Jessica Jones promotional art cover for episode 210 “AKA Pork Chop.” Photo courtesy of Netflix.
**This Article Contains Spoilers for Jessica Jones Episode 210 and Episodes Prior**
“I almost put your face through the floor, where is your sense of self-preservation?”
Well, that didn’t go well. Jessica has now killed again. Yes, it was an accident that occurred out of self-defense. But she lost control of her strength in that moment. She can’t truly justify what happened. How can Jessica now not feel like a constant liability to those around her? The parallels between her and her mother are stronger than ever before. Jessica could easily have become what Alisa is, and can still become just as unintentionally dangerous. Those parallels, and the through-line mentioned above are both strong and important elements that serve to strengthen Jessica’s character arc—and I love them being front and center. They’ve now escalated the season storyline of Jessica struggling to deal with the fact that she has killed. I just wish they had found a more natural way of achieving this escalation.
The writers clearly wanted to get Jessica to reach this point eventually, but it’s a shame that the plot vehicle used to get her there was lacking. Yes, I have issues with Dale. It’s kind of annoying that they went with the usual trope of a bad prison guard abusing their power. On top of that, how convenient was it that Alisa was placed in his care? And how stupid does one have to be to torment Alisa out of all prisoners? If Jessica hadn’t accidentally killed Dale, Alisa surely would have. I feel like this turn of events would have had a larger impact if she had accidentally killed someone that had slowly been built up through the season—not just a suddenly introduced character.
When it came to her mother, Jessica still couldn’t get past leaving Alisa to rot in The Raft. I find it really interesting how everything that Jessica is attempting to do—like taking Oscar’s way out for Karl—is constantly going against what every fiber in her being is telling her to do. It shows in every aspect of Krysten Ritter’s performance. Jessica hates it, but she can’t help but find the best possible conclusion for her mother. One of my favorite moments of the episode was when Oscar hugged Jessica, and you saw her break for the smallest moment on his shoulder. Jessica rarely cracks in front of others and seeing it happen hit hard. While their relationship started on a sudden note, the slow burn from that point on has benefitted them.
J.R. Ramirez as Oscar (left) and Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones (right). Photo courtesy of Netflix.
I was also very happy that everyone finally knows about Alisa, and her connection to Jessica. It was about time, and the revelation aided in progressing Trish’s storyline. But I guess she is just better now? Even with a rather sudden recovery, we saw a more level-headed Trish than we’ve seen in awhile. She’s actually looking into what she was taking, she’s reflecting on what she’s done wrong, and she seems to have some form of reasoning back. Though clearly, not everything in her head is back in working order, as evident by betraying Malcolm. I find myself not knowing if her questioning of Karl and Alisa is logical or illogical. Trish is a loose cannon and her own unreliable narrator.
Aside from being shoved into the trunk, Malcolm is back! I wish that we saw him after taking the inhaler, instead of him simply vanishing, but he doesn’t seem to be doing too badly. He still has his stuff together, and he’s still almost always the most level-headed person in the room. His confrontation about how he’s been treated by Jessica and Trish was well deserved. Though, he did backslide a little by giving in to Trish so quickly. Clearly, he might rethink that in the future if he wants to avoid being stuffed in a trunk.
We also now know how Hogarth’s miracle solution worked out. Not very well. Under the false belief that the healing worked, Jessica had to break it to Hogarth that Shane is a fraud. Still in denial, it took Hogarth until she got home to her ransacked apartment. Turns out we were all duped. It really was a tragic turn of events, which saw Hogarth falling to the floor as everything came crashing down around her. There is no miracle solution. She left herself vulnerable and open, and Inez took advantage of that. Hogarth was violently forced into realizing her own mortality, and I don’t think that will go well for Inez. I don’t see this being the end of her story, and something tells me she is going to get the full force of Hogarth’s wrath before the season is all said and done.
Carrie-Anne Moss as Hogarth (left) and Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones (right). Photo courtesy of Netflix.
The episode gave us a truly horrifying—and intriguing—development with Jessica, even if the show’s way of getting there was lackluster. Hogarth’s search for a cure came to a tragic close, and Trish may not be doing so well. With a lot on Jessica’s plate, I can’t help but look forward to how Jessica will handle everything. Krysten Ritter’s performance always excels when Jessica reaches her lowest points, and I think I can safely say that this qualifies.
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:
- I really do hope that this isn’t the end of Inez and Shane.
- I’m betting Jessica is going to have some form of psychotic break, and this will lead to seeing our favorite purple suited man.
Jessica Jones Season 2 is now available to stream exclusively on Netflix.
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