The eyerolls and the sarcastic put-downs are back, but perhaps not to the full force we were expecting. Jessica Jones season 2 – which releases on Netflix worldwide on March 8 – sees Krysten Ritter return as everybody’s favourite damaged Defender, and, yet, judging by the critical reaction to the first five episodes, something’s missing. Our own spoiler-free preview says that it "reminds us why we fell in love with the hero in the first place," but not everyone is convinced.
Krysten Ritter makes up for season 2's slow pace - Uproxx
“Ritter is so charismatic, and so good at toggling between sarcasm and outright pain, that a lot of this is more watchable than it should be, given the glacial pace at which the plot moves and the amount of time spent on lesser characters and filler stories.”
Jessica Jones season 2's fractured narrative - Screen Rant
“Since these seasons are so long, there’s still a chance the remainder of the episodes will pick up the pace and develop a more cohesive, compelling story. If that’s the case it certainly would have behooved Netflix to offer critics an opportunity to see that come to light. As it stands, the slow-burn mystery of Jessica Jones season 2 shows all the signs of the series being in the midst of a sophomore slump.”
How the lack of a bad guy (early on) affects the show - Digital Spy
“While the beginning of the new season lacks the focus of the first, and is missing a truly menacing bad guy for Jessica to go up against, the new additions and expanded storylines don't detract from Ritter's powerhouse performance. She is still very much front and centre, delivering pithy lines in between slugs of bourbon”
Jessica Jones season 2 and its meandering 'Marvel-itis' - IndieWire (B grade)
“Season 2 suffers from what we may be forced to officially deem Marvel-Itis — a condition which infects the patient with drawn-out narratives and seasons of television that are at least three episodes too long.”
Will Jessica Jones season 2 win over newcomers? - Polygon
“But I don’t see Jessica Jones’ second season winning over anyone who was lukewarm about her first — or anyone who skipped it entirely. I’m a big fan, and even I left these first five episodes wondering exactly what had happened to the series that gripped me and never let go in 2015”
Do things need to change for The Defenders going forward? Here’s why Marvel needs to find a way to bring the street-level group closer to The Avengers.
