Keeping Up With The Jones.
13 Episodes. Starring: Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Eka Darville, J.R. Ramirez, Terry Chen, Leah Gibson, Callum Keith Rennie, Janet McTeer & Carrie-Anne Moss. Created By: Melissa Rosenberg.
O.K. Let's start at the beginning again. A.K.A. Alias Investigations. And Netflix Marvel Defender 'Jessica Jones' takes us all the way back to the P.I. frosted glass door for Season 2...and throws us right through it. David Tennant's terrific tyrant Killgrave may be in his own headstone heralded one, but the ghosts of his demons are still so very alive and unwell. Such is the Purple Man bruised, whiskey, hip flask chasing unrest for Miss Jones. Still fighting back like a woman, calling times up on all the vile manipulation and violent abuse as she shows power beyond the superhero tag for the Me Too movement that demands and deserves real accountability and solidarity. No wonder Marvel-who are finally not missing out on the 'Wonder Woman' era-put this all episode binge stream out a day earlier than their usual Friday night highlights this International Woman's Day. It means so much more and now Stan Lee's street-level, smartphone screen heroes are killing it like the Scarlett 'Black Widow' movie previously lost in cutting room translation that we really want to see more than the mystique of Jennifer Lawrence's misguided 'Red Sparrow' affair. Epecially as Johansson is going atomic blonde for the 'Infinity War'. Marvel's men know this world in need of saving would be nothing without a woman. And 'Breaking Bad', good and every face of every wannabe Walter White too, Jess is off the red Daredevil chain like Chastain. Going against the book-and even the comic-Krysten Ritter has even written a dark novel in the form of the sleepless night, page-turning thriller 'Bonfire' igniting bookshelves. But now behind her malt wood desk it's time for her to match strike burn it all down, page to screen. The previous fall favourite, now follows Jon Bernthal's powerful punch of 'The Punisher' vigilante and dime and begins this new year of 'Black Panther' and Marvel revolution that has even the most hardcore freaks and geeks able to wait for the eagerly anticipated infinity...even if it is coming early. Faster than an Easter Egg weird and wonderful Whizzer!
Still as curiously compelling as it's noir New York jazz infused, slow burn investigation, unlucky for some (Danny Rand) 13 episode procedural. The blue jeans, leather jacket and finger-less gloves cradling a Nikon that develops her income are back in a Marvel calender flipping so thick and fast like the intro I.D. credits, or former series guest star Luke Cage's own second season throwdown this Summer. And sure if you step into her office you may see her pour something barely lethal from the bottle. But it's got nothing on the toxicity that runs rampant through the city. So wait in the hall for your turn, because this private investigator has other appointments. Especially a late night call with Lucy. Perhaps New York's finest dive-bar this side of Hells Kitchen. Because after a hella of a hell of a long day sometimes you need to hit a bar stool and have the tender slide you one over before you...CRACK! Jessica smashes the shot glass down as it shatters like the suspicion that she might be your typical superhero. She asks for another hit and takes it on the chin before pounding the glass down again. And for round three between typical bar room bantering and bartering back and forth of "are you drinking to remember or forget" and "are you sure you haven't had enough" which Jones backhand returns perfectly like a pro with every lime soured serving. She turns what would be a cliched scene in any ordinary series and gives us another reason why these extended Marvel/Netflix shows give us even more personal face-time with these street-level powers than some of the biggest Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans Marvels in the blockbuster business, 18 films to 'Infinity' deep. She looks to throw down again but as she throws back the nectar of the scotch on the rocks with a twist her gloves warmed by the liquid looking for courage stop short of the bar and join a resigned look on her face that says she's giving up...but not yet. Take that how you want but it's another example of how real Ritter is in capturing all the rawness of Jessica's character. Still haunted by the horror of Killgrave who even though he is in the last part of his name, he is still here one way or another. Not letting Jess rest as she turns in her alcohol fuelled sleep. This all sounds like unnecessary torture, but it's a terrible tale a world saying "me too" needs right now to solidarity show us beyond entertainment how horrible things really are in the abhorrent manner of harassment. Whether from individuals should be safe, supporting spouse husbands, to individuals you may pass in the hall with a look you just didn't ask for. There's a lot of decent men out there, but there is also a hell of a lot of indecent ones out there too that need to be accounted for and brought to justice for all the wrong they do. That they still for some "do you think we where born yesterday...or in the 1950's" (because that's no entitled excuse to those so indignified or ignorant) reason think is right. We all need to take stock of ourselves and our actions and also call time on what is injust and rightfully so no longer belongs in the world today like it should never have had anyway. That's what we've had enough of.
