This was originally posted on November 30, 2015. We paused this project, though, and decided to go back and start with Daredevil. Now that Season 1 is all done, we are heading on to Season 1 of Jessica Jones, starting with reposting the first few recaps before continuing.
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AKA Ladies Night
Marines: We start straight away with the credits, which I love. Maybe I’m just determined to love this. YAY CREDITS.
Stephanie: I loved them too. The colors! The music! I may have gone back to watch them again… twice.
Mari: To emphasize the dark!Veronica Mars (S: My first thought too.) vibe I’m getting right off the bat, the episode starts with Jessica Jones’s voiceover: New York may be the city that never sleeps, but it sure does sleep around. We see a man and a woman sneaking down Adultery Alley. As they have alley-sex, Jessica lets us know that this is good for her, as she’s a private investigator. Clients hire to find dirt, she finds it, and yet it sometimes surprises them.
We cut to a hallway. At the end of it is an office (Alias Investigations) where we see the shadow of a figure crossing in front of the frosted glass of the door. It’s all very noir. We hear the shadowy man yelling about “that bitch” who is sleeping with his brother (presumably the alley adulterers). Jessica says that she makes her clients face a choice: they can either do something about the information she brings them or keep denying it and shoot the messenger.
Shadowy Man is team shoot the messenger, but Jessica says that option rarely pans out. Next thing we know, she’s punched or pushed Shadowy Man through the glass of the door. He’s half hanging out of the door as she stands over him and reminds him about his bill. (S: I fell in love in this moment. I’m Team Kristen Ritter and in this moment I KNEW she was gonna sell it. I fell hard and fast, much like Shadowy Man.)
Daytime. Street. We get a series of artsy shots of Jessica walking: from over her shoulder; in profile but out of focus; in profile from across the street; and in front of her but out of focus. I think maybe Jessica Jones might be struggling with some things.
Steph: I love her style. Give me that scarf.
Mari: JJVO says that people do bad stuff so she avoids getting involved with them. That works for her… most of the time. For some reason, the Zoomy Cameraman does his thing on a bus ad for “Trish Talks.” She walks on.
Jessica stomps into an office where a blonde woman is standing near the reception area and asks if someone named Hogarth is expecting Jessica. Clearly the answer is no, but it doesn’t matter because Hogarth (Trinity from The Matrix) comes around the corner and Jessica falls into step with her. Through snappy dialogue we learn that Hogarth is a lawyer and Jessica has insulted her profession on numerous occasions. I feel like we could meet basically anyone in any profession, and Jessica would’ve insulted that profession on numerous occasions.
They keep up their WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THINGS WE BOTH WENT THROUGH THIS WAY? exposition so that we learn that Hogarth offered Jessica a job as a full time PI with her firm, but Jess declined it. Hogarth does feed Jessica cases, though, because she’s effective and has got unconventional methods.
Hogarth’s got a new case for Jessica: delivering a summons to the owner of several gentlemen’s clubs, Gregory Spheeris. One of his strippers fell off a stage after the pole came loose. Hogarth is representing the stripper aaaand some other people interested in Spheeris’ property. Spheeris has got a bunch of bodyguards, which will make him difficult to serve. Jessica’s specialty.
Bathroom. Jessica is on the toilet while she makes a call to Spheeris’ office, pretending to be the secretary of a business acquaintance. Specifically, she pretends to be a person Spheeris’ secretary will vaguely recognize. Well played. She quickly gets information on where Spheeris will be the next night (win!) but after the call realizes she’s got no toilet paper (life sucks).
You live alone, friend. You’ve got no one to blame but yourself.
We cut to Jessica getting in bed and trying fall asleep for like 10 seconds before giving up. She gets up and packs some stuff in her messenger bag, including a flask.
Cut to JJVO saying that in the PI line of work, you have to know when to walk away, but some cases just won’t let you go. She super jumps onto a fire escape, climbs over the railing and settles in. (S: I like how normal this felt. I usually cringe when super powered people fly or jump high, but it worked here.) She uses her camera to spy on the people in the next building: a woman eating a burger while on the elliptical; a man sniffing a woman’s heels; a couple embracing; and finally an unnamed character played by Mike Colter leaving the building with a woman dressed in a leopard print coat. (S: I kind of loved this coat? Like, leopard print is not for me, but I was lusting the style.)
