Jessica Jones: AKA WWJD?
November 22, 2015 10:26 PM - Season 1, Episode 8 - Subscribe
Kilgrave and Jessica set up an awkward household of slaves, and Jessica ponders if it's possible to use Kilgrave for good instead of evil.
Okay, I got to watch up to episode 8 tonight, booyah! And this is a humdinger: Kilgrave's got employee/servants around to torture, he's re-created the house decor, and he bought Jessica a dress that she promptly shreds. And he threatens to do things to the employees if she doesn't cooperate. Meanwhile, surveilling Simpson has planted a bomb in the house, which Jessica finds out about and isn't cool with, and tells Kilgrave about it. Also, a neighbor comes over to the house to introduce herself and says something about how she should have warned them about the accident (which we see in this episode--Jessica was being bratty and then her parents crashed the car into a truck), and Kilgrave is all "why would you say that?" The lady is all "to make myself feel important." Kilgrave tells her to leave and it's a... slightly less bad moment for all?
On the other hand, K&J have some interesting conversations about upbringings--what was on that flash drive, you ask? Some nasty video. Apparently little Kevin (KEVIN?!) was basically a lab rat for his parents and that's where his lack of morals and powers come from. Well, he would care if Jessica died, not so much anyone else. Dude also doesn't really get that he raped Jessica because how would he know what somebody wants to do? When he says stuff, things happen and it's hard to be careful. Like the time he told a guy to go screw himself....
Anyway, while watching TV and seeing that some guy is holding his family hostage, Jessica demands they go over there and fix the situation--Kilgrave Obi-Wans their way in, Jessica breaks in a door and shoos the family out, Kilgrave stops him from shooting and then is about to tell him to blow his head off when Jessica intervenes and gets him to tell the guy to turn himself into the police instead. POWERS OF EVIL FOR GOOD, Y'ALL! Afterwards, Kilgrave indicates he really would have thought telling the guy to blow off his head would have been a good idea, and he needs Jessica in order to be good. Jessica insists on taking a walk by herself (which is to say, go over to Trish's for advice) to figure out if KIlgrave can be harnessed for good or not.
...Maybe? Worth a try, I think? But.... well, anyway, Jessica comes home with Chinese food and manages to drug up Kilgrave again, but as she's heading out both the bodyguard and Simpson and other cops come out. Jessica flies away, but the neighbor lady's been programmed by Kilgrave to hand Simpson a bomb...and now she's a mess of body parts. Ugh. Didn't need a closeup of that.
So, what say you on the "use his powers for good" scale? I concur with Trish that if you can't control him it's kind of a lion tamer/Roy and the tiger situation, but it's still better than the alternative, if "kill him" or "imprison him" aren't feasible options.
Okay, I got to watch up to episode 8 tonight, booyah! And this is a humdinger: Kilgrave's got employee/servants around to torture, he's re-created the house decor, and he bought Jessica a dress that she promptly shreds. And he threatens to do things to the employees if she doesn't cooperate. Meanwhile, surveilling Simpson has planted a bomb in the house, which Jessica finds out about and isn't cool with, and tells Kilgrave about it. Also, a neighbor comes over to the house to introduce herself and says something about how she should have warned them about the accident (which we see in this episode--Jessica was being bratty and then her parents crashed the car into a truck), and Kilgrave is all "why would you say that?" The lady is all "to make myself feel important." Kilgrave tells her to leave and it's a... slightly less bad moment for all?
On the other hand, K&J have some interesting conversations about upbringings--what was on that flash drive, you ask? Some nasty video. Apparently little Kevin (KEVIN?!) was basically a lab rat for his parents and that's where his lack of morals and powers come from. Well, he would care if Jessica died, not so much anyone else. Dude also doesn't really get that he raped Jessica because how would he know what somebody wants to do? When he says stuff, things happen and it's hard to be careful. Like the time he told a guy to go screw himself....
