Jessica Jones - Facetime

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“Jessica Jones” continues to show Trish move from one sexual relationship to the next, seemingly unable to find any sustainability. She even admits that her life is a mess as her failed romance to Griffin falls apart and a marriage proposal is denied. And just like that, after another “snort” of the IGH “juice”, Trish goes right for the kiss with an existential Malcolm, who visited his old university (and former girlfriend, clean and sober, with her at first hesitant to talk to him before realizing he’s much better), surprised by her aggressiveness. Prior to this, Trish was similar to a junkie going through desperate sick need for her fix. Her jacket had been left in Jessica’s office/apartment, with the IGH “pump”, Malcolm retrieving it, delivering it to Trish when she was mad with need for her juice. When Trish took a snort at the beginning of the episode she was looking for a fight, dumping a “pervert” out of a bus, nearly attacking a bald, tattooed book reader who was not the stereotype thug often presented in shows like this. Trish is presented as unstable and totally in the throes of her “super addiction”. Her intense sexual encounter with Malcolm leaves me perplexed at where this new development will go because she can’t hold a relationship together but the show sure does establish that the sex itself is passionate and worthwhile.

Seeing Jessica trying to come to terms with a potentially substantive relationship with her super (he draws a portrait of her asleep, with her taken aback by this) is amusing because it is like a fish out of water, not quite sure how to function outside her comfort zone of loneliness and disappointment (coming out of the misfire with Luke Cage has sort of stymied her) of daily life absent a real love interest. I can’t see this going anywhere, mainly because of the conclusion. We finally get an answer as to the mysterious older woman with superior strength to Jessica: she’s Jess’ mom! I kind of had my suspicions, mainly from a scene when they met at the bar in a previous episode. The “why you ungrateful brat!” reaction to Jessica who confronted her about being “turned into a freak” didn’t sit well with mommy. In pursuit of Dr. Karl (the doc who seems to be IGH’s Frankenstein, seemingly in love with Jess’ mom, their use of the shattered aquarium the means to get distance from JJ), Jessica locates a “pantyhose heir” with a graduate son who was “healed” by Karl in favor of being a donor for his research and mad science. This develops off a funny scene where Trish tears into a doorman and security over her and JJ not being allowed into a private men’s golf club/course, allowing Jessica to enter over a wall to talk with the pantyhose heir, eventually finding his boy, using a selfie and mild threat towards his life in order to secure the residence/lab of Dr. Karl. This sets up Jessica realizing the woman she has been after is her mother. It really shouts, “Shit just got more complicated”!

Included is the subplot featuring all kinds of sexual tension between Jeri and her current houseguest, Inez (Leah Gibson). Inez realizes, because of her nursing background, that Jeri has ALS, wanting to offer help to her. Someone from IGH, another human experiment, was “gifted” the ability to heal, Inez telling Jeri she was “touched” also after the violent encounter with Jessica’s mom. Receiving a sports bra, “hip” shirt, and food, Inez appears to be abusing her “safehouse” privileges as Jeri tells Jessica that she’s had enough of her guest. But Inez might can help Jeri, so this stance could very well be altered. When Inez undresses in front of Jeri without any problem, as Jeri looks on with a mix of discomfort and obvious attraction, it is a well done moment of increasing sexual awkwardness…it does seem to be indicating potential…something. Inez’ attitude and mouth eventually give way to sympathy and a seemingly sincere desire to help Jeri. We’ll see how it goes!