REVIEW: Altered Carbon Season 1 Episode 6
Alright, time for Episode 6. After the last episode left a bloody mess on the floor, will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this episode crash and burn?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We start the episode with Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), taking Kristen Ortega (Martha Higareda), to a hospital to save her and her sleeve. Kristen tries to pay for her treatment but Kovacs has to step in and use his credit. Meanwhile, Vernon Elliot (Ato Essandoh), is watching Poe (Chris Conner), talk to his daughter Lizzie (Hayley Law), in a VR Room. Poe tries to teach her to not be afraid of the monsters around her and instead become one. Poe gets Lizzie to punch him because he feels no pain, Vernon interrupts this and causes Lizzie to go haywire. Vernon then yells at Poe for what he did and starts to anger Poe by destroying glass around him. Poe is ready to open fire with his cannons when he gets a call about Ortega, Vernon then leaves and tells Poe they are not finished. Meanwhile, Kovacs is outside in the rain and talks to a vision of his former Envoy partner. They talk about love and how Kovacs never had such a thing when Vernon interrupts. Vernon how Ortega is and Kovacs tells him that she is in surgery and she won’t give up her sleeve due to religious coding. Poe calls Kovacs while he is talking with Vernon and tells him that he was able to find out who Issac bought some paintings from, Sergei Brevlov, who Kovacs remembers was at the dinner party a few episodes ago. Kovacs wants his address so he can talk to him and Vernon wants to come with him. Meanwhile, Captain Tanaka (Hiro Kanagawa), gets a visit from Oumou Prescott (Tamara Taylor). She is looking for the clone body of Laurens Bancroft that was taken from Issacs Apartment last episode. Prescott tells the Captain that he needs to hand it over now or face consequences, which the Captain doesn’t take too kindly too because he doesn’t want her speaking like that in front of his officers. Tanaka gets a call from Mikey who tells him everything he knows about Ghostwalker and all the theories and evidence he has him. Tanaka freaks out and wants Mickey to drop this unless he can come up with anything concrete. Meanwhile, we see Dimi and Ghostwalker visit a man named Hemingway (Arnold Pinnock). Hemingway tells Dimi to stay away from Kovacs because he needs him and Hemingway has him locked up in a safe house because Dimi is stepping out of line. Meanwhile, Vernon and Kovacs go to Brevlov’s place and find that Issac is there while they are interrogating Brevlov. Issac finally agrees to tell them he was using a clone of his father to impersonate him and they all go to Laurens place to have a family meeting. Prescott brings in the clone that Issac was using to become Laurens and Issac finally explains why he did this. He wanted to finally earn his fathers respect by working with Brevlov. Laurens is angry about this and destroys the clone out of rage and thanks Kovacs for the update.
We then cut to Prescott and Kovacs in the elevator together and Kovacs ask Prescott if she saw the Ghostwalker at the party, which she says no. Meanwhile, Ghostwalker and Dimi are talking to each other and Dimi gets under the Ghostwalkers skin. This causes the Ghostwalker to chase him down until they reach a tattoo place where Dimi contacts Carnage to transport himself into Kovacs OG Sleeve. Meanwhile, Kovacs and Vernon go to visit Ortega in the hospital and find her mother there. She slaps Kovacs and leaves to go get coffee, Vernon looks at Ortega’s vital signs and everything seems to be fine. Kovacs takes him as a good sight to go back out but Vernon convinces him to stay with Ortega until she wakes up. Some time passes and Ortega finally wakes up, being greeted by Kovacs. Kovacs tells Ortega that Samir died and that he was able to get her a new arm because she would have lost the sleeve if they didn’t replace the arm. Ortega is upset by this and wants to hit Kovacs but before she can, Captain Takana interrupts. Takana brings flowers for Ortega, Kovacs notices that they are expensive flowers that are a sight of guilt. Ortega then interrogates Takana about how he knew something about the Ghostwalker coming to the station, Takana says that he didn’t actually know and he only gets updates from someone on a VR cafe who also pays him to keep his mouth shut. Ortega is able to get an address from Takana to the cafe he goes to and Kovacs goes with her. They get to the cafe with one goal in mind, to find out who the contact is, for Samir’s sake. Kovacs dives in and becomes Takana to talk to the mysterious contact, who we find out is Hemingway. Ortega pulls him out before he could do anything else and they find the place to be quiet. Why is it quiet? because someone came in and cut all of the people’s heads off, that someone being Dimi in a new sleeve. He throws a pulse grenade at the two and sends them flying out the windows.