Anyway, while watching TV and seeing that some guy is holding his family hostage, Jessica demands they go over there and fix the situation--Kilgrave Obi-Wans their way in, Jessica breaks in a door and shoos the family out, Kilgrave stops him from shooting and then is about to tell him to blow his head off when Jessica intervenes and gets him to tell the guy to turn himself into the police instead. POWERS OF EVIL FOR GOOD, Y'ALL! Afterwards, Kilgrave indicates he really would have thought telling the guy to blow off his head would have been a good idea, and he needs Jessica in order to be good. Jessica insists on taking a walk by herself (which is to say, go over to Trish's for advice) to figure out if KIlgrave can be harnessed for good or not.
...Maybe? Worth a try, I think? But.... well, anyway, Jessica comes home with Chinese food and manages to drug up Kilgrave again, but as she's heading out both the bodyguard and Simpson and other cops come out. Jessica flies away, but the neighbor lady's been programmed by Kilgrave to hand Simpson a bomb...and now she's a mess of body parts. Ugh. Didn't need a closeup of that.
So, what say you on the "use his powers for good" scale? I concur with Trish that if you can't control him it's kind of a lion tamer/Roy and the tiger situation, but it's still better than the alternative, if "kill him" or "imprison him" aren't feasible options.
THIS is the episode that they filmed on my block. That house where they have the hostage standoff is about two doors down from me, and the spot where Kilgrave does the mind jedi thing on the cop is right by my bus stop.
DAVID TENNANT WE WERE SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:35 PM on November 23, 2015 [14 favorites]
DAVID TENNANT WE WERE SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:35 PM on November 23, 2015 [14 favorites]
It may just be my own Whedon pathology talking, but this whole scenario increasingly has a Buffy/Spike vibe to it (even though Jessica is much more Faith-ish in style). He is in love with her, in his own creepy, soulless way, complete with the ew-ful shrine to her in his old place. He's even willing to work for the side of good if it scores him brownie points with the object of his affections... although she needs to be his moral compass, since he has none of his own. (Or a very distorted one, at least.)
He'll also settle for a JessicaBot if he must, but he deeply wants the real Jessica to love him, and is so twisted he can't see how impossible this is.
Unfortunately, KevinGrave doesn't have a chip in his head to keep him from actually harming people, so he's much more dangerous to toy with.
posted by Superplin at 1:01 PM on November 23, 2015 [6 favorites]
He'll also settle for a JessicaBot if he must, but he deeply wants the real Jessica to love him, and is so twisted he can't see how impossible this is.
Unfortunately, KevinGrave doesn't have a chip in his head to keep him from actually harming people, so he's much more dangerous to toy with.
posted by Superplin at 1:01 PM on November 23, 2015 [6 favorites]
So many things in this ep made me physically shudder with disgust and despair, I need a real break after this one.
Literally so much more horrifying than Ruben's dead body/bagged head serving as Exposition Point throughout the previous episode. Just. Ugh.
I need a Karen Silkwood shower to get that last image out of my head. RIP BoyTrish, you were one of the good guys (though definitely an idiot sometimes).
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:22 PM on November 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Literally so much more horrifying than Ruben's dead body/bagged head serving as Exposition Point throughout the previous episode. Just. Ugh.
I need a Karen Silkwood shower to get that last image out of my head. RIP BoyTrish, you were one of the good guys (though definitely an idiot sometimes).
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 9:22 PM on November 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
How about the dream of her family with the blood rigs under their hair? Ugh, coupled with the kid's experiment video it was all over squicky. And maybe I missed something, but how did Reva have the yellow flash drive to begin with? I dont know if thats been touched on yet, but it sure wasnt questioned.
posted by sweetmarie at 8:47 PM on November 28, 2015
posted by sweetmarie at 8:47 PM on November 28, 2015
Not really sure how neighbor lady could be walking around with a bomb ready to go off, on the off chance that she runs into Simpson while Kilgrave is unconscious.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:38 AM on November 30, 2015
posted by TWinbrook8 at 6:38 AM on November 30, 2015
I thought the whole point of drugging him was so that it'd break his control over other people - When they first brought it up, they made a big point of distinguishing between being asleep and being sedated.
