# 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:** 2
**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, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/21 "2016-09-15T13:41:11Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#): > > Dude, did you see “The Return of Harmony”? That shit gets _dark_. Sorry but what are you talking about? I can’t find any episodes by that name listed. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/22 "2016-09-15T13:52:34Z")
It’s a “My Little Pony” reference. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/23 "2016-09-15T14:14:46Z")
> [@TwoCarrotSnowman](#): > > 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. It’s not bright, true. But it is one of the best character studies - and depictions of survivor guilt and PTSD - available right now. It’s worth a watch for the writing, if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/24 "2016-09-15T14:20:32Z")
It is dark, as has been mentioned. I have to say though that my wife liked Jessica Jones far better than Daredevil. I’m favoring it as well. Daredevil is good but much of the story involves dark, drudgey fight scene after dark, drudgey fight scene. Jones has fighting but it has more of a character study feeling to it. IMO, of course. Not sure what the point of the arguing siblings were though. ---
**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, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/25 "2016-09-15T14:24:53Z")
Agree with the above. The JJ/Kilgrave dynamic is so powerful, so perfectly on-point, that I really wonder what that show is going to do for its second season. Wilson Fisk is an iconic Daredevil bad guy, but the two had no history before they came into conflict on the show. Kilgrave, OTOH, is wrapped up deep in Jessica Jones’ psyche; he’s arguably the primary reason she is the way she is. ---
**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, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/26 "2016-09-15T14:34:43Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > It is dark, as has been mentioned. I have to say though that my wife liked Jessica Jones far better than Daredevil. I’m favoring it as well. Daredevil is good but much of the story involves dark, drudgey fight scene after dark, drudgey fight scene. Jones has fighting but it has more of a character study feeling to it. IMO, of course. I describe JJ as a comic book show for people who don’t like comic book shows. That may sound like damning with faint praise but I don’t mean it as such. I mean it very overtly and powerfully uses superpowers as a metaphor for the power dynamics (mostly unhealthy) between men and women. I loved the fight scenes in Daredevil. You’re supposed to enjoy them; it’s fun watching a guy who knows what he’s doing kick some ass. The fight scenes in JJ seem deliberately choreographed to be un-exciting; physical violence is an afterthought, and certainly not something to ooh and ahh over. It’s mental and emotional violence that is the show’s main concern, and it ain’t pretty. > [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > Not sure what the point of the arguing siblings were though. From the commentary I read, a lot of people don’t like Robyn or don’t get why she’s around. Personally I liked her. JJ is obviously a female-driven show, with a wide range of personalities: not just Jessica’s reluctant heroism but Hogarth’s greed and ambition, Trish’s loyalty, and so on. Robyn has a place in that dynamic. She’s needy and controlling, but occasionally can really cut through the bullshit and see a situation for what it is; she’s like a bizarro version of Jessica. ---
**Author:** ![JcWoman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jcwoman/32/2889_2.png) [@JcWoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JcWoman)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/27 "2016-09-15T14:41:14Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > It is dark, as has been mentioned. I have to say though that my wife liked Jessica Jones far better than Daredevil. I’m favoring it as well. Daredevil is good but much of the story involves dark, drudgey fight scene after dark, drudgey fight scene. Jones has fighting but it has more of a character study feeling to it. IMO, of course. > > Not sure what the point of the arguing siblings were though. I agree. I also felt that there were redeeming qualities in all the other main characters besides Kilgrave that helped me find the show compelling. JJ herself is a wreck but I found myself cheering for her. Trish started out seeming like a shallow, 2-dimensional character but she, too, developed into someone very interesting. Most surprising of all, as we got to know Malcolm the junkie neighbor I started to really like him a lot too. ---
**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, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/28 "2016-09-15T15:44:16Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > 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. Oh, yeah. Forgot about them. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/29 "2016-09-15T16:55:58Z")
It’s legitimately rapey. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/30 "2016-09-15T17:20:51Z")
I’d suspect that a woman who didn’t like Daredevil might like Jessica Jones because, while it is dark as hell, it’s also somewhat less… violent? It’s violent, don’t get me wrong. But it’s about rape, and PTSD, and guilt, etc. All the women I know loved it. But it’s dark. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/31 "2016-09-15T19:12:36Z")
I agree with those above. It’s dark but it’s good. Further, my wife was eh about Daredevil, she didn’t get into it until later when it was more character driven, but loved JJ from the start. Probably because it is character driven from the start. She felt that JJ had a lot more complex, nuanced, and real characters. I think she liked DD season two but JJ is still her favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/32 "2016-09-15T22:37:15Z")
I loved the show, but it was very dark. Kilgraves ability was chilling, and Tennant played the psycho to perfection. My only complaint: He was just too powerful. I would have like to see some kind of will save against his abilities. I understand the Purple Man–his comic book equivalent–was unable to affect strong willed characters, though I could be mistaken. ---