We then cut to the Fightdrome where Dimi has taken them so that they can fight in Carnage’s arena, to the death. We see that Carnage is hosting a one-time event where Kovacs and Ortega must fight some creatures for the first round. They are able to fight and kill the creatures by working together. Dimi then enters the fight and starts to cut them up multiples times in different spots, he reveals that the blades are laced with Reaper. Dimi hypes up the crowd, grabs Ortega, throws her beside Kovacs and tells him that he is going to cut her into pieces. Before he can, Kovacs stops him and Dimi is able to stab him with the knife. Dimi thinking he is a deadman starts to get happy and Kovacs is able to get the knife, stab Dimi in the neck, grabs his stack, throws it to Ortega and she crushes it with her bare hands. This angers Carnage to the point of him sending everyone to kill them both. However, before they can, a mysterious person in a hood with a sword is able to slash her way to Kovacs and Ortega. We find out that this person is a woman who is Kovacs’s sister, making Kovacs, not the last Envoy.
This was another great episode for the series. We got to see Ortega get a new upgrade, we got to see Dimi take over Kovacs OG Sleeve and more Fightdrome. I really do love the concept of Fightdrome and I love Carnage, they just feel like they are future versions of the Thunderdome, and there is nothing wrong with that.
One thing that keeps me intrigued with the series is the world that they are establishing around them. The whole concept of Sleeves plays a big part and Stacks are a great way for someone to remain alive while not being forced to one single body.
The acting in this episode was great and everyone really did a great job. I loved how Ortega reacted when he found out about Samir and her new arm. She was able to go from Sad, too shocked, Intrigued and then angry when she finds out about Takana’s secret dealings.
One thing I hope will get answered is that who is Hemingway? He feels like he is someone important but he needs more development for me to get fully invested in who he is.
Another thing that I hope get’s solved soon is Bancroft’s murder. I know that this is the overarching plot point for the season but it’s really starting to drag at this point and I’m more interested about what the world of this show has to offer and I would rather see more of Fightdrome, AI Hotels and whatever else goes on in this world.
The Verdict:
Episode 6 was another solid episode of Altered Carbon. It had a great twist ending, more Fightdrome, Dimi finally got what he deserved and the Bancroft murder is one step closer to being solved….. maybe. The one complaint I have is that we really do need to speed up the murder investigation because it’s being dragged out and I would rather see more of what this world has to offer. Other than that, another great episode of this awesome series so far.
9/10
Next up, Episode 7.