...but then... while he's unconscious... neighbor lady bombed Simpson. How does that add up?
posted by lizzicide at 3:09 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
...but then... while he's unconscious... neighbor lady bombed Simpson. How does that add up?
posted by lizzicide at 3:09 PM on November 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
re yellow flash drive: Somehow I got the impression that Reva was a reporter. She could've been doing a story on these experimental kids?
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:05 PM on November 30, 2015
posted by TWinbrook8 at 7:05 PM on November 30, 2015
Not really sure how neighbor lady could be walking around with a bomb ready to go off, on the off chance that she runs into Simpson while Kilgrave is unconscious.
She also had the cell phone trigger for the bomb. She walked up to Simpson with the bomb in one hand and the cell in the other, then set it off with the phone when he was close enough to look in the bag.
posted by gemmy at 4:58 PM on December 1, 2015
She also had the cell phone trigger for the bomb. She walked up to Simpson with the bomb in one hand and the cell in the other, then set it off with the phone when he was close enough to look in the bag.
posted by gemmy at 4:58 PM on December 1, 2015
ALL THE WOMEN IN THIS SHOW HAVE AGENCY. I love it.
When Jeri's ex walks in to her office, we think she got cowed into signing the divorce papers by JJ's intimidation. But now, she's dropping a shit load of leverage on her and standing her ground. And even Jeri's new love in that scene is t giving ex the satisfaction of making her look like an easily manipulated blonde airhead (which would the the typical reaction of the "running off with your hot secretary" trope).
posted by dry white toast at 5:46 AM on December 4, 2015
When Jeri's ex walks in to her office, we think she got cowed into signing the divorce papers by JJ's intimidation. But now, she's dropping a shit load of leverage on her and standing her ground. And even Jeri's new love in that scene is t giving ex the satisfaction of making her look like an easily manipulated blonde airhead (which would the the typical reaction of the "running off with your hot secretary" trope).
posted by dry white toast at 5:46 AM on December 4, 2015
Yes, I love how the hot secretary is smart and clever!
When Jessica was at Trish's, I almost was thinking the show was going to go light-hearted and actually have possible redemption for Kilgrave. Nope nope! I did not expect what actually happened with the Chinese food instead. I thought it was silly for Kilgrave to be wary of the food and have Jessica test it, totally buying it that they were going to try the hero route. Nice surprise there.
Aw, man. The guilt of being that bratty teenage kid and having a mostly benign bratty moment be what kills your family. Like in Garden State with the dishwasher door. As a (mostly) former bratty teenager, oof.
I also didn't expect the neighbor lady walking bomb. Kilgrave was certainly productive while waiting for Jessica to return home.
His complete disregard for the comfort and feelings of the two house slaves were definitely a sign that a redemption for him would be pert near impossible to actually achieve.
posted by jillithd at 9:06 PM on December 8, 2015
When Jessica was at Trish's, I almost was thinking the show was going to go light-hearted and actually have possible redemption for Kilgrave. Nope nope! I did not expect what actually happened with the Chinese food instead. I thought it was silly for Kilgrave to be wary of the food and have Jessica test it, totally buying it that they were going to try the hero route. Nice surprise there.
Aw, man. The guilt of being that bratty teenage kid and having a mostly benign bratty moment be what kills your family. Like in Garden State with the dishwasher door. As a (mostly) former bratty teenager, oof.
I also didn't expect the neighbor lady walking bomb. Kilgrave was certainly productive while waiting for Jessica to return home.
His complete disregard for the comfort and feelings of the two house slaves were definitely a sign that a redemption for him would be pert near impossible to actually achieve.
posted by jillithd at 9:06 PM on December 8, 2015
But then, too, when she was plating the Chinese food, I remembered what so many people said about how this show is about abusive relationships. And the whole "if I stay with him, I can make him better" is DEFINITELY a part of some abusive relationship victims' experiences. Very happy with how that dinner went instead.
posted by jillithd at 9:09 PM on December 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by jillithd at 9:09 PM on December 8, 2015 [3 favorites]
I thought the whole point of drugging him was so that it'd break his control over other people - When they first brought it up, they made a big point of distinguishing between being asleep and being sedated.
