“AKA WWJD?” was the best episode of Jessica Jones to date, and the most amazing thing about is that the bulk of it is just two people talking. Yep, this is a bottle episode for the most part, and as we all know those live or die based on the performances. Thankfully, this is the strongest outing so far for both Krysten Ritter and David Tennant, who play remarkably well off of each other. Ritter and Tennant have been great all season, but their work in “WWJD?” is so strong that it easily elevates this hour to top-tier status.
What surprised me most about this episode was how funny it is. Don’t get me wrong, it traffics in the darkness that has become Jessica Jones‘ trademark, but there was a dryly humorous tone in Tennant’s delivery, and in Kilgrave’s scenes opposite Jessica. There’s something so casual about Kilgrave that for brief moments at least, it’s possible to forget he’s a monster – or, as Jessica puts in (while he can hear her), “Kilgrave is a psychotic repulsive waste of a human being.”
Which, yes, is true, but he’s also an impressively well-rounded character. He actually has feelings, and they do get hurt. With the glut of Marvel villains in our lives, it’s little details like that that really help characters stand out. Quick, name me a characteristic of Malekith – better yet, tell me what movie Malekith is from. Tennant does a tremendous job of humanizing Kilgrave, especially when we learn about his past.
Like Luke Cage, Kevin Kilgrave (oh, we find out his first name too) got his powers through experimentation. While we don’t know much about Luke’s past, we do know that Kilgrave was a guinea pig for his parents, and was definitely not a willing participant. The yellow USB drive that Jessica unearthed holds surveillance footage of Kilgrave discovering his powers – how Reva Connors got her hands on it I don’t know, but I’m sure we’ll find out. There’s something depressing that in this corner of Marvel’s universe, away from the Avengers tower or S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, there are some deeply conflicted individuals who got their powers through accidents (Jessica, Matt Murdock) or by being poked and prodded (Luke, Kilgrave).
It’s this moment that really lets Jessica – and us – see the human side to Kilgrave. In a lesser show, this would fall flat, given Kilgrave’s actions, and while Jessica Jones has no intention of letting us forget what he did to the Schlottman family, it also paints Kilgrave in a strangely sympathetic light that’s impossible to ignore. Jessica alights upon the idea of harnessing Kilgrave’s power for good, which leads to a great scene of him defusing a hostage situation, even though, in his own words, “I don’t give two shits about these people!” He tells the man to lower the gun and let the hostages go, then in the same tone of voice immediately tells the guy to put the gun in his mouth. Maybe it was the abrupt change, but I found this moment incredibly funny.
So that’s the big question that Jessica grapples with: will she essentially give up her life to train and use Kilgrave? It’s a deep question, and the show gives it appropriate weight. And to Jessica Jones‘ credit, when Jessica shows up with Chinese food and beer, it truly looks like she’s decided to throw in with Kilgrave – his power, after all, is potentially world-changing. But that is decidedly not the answer to What Would Jessica Do? She knocks out not only the staff but Kilgrave too, absconding with him back to the ad-hoc holding cell (and flying away to give Simpson the slip to boot). What a terrific ending to an episode that’s so damn good it’ll be hard to live up to.
I’m pleased to say that after watching “AKA WWJD?” I have no idea what’s coming next. This show is tough as hell to predict, especially because of episodes like this. This is a high bar to hurdle.
A Few Thoughts
- “You’re not all hard edges, Jessica Jones”
- Kilgrave giving Jessica a dress was a classic villain move. Ripping up said dress was a classic Jessica move
- “I tripped! I’m drunk! Just stay outta my shit!”
- I’m starting to get worried about how Simpson is written. At some points he’s eager to help, at others he’s going all Rambo and pointing a gun at Jessica. The characterization is slipping away a bit
- “If I’m not back within two hours, please remove the skin from each others’ faces”
- Am I the only one who found it kind of sweet to see Kilgrave stick up for Jessica?
- This episode did a great job of showing another side to Kilgrave, but it never let us lose sight of the fact that he is an actual, factual rapist. “You violated every cell of my body,” Jessica spits in probably the best-acted scene of the episode. Just brilliant storytelling all around
- Today in Jessica Jones Doing Sleazy Shit: nothing. She’s pretty above-board. This show is taunting me now
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