REVIEW: Altered Carbon Season 1 Episode 5
Alright, time for Episode 5. After the last episode left a bad taste in my mouth, will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this episode crash and burn like the last?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We open the episode to a flashback of Ryker (Joel Kinnaman), interrogating a man (Seriously? More Interrogating people? After it went so well last episode? Whatever), about how a woman was killed by a man. The man says he doesn’t know anything and Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda), comes into the room and stops Ryker from killing the man. Ortega lets the man go free and hugs Ryker who is said. We then cut to present day where we find out that Ryker was Ortega’s ex-boyfriend and that is why she has been watching Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), because she doesn’t want the sleeve to be damaged. Kovacs then tells her that the guy who put him in the VR Torture room thought he was Ryker and saying that Ryker killed his brother. Meanwhile, Vernon Elliot (Ato Essandoh), is with Poe (Chris Conner), down in the lobby and Vernon asks to see Lizzie. Poe tells him no and that she is getting better without his help and this upsets Vernon. Kovacs comes down to go out and Vernon wants to talk about Lizzie and Poe but Kovacs stops him to tell him to not bother him unless he has something useful. Ortega comes down as well with the severed head and wraps it in a cloth before she can leave. Meanwhile, Kovacs goes to Bancroft’s place and wants to speak to Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy). Laurens isn’t home but Miriam Bancroft (Kristin Lehman), is the only one home. Miriam asks Kovacs to drop the case and she would get him a new identity because she thinks the case is meaningless and is afraid of Laurens. Miriam says that Laurens has her and the family trapped in a web and she wants to escape it. She tells Kovacs that she has her own island with a resleeve facility and can offer Kovacs his freedom. Kovacs says no and Miriam tells him to think about it and keep the idea open. Meanwhile, Ortega takes the stack out of the head, drops it into a sewer and calls Mickey with a job that needs to be kept on the down low. Meanwhile, Kovacs enters a place that looks like a ghetto and finds Laurens there talking to some kids. Kovacs tells him that he knows about the sleeve and Laurens says that Ortega needed to be taught some respect by Laurens using Ryker sleeve for his Last Envoy. Laurens then starts to touch some of the people and hand out chocolate to them and Kovacs notices that he is starting to get infected by the people. Laurens does this so he can gain the respect and love of the infected people. Meanwhile, Ortega heads to the station and gives Mickey the stack and asks him to put it in a sleeve so she can ask about Ryker but it has to be done off the books.
We then cut back to the hotel where Kovacs sits down with Vernon who is drinking by myself. Kovacs grabs the bottle when Samir Abboud (Waleed Zuaiter), comes out of the shadows and wants to speak with Kovacs alone. Samir tells Kovacs about Ryker and Ortega and how Kovacs being in his sleeve is tearing her apart. Ortega really fell hard when Ryker lost it and she still pays the mortgage on Ryker’s sleeve. Samir wants Kovacs to keep Ortega far away from any of the Bancroft stuff or else he will kill Kovacs. Poe appears just after Samir leaves and tells Kovacs that he spoke with his AI union and spoke to Madison, the AI that manages Fightdrome. Meanwhile, Ortega goes back home to have a shower, she is interpreted by her mother shouting and firing at someone. We see that Kovacs has come to Ortega’s home and her mother isn’t too happy about it. Ortega takes the guns away from her mom and Kovacs tells Ortega that he has a lead on Bancroft that will lead them to the Fightdrome. Kovacs askes Ortega if Ryker had any defining characteristics and she tells him that he always looked mad and ready to punch someone. They reach the Fightdrome and talk to the owner named Carnage. Carnage tries to tell them that he doesn’t have anything but Ortega is able to convince him. They look around while Carnage is talking and Kovacs comes across a pod with his original Envoy sleeve. He stares at it while Carnage tells him how he got it made for him and offers Kovacs a test run on a Friday for a private show. Ortega tells them to move along so they can find the footage. We make it to the office were Carnage shows them the footage of Bancroft and we see that Issac Bancroft was at one of the fights with Laurens finding him and beating him. Carnage tells them that is all of the footage and for them to leave. Kovacs tells Ortega that he can read lips and Laurens kept saying, “Your not me, you will never be me”, while beating on his son. They decide to visit Issac’s place which is locked with a genetic look and Kovacs just shoots the lock before going inside. The two of them search the place and find a hidden door that contains a 3D Bio-metric printer that can print Sleeves. They also find a pod that is keeping a body frozen, it’s Lauren Bancroft. They soon figure out that Issac has been printing Sleeves of his father so he can be him and make sure that a deal goes through so that he can remain rich. Ortega calls for backup and to take the 3D Printer away. Kovacs waits in the house and notices that his hand is starting to bleed, Ortega notices this and takes him away. They go back to Ortega’s house and she stitches up Kovacs wounds with Kovacs asking about some of the scars on his sleeve. Ortega tells some stories and this leads to Ortega throwing herself at Kovacs. The two of them makeout and eventually have sex.
