“Marvel’s Jessica Jones” Star Krysten Ritter Talks About The Triumphs of Season 2
Jessica Jones has always been female first. That's what Krysten Ritter, who stars as the show's titular antihero, has to say about the Netflix original series based on a Marvel comic.
"It's created by a woman, it stars women. We have a lot of women in front of the camera and behind the camera. And that's kind of always been our thing even since season one," Krysten tells Teen Vogue about the series, which hired all female directors for every episode of its sophomore season. "At a certain point, we really didn't think about the gender of the director, which I think is the best part. I think when this becomes commonplace, that's going to be even better."
When Jessica Jones first premiered in 2015, it received widespread praise for how it handled themes including sexual assault, consent, rape, and trauma. Krysten's performance as the superpowered private investigator was also much lauded. The first season had plenty of conflict, both internal and external, as Jessica hunted down the insidious, mind-controlling Kilgrave. A small spoiler: At the end of the first season, the leather-jacket-wearing hero ultimately kills Kilgrave, the man that kept her under his control and raped her. Season two has Jessica reeling from her decision to end his life, wondering if she crossed the line, all the while looking back at another past tragedy: the car accident that killed her entire family and led to the medical experiments that left her with super abilities.
As season two progresses, Jessica uncovers the truth of what happened to her and tries to connect the dots as other people involved in the off-the-books procedures are hunted down. She eventually comes face to face with another woman with extraordinary powers, played by Oscar-nominated actor Janet McTeer. As the season develops, viewers learn more about how the two women are entwined, and Krysten says getting to act opposite of Janet was "the highlight of my career."
And although the show and source comic books tackle some pretty mature material, the actor is glad that her role might break the stereotypical image that younger audiences are fed when it comes to female superheroes. According to Krysten, Jessica can be a "refreshing" figure.
"If a little girl or little boy saw an image of Jessica Jones the way that she's dressed, they could be like, 'Oh, who's that?' 'Oh, well, that's Jessica Jones. She's really strong and she helps her friends and takes care of people when they need it,'" Krysten says. "And the fact that she's not super hot or super sexy and just kind of looks really normal and wears comfortable clothes, I think it's a great image for boys and girls." She's also quick to point out that the show highlights a variety of women, including best friend Trish Walker and powerhouse lawyer Jeri Hogarth.
The camaraderie between the women both in front of and behind the camera is clear. Krysten can't help but rave about everything she has learned from showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, whose guidance she calls a "really strong partnership and great collaborative relationship" unlike anything else she's experienced. She loves watching how Melissa handle rewrites, runs a meeting, and even writes an email.
"I'm always kind of like, we always encourage each other to go deeper and work harder," Krysten says. "But also I'm kind of a sponge around her."
Jessica Jones may tackle plenty of dark issues and have a noir tone, but the cast also stresses the importance of moments that show the brighter side of things. Take Krysten herself, for example: She showed off her comedy chops in the short-lived but cult-favorite Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 along with roles on Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. Those lighter moments on Jessica Jones — including a storyline that features Jessica clearly caring about her superintendent's superhero-obsessed son even though she wouldn't admit it — couldn't be pulled off without Krysten's clear sense of humor IRL. And whether it's trying to land a punch or a punchline, the actor makes sure to put her all into the role — and it shows.
"I mean, it got to the point where Melissa would be like, 'Oh, I heard you hurt yourself again. Did you go ham?'" she jokes. "Go ham, or go home."
Prior to the second season of the series, fans got to see Krysten pop up in Marvel's Defenders, where she teamed up with Daredevil, Luke Cage, and the Iron Fist. But she's already got an idea for her next team up.
"The whole Black Panther cast and all of the girls," she says, not even missing a beat. Princess Shuri, are you listening?
Related: Rachael Taylor on the "Screw Likability" Message of Jessica Jones
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