***This review may contain minor spoilers***
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“Jessica Jones” season 3 features some fantastic character moments, but a weak villain and random story arcs keep it from ever really getting out of first gear.
The initial part of the season has a strong plot, and the search for who tried to kill Jessica is compelling. But, as we move closer to the midseason point, the story goes into some odd directions. It becomes clear the big bad for the season is barely a threat, and is only kept out of prison by lucky breaks and legal loopholes. While finding new ways to take him down drive the narrative for a while longer, he rarely feels like any kind of threat for a good chunk of time.
Fortunately, the rest of the main cast have strong character arcs that make up for the bland villain. Krysten Ritter does a fantastic job, not only playing the typical sarcastic Jessica, but also portraying her attempts to be more heroic, and her more vulnerable side. Rachel Taylor is also awesome here, as the city’s newest superhero is put through a gauntlet of emotions. The new, ruthless Malcom is a welcome change, even though is story runs out of steam midway through the season. And the most conflicting character is Jerri Hogarth. While her terminal diagnosis from last season starts her off with a lot of sympathy, she quickly becomes unlikable as she stoops to some of her dirtiest tactics to get what she wants. Meanwhile, the best new character is Erik. While he comes off as a bit of a wild card at points, he’s very likable and has great chemistry with Jessica.
There are quite a few things that don’t work this season. Erik’s sister, Jerri’s romance, and Malcom’s relationship woes all seem they don’t add much to the narrative, or take up way more time then they deserve. And, while the show does a great job of delving into the not-so-glamourous details of living with ALS or losing a spleen, later episodes only reference these conditions when the plot calls for it, or it’s never brought up again.
“Jessica Jones” lacks a strong villain and ends a bit on an anti-climactic note, but the trials and tribulations of the main characters make for some strong television.
*** out of *****