They just walk two doors down and Mike Colter gestures upstairs. The girl is clearly all about getting up there because Mike Colter. Once they are upstairs, he walks over to the window and stands there, broodily. Jessica looks at him and has all kinds of feelings, probably about his face. She closes her eyes and suddenly the light around her takes on a purple tint. Someone gets close to her faces and whispers, “you want to do it. You know you do.” Jessica opens her eyes and everything goes back to normal. She’s very obviously shaken, though, and starts listing names of streets: Main Street, Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane.
Meanwhile, in his apartment, Mike Colter and Leopard Coat Woman are kissing and getting naked. Jessica takes out her flask and drinks.
Steph: I always wonder why people on television so often get naked in front of windows, but then again if you look like Mike Colter, why wouldn’t you?
Mari: It’s a service to humanity.
We cut to Jessica asleep in bed.
She stirs to the sound of people arguing in the apartment above her. She feels around for something, finds her boot, and chucks it at the ceiling, sending bits of it falling down to her bed. She rolls over and we see that her super throw created a dent in the ceiling.
Samantha: I freaking love all the subtlety and showing not telling. They could have expositioned that she’s hella strong and so on, and made it gimmicky. Instead, they do little things like this. YES SHOW.
Mari: Excellent point. They are showing us a ton about her life. The only part that has felt like exposition to me so far is her conversation with Hogarth, but otherwise, we are learning about Jessica by watching her and I love that too. TAKE NOTE, SUPERGIRL.
Jess gets up and grabs her cell phone, only to find that while it’s connected to her charger, the charger isn’t plugged in. Everyone watching this just did a sympathy cringe. We know, Jessica. We know. (S: Me every morning.)
Next up on this no good, very bad morning, Jessica hears rustling in her apartment. She goes out to investigate cautiously. In the kitchen, she finds a strung out looking man kind of asleep on her refrigerator. She yells at him (Malcolm, she clearly knows him) and leads him out of her apartment. On the way, Malcolm tells Jessica that she uses sarcasm to distance people and without missing a beat she tells him, “and yet you are still here.” (S: She’s so great.)
When she opens her apartment door (now boarded up with cardboard because of that one time she sent a man through it…) there is a middle-aged couple waiting outside. They are looking for Jessica Jones, private investigator. Jessica pushes Malcolm away and hears the couple out. They are the Shlottmans and they’re looking for their daughter. Mrs. Shlottman says she’s missing but Mr. Slottman says you can’t be missing if you still phone once a week. Jessica look intrigued and invites them in.
Inside, Mrs. Shlottman sits with Jessica and tells her the full story: Her daughter Hope is at NYU on an athletic scholarship. One month ago she said she was taking a break and moved out of her apartment to an unknown location. The Shlottmans went to the police, but there is no evidence of a crime being committed so someone there referred them to Jessica.
Samantha: The police? Letting non police do their work stuff? These people are Traumaland experts!
Mari: This whole time, Mr. Shlottman has been fiddling with the broken door, interrupting to ask for a level and now for epoxy to glue the screws in. Mrs. Shlottman yells at him to leave the damn door alone. He snaps back that a woman living in the city with a broken door isn’t safe. Jessica opens her desk drawer and pulls out some Elmer’s glue. She hands it to Mr. Shlottman and he tells her kindly but also masking other kinds of feels that Elmer’s won’t work. Jessica kind of rolls her eyes and tells the Shlottmans that she charges hourly plus expenses.
Later, Jessica is eating and doing some Internet research on the Shlottmans. She goes through pictures of Hope until she finds one of a friend.
Jessica tracks down the friend. She knocks on an apartment door but when there isn’t an immediate answer (Jess, girl, count to 100 in your head or something) she breaks the door knob and lets herself in. The friend is sitting on the couch and some guy with a Go Pro on his head is standing behind her. They look up at Jessica like WTF. She says that the door was open.
We see Jessica through the Go Pro as she tells the guy to stop filming her. He says he can’t because he’s going to do a time lapse video of his life. Best Friend explains that she found Time Lapse Guy on Craigslist after Hope bailed. Hope told Best Friend to sell her crap for rent, but there is a box of leftover stuff in Time Lapse Guy’s closet. BF sends him to get it, a little rudely, and suddenly I feel bad for Time Lapse Guy.
BF tells Jessica that Hope is holed up with some guy, but Hope didn’t share many details about him. Jessica quickly goes through the box and finds an envelope she pockets. Time Lapse Guy is putting his Go Pro back on and Jessica leaves with a, “if you turn that thing back on, I’ll pull your underwear through your eye.” I hope you have friends and your art fulfills you, Time Lapse Guy. (S: Does Snark HQ need another intern?) (M: I don’t feel that bad for him.)
