Jessica Jones S2 out on Netflix

[Dalton]

I've watched Episode 1, and it goes into Origin Story mode, complete with a goofy D-list Superhero and the botanist from The Expanse.

So far it seems to take a little bit of a darker turn as it examines Jessica's motivations and the trauma and fallout from Kilgrave and his death.

[FireNexus]

Can I just say that I love Terry Chen and want him to be in everything. He convincingly played Prax with his sad puppy dog eyes and this arrogant douchebag, and made me like both of them (though I was predisposed to be a fan of Prax).

[FaxModem1]

And once again, the MCU has this odd lesson that trying to improve yourself through science is wrong. Course, that's always been a Marvel cornerstone, just look at half of Spiderman's villains.

[Gandalf]

Damn that was an awesome season.

Definitely in the top half of MCU shows.

[Crazedwraith]

And once again, the MCU has this odd lesson that trying to improve yourself through science is wrong. Course, that's always been a Marvel cornerstone, just look at half of Spiderman's villains.

and Cap... Iron Man... Hulk... Ant-Man and so on?

[Elheru Aran]

And once again, the MCU has this odd lesson that trying to improve yourself through science is wrong. Course, that's always been a Marvel cornerstone, just look at half of Spiderman's villains.

and Cap... Iron Man... Hulk... Ant-Man and so on?

(having not seen the series yet I'd appreciate no spoilers in the open, at least for a few posts because I plan to watch it this week)

Cap was a government experiment. Iron Man is a super-suit, not necessarily a biological augmentation, and created as a private project by a super-genius. Ant-Man also falls under the same category of a privately created super-suit (I don't recall if Pym was a government scientist when he made the suit). Hulk was an accident.

I wouldn't say 'improving yourself through science is wrong' is the message-- but to be fair there are few *deliberate* self-improvements along these lines. It's more like the classic 'with great power' etc. line-- if you find yourself improved, use it to be a better person. Even Venom got to play hero a few times, and nobody dunked on him for that.

No comment on how it relates to JJ until I've watched at least a few episodes though.

[FaxModem1]

And once again, the MCU has this odd lesson that trying to improve yourself through science is wrong. Course, that's always been a Marvel cornerstone, just look at half of Spiderman's villains.

and Cap... Iron Man... Hulk... Ant-Man and so on?

Captain America is the exception. Anyone who tries to follow his footsteps is wrong, and becomes either the Abomination, the Hulk, or the Red Skull(though he was before Cap).

Hell, Hulk is the pinnacle example of why you shouldn't try to use science.

[Gandalf]

Captain America is also an example of the experiment being done responsibly on a willing subject as part of a relatively benign program. Do any of the others have that?

Also, Doctor Strange is full of sciencey self improvement, considering the MCU's position on magic just being technology that is really advanced.

[Steve]

Well, that was an interesting season. It didn't have a villain on the level of Kilgrave, but I think it had better pacing and was easier to get through than Season 1.

Between this and Punisher I think the various powers-that-be of the Netflix Marvel shows are starting to figure out how to pace these series.

[Gandalf]

Indeed, and the lack of a superpowered mirror villain was a refreshing change.

[FaxModem1]

Captain America is also an example of the experiment being done responsibly on a willing subject as part of a relatively benign program. Do any of the others have that?

Also, Doctor Strange is full of sciencey self improvement, considering the MCU's position on magic just being technology that is really advanced.

Well, Red Skull was certainly a volunteer, but that's Nazi science, so probably not sane. As was Bruce Banner and his shown volunteering in The Incredible Hulk. Steve is the exception, not the rule that when it comes to self improvement, it should randomly happen to you, you should not pursue it.

[Dalton]

That was quite an intriguing finale and sets things up quite well for S3, though I found it odd that The Defenders was barely referenced. I did appreciate the nod to Captain America: Civil War though.

[Elheru Aran]

That was quite an intriguing finale and sets things up quite well for S3, though I found it odd that The Defenders was barely referenced. I did appreciate the nod to Captain America: Civil War though.

No comment on Civil War. I'm only past episode 6 now.

But as far as Defenders goes: my understanding is that it underperformed *badly* compared to the other Marvel shows. I've heard some buzz that they won't bother reviving it for a second season. Instead they'll continue the individual series of Daredevil, Luke Cage, etc. If there's a team up at any point in the future, there are options-- Heroes for Hire (Luke Cage and Iron Fist) or a female team with Jessica Jones and a bunch of the women from the other series like Colleen Wing and Misty Knight. That's barring any introduction of new characters, of course. Punisher did reasonably well from what I understand, and they've already filmed Luke Cage S2.

[Crazedwraith]

Luke Cage and Iron Fist s2 really should just be combined as HFH. Iron Fist didnt do that well either and that combination worked well in Defenders.

Kind dreading DD3

[Elheru Aran]

Iron Fist did poorly enough from what I recall that I wouldn't be surprised, particularly given the ending of Defenders, that they go with HFH as the basis for an Iron Fist S2 plot. Luke Cage was really good (the shitty Diamondback character aside), so it can stand on its own pretty well, but Danny Rand really needs the help of the other, better characters to work. Finn Jones just isn't that great of an actor, and the homeless-mystic take on the character was not a great direction to go. That series was about six episodes too long.

Anyway. I've enjoyed JJ S2 so far. Certainly it helps a lot that Kilgrave wasn't in this one. I mean, from a strictly literary viewpoint, he was a great character... but my god skeezy as fuck. I'm not sure I can ever look at David Tennant the same way again. Kristen Ritter is carrying the second season pretty well without him, though, and Malcolm is maturing well enough now that he's clean. (although maybe a wee bit of a sex addiction starting to come out?)

[streetad]

The common denominator is the Hand and their endless waves of boring ninjas. They were a boring villain from the start and successfully sucked all the momentum out of Iron Fist, the Defenders and half a season of Daredevil.

[Dalton]

Iron Fist did poorly enough from what I recall that I wouldn't be surprised, particularly given the ending of Defenders, that they go with HFH as the basis for an Iron Fist S2 plot. Luke Cage was really good (the shitty Diamondback character aside), so it can stand on its own pretty well, but Danny Rand really needs the help of the other, better characters to work. Finn Jones just isn't that great of an actor, and the homeless-mystic take on the character was not a great direction to go. That series was about six episodes too long.

Anyway. I've enjoyed JJ S2 so far. Certainly it helps a lot that Kilgrave wasn't in this one. I mean, from a strictly literary viewpoint, he was a great character... but my god skeezy as fuck. I'm not sure I can ever look at David Tennant the same way again. Kristen Ritter is carrying the second season pretty well without him, though, and Malcolm is maturing well enough now that he's clean. (although maybe a wee bit of a sex addiction starting to come out?)

...you should finish the season