**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, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/33 "2016-09-15T22:42:28Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > I loved the show, but it was very dark. Kilgraves ability was chilling, and Tennant played the psycho to perfection. My only complaint: > > He was just too powerful. I would have like to see some kind of will save against his abilities. I understand the Purple Man–his comic book equivalent–was unable to affect strong willed characters, though I could be mistaken. My complaint was: How they first explained his powers as functioning via airborne virus, and then somehow made him powerful enough to affect people over loudspeakers, without explaining how. ---
**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, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/34 "2016-09-15T23:24:05Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > I’d suspect that a woman who didn’t like Daredevil might like Jessica Jones because, while it is dark as hell, it’s also somewhat less… violent? It’s violent, don’t get me wrong. But it’s about rape, and PTSD, and guilt, etc. All the women I know loved it. But it’s dark. Daredevil is more a traditional comic book hero, which tends to emphasize things that are considered of male interest, like fighting. JJ is more of a female perspective or viewpoint, where interpersonal relationships and drama are more central to the story. _Of course_ there is considerable overlap between the two, as men have interpersonal relationships, too (Matt and Foggy in DD, as just one example) and women like JJ certainly do engage in physical conflict, my point being that the emphasis of viewpoint slants a bit differently in each. Because of this, it would not surprise me if more women liked JJ than DD, and men tended the other way. AGAIN - there is considerable overlap between the two audiences, it’s a matter of emphasis, that’s all. Plenty of male JJ fans and plenty of female DD fans (I’ve been one of the latter for close to 40 years now, as just one example). ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/35 "2016-09-15T23:30:34Z")
Frankly the fight scenes in Daredevil seemed interminable to me. I would have enjoyed it much more with much less fighting. ---
**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 16, 2016, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/36 "2016-09-16T06:01:08Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > My complaint was: > > How they first explained his powers as functioning via airborne virus, and then somehow made him powerful enough to affect people over loudspeakers, without explaining how. I may have missed something, but if you’re talking about when he convinced Hogarth to let him out, that was regular old persuasion using her hunger for power against her. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/37 "2016-09-16T06:18:40Z")
I think I prefer Daredevil more because I can pick an episode I like in the middle and watch it. In JJ there is a good overall plot but I can’t really distinguish two episodes from each other. It’s more binge-worthy for sure. But while JJ has less physical violence, it gets pretty gross at parts. The fact that people are aware that what Kilgrave orders them to do is wrong but they can’t do anything about it is terrifying. DD season 2 is good, especially the Punisher parts. You don’t really _need_ to watch JJ first but there are some callbacks > [@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. I remember [the second Care Bears movie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Care_Bears_Movie_II:_A_New_Generation) being dark as hell. ---
**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 16, 2016, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/38 "2016-09-16T06:39:27Z")
> [@naita](#): > > I may have missed something, but if you’re talking about when he convinced Hogarth to let him out, that was regular old persuasion using her hunger for power against her. I’m pretty sure they’re talking about when he gets his power boost near the end, and can control people over the TV and loudspeaker in the hospital, much to Jessica’s surprise and dismay. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2016, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/39 "2016-09-16T07:22:17Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > I’m pretty sure they’re talking about when he gets his power boost near the end, and can control people over the TV and loudspeaker in the hospital, much to Jessica’s surprise and dismay. I got a fanwank for that. [spoiler]We know a few things about how Kilgrave’s powers work. They’re pheromone based, and last a couple of hours after he leaves. But he can’t affect someone already affected by radio or telephone. It has to be his actual voice, in person. Until after he gets his power boost, when he can affect people over PAs and stuff. My theory is that the pheromones are keyed off specific harmonics in Kilgrave’s voice. Telephones and other broadcast mediums alter the harmonics in his voice so that it doesn’t work any more. Part of Kilgrave’s power up is that his pheromones both work longer, and also have wider tolerances for recognizing Kilgrave’s voice, such that the distortion added by a PA system doesn’t stop him from controlling people he’d previously exposed to his pheromones. A theoretical consequence of this is that someone might now be able to take control of one of his slaves if they can do a decent David Tennant impersonation.[/spoiler] ---
**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 16, 2016, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990/40 "2016-09-16T07:23:23Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Sorry but what are you talking about? I can’t find any episodes by that name listed. S2E1 of My Little Pony. Although tbh the one I was thinking of was S2E12, A Canterlot Wedding. Shit gets brootal. Or how about S5E1, where the main musical number was literally modeled after the marches of fascist dictatorships, and the group get kidnapped and nearly brainwashed by a cult? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-jessica-jones-as-dark-in-tone-as-daredevil/765990.md?page=3)