Club. A man in a leather jacket tells a valet guy to “chop chop, quick like a bunny,” so we all know he’s a douche. Jessica watches him climb into his really fancy car from across the street. I know NOTHING about cars so I’m just saying “really fancy” because it’s shiny and it’s making Fast and the Furious car noises…? You know. Deep vrooms.
Elsewhere and sometime later, Douchey Guy slows to a stop and Jessica is right next to his car, asking for directions. Douchey Guy tells her to Google Map it and tries to drive away but finds that he can’t. Jessica is lifting the back of his car. She sets him down and walks over to the driver’s side.
Steph: Me too. Once again I love the way Jessica’s powers are being used. None of his feels over the top or cheesy.
Mari: Alias Investigations. Jessica is passed out at her desk, an empty glass in her hands. We zoom in on her and things go purple again as a man licks the side of Jessica’s face. She jumps up, but as soon as she’s awake, things are back to normal and no one is around. She’s shaking, breathing heavily and starts listing streets again: Birch Street, Higgins Drive, Cobalt Lane.
Jessica’s phone ring and she answers it by saying that Hogarth works this late so she can return calls without people answering. Hogarth got the picture of Spheeris being served and also got a call from Spheeris’s attorney about the whole laser eyes threat. Jessica isn’t in the mood to hear about how volatile she is, but Hogarth actually just says that she wishes she could’ve been there. The blonde woman who we saw earlier at Hogarth’s office sashays into the frame and behind Hogarth, covering her neck with the kisses of the first lesbian character in the Marvel universe.
Steph: This is great. I love that this show is filled with women actually talking and interacting with each other.
Mari: Imagine.
After the call, Jessica side-eyes her bed some more and grabs her stuff to leave. She makes it to Mike Colter’s apartment, but his shades are pulled down. Jessica looks real confused about this and crosses the street and peeps in the windows of the bar that’s on the first level. She gets caught by Mike Colter who invites her into the bar for a ladies night promotion he just made up. Jessica asks him why and he says she’s hot, local, and drinking alone which is good for business, but he tells her not to do him any favors. She sighs and goes inside.
We cut to last call. Jessica is the last one there and she asks for a double. Mike Colter says that’s a lot of booze for a small woman. She replies, “I don’t get asked on a lot of second dates.”
She starts talking about his bar and what she’s noticed: it’s immaculate and clearly a place with memories and history, but privates ones, so there are no photos or memorabilia. Still, Mike Colter likes women, at least temporarily, and women like him. Mike Colter says that sounds like flirting but Jessica insists she doesn’t flirt; she just says what she wants. And what does she want?
Cut to sex. Jessica cries out a little and Mike Colter stops and apologizes. Jessica tells him that she won’t break but he very seriously says that she will. They readjust and keep at it.
Samantha: This whole thing sent my mind spinning. Does he have powers too, and that’s why he’s afraid he could break her? Was the sex too intimate and that’s why she rolled over? Subtle, interesting, I love it.
Mari: I read an article on things this episode took directly from Alias #1 and this sex scene is one of those things. In the comic, it’s heavily implied that they have anal sex. Now, we don’t know if that’s true here, but there you go.
We cut to them sweaty and post-coital. Jess gets up and goes over to the bathroom. She takes deep breaths, looks at herself appraisingly in the mirror, washes her face and goes through Mike Colter’s medicine cabinet. In there is a picture of a woman. The sight of it makes Jessica start crying. She closes the cabinet, wipes her tears and rushes outside. She puts her pants back on, grabs her stuff, and Mike Colter is just gravely looking at her. Before she leaves she offers a quick, “sorry.”
Outside, Jessica throws up and walks away.
Alias Investigations. Jess is sleeping on the couch but her upstairs neighbors are arguing again. Plus, her phone rings. It’s Mrs. Shlottman wanting an update on Hope’s case. Jessica tells Mrs. Shlottman that Hope recently made some charges on her credit card and this conversation continues in voice over as we cut to a lingerie shop. Jessica is showing Hope’s picture to a saleswoman. Jessica goes next door to a tie shop and does the same thing as JJVO tells us that Hope is going overboard to please her new boyfriend. She’s either an idiot in love or being conned, which in Jessica’s book are the same thing.
