At the end of season 1, Jessica Jones finally defeated her nemesis Kilgrave – but at what cost? The only way she was able to stop him was by breaking his neck, getting blood on her hands in the process. So, when season 2 kicks off, the super-powered private eye will have a fresh load of trauma to deal with.
Official production notes on the upcoming season of the Marvel/Netflix drama feature some interesting comments from JJ‘s star and showrunner, which explain where Jessica’s headspace’s at when the drama begins. Firstly, Melissa Rosenberg notes that killing Kilgrave came at the high price of making the titular hero question herself:
“On one hand, she’s gotten rid of a bad guy, but on the other hand she’s become what he wanted her to become so she’s very deep in doubt about who she is.”
Fans will remember that Jessica Jones season 1 revealed that Kilgrave had made the mind-controlled hero murder Luke Cage’s wife Reva. Jessica already struggled quite a bit with handling this, so she’ll be truly racked with guilt now that she’s killed someone else while in her right mind, even if that someone was a monster.
Krysten Ritter elaborated on Rosenberg’s comments as well, adding that Jessica will be struggling to come to terms with what she can do with her abilities, which has led her to develop “rage issues” amongst other hang-ups. We previously got a glimpse of how well Jessica’s anger management classes are going in a recent trailer for the new season, and as Ritter explains, she’s worried about losing control of herself.
“She’s almost afraid of her power, and it strikes me that she’s worried that she’s going to lose control of herself. She wants to be a good person and she tries, but she is dealing with her PTSD and her rage issues, as well as anger, isolation and loneliness.”
Speaking of Kilgrave, as we all know, his death won’t stop David Tennant from returning as the villain in season 2. But how’s this possible? Will he be some kind of hallucination or illusion? Perhaps, but Melissa Rosenberg suggests that Kilgrave might really be back from the dead. “The beauty of the Marvel world is never say die,” she said.
All will be revealed when Jessica Jones season 2 lands on Netflix on March 8th.