Female superheroes have made their way to the small screen. Especially strong was Jessica Jones’ emergence. This character, created by Marvel, leads one of Netflix’ successes of the season.
Jones has a little bit of everything: trauma, few social skills and a complicated personality. But, despite the independence that she shows to everyone surrounding her –her almost-sister Trish being the only exception– she gives off an unquestionable touch of fragility. It is safe to say that this hint is what makes her so humane, and what made us all to empathize with her. Besides, the secondary characters provide the show with all it needs: the neighbor and unwavering friend that we would all want to have by our side; and a radio host who, tired from a bland day-to-day, gets into Jessica’s world without a second thought; also, the fierce lawyer who, at home, needs to fight so that her life does not collapse.
However, beyond the treats of a different hero and her remarkable companions, the show brings to the table crucial questions that, to the day, had not been seen in productions directed to the general audience. There is no place for fear in ‘Jessica Jones’. The screenwriting team dared to tackle, in the most natural way, topics such as abusive relationships –both between parents and children and between partners- consent, addictions and reckless sex.
This is not the typical Marvel’s show. Science fiction and superpowers, remain in the background to allow room for the complexity of real life
This is not the typical Marvel’s show. Science fiction and superpowers, remain in the background to allow room for the complexity of real life. It is also the show that brought to the small screen a feminism that had already gained momentum in Hollywood. The main characters are women, strong and courageous women, and men appear only to support them or as evil characters, such as Jessica’s antagonist, ‘Killgrave‘.
This season, ‘Jessica Jones’ is not the only show with a leading female superhero. The television sequel of DC Comics’ Supergirl has also been much talked about. However, while the show broadcasted by CBS is closer to what we have seen before, Jones has stolen our hearts, has created space for debate and could be the show to start a new tendency in the American industry.