Her next stop is a restaurant. Before going in she gives a, “no way.” Inside, she questions one of the workers. This restaurant opened 8 months ago, but before, it was called Il Rosso. Jessica shows the worker a picture of Hope and he gets real nervous and fidgety because he doesn’t want any more problems. Jessica presses and he explains that Hope and her “companion” (ahaha, Doctor jokes!) came in and wanted a particular table in the back. A couple was already sitting there but the host says he lost his mind and actually told that couple to leave. Then the sommelier comped them a $500 bottle of wine. Then the guy ordered something from Il Rosso and the chef actually hunted down the old recipe even though it’s not even the same restaurant anymore.
Jessica starts walking back toward the table, but also she’s having a flashback. It’s purple tinted and we see her all made-up, sitting at a table with David Tennant, though we don’t really see his face. David Tennant says this is for their anniversary and she’ll love it. Jessica repeats, “I will love it,” and takes a sip of her drink. Out of the flashback, Jessica freaks out and runs out of the restaurant.
Samantha: This is where my vom horror started, when I realized what his power is. I had to pause and breathe. It’s extra hard cause it’s Tennant and he’s such a good actor but also the Doctor.
Steph: I’m not prepared for how all of this is going to mess with my David Tennant feelings (of which there are many).
Mari: Things are very spiny for her and she’s clearly disoriented. She tries to list the streets but only gets Birch Street and Higgins Drive before she takes off running.
She ends up at the Shlottman’s hotel room and asks them who exactly at the police station referred them to her. They trip over their description of a nice British man. Jessica tells them to get their stuff and GTFO.
Back at her apartment, Jessica packs while trying to book the next flight out to Hong Kong. She gives Mrs. Shlottman’s credit card number but it is declined. She next calls Hogarth and asks for a loan, but Hogarth tells her to go ask a friend. Hogarth is heading home for the night. Her blonde lover smiles hopefully at her but another woman enters and says she’s been waiting downstairs. They kiss briefly and Blonde Lover’s face falls.
Jessica dials one more number but can’t do it. She just as quickly hangs up.
We cut to her leaving her apartment building. In the elevator, she crosses paths with Malcolm again.
Jessica is fidgety and Trish is standoffish in a hurt way. We gather from their exchange that Jessica hasn’t been good about keeping in touch. Jessica asks for money and Trish can’t even believe it. Jess doesn’t contact her for 6 months and then shows up asking for cash. Trish wants to know what’s so damn important. Jessica says, “he’s back” but Trish thinks this is her PTSD talking. Jessica saw “his” death certificate a year ago. Jess insists it isn’t PTSD, but Trish pushes. Is she still having nightmares? Flashbacks? Jess says nothing.
Trish quietly says that Jessica needs to go back to that therapist. Jessica calls him a quack who has her reciting street names backwards. Jessica explains the details of Hope’s case, how he made Hope buy gifts and attend a one-month anniversary dinner. Trish wants to call the cops but Jessica stops her and says they can’t do anything. Trish figures out that the whole asking for money thing means that Jessica is planning on running. Jess doesn’t think she has any other choice. Trish says she’s better equipped to handle the kidnapper than some poor girl from Omaha.
Anyhow, we get an extended shot of Jessica in this cab, everyday New York life passing by. We hear the voices of the Shlottmans begging to know where Hope is. Jessica decides something and tells the cab driver that she needs to make a stop uptown.
That stop is at a hotel. The doorman recognizes Jessica. Inside, she stops at the beginning of a hallway, looking at the room at the end. You can tell this is so difficult for her and things go all zoomy for her again. She pulls the fire alarm and as people exit their rooms and go running out, Jessica walks closer to the room at the end of the hall. As she gets closer, she gets flashes of purple tints and David Tennant.
She lets herself into the room and it’s mostly dark and seems empty. Jessica walks from room to room when suddenly David Tennant is behind her and we hear him say, “you miss me,” but when Jessica turns around, he’s gone. She makes it to the bedroom and there is Hope, on the bed, arms spread, head turned to the right. Jessica asks if Kilgrave is there and Hope says he isn’t. She knows exactly how long he’s been gone because we see now that she’s staring at a clock. Jessica says that they have to get out of there, but Hope insists that she can’t. Jessica deduces that Kilgrave told her not to move. “I wet the bed,” Hope says and it’s really gut wrenching. Jess calls the Shlottmans to say that she found their daughter and they need to check out of their hotel and meet her at Alias Investigations.
