# Is Jessica Jones as dark in tone as Daredevil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 15, 2016, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990 "2016-09-15T06:54:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/1 "2016-09-15T06:54:46Z")
Hi folks. I’m approaching the end of Daredevil Season 1 on Netflix. Mrs Snowman started off watching it with me, but she quickly decided that it was all a bit grim and dark for her tastes - not just the violence, but also the overarching darkness of tone, if that makes sense. I’d like to watch Jessica Jones next. Mrs Snowman isn’t really interested if it’s similar in tone to Daredevil. She’s fine with the MCU movies and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, which tend to be a bit less dark. So how does JJ compare to Daredevil in tone? Lighter, darker or similar? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/2 "2016-09-15T07:15:33Z")
I haven’t seen Daredevil, but Jessica Jones is **dark**. I considered stopping watching it myself. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/3 "2016-09-15T07:23:45Z")
Darker. The main season villain is a sociopath who can control minds and enjoys committing all sorts of atrocities for fun, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/4 "2016-09-15T07:28:14Z")
Yeah, in Daredevil, the villain is somewhat relatable. In JJ, he’s a complete monster. I described the character of Kilgrave briefly to my wife and she told me on no account would she watch a series with a character like that. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/5 "2016-09-15T08:04:51Z")
Darker, for sure. You might prefer skipping to Luke Cage, which starts in a couple weeks. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/6 "2016-09-15T08:07:52Z")
In addition to what everyone has said about the villain, the _heroine_ is an extremely bitter PTSD-suffering alcoholic with more issues than Marvel Comics. She has major intimacy and trust issues, not least because–in addition to the really awful things that have happened to her in the backstory–really awful things keep happening to just about everybody she lets herself care about. I mean, I liked it. It was extremely well done. But, yeah–_ **DARK** _. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/7 "2016-09-15T08:19:45Z")
In case anybody hasn’t mentioned it before: JJ almost makes Daredevil look like a cross between the Care Bears and My Little Pony. The almost is called Elektra. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/8 "2016-09-15T08:44:46Z")
Just chiming in with the chorus, here. Way darker. Kilgrave’s basically a walking rape metaphor. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/9 "2016-09-15T08:51:25Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > …makes Daredevil look like a cross between the Care Bears and My Little Pony… Thanks for the recommendation. My son loved both _The Care Bears_ and _My Little Pony_, so _Daredevil_ sounds perfect for watching in bed before a good night’s sleep. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/10 "2016-09-15T08:52:49Z")
Dark in tone, but not in lighting. Most of _Jessica Jones_ is in daylight, which is not the case with _Daredevil_. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/11 "2016-09-15T09:01:37Z")
> [@MEBuckner](#): > > In addition to what everyone has said about the villain, the _heroine_ is an extremely bitter PTSD-suffering alcoholic with more issues than Marvel Comics. She has major intimacy and trust issues, not least because–in addition to the really awful things that have happened to her in the backstory–really awful things keep happening to just about everybody she lets herself care about. > > I mean, I liked it. It was extremely well done. But, yeah–_ **DARK** _. This :nodding: My husband is a huge Marvel fan and he says JJ’s probably their most flawed hero. I watched the series but found myself having to leave the room every so often just because I couldn’t watch certain scenes, especially the ones with Kilgrave or, worse, his voiceover. _Daredevil_ is dark, too, but it’s more physically violently dark than psychologically dark. I think that’s in part what makes DD himself more relateable. In addition, his psyche is in no way as flawed as JJ’s. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/12 "2016-09-15T09:07:33Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > Thanks for the recommendation. My son loved both _The Care Bears_ and _My Little Pony_, so _Daredevil_ sounds perfect for watching in bed before a good night’s sleep. Just make sure to avoid the episodes with Ms. Natchios, they’re not about electricity but only because she hasn’t figured out how to connect her sais to the mains. She tried batteries but claims they don’t provide enough oomph. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/13 "2016-09-15T09:54:20Z")
Lets see rape, child abuse, mind control, drug addiction, stalking, PTSD, partner abuse, kidnapping, electro-torture, incest. Drinking and adultery are about the least heavy topics the show deals with. OTH, its worth ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/14 "2016-09-15T09:56:59Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Yeah, in Daredevil, the villain is somewhat relatable. In JJ, he’s a complete monster. I described the character of Kilgrave briefly to my wife and she told me on no account would she watch a series with a character like that. I saw a David Tennant interview where he explained his idea of the character: unlike a criminal who’s long been _working_ to put one over on people by knowing what they want, Kilgrave got through life having everyone agree with him by default – which just raises questions: how do you even “have a conversation with anyone? How do you get on the same level with anyone? How do you build a moral framework?” ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/15 "2016-09-15T10:31:06Z")
Although JJ has its share of physical violence, the worst of the violence in JJ is psychological. In DD the worst violence is purely physical. And yeah, Kingpin, and even the Punisher (in DD season 2) are far more human, understandable, and even sympathetic, than Kilgrave in JJ. ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/16 "2016-09-15T11:09:59Z")
So Jessica Jones isn’t a fluffy ball of happy jollity, then. Message received. 🙂 Sounds like I’ll be watching it sans Mrs Snowman. Thanks everyone. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/17 "2016-09-15T11:10:19Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Although JJ has its share of physical violence, the worst of the violence in JJ is psychological. Soundtrack for sex with Luke is more Overture 1812 than Clair de Lune (hey, I done gone to a school with a decent music program); Patty’s mother (JJ’s former foster mother) is… if anybody ever shoots her, I’ll feel like someone should apologize to the poor bullet. Even the “positive” parts are fucked up. Matched fucked up, but fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/18 "2016-09-15T11:32:17Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > incest. Wait, what?-- Must have missed something here ---
**Author:** ![Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/budget_player_cadet/32/205_2.png) [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/19 "2016-09-15T11:50:40Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > In case anybody hasn’t mentioned it before: JJ almost makes Daredevil look like a cross between the Care Bears and My Little Pony. The almost is called Elektra. Dude, did you see “The Return of Harmony”? That shit gets _dark_. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/20 "2016-09-15T11:53:36Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Wait, what?-- Must have missed something here The twins who live above Jessica have a very…interesting relationship, which Jessica initially mistakes for a married couple. Whether they _were_ all Hapsburgy isn’t clear (though, likely not), but it’s definitely the impression they give. Especially Robyn’s reaction to Ruben’s attraction to Jessica. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990.md?page=2)