That's the conclusion they come to based on what they know, and it seems to be validated by his hiring of bodyguards. However we don't see it tested against the domestic staff, as they are also unconscious. There's also the question of whether this is sedation-level unconsciousness given that's it's delivered orally, not via injection as was necessary for the surgical sedative.
Tl;dr: nothing in this necessarily clashes with what we know, only with what the characters think they know, and even then maybe not.
posted by phearlez at 11:24 AM on January 10, 2016
That's the conclusion they come to based on what they know, and it seems to be validated by his hiring of bodyguards. However we don't see it tested against the domestic staff, as they are also unconscious. There's also the question of whether this is sedation-level unconsciousness given that's it's delivered orally, not via injection as was necessary for the surgical sedative.
Tl;dr: nothing in this necessarily clashes with what we know, only with what the characters think they know, and even then maybe not.
posted by phearlez at 11:24 AM on January 10, 2016
Also, I think Pam is a paralegal or possibly even an associate, not a secretary.
posted by phearlez at 11:26 AM on January 10, 2016
posted by phearlez at 11:26 AM on January 10, 2016
Gee, I hope the anesthetic doesn't cause any problems with Kilgrave's kidneys.
posted by A dead Quaker at 10:08 PM on January 17, 2016
posted by A dead Quaker at 10:08 PM on January 17, 2016
The anaesthetic was delivered surgically -- she stuffed a napkin in his mouth and then stuck him.
What this whole episode reminded me of, more than anything, was all the sex in my life that I have chosen to have, that I had willingly, because I would rather have it willingly than not. When the only difference between a fun time and a victimization is that you didn't want it, it's so easy to decide that you DID want it, you DO want it, it'll be fine, this'll be fun, all you have to do is draw all the conflict and awkwardness and violence inside yourself and then there will be no crime, no struggle, no crying under poorly ballasted fluorescent lights while you give a statement. All you have to do is decide that this is fine, and it will BE fine.
I almost cried when Jessica named it rape. The look on Killgrave's face when she did was almost identical to the look on a man from my own past's face, when I did the same.
posted by KathrynT at 11:50 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
What this whole episode reminded me of, more than anything, was all the sex in my life that I have chosen to have, that I had willingly, because I would rather have it willingly than not. When the only difference between a fun time and a victimization is that you didn't want it, it's so easy to decide that you DID want it, you DO want it, it'll be fine, this'll be fun, all you have to do is draw all the conflict and awkwardness and violence inside yourself and then there will be no crime, no struggle, no crying under poorly ballasted fluorescent lights while you give a statement. All you have to do is decide that this is fine, and it will BE fine.
I almost cried when Jessica named it rape. The look on Killgrave's face when she did was almost identical to the look on a man from my own past's face, when I did the same.
posted by KathrynT at 11:50 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
I think what was so wonderful and terrible in this is they make Kilgrave really, really charming. And they also make him human. What happens to a boy when he is never told no? When he never knows what he is doing is wrong? What happens when you have a child who has never been raised with morality?
Now pause.
What happens to a boy who is never told no - as long as the victims are people who don't really count? What happens to a boy who is told that an entire class of victims don't count? What happens when a whole class of boys is told that a whole class of girls don't count?
This show is fucking amazing and terrible at the same time.
posted by corb at 1:40 PM on January 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
Now pause.
What happens to a boy who is never told no - as long as the victims are people who don't really count? What happens to a boy who is told that an entire class of victims don't count? What happens when a whole class of boys is told that a whole class of girls don't count?
This show is fucking amazing and terrible at the same time.
posted by corb at 1:40 PM on January 26, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by jenfullmoon at 10:32 PM on November 22, 2015 [1 favorite]