Marvel's Done It Again: Jessica Jones Review

Like most of the Netflix community I spent my weekend in Hell's Kitchen. Jessica Jones premiered on the streaming website on Friday and it did not disappoint. In my opinion it's the best thing Marvel has put out since Captain America: The Winter Soldier. It's unlike any "hero" story out there being that Jones is an alcoholic with a serious case of PTSD. She describes herself as a horrible person yet you genuinely root for her and that's the beauty of this series.

I am a comic book fan and I was pretty skeptical that this series would work for multiple reasons.

1.) The character of Jessica Jones is fairly new, having only been around since 2001.

2.) Casting Krysten Ritter as the title character. Don't get me wrong. I'm definitely a fan of Ritter but she's well known for her rolls in Veronica Mars and Don't Trust then B in Apartment 23. Neither of which scream superhero.
3.) If you read the comics or google the character history you know that Jessica interacts with a lot of big players in the Marvel Universe. She's got history with Spider-Man and Jean Grey and is almost killed by the Avengers. Marcel doesn't have the rights to many of there characters or has other story plans for them.

Not only does this show work but its way better than its predecessor (Marvel's Daredevil).  The fact that Jessica Jones doesn't come from the golden age of comics gives her a less complicated history to work with. It also modernizes her which is refreshing to see for a comic book character, male or female. As far as the other characters from other comics goes the writers are working their way around those. They are sticking to the flow of the comics but coming up with new and believable explanations for the story.

Hell's Kitchen: Jessica Jones style 

I did mention the casting and after binge watching 13 episodes I truly believe that no one else could have played this part. Krysten Ritter embodies Jessica Jones entirely. You believe her every word, every action.

Jessica Jones helping the helpless...even if she doesn't want to

Rachael Taylor (Transformers, 666 Park Avenue) plays Jones' best friend Trish Walker, who will eventually become the hero Hellcat. Taylor is the true MVP of the series. She takes a character that could have been super boring and annoying and turns her into an essential piece of the story, much like Rosario Dawson (who makes a great cameo) did in Daredevil.






Mike Colter plays Luke Cage and I cannot say enough great things about him. My absolute favorite scene of the season is a bar fight with Cage and Jones. By far one of the funniest scenes of the show. Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) wrap up this really well put together cast. They all have great chemistry which makes you want to keep watching. If you do nothing else this holiday season I encourage you to watch Jessica Jones. You'll have a Sweet Christmas because of it.

David Tennant as Kilgrave aka The Purple Man

                    

Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth

Fair warning: Marvel's Jessica Jones is not suitable for children. This isn't the usual Marvel origin story that we've become accustomed to. I wouldn't watch it around your grandmother either. Contains sex, explicit language, drugs and alcohol.

Jessica Jones will return in Marvel's Luke Cage. 

TGIT Winter Finales!!!

Shondaland. TGIT. Winter Finales. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! Last night Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away With Murder slayed the winter finale game and left us wanting more. I haven't done this since last season but it has to be done. Here are my favorite moments from last night and as always SPOILERS BELOW!

Honorable Mention #1: Steph and Jo

Look say what you want about these two but we haven't had a decent set of friends since Cristina left and the Twisted Sisters were split up. Watching Steph and Jo go through their struggles this past week has been hard especially since we see that neither really does well without the other. It wasn't much I admit but having them both apologize is a great first step. 

Honorable Mention #2: Jolex Wedding?

DID SHE SAY YES? ARE THEY BREAKING UP? WHY IS SHONDA DOING THIS TO ME?

5.) Meredith and Amelia

I'm a fan of Meredith Grey. I have been since episode 1. I've stuck by her through every horrible decision, every mistake. This time I just can't do it. Meredith lost her husband. Amelia lost her brother. They both lost Derek and found a sisterhood in each other. For Meredith to tell her that she wasn't her sister but she was Derek's sister was just......cold. I get being loyal to Cristina. Those two went through more together than most people ever do (yes I'm aware that its a TV show) but Amelia's had to deal with her fair share of crap. And if you were a fan of Private Practice then you know what Derek meant to Amelia. The fact that the episode ends with Amelia taking a sip of a vodka tonic is just a tiny indication of how this is all about to spiral. You guys remember that intervention? 

4.) Senator Mellie Grant 

I love when Shondaland shows reflect what's actually happening in the world. Having Mellie fight for Planned Parenthood was amazing. What's more amazing is that it had absolutely NOTHING to do with Fitz. Whats more amazing than that? Olivia came through and not only helped Mellie but gave her an almost gladiator type pep talk. These two actually work very well together. I hope we get to see more of that in the future. 

3.) Brother-in-Law?

This Riggs guy has to be Owen's brother-in-law. I can't come up with anything else. At first I thought it was his brother when he punched him in the face. Twice. That was until Meredith mentions his sister. Can't wait to see where this goes but whatever happened between these two it put Owen right back where he started. Angry, shutting people out (mainly Amelia), and having PTSD episodes. 

2.) Kristoff Did What?! 

Not only did Wes shoot Analiese but Wes isn't even his real name. Fans have been speculating since the very beginning that these two were connected. Lots of people thought that she was his mother but I always though that it was too easy. Based on that tiny flashback we got it looks like Annalise and Jean Grey (Famke Janssen) we're in on whatever happened to his mother. 

1.) Oh Olivia. 

Liv and Fitz are done. Liv had an abortion. No Vermont. No Jam. No Olitz baby. Jeez Shonda. 

TGIT will be back February 11th. See you then. 

The Voice of a Generation

It's been a while but I had to hop on the pop culture bandwagon for this one. Adele. 25. Tears. Uncontrollable sobbing.

25 Album Cover

I cannot say enough great things about this album. 21 was a career defining record and I'm willing to bet that if it was any other artist 21 would've been their LAST good album. Adele herself has said multiple times that she would be crazy to try and recreate 21. 

25 is a different more mature story and does a complete 180 from the sounds of her past albums. In fact "Hello" (fastest selling single of the year) is the closest you'll get to a familiar sound. Other tracks like "River Lea" and "Remedy" (which is my favorite song so far) pull you into different stories that aren't about heartbreak but about growing up with yourself and with love. Anyone who listens to this work of art can find something to relate to. 

This album was WELL worth the 4 year wait and there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that 25 will outsell 21 drastically. 

Hello, Adele. It's nice to have you back.