Not Binging Jessica Jones: Episode 8
It finally happened. Eight episodes in and Jessica Jones finally calls the trauma she suffered at Kilgrave’s hands what it was: rape. Only Kilgrave doesn’t see it that way.
When we last left Jessica Jones, she was walking into her own private hostage situation. Kilgrave had bought Jessica’s childhood home and blackmailed Jessica to come and live with him, which Jessica accepted…reluctantly. As Episode 8 “AKA WWJD?” opens, Jessica is having severe trauma flashbacks, of both her time with Kilgrave and an earlier time, before the car crash that killed her family. But Jessica’s pain is just noise to Kilgrave, as he tries to give Jessica the grand tour of her old house. Kilgrave laughs off Jessica’s rape accusations and deflects all wrongdoing, painting himself as the victim in all circumstances. It’s creepy to watch Kilgrave defend himself against Jessica’s accusations with such smugness; Kilgrave truly believes he has never done anything wrong.
Episode 8 sets up an interesting hypothesis: what could happen if Kilgrave were to use his powers for good? In trying to get dirt on his past, Jessica learns that Kilgrave suffered as a child at the hands of his parents and spent his formative years being experimented on when he should have ben taught differences between right and wrong. Like a patient parent, Jessica tries to use a hostage situation as a teaching moment, encouraging Kilgrave to use his mind-control powers to save lives, rather than destroy them. Her plot is successful, which leads Jessica to wonder: should she continue? Live with her rapist and try to reform him? It’s a question she asks Trish before finally settling on an answer: no.
Episode 8 contains the most humanization of Kilgrave, like we saw on a regular basis in Daredevil, where Wilson Fisk was given the chance to make the audience empathize with him. But is it truly possible to feel pity for Kilgrave? A serial rapist who takes no responsibility for his actions and forces his will upon others almost as a matter of course? While I’ll admit to feeling flashes of pity for Kilgrave during Episode 8, each time Kilgrave destroyed his goodwill almost immediately by justifying his actions, threatening others, or being his usual lying self. Still, this episode evokes complicated emotions in the audience. (Who am I kidding? This entire series has left me with nothing but complicated emotions.)
There’s a small side plot that keeps the audience up to date with Jeri and Wendy’s impending divorce, but for the most part this episode is all Jessica and Kilgrave; Malcolm isn’t even in the episode. By the end, Jessica has what she wants, but if the bomb Kilgrave left for Will is any indication, there’s going to be a trail of bodies before this is all over.
