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| Krysten Ritter |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
Overall, 2015 has been a banner year for female superheroes of every ilk. Kicking the year off was Agent Carter: Marvel's first TV show focused around a female protagonist. iZombie wasn't too far behind, and this fall also saw the debut of Supergirl. To say the least, these three shows have helped to make the message very clear: women can be empowering superheroes. As obvious as this is, it seems to have been a constant complaint in years prior. With Netflix's second series in its co-op with Marvel, Jessica Jones, they add another female voice to the mix; this time in the guise of Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), a former superhero who now passes time as a private detective. Along with being one of the streaming service's most anticipated series, it's a chance to see if Netflix and Marvel have something substantial on their hands, or if Daredevil was merely a fluke.
A lot of credit definitely needs to go to Krysten Ritter. Likely best known for her tragic role in Breaking Bad as Jesse's girlfriend Jane, she has been making a name for herself as the sardonic best friend who is both sarcastic and charming. Among her credits is the short lived TV series Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23, which embodied her charisma so well that meme culture has adopted her dialogue as takedowns for internet trolls. Even if you don't know Ritter, it is likely that you have seen her around somewhere. With the latest series, she gets to be more than the sarcastic best friend. She is the detective with a dark past. She just happens to be sardonic most of the time.
If there is one fault to Jessica Jones, it's that the show's immediacy isn't there. Even with Ritter's compelling performance as Jones, there's nothing that grabs the viewer within the premise. She's washed up and repressing a past that crops up in cryptic imagery in the corners of the frame. As psychological as it is, the introduction to her work, an infidelity that turns to murder, is slow and doesn't give the actress much to do. Beyond the last five minutes, the case is dull. Among the four major female superheroes, she's arguably too apathetic about the world around her. It's both a relief, making this the most grounded superhero show, and a little obnoxious. If Ritter wasn't so charming, there's actually no incentive to watch it. It's a mediocre crime show and its supporting cast isn't given enough to compensate.
While this may sound like a complaint about this series planning to bridge with Daredevil, it isn't. This is merely a question of what the initial draw is. What gets audiences to care about a faux noir show when the noir isn't rich? It is by no means bad and there's still 12 more episodes in the season to improve upon. However, what is this show going to be? Is it a "Crime of the week" scenario? Is this an excuse to explore Jones' forbidden past, including why she isn't a superhero anymore? As a character piece, it is fine. However, there's too much that isn't established in the first episode to sell me on its promise.
Again, the likely relief is that Ritter is a great actress whose personality is capable of lifting anything to watchable (except Gravity). While I don't understand the constructs of the show, I understand her placement within the world. She doesn't have a window to her apartment. She's constantly pulling at strings to get by. So far, her boss' only establishment is that she's a lesbian. Not that this is a bad thing. Diversity in TV is greatly accepted. However, there's not a lot about the world itself that seems interesting or promising. I want to see Ritter give her all and make this show something special. However, I don't quite see it just yet. It isn't because it is trying to be part of "a universe" as the Marvel movies have been to diminishing returns. It is just that it's a noir show without a bigger personality. It's neither dark enough or stylish enough to be either.
Jessica Jones is the latest from Netflix's recent impressive output following Master of None and W/ Bob and David. It is also the least superpowered superhero show of the year. As much as that's a good thing, I just wish it had a little more fun with whatever it was trying to do. The one catch is the mystery that ends the episode is enough to hook the audience for at least one more outing. The only thing is that there should be more to love about it before pressing that play button. What this show needs to have is more interesting characters and more personality. Maybe it will happen. Maybe it will just be another Marvel show. Who knows.
A lot of credit definitely needs to go to Krysten Ritter. Likely best known for her tragic role in Breaking Bad as Jesse's girlfriend Jane, she has been making a name for herself as the sardonic best friend who is both sarcastic and charming. Among her credits is the short lived TV series Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23, which embodied her charisma so well that meme culture has adopted her dialogue as takedowns for internet trolls. Even if you don't know Ritter, it is likely that you have seen her around somewhere. With the latest series, she gets to be more than the sarcastic best friend. She is the detective with a dark past. She just happens to be sardonic most of the time.
If there is one fault to Jessica Jones, it's that the show's immediacy isn't there. Even with Ritter's compelling performance as Jones, there's nothing that grabs the viewer within the premise. She's washed up and repressing a past that crops up in cryptic imagery in the corners of the frame. As psychological as it is, the introduction to her work, an infidelity that turns to murder, is slow and doesn't give the actress much to do. Beyond the last five minutes, the case is dull. Among the four major female superheroes, she's arguably too apathetic about the world around her. It's both a relief, making this the most grounded superhero show, and a little obnoxious. If Ritter wasn't so charming, there's actually no incentive to watch it. It's a mediocre crime show and its supporting cast isn't given enough to compensate.
While this may sound like a complaint about this series planning to bridge with Daredevil, it isn't. This is merely a question of what the initial draw is. What gets audiences to care about a faux noir show when the noir isn't rich? It is by no means bad and there's still 12 more episodes in the season to improve upon. However, what is this show going to be? Is it a "Crime of the week" scenario? Is this an excuse to explore Jones' forbidden past, including why she isn't a superhero anymore? As a character piece, it is fine. However, there's too much that isn't established in the first episode to sell me on its promise.
Again, the likely relief is that Ritter is a great actress whose personality is capable of lifting anything to watchable (except Gravity). While I don't understand the constructs of the show, I understand her placement within the world. She doesn't have a window to her apartment. She's constantly pulling at strings to get by. So far, her boss' only establishment is that she's a lesbian. Not that this is a bad thing. Diversity in TV is greatly accepted. However, there's not a lot about the world itself that seems interesting or promising. I want to see Ritter give her all and make this show something special. However, I don't quite see it just yet. It isn't because it is trying to be part of "a universe" as the Marvel movies have been to diminishing returns. It is just that it's a noir show without a bigger personality. It's neither dark enough or stylish enough to be either.
Jessica Jones is the latest from Netflix's recent impressive output following Master of None and W/ Bob and David. It is also the least superpowered superhero show of the year. As much as that's a good thing, I just wish it had a little more fun with whatever it was trying to do. The one catch is the mystery that ends the episode is enough to hook the audience for at least one more outing. The only thing is that there should be more to love about it before pressing that play button. What this show needs to have is more interesting characters and more personality. Maybe it will happen. Maybe it will just be another Marvel show. Who knows.
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