The Verse’s Hannah Kent tells us what she thought of Jessica Jones‘ series on Netflix
Female Superheroes; perfectly styled women, clad in tight spandex and barely dressed. These characters should empower and inspire young girls and women. Instead, they are undeniably over sexualised objects manufactured for the male gaze. But a new breed of female superhero is coming. This revolution is led by the incredible Jessica Jones, the main character in a self-entitled TV show that first aired on Netflix in 2015, with season two released recently; and trust me, you should be watching it.
Jessica is a Private Investigator with superhuman strength, a bad attitude and absolutely no regard for the mass media’s sexist agenda. She’s a strong and independent character. Shown immediately when she’s first seen on screen throwing an aggressive man through her office door. She consistently asserts her power over others, not only in her physical strength but in her willingness to do whatever necessary to get what she wants. Jessica lifts cars, tosses men across rooms, jumps atop of buildings and when threatened she even asks “Do I look like I’m hiding?”. She’s an immensely powerful woman. Unashamed of who she is and unafraid to go to extreme lengths for what she believes in. Proving her to be a fierce and remarkable character.
The show also has deep and complex relationships. The most prominent of which is the friendship between the two lead women, Jessica and her adoptive sister Trish. The friendship dynamic they share has never been shown between two women in the Marvel franchise before, some reviews even calling their relationship “a tour-de-force of feminism”. (Shawn Binder. 2015. Distractify.)
Ultimately Jessica Jones is a mean-spirited and cynical anti-hero, who, quite frankly, drinks too much and hurts an unnecessary amount of people. But her power, charisma and determination are guaranteed to make you desperate to see her succeed. Jessica Jones’ representation brilliantly defies all the stereotypes and expectations set upon her; So if you want to see and badass women kick a bad guy’s ass, this show is a must!
