Photo Credit: Netflix
Jessica Jones season 3 feels like a final act for the Krysten Ritter-led series.
When Netflix aired the various Defenders series years ago, they were some of the most anticipated and talked about new shows. Here we are, over four years later and Netflix dumped its final Marvel season mid-June with almost no promotion. It’s disappointing to see how far these shows have fallen, but at least Jessica Jones gets to go out on a pretty high note.
While the series manages to craft a fitting conclusion, it’s bound to leave many fans upset with the direction. As a fan, it’s always hard to balance my own expectations with what a show delivers. There’s no denying, Jessica Jones does tell a complete story and season 3 feels like the final act for the story started back in 2015. However, there’s still a part of me that personally hoped for a happy ending like Daredevil provided.
Warning: Spoilers below for Jessica Jones season 3!
Photo Credit: Netflix
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Jessica Jones goes back to basics in season 3 after its second season was met with an extremely mixed reaction. While I personally enjoyed the character study, it’s hard to sell viewers on a superhero show which doesn’t really have a villain and turns one of the most liked characters into someone abhorrent.
Serial killer Gregory Salinger (Jeremy Bobb) takes over Kilgrave’s job as main antagonist this time around but he’s not quite up to the task. It’s not Bobb’s fault, but Kilgrave’s presence is always looming over the series because of David Tennant. Arguably the best villain ever introduced in the Marvel Universe (Kingpin, Bullseye, and Grant Ward could give him a run for his money), Kilgrave’s legacy has essentially set up every future bad guy to fail.
Nevertheless, Salinger challengers Jessica to use her private eye skills, something the show used sparingly in season 2. At heart, Jessica Jones isn’t really a superhero show considering how much she rejects her powers. When season 3 picks up, she has rededicated herself to the PI lifestyle but instead is helping out people with said skills. Of course, her customers are usually ungrateful and it’s been emotionally draining her.
Photo Credit: Netflix
The consequences of season 2 have also carried in throughout these episodes. Jessica isn’t speaking to Malcolm (Eka Darville) or Trish (Rachael Taylor) and her newfound “heroism” is inspired by the parting words from her mother. The only happiness in her life is Vido (Kevin Chacon), who continues to view her as the greatest person alive. Oscar (J.R. Ramirez) has broken up with her but the two remain wary friends which is better than nothing. She’s also hired a new employee at Alias, Gillian (Aneesh Sheth), who stands out in a pretty dark season.
So what kicks off this entire season? Well, Trish has gone missing. It’s a case Jessica isn’t exactly interested in taking since she essentially cut out her sister in the season 2 finale. However, Dorothy (Rebecca De Mornay) is desperate and terrified which is why she came to Jessica for help. It doesn’t come as a surprise that Jessica is going to cave because they couldn’t exactly keep these two away from each other for that long. With Trish now shouldering some of the superpowered scenes, it gives Krysten Ritter time to step behind the camera and direct an episode while Rachael Taylor showcases her own athletic abilities onscreen.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Trish’s arc is going to be where fans disagree. For people who come out of season 2 absolutely hating her, it makes perfect sense to see her become a villain. As she points out this season, she was abused as a child and her wanting to be a hero stems from her desire to protect other young kids. There are those who (like myself) who have been waiting for Hellcat to finally make an appearance and seeing her become an unhinged bad guy rather than a hero was a bit of a letdown.
However, it’s more than just her villainous arc which is going to divide viewers. Trish’s and Jessica’s relationship was arguably the heart and soul of the series. Back in season 1, one of the more notable moments is when Jessica’s says “I love you” to Trish to let her sister know that she wasn’t under Kilgrave’s control. Now, we get a fight scene where Trish attempts to kill her sister before being carted off to live life in prison.
Kudos to Rachael Taylor, because the scene where Trish has to hear all of the bad things she’s done and realizes that she’s the villain is one of the most memorable of this season. Yet, it’s a raw deal for anyone who was hoping to see Trish get a redemption arc. Not to mention, Jessica Jones doesn’t do a good enough job of convincing us how “evil” Trish is. Attempting to kill Jessica feels like an extreme reaction because up until that point her actions felt relatively justified. Yes, Salinger should’ve stood trial but it’s only human that Trish would want to kill the man who murdered her mother.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Speaking of Dorothy, I actually found her to be pretty interesting this season. She’s been a selfish woman throughout the series but this season really drove the point home that she does love both of her daughters. While Dorothy doesn’t totally understand what’s best for either of them, it was refreshing to see her get on board with Trish’s powers and want to help Jess.
When Netflix teased that someone would die, pushing Jessica to take down Salinger, my first thought was that it would be Malcolm. However, Dorothy’s death was actually pretty poignant and emotional. For Trish, she can’t help but let her mom back in for the hundredth time because she’s still her mother. Finally, when the two are on good ground, she gets violently ripped away from her. Meanwhile in Dorothy’s will, Jessica is left an armchair which showed that despite their disagreements, Dorothy did seem to care about her foster daughter.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Like the previous seasons, Jessica Jones had difficulty working Jeri Hogarth into the storylines. She’s the only character who I didn’t think deserved a happy ending and thankfully she doesn’t get one. After three seasons of serving her own self-interests, she’s finally left alone. She will be forced to succumb to her disease slowly, with not one person who will help her through it.
Malcolm’s storyline with his girlfriend and job also felt a bit out of place. I can appreciate what the show was trying to do with Malcolm wrestling with the moral dilemma of defending some awful people in order to earn a strong reputation but it feels like a bit of wasted time. Nonetheless, Eka Darville does a great job selling the emotional goodbye scene with Jessica Jones in the finale. That moment is ruined when Jessica decides to stay in New York, but hey, at least that scene was a knockout.
Photo Credit: Netflix
The final scene of the series is Jessica preparing to leave the city when the ominous purple lighting returns. Kilgrave’s voice comes back and makes fun of her for leaving. She pauses before confidently turning back, ready to face whatever comes her way. Does this mean that Kilgrave is actually back? Or just a reminder that no matter where she runs, Jessica can’t escape her own trauma. Either way, it brings the show full circle as Jessica decides to turn around and take control of her own life.
In that sense, Jessica’s storyline and journey do feel complete. However, fans don’t really get a satisfying conclusion for anyone else. Malcolm is handed Alias Investigations except Jessica comes back so it’s unclear if he’ll be a partner or an employee. Trish hasn’t really done anything worse than Frank Castle, who is undoubtedly a hero to many, and now she’s living a life in solitary confinement without a trial. We’ll never get to know if she gets a redemption arc at the Raft or ever makes up with Jessica. Either way, for the final Defenders series, Jessica Jones ends things on an extremely dark note.
What did you think of Jessica Jones season 3? Be sure to tell us in the comment section below!