Finally, after all of Jessica’s machinations, she has finally caught Kilgrave. After yesterday’s episode, where she lulled him into a sense of false security and knocked him out, she has put him in the hermetically sealed chamber. Now her plan is to catch him using his powers on camera. Doesn’t seem like the greatest plan.
Here are some thoughts.
1. That’s a pretty twisted set-up Jessica’s got
Kilgrave comes to in his hermetically sealed room to find that the floor is covered in about an inch of water. That water is connected to a live wire, which is connected to a switch, so if Kilgrave does something Jessica doesn’t like, he gets electrocuted. And apparently, his commands only work if the person he’s trying to sway is breathing the same air. Didn’t realize that was a rule, but okay. It would appear that Jessica has the perfect set up, but you have to wonder if maybe she’s on her way to being a little bit unhinged herself.
2. Frank is alive. Also, his name isn’t Frank
He survived the explosion and (somehow) Trish found him and brought him back to a hospital. Also… HIS NAME ISN’T FRANK. I just assumed it was, because that’s the character’s name in the comics, but it’s actually Will. Will Simpson. Just to clear that up. Once he gets to the hospital, he insists that a Dr. Koslov treat him. When he finally shows up, he gives Frank, ugh, I mean Will, some pills and implies that they’ve known each other for many years. It’s interesting to me that the way Will met Jessica was really by accident, but it would appear that he is a dormant superhero. What a co-inky-dink.
3. This plan is oh so full of holes
Jessica’s plan is to get Kilgrave on camera commanding someone to do something. And if it gets out of hand, she throws the switch and everyone in the room is rendered unconscious. By electricity. Okay. So, first of all, what if he refuses? Her plan at first is to try to fake seduce him, then taunt him, then beat the shit out of him. He’s very strong willed, what if just refuses to talk? Second, she does know electricity can kill you, right? What if she or Kilgrave bites it while being shocked? Then they’re out of options. I feel like there was a better way to do this…
4. Jeri is compromised
Wendy is now demanding 90% of Jeri’s assets, and I continue to dislike her more and more. Granted, neither of them are particularly charming characters, but Wendy seems to think the way to make herself feel better is by gutting Jeri as publicly as possible. So when Jeri is left alone to look after Kilgrave, all he has to do is imply he could compel Wendy to do whatever she wants her to. Only if she lets him escape. And she almost does it! If Jessica hadn’t come back in time, she would have! She had opened the door and everything! Boy, that’s dumb of her. If she had thought about it for, like, two seconds, she would have realized letting Kilgrave out would have made it so he could compel her do anything he wants. Including kill herself, including letting him walk free. Jeez, Jeri should be smarter than that.
5. Jessica finds the parents!
After methodically looking over the video from the yellow thumb drive filled with footage of Kilgrave as a kid being experimented on, Jessica finally discovers that he was being tested at a university in England. Through some excellent sleuthing, I might ad. Sport colloquialisms saved the day on this one. It eventually leads her to realize that Kilgrave’s own mother was showing up for the Kilgrave victim support group that Malcolm had set up. So Jessica is easily able to track her and the father down and bring them to Kilgrave to… well, continue an already terrible plan.
6. Uhm, they monitor calls from prison…
Hope calls Jessica to tell her she’s going to take a plea deal and a 20 year sentence offered by the DA. Jessica tries to convince her not to, that she’s so close to proving that she can get her out. And when Hope says no she tells her she has Kilgrave locked up. That is very, very illegal. And there is no way the prison is not monitoring that call! Again, this plan is so terrible! THERE ARE SO MANY HOLES!
7. THIS IS A TERRIBLE PLAN
Okay, it bears repeating because Jessica’s poor planning actually does get someone killed. So she sends the old man cop a video of her beating up Kilgrave, goading him into showing up at their little hideout, gun drawn. Then, Trish pulls a gun on him and handcuffs him to a pipe so he can be a credible witness. A couple very illegal things going on there, but again, okay. Then, she has the parents go inside the chamber with Kilgrave to try and get him to use his powers on camera! UHHHH WHAT. That is a very good way to get them killed. And it does! Momma brings in a pair of scissors and stabs Kilgrave, then he compels her to stab herself once “for every year you left me alone.” Which is a lot. Then, he tells his dad to carve out his heart, all while Jessica desperately tries to get into the chamber. Then Trish shoots the glass to try and stop him. Which shatters it. And now no one can stop him.
8. David Tennant is so good
He gets the tremendous opportunity to flex his acting muscles with his mother. Watching him shout at her about abandoning him was actually kind of heartbreaking. Then watching his disbelief and betrayal after she stabbed him… man, he just really has it going on as an actor. Well done.
9. And he escapes, leaving carnage in his wake
So of course after the glass breaks, he’s able to escape easily, telling Trish to blow her brains out and for the cop to follow him. Luckily, the gun is empty and Jessica is able to tackle the cop to the ground. He still gets away but…
10. But Jessica now has proof… and some new information
When Jessica grabs Kilgrave’s arm, he tells her to let go. And she doesn’t. She’s able to hang on. He escapes anyway, but now they have on camera proof of Kilgrave’s power. And in a flashback, Jessica remembers after she killed Luke’s wife that she was able to not listen to him and escape. So this is the second time she’s been able to thwart him. What was the overlap between those two interactions? Somebody had just died on both occasions? She was in an agitated emotional state? I don’t know! Tune in tomorrow to find out!
