Jessica Jones promotional art cover for episode 206 “AKA Facetime.” Photo courtesy of Netflix.
**This Article Contains Spoilers for Jessica Jones Episode 206 and Episodes Prior**
“I don’t understand…”
Well damn, things just got a lot more complex. Part of me feels like I should have seen the twist coming, but in all honesty I didn’t. The reveal itself was really well done. The moment you realized where Jessica was, you knew something was going to happen. An eerie silence blanketed the scene as Jessica observed things that you saw register with her, but you couldn’t place the dots she was connecting. The whole scene became unsettling. I felt dread as the anticipation towards the reveal hit hard.
What I love about the twist is that it adds a layer of complexity towards the conflict of the season. It gives the antagonist forces something it was missing, and now I believe that the emotional weight and personal struggle that it will provide Jessica could rival Kilgrave. My interest in the whole situation has now spiked, and the possibilities are intriguing. I only can hope that the show can successfully follow through. This monster that Jessica has feared to be too similar to herself is now the one person that she didn’t know she had left.
While the twist was great, the journey getting there was tedious. Most of the episode involved Jess trying to find out why Justis Ambrose was paying for Karl’s living expenses. This led to a bunch of relatively slow and uneventful scenes of Jessica attempting to get the information in the usual ways. It was interesting however to see the show continue to support the idea that IGH does seemingly good things, like saving Eric—while not giving him abilities. Continuing to spotlight IGH’s grey ethics is a great move that will only serve to strengthen the plot, and giving the audience something to consistently question.
Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones. Photo Courtesy of Netflix.
I think one of the characters that benefited the most in this episode was Inez. Up until this point she hasn’t really had any good character moments outside of her initial introduction scene. All we’ve had are scenes that tell us that she is out for herself. But as she was about to rob Hogarth and flee, a glimmer of her conscious showed through as she saw Hogarth’s prescribed ALS meds. There was another, softer side that seeped through, and seeing that was refreshing. It also worked out for Hogarth, because despite her best attempts to push Inez away due to lack of information, Inez sympathizing with her led to the reveal of a powered individual that can heal people. Hogarth may just have found the magical cure she was seeking.
Trish isn’t faring any better as her addiction led her further down a dark path, and boy did she look rough. They are building the addiction storyline on the foundation of her life completely turning upside down—and I guess it works? If anything though I feel that Trish should be in a better place after her decision to end her engagement. She made a hard life changing decision, yes, but she did so in confidence after coming to a personal conclusion about who she is and what she wants. I just don’t think that alone should have driven her to addiction. They did continue with her personal drive to heroism (the foundation I wish they had built this addiction on), but it only led to more scenes of her being sickly, and awkwardly looking for a bad guy to take down. Oh, and Trish impulsively hooked up with Malcolm.
Now Jessica says that Malcolm has a thing for Trish, but personally I’ve never got that impression (though he did seem into it). I look forward to seeing how Malcolm handles her actions, and if maybe he will play a role in seeing that something is very wrong with Trish—maybe even before Jessica, who is rather preoccupied. Trish aside, we also got a glimpse into Malcolm’s troubled personal past. Giving Malcolm’s character more to deal with is great, and I’m happy to learn more of his past. I truly felt bad for Malcolm, as he genuinely apologized for everything he was responsible for to Michelle, yet he still had to let her down by secretly stealing her ID.
A tedious episode led to a fantastic twist that promises to make Jessica’s life even more complex and messed up. Inez and Malcolm got some good moments, while Trish is sinking deeper into a questionably started addiction. The ethical complexity of IGH is interesting to contemplate, and I hope the the show can continue to fuel that complexity as it drives forward.
What did you guys think of the episode? Make sure to leave your thoughts down below in the comments! But please make sure to keep it spoiler free of any future episode information. For all of our Jessica Jones Season 2 coverage and reviews in one place, make sure to check out our HUB!
Bonus Notes:
- Purple paint sex can’t be sanitary.
- I know I mentioned the cliffhanger from the last episode was silly, but it was odd that we just completely skipped past it.
Jessica Jones promotional art cover for episode 206 “AKA Facetime.” Photo courtesy of Netflix.
Jessica Jones Season 2 is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
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