Entertainment

Why 'Jessica Jones' Is Marvel's Darkest And Most Enticing Show

by Howard Rudnick
Netflix

I'll admit it: Binge-watching is an addiction.

I don't know when the addiction will take place, but when it does, I can't help it.

Marvel and Netflix decided to drop the new series "Jessica Jones" this weekend, and it was ironically the same weekend I was planning on having a feelings fest with my copy of Adele's 25.

I'm not one who reads comic books, but I love the entire superhero genre. I always have and always will.

When I was younger, I had all the toys and action figures.

I once went to a 17-hour movie marathon for the release of the first installment of "The Avengers."

I'm a dedicated superhero geek.

I tried watching Netflix's first foray into the comic book universe with "Daredevil," but I could not get past the first 10 minutes.

For me, the selling point of "Jessica Jones" was not the fact it was a piece of art from Marvel, but that the hysterically witty Krysten Ritter was cast as the lead character.

If you have never seen "Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23," then I'm truly sorry for you.

Ritter brings her brand of sass to life in the role of Jessica Jones, a troubled, often drunk former "superhero" who wants to settle into being a normal person.

Through the 13 hours of the show, we follow her journey as she struggles with who she truly is, fights to save the ones she loves and protects those in danger from her former lover and psychotic serial killer, Kilgrave.

If I'm going to be sucked into a television show for well over 10 hours or multiple seasons, I need to do my research.

I need to find out who is in the cast, and I need to be invested in the actors who are bringing these characters to life.

During my binge-viewing of "Jessica Jones," my best friend was searching Wikipedia so I could do some research about the comic book version of Jessica Jones and her supporting cast, in order to understand the direction and vision the team at Marvel had for this series.

Next, I needed to make sure that after I was hooked on the show, I would be able to give up any and all other priorities in my life, whether it be family, friends or personal responsibilities.

Of course, because I'm an adult and I have a very needy pug who needs love and treats, this wasn't really possible.

But, I made sure to fit in and accommodate these outside distractions into my viewing habits.

When I get hooked on a show, I have to be able to go back and re-watch a scene or an entire episode in case I miss something.

Binge-watching a television show requires dedication to detail, and with series like these, you need to be able to focus in on all the smallest details because they usually play into something bigger later on.

The show, a gripping and brutally painful tale of a young woman grappling with post-traumatic stress and a questionable addiction to alcohol, is set in the background of a very real New York City, one that is cold, harsh and filled with horrible people.

It also brings forth the question of whether we are truly free of our own will or if our actions are guided, suggested or dictated by those in control over us.

Lastly, being that this is Marvel, they've set viewers up for numerous things to look forward to.

The first is the introduction to Luke Cage, who will have his own series as a love interest, friend and confidant for Jessica Jones.

Marvel also gave us a great cameo by Rosario Dawson's character, Claire Temple, who we saw in "Daredevil" first.

As viewers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), we know that all of these entries in the MCU are connected, so it was a nice treat for loyal viewers.

Perhaps the best part about the series from Marvel was that it left the door open to greater stories to be told.

To me, "Jessica Jones," a show with a vast variety of themes and unanswered questions, is one worthy of binge-watching.

It sucks me in until it's used me up, and I'm okay with that.