"I don't take no for an answer" one new character tells Jessica. "How very rapey of you" she retorts in K.O. put down (before actually kicking his ass) that Williams sister backhand still serving up strong to any rally coming her way. Melissa Rosenberg's groundbreaking show formidably features all-female directors this 13 times round. And the subject matter broached here...wrote before the 'Me Too' movement took hold last year. Exactly like (did you forget?) the nature of the beast of Season One. This show is much more than a superhero one. It is one for every woman in the world and how powerful they really are. And it's been soaring to these heights before what should be everyones right became a social media trend that fuelled the march of a movement that is much more than likes or retweets and is real action and respect. And that's just what is shared between the sisters of this series and Jessica Jones' unoffical sidekick (now guest star Luke Cage is having coffee with other people) played perfectly like in 'The Defenders' by Rachael Taylor. The radio show host getting her investigation journalist alias on and bringing much more than talk to this dialogue heavy action earner with hell to pay. Taylor was made for this and the former child star character throws the casting couch out the window as she shatters any stronghold from a Weinstein like character...again wrote before that controversy even came out. And how about Eka Darville all 'Daredevil' daring?! Going from the pain of addiction to the gains of weight-room abuse in just two short years that have taken him from gaunt to hench (along with his haircut going from a messy afro to putting the magazine down and asking the barber for a 'Killmonger'), in more ways than just what you find in a protein shake. They're the holdovers along with 'Matrix' legend Carrie Anne-Moss' acclaimed attorney (raising the bar again and even raiding one. As this time this lacerating lawyer gets real personal with her effects) for a cast that was told by Tennant to throw themselves off buildings or put bullets in their head...whether or not they still had a working gun. But there's some new faces too. Across the hall J.R. Ramirez is a different kind of super and there's more to this single father than just trying to do right by his son. And the thousand words in a New York minute tattooed arms of Terry Chen's story try to muscle their way in, legal or otherwise. Although he soon finds himself nursing a sling, whilst Jones does a hangover and subpeona. And just wait until you find out what rising actress Leah Gibson and legend Janet McTeer are all about (just like 'Due South' Ray replacement Callum Keith Rennie. The 'Jigsaw' star fitting all these puzzle pieces together perfectly). To give away more would be to spoil all these womens work, but behind the scenes there's so much going on showing their worth to a franchise that once refused to put a female villain in a 'Thor' movie because they didn't think people would watch. Oh how they wondered wrong as you saw in 'Ragnarok' with the Oscar winning Cate Blanchett's Hela to pay. And it wasn't the end of the world...just the old one. In a time where we can only hope to see Natalie Portman's Jane Foster brought back to take the hammer if Chris Hemsworth's head crushing Thor loses more than an eye or his locks in the forthcoming original 'Avengers' conclusion. In the space-age of Captain Marvel there's a lot more going on at street level than the fallout of "the incident" they keep talking about. There's a new frame of reference and you can find it in the lens of Jones' camera, not the blurred vision at the bottom of a bottle. Focus. Not all glass was made to be broken and if they can't see her through the frosted door anymore it means it's longer open to them. Case closed. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'Alias', 'The Defenders', 'Luke Cage'.
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