Jessica grabs Hope and tries to carry her out of the room, but Hope fights her and gets back into bed. Jessica grabs her again, pulling Hope over her shoulders and carries Hope out. Hope fights the whole way until she knocks herself out. (S: Oh my god, the feels.)
Alias Investigations. Jessica is explaining that Kilgrave’s influence does wear off, but it takes time and distance. Hope is on the couch crying, saying that he made her do things she didn’t want to do but that she did want to do. Jess kneels down close to Hope and asks what street she grew up on (Harrison Street) and the next street over (Florence Street). She then tells Hope that none of this is her fault.
The Shlottmans arrive and Hope runs into their arms and cries that this isn’t her fault. They comfort her and Jessica says that they need to go and get away from the man that took Hope. He escaped, but their only worry should now be getting away. Hope gives Jessica a hug and thanks her. Jessica tells them to go and that she’ll be right behind them.
Jessica collects her things and gives her apartment one last, sad look. When she makes it out to the hallway, the Shlottmans are already entering the elevator. Hope looks at Jessica and gets very serious. As the elevator doors close, Jessica sees Hope pulling a gun out of her bag. We hear multiple gunshots as the elevator goes down and Jessica runs down the stairs.
On the ground floor, Jessica opens the elevator and Mr. Shlottman’s body falls out. Mrs. Shlottman is also dead and Hope is still pulling the trigger even though she’s run out of bullets. Hope looks over at Jessica, cocks her head and tells her to smile. Jessica backs away. Hope comes back into herself and sinks to the floor, screaming as she takes in what she’s done. People are coming out of their apartments but Jessica keeps walking away.
Steph: I was feeling super uncomfortable since they left the hotel room until this scene. I was waiting for the inevitable moment when something terrible would happen and here it is.
Mari: Outside, a cab stops for her but JJVO kicks in and repeats the line we heard at the beginning of the episode.
I really enjoyed this as a pilot and I’m totally on board for so much of what this series is pitching. I think they have so much dark material to work with here, but did a really great job of balancing that with moments of humor. Jessica’s sarcasm doesn’t only distance her from people, but it helps the narrative breathe in places and avoid an all out assault on viewers.
I think Krysten Ritter plays Jones well. Too many times for a female character to be considered strong she has to also show zero emotions, or else the story relies too much on physical strength. I think there is a more complex story here for a woman who is physically strong but also dealing with PTSD and as this episode heavily implies, the trauma of sexual, mental and physical abuse. It’s a credit to the writing and actress that I don’t think anyone who watched this episode would ever dream of calling Jessica Jones weak.
We barely saw Kilgrave in this episode and he’s already one of the most terrifying villains I’ve come across. Here is a kidnapper who very literally robs people of their agency. When we saw Hope in that bed in her lingerie, in a manner that hinted of being tied down and in a pool of her own urine? Ugh, sorry, can’t think about it.
I’m curious to see how we continue exploring Jones’ PTSD because the superhero setting makes it super interesting. I’m not sure if those purple moments were just visual representations of her PTSD of if somehow Kilgrave is actually tapping into her brain and still haunting her in a more literal way, which could still be a metaphorical representation of PTSD.
Samantha: I freaking loved this pilot and I was wondering the same about it being PTSD vs. literal brain haunting. I’ve watched Daredevil, and while it’s a good show, it didn’t click and connect and grab me the way this did. Kristen as Jessica is complex and relatable and prickly and heartbreaking and admirable. Basically, a *shock* *gasp* person. And I felt all of that from one episode. I’ve gotten sick of shows trying to shoehorn in a rape plot or abuse plot and mishandling the shit out of it. This… I think they’re going to handle it and incorporate it the right way. I hope so. My last thought is basically: DOCTOR, NO!
Steph: Not much more to add other than I loved this pilot too. Although, I’m kind of wishing they hadn’t revealed so much about Killgrave in the trailers. Going in blind about what kind of powers he has would have been nice. (I know, I know, this is based on comics and a lot of people already know this stuff, but still!)
Next time on Jessica Jones: Jessica wants to prove Hope innocent in S01 E02 – AKA Crush Syndrome.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
I'm a 28 year old graduated English major and almost librarian. I can often be found singing too loudly (poorly) in the car or spending some time (hours) on Tumblr. I am a lover of Harry Potter, the Spice Girls, and too many other things.
I'm a miniature adult who still gets offered the kid's coloring menu at restaurants. I like to pretend I'm an illustrator, but mostly I spend my time complaining about TV on Twitter. My life dream is to have my consciousness placed into an android body so that I'll have more time to watch/read things.