the direction they were going in, particularly with Jessica Jones.
As Reddit user, Digital3Duke, writes, the Netflix Marvel shows, (primarily Jessica Jones) are "crime/mystery shows with superhero elements, rather than superhero shows with crime/mystery elements." It's a fair criticism of a show that, on the surface, is about a superhero. Upon further analysis though, Jessica Jones is about a woman who has dealt with abuse in her past and is coping with her trauma amid the return of the perpetrator of that abuse. It's a thematically-layered show, one that is not simply about the main character using her abilities to fight crime.
A Lack Of Development
As a character, Jessica Jones, played by Krysten Ritter in one of her best roles, is inherently flawed. Her flaws are arguably a result of her circumstances, as throughout the show she rarely experiences moments of happiness and instead suffers loss and heartbreak at the hands of those around her. As a result of this, each season of the show tends to begin and end with Jessica in a similar mental state, with little improvement.
This sentiment is expressed in a way by Redditor, ff29180d, as they state that Jessica "is a very flat character that gets no development." This is arguably an appropriate opinion as Jessica seemingly does not undergo much character development in each season as she is not necessarily better off by the end. However, Jessica suffering adversity throughout the show allows the series to become a character study, one that depicts a harsh reality where not every difficult situation can be neatly resolved.
Jessica's Conflicting Morals
The first season of Jessica Jones revolves around the return of the villainous mind-controller, Kilgrave, and Jessica's attempts to thwart him once and for all. Initially, Jessica resolves to not killing him but instead finding a way to prove his abilities and absolve the victims of his crimes.
Reddit user, McCoco99 writes that "the entire conflict of the show was based on her not killing Kilgrave." Their frustration around Jessica's decision to kill Kilgrave despite her moral objections to it makes sense, however, it cannot be ignored that by the season's conclusion, Jessica is aware that she cannot bring him to justice legally. Her only option by the end is to kill him and end the cycle of violence, despite it not allowing for his victims to become innocent in the eyes of the law.
Trish Killing Jessica's Mother Was Justified
Season 2 of Jessica Jones sees the continued downfall of Jessica's best friend, Trish, as she spirals into addiction and her misguided desire to do what's right. Trish's journey to becoming a hero lands her in a situation where she believes it is right to murder Jessica's mother, Alisa. It is this event that largely contributed to fans designating Trish the worst supporting character in Jessica Jones.
Despite the show's portrayal of this murder as a betrayal of Jessica, Redditor L0ll0ll7lStudios believes that "Jessica was in the wrong throughout season 2 and Trish killing her mother was justified." This opinion, while valid, neglects the fact that Trish did not have to be the one to commit the act. Alisa had committed numerous atrocities in her life, and it could be argued that she had to be stopped before she committed more. However, it is utterly understandable that Jessica cut ties with Trish following the incident, as she killed her mother before she had a chance to redeem herself.
Inconsistent Abilities
As most comic book fans know, Jessica Jones' abilities are super-strength and endurance, which she uses throughout the show in her line of work. While these powers are incredibly useful for Jessica, it is the opinion of some viewers that her abilities are very inconsistent throughout the show.
One Reddit user, KnotAtchRoll, believes that Jessica's "abilities never stayed at the same level, she was able to lift a car while it was moving... then had a hard time stopping someone from stabbing themselves with scissors." While it is true that Jessica often displays different levels of strength throughout the series, it is possible that in certain situations, Jessica does not perform her abilities as best she can to avoid either over-exerting herself, or accidentally injuring those around her.
Not Enough Plot
Jessica Jones, throughout its three seasons, admittedly does not incorporate complicated storylines and instead opts for the development of a single, overarching story that also acts as a study of Jessica Jones dealing with mental illness. The increased focus on character prevents the series from developing much of a plot.
This sentiment is expressed by Redditor, Endogamy, who writes about season 1 that "nothing happened for half the season." It is an accurate observation that the first half of Jessica Jones season 1 is a fairly slow burn, however, it is necessary as this time is needed to develop Jessica's character to allow the plot to be emotionally effective.
Jessica's Brother Should Have Survived, Not Her Mother
In season 2 of Jessica Jones, it is revealed that Jessica's mother, who also possesses superhuman abilities, survived the family car crash that Jessica believed had killed her. Upon her return, Jessica is faced with the dilemma of reconciling with her estranged mother and dealing with her newfound evil inclinations.
One Reddit user, phantom_avenger, believes that it would have been more interesting if Jessica's parents had both died and her brother, Phillip, had survived. They write that "getting to see how Jessica and Phillip grew up without parents and dealing with their own series of traumatic events would've been a nice parallel." Despite being a potentially interesting turn of events, this would entirely alter the second season of the show, and create a possibly less emotionally affecting arc for Jessica's character as her mother being killed by her best friend would not happen.
The Seasons Are Too Long
Jessica Jones, like most of the Marvel Netflix shows, features 13 episodes per season. These 13 episodes allow for the development of both character and plot, which some viewers would argue, is unnecessary and in fact, leads to each season feeling longer than it actually is.
As was suggested by Redditor SomeRandomJoe81, it "would have been nice if they had shortened the series to 10 episodes by cutting some of the unnecessary/redundant parts." An omission of three episodes from each season would certainly alter the show in a massive way. Primarily, it would prevent the depth of the complexity of the show, but would potentially make it easier to binge-watch.