Jonseing for Jessica Jones

Jessica Jones is arguably one of the best shows on Netflix. With a near perfect five-star rating, the drama series follows Marvel character Jessica Jones and her efforts to defeat her nemesis Kilgrave - an evil, psychotic, maniac with mind control powers. Jessica Jones challenges the idea of what it means to be a "strong woman" not just physically but emotionally. She shows immense strength in all aspects of her life throughout the series, and paints a great picture of what a strong woman looks like. The show also portrays progressive and liberal aspects of today's society, which makes it that much more enjoyable and relatable for viewers.

Jones is not your average superhero. As a Marvel character, you expect her have multiple, extreme abilities like most of her superhero counterparts. However, Jones only has two superhuman abilities: super strength, and the ability to jump incredibly high, like taking off for flight. Her nemesis Kilgrave, is a psychotic killer, who uses his powers of mind control to make his victims do unspeakable things against their own will. Killgrave uses his victims at his disposal, without any remorse for the people who's lives he is potentially ruining or ending. However, Killgrave's powers only last so long, and he can only control someone for an allotted amount of time. Kilgrave and Jones have a very extensive and complicated history. Jones was under Kilgrave's control for about two years before breaking free. During that time, Kilgrave forced Jones into an intimate relationship, making her have sex with him and partake in sexual acts without her consent. Not only this, but Kilgrave also made Jones use her power for evil rather than for good, which was never her intention. Jessica always wanted to be a superhero, saving people's lives. Instead, she was made to harness her powers for evil, manipulating, hurting, and killing people. Jessica eventually escaped Kilgave's control, and is able to use her powers for good, the way she always wanted. She focuses this new found freedom on stopping her abuser from doing the same thing to anyone else.

Jones may be free from her attacker, but she now struggles with victim blaming and the psychological effects of what comes after being abused for so long. Jones turns to alcohol, and develops an abusive relationship with the bottle. She distances herself from friends and those around her, and becomes a self-secluded hermit. She views her solace as powerful, and tries to harness this seclusive strength in order to stop Kilgrave, but learns throughout the series that she needs her friends in order to be successful. While the show does an amazing job portraying a strong woman, the writers have given her all the characteristics of a stereotypical strong male character - dependent on no one but himself, substance abuse issues, able to save the world despite all odds. Jones as a character is a strong woman, but only because all the characteristics of a strong man have been written for her. I think the show is a great representation of what it takes to be a strong female, but could have left out the substance abuse and seclusion when writing the series.

While Jessica's superpowers are very simple, they only work to enhance her main superpower: her female. Jones is a badass woman who, having been through so much psychological trauma under Kilgrave's control, takes control of her own life, making it her top priority to defeat Kilgrave, ending his reign of terror. She may struggle with alcoholism, but she could choose dedicate herself to her seclusive ways, rather than realizing something needs to be done. She chooses to trust herself and her friends in order to stop her nemesis. Not only is Jessica physically strong, but she is also emotionally and mentally strong. She is able to use the torture Kilgrave put her through as fuel to her fire, and stop it happening to other women in the future. This aspect of the show is so powerful for ANYONE watching, not just females. It shows women that despite abuse and hardship, they can turn those experiences into something powerful and positive, and come out stronger at the end. It shows victims of abuse that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and you can get your life back after something awful has happened.

One other aspect of the show that I love are the progressive, "2018" views presented throughout. Jessica enters into an interracial relationship with fellow hero Luke Cage, who many know is an African American male. Jessica's lawyer is a lesbian, her female best friend is an expert in Krav Maga, and her neighbor is a recovering and thriving meth addict. Jessica comes to Luke's rescue when he is being attacked by an angry group of men, and Luke similarly comes to Jessica's defense in her efforts to kill Kilgrave. Luke Cage and Jessica physically and emotionally save each other throughout, dismantling the "damsel in distress" myth that is portrayed in so many mainstream movies and TV shows today. Her Lawyer is a head-strong, powerful, elegant lesbian woman who is not only fighting her own personal battles with self love and divorce settlements throughout the show, but is also helping others around her at the same time. She is essential in helping Jessica make a case in favor of "mind-control victims", and helps each person find peace in what happened to them. Jones's best friend Trish was a victim of abuse herself, who spent her whole life being beaten by her mother. She is now a Krav Maga master, which she explains is "more powerful [than karate]." Trish learns Krav Maga as defense against her mother, and defense against Kilgrave if anything should happen to her or Jessica. She harnesses her anger and uses it as her weapon to do good and defend herself and friend. Her neighbor and dear friend who was also once under Kilgrave's control, became hooked on meth after Kilgrave made him involuntarily take the drug. Jones saves her neighbor from Kilgrave, and helps him recover from the addiction. He becomes a very large part of helping Jessica defeat Kilgrave, and turns his involuntary struggle with addiction into a positive experience. He begins a support group for other Kilgrave mind control victims, and finds solace in knowing he is not alone. This speeds up his recovery, and he is soon back to normal against all the odds. These real life portrayals of strong women, black men, and recovering addicts is so powerful in the context of our society. These characters offer progressive representations of the way women and men should be seen in real life. Women don't NEED to be saved, and Jessica Jones is the perfect example of that. She is a vision for all women everywhere to stand up for themselves and take control of their lives with power and strength.

Marvle's Jessica Jones is redefining the idea of what a typical superhero looks like. Not only that, but it redefines the boundaries of race, masculinity, and femininity. This show is so important for our society today, and shows everyone that we can move forward and change the way we talk about race and feminism.