After a string of fantastic episodes, “AKA 1,000 Cuts” is the most uneven that Jessica Jones has been in a while. But the episode works surprisingly well as a reminder that this show can be genuinely upsetting when it wants to be. It picks up where “AKA Sin Bin” left off, but wisely pumps the brakes, giving us a quieter installment that gets steadily darker and darker. It’s an impressive feat, and a smart move from a narrative standpoint, but it unfortunately affords a lot of screen time to Jessica Jones‘ worst character.
My distaste for Robyn is no secret at this point. She’s written too over-the-top to be believable, and seems imported from another show. Her search for Ruben puts her front and center for too much of “AKA 1,000 Cuts,” and the episode suffers for it. I’m starting to think that this subplot exists just so Malcolm can have something to do. Which is fine, because Eka Darville is doing a fine job, but Robyn is such a grating character than any sadness that could be elicited from her situation is dulled by listening to her say weird shit like “Where are his little toes?” That’s just a weird fucking line. And she also calls Ruben “babe” when looking at a picture of him, so unless this is going to escalate into full-blown incest, there’s really no reason for this character to be on the show. Especially because she commits the stupidest act of anyone on Jessica Jones, which we’ll get to later.
I had to get the Robyn rant out of the way, because for the most part, “AKA 1,000 Cuts” was pretty damn solid. Kilgrave is one of those villains who manages to be just as terrifying on screen as he is off screen. Seeing Trish trying to force a bullet into her temple – “I have to put a bullet in my head!” – is a real hand-over-your-mouth scene, to say nothing of the fact that Albert’s hands have to be bound because he keeps trying to cut his heart out.
Nowhere does this play out more brutally than with Jeri Hogarth. Kilgrave makes her take him to a doctor she trusts, so they wind up at Wendy’s. Shit takes a dark turn when Kilgrave tells Wendy to kill Hogarth with a thousand cuts, and man, watching Wendy try her damnedest is difficult to watch. Jessica Jones never shies away from ugliness, and it really wants to show its audience the true horrific scope of Kilgrave’s evil. He really feels nothing for human life, and the casual nature of his evil, coupled with his ruthless calculation, makes him a genuine threat. I know I say something to this effect in every one of my reviews, but the show continues to defy expectations by making Kilgrave better every episode. For a long time now, every Marvel villain has lived in the shadow of Loki, with only rare exceptions like Wilson Fisk and the Mandarin (the latter for sheer divisiveness). From now on, everyone will live in the shadow of Kilgrave.
I guess it’s just a shame that “AKA 1,000 Cuts” sagged in its final third, when Robyn’s stupidity kicked into overdrive, first by riling up the support group against Jessica, then by freeing Kilgrave. Jessica Jones is so remarkably well done that it’s a shame to see it saddled with a character like Robyn who can derail the show at apparently any moment. Thankfully, the episode sticks the landing, doing what Jessica Jones does best: disturbing its audience. Hope’s suicide was a real gut punch, and it strips Jessica of all excuses she has to not kill Kilgrave. Go get him, Jessica.
A Few Thoughts
- Regarding Hope’s suicide, if it gets Jessica going after Kilgrave, I’m all for it. With Hope out of prison, Jessica had no reason not to kill Kilgrave, which the show struggled to justify
- Great introduction of Simpson as the next possible bad guy. RIP Detective Clemens
- “Speak up, asshole. I’m all ears”
- Jessica looked amazing in that yellow dress
- “I have Hope. The person, not the feeling”
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