Not Binging Jessica Jones: Episode 12
The last few episodes of Jessica Jones have featured a series of tough choices. While Jessica was prepared to capture Kilgrave, with the death of Hope she made a choice to stop trying to capture him and start trying to kill him. And in Episode 12 “AKA Take a Bloody Number,” Kilgrave has made much the same choice about Jessica.
With Luke now back at her side, Jessica continues the search for Kilgrave and Albert. They find a lead among Albert’s things, a special drug that isn’t available everywhere. Jessica suspects Kilgrave is keeping his father alive to try and expand the range of his powers and he’s right. In a lighthearted bit, Kilgrave has been testing his range by doing stand-up at a concert venue. Such experiments allow Kilgrave to try and control more people for greater distances and lengths of time. It’s revealed how successful he’s been when Luke turns on Jessica. Seems everything Jessica knows about Kilgrave’s powers is now out-of-date, and she tries as hard as she can to incapacitate Luke without killing him.
Meanwhile, we check in with Trish and her mother at the hospital. Seems the agency Will was involved in were the same ones that paid Jessica’s medical bills. Might they have caused Jessica’s powers? Or used her DNA to create their super-strength pills? We aren’t yet sure, and Trish doesn’t want to start up a new relationship with her mother to find out.
We also get another scene between Malcolm and Robyn, who seem destined for a survivor’s guilt-type relationship. While Malcolm may not be much good at helping out Jessica, Robyn is someone he can help, and he tries as best he can. Their scene where Robyn lets go of her brother by tossing the last thing he bought into the river is funny, touching, and sad all at the same time.
Which can be said for the episode as a whole. Jessica Jones excels at walking a fine line with the audience’s emotions. The series knows when to ramp up the intensity and when to back off. After the middle few episodes where everybody was dying, Episodes 11 and 12 have calmed down a bit with the misery. Of course, I know it can’t last. This is the calm before the storm. There’s still an epic fight to be had. One final confrontation between Kilgrave and Jessica Jones, for Jessica’s life and her soul.
