AKA Finally, a Female Anti-Hero

I really love shows that revolve around tiny women beating up monsters. It's kind of my genre. So it's fitting that my binge watch this past week was Marvel's Jessica Jones on Netflix. (Be warned all ye who read below: Mild spoilers.)Marvel as a brand is just so on point. I'm a causal fan, with no real familiarity with the comic books, just a working knowledge based off articles I've read relating those plotlines to the corresponding movies, but I have enjoyed every Marvel movie I've watched (or, in the case of Thor: The Dark World, at least been moderately entertained by). After the first Iron Man, I watched most of the Avengers' solo films, my love for the franchise solidifying after seeing the gang all together in the first Avengers film. Guardians of the Galaxy did not interest me at all when I saw the previews, but I saw it anyway and, as per usual, had an incredibly pleasant viewing experience. Essentially, I really trust that Marvel's product will be quality. While I'm salty that there has been no Black Widow origin/solo movie (because no, I don't give two shits about Ant Man, no matter who they get to play him), Marvel is really earning back some feminism points, at least in my book, with Jessica Jones. The show's lead, the titular Jessica, is an ex-superhero who spends her days as a private investigator who's dealing poorly with her PTSD by drinking it away, to varying levels of success. Jessica and her adopted sister, Trish, give us an awesome portrayal of strong female friendship, and Jessica herself shows us what a lead, female anti-hero looks like—which, for those of you wondering, is pure, unadulterated awesome. Watching Krysten Ritter as Jessica is kind of trippy, since I've only seen her in Gilmore Girls and other small, somewhat silly roles. Seeing her play a world-weary alcoholic badass with superhuman strength is a surprise, but in the best way possible. Speaking of awesome performances, let's give two thumbs way, way up for David Tennant. While I know other nerds love him from his role as the Tenth Doctor, I only know him from his quick stint as Barty Crouch, Jr. in the fourth Harry Potter film. His performance as Kilgrave, the show's villain, is excellent. Between his acting and the brilliant writing, I found myself, over the course of the show, moving from fearing and hating the character in the first several episodes to almost rooting for him (and the relationship he seeks with Jessica) in the middle episodes. This, I think, is representative of the temptation to give in to an abuser. But kudos to the screenwriters: Ultimately, the narrative won't leave viewers with a desire to let Kilgrave off the hook, even in light of his seemingly tragic backstory.  As is standard for Marvel, the show tackles gritty moral issues that you probably won't see Superman or Batman touching. And the best part about Jessica Jones is that these issues are often unique to the female experience. One of the coolest aspects of this show is the conversation it's inspiring. Case in point/shameless pseudo-self-promotion: Check out The Parlor Podcast, hosted by my fiancé and one of his friends. I've only listened to their first Jessica Jones episode, but that's just because I was too busy not denying myself the pleasure of binge watching the entire show to listen to the second. In the first, and, hopefully, subsequent podcasts, these two fellas have some great feminist conversation. Also, my fiancé admits he was wrong in an argument we had to the Internet-at-large, so I know it's real.If you're wondering if you should watch Jessica Jones, I've got a little litmus test for you:If you answered yes to even one of the above, it's time to begin your binge.