We then cut to the next morning, Ortega grabs a stack from a box and gives it to Kovacs. The stack belongs to someone named Mary, who was a girl that was killed and Ryker was falsely accused of killing her. We get a flashback to when Ryker was arrested for that murder in is home. Ortega then shows Kovacs more pictures of people who have been murdered and then tells Kovacs about the Ghostwalker. The two of them talk can they say that Bancroft, Ghostwalker and Rykers case are all connected in the big picture. Ortega get’s a call from Mickey and they go down to the police station. They see that the same sleeve Ortega used for her grandma is used for the man who tortured Kovacs named Dimi. They are questioning him about who framed Ryker and he won’t give up a name, so, they start to beat him until he talks. Before they can go further, the captain steps in and puts an end to the situation. They all step out of the room and Ortega asks for 5 mins in VR so she can finally get some answers on Ryker’s case. The captain says yes and Samir, Ortega, Dimi and a fellow officer go into the elevator. The officer is then revealed to be the Ghostwalker who is working for Dimi is in the elevator and Kovacs tries to warn them but fails. The Ghostwalker pulls out a weapon and starts to stab Ortega with Samir trying to help fight him off. This whole scene is bloody and lasts for about four minutes and ends with Ghostwalker killing Samir and taking Dimi with him. Kovacs makes it to the right floor and the elevator opens to find that Ortega is the only one left alive. Kovacs quickly gets in and takes Ortega away to get medical attention.
Wow, now that is a way to end an episode. I will also say that I liked this episode a lot more than the last. We actually got some new developments in the Bancroft case and the Ghostwalker proves to be a scary foe.
I really did like the Fightdrome and Carnage getting his hands on Kovacs original sleeve. It was nice to see that Kovacs still recognizes his real face and body, so seeing his original body sure did shake him to his core.
Also, I totally called it last review and I knew that Ortega and Kovacs were going to hook up. Once we found out that Kovacs is in the same sleeve as her ex-boyfriend, it was only inevitable that they were going to embrace each other’s bodies.
I also like how the cases are all being connected together, it really does help the plot and condense it so that it’s not long and confusing for the viewers. I just can’t wait to see more of the Ghostwalker now that we have seen what he can do.
The Verdict:
Episode 5 was so much better than the last one. This didn’t feel like a chore to get through and it also streamlined all the different cases together so that it can become something bigger and easier to follow. Also, the ending of the episode was really gnarly and awesome, it was a great action scene and a great way to end the episode.
9/10
Next up, Episode 6
REVIEW: Altered Carbon Season 1 Episode 4
Alright, time for Episode 4. Will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this episode crash and burn?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We start the episode with Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), on a table with some wires and electrons attached to his head. Beside him is one of the guys who kidnapped him at the end of the last episode with the help of the stripper. He is also on a table with the same electrons on his head, it seems that he wants to dive into the mind of Kovacs and interrogate him. Meanwhile, Vernon Elliot (Ato Essandoh), is looking over the cam footage and is not finding anything. Poe (Chris Conner), is also in the room putting up Halloween decorations in Vernon’s room. Vernon asks Poe where Kovacs is and he doesn’t know, prompting Vernon to grow concerned. Meanwhile, Kovacs is being interrogated and the guy wants to know who Kovacs is working for. Before he can answer, we get a flashback to more Envoy training. This time the leader is talking about the virtual interrogation and how they can protect themselves and not crack. We then cut back to present time where the interrogator tells him that he lost his tracker and there is no signal around him so no one can find him. Meanwhile, Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda), is looking at the footage from last nights party trying to look for someone that they can’t see. The tech guy tells her that this person is using new tech that causes cameras to not pick them up at all, the person becomes a ghostwalker. Ortega tells them to try and get an ID at all costs when she get’s a call from her mother. Her mother tells her that she is almost done the cooking for their family and that the father wants the wrong kind of cheese. A criminal brought in won’t stop shouting while Ortega is on the phone and she tases him. The cops drop him and leave him on the group and tell Ortega she can handle him because they are off duty. Meanwhile, Kovacs is still being Interrogated and tells the man that he is looking for Lizzie because he is her father. The man starts to glitch out in the virtual world, he decides to wear the face of his brother that Kovacs killed and Kovacs has another flashback. We see that the Envoy is learning how to fight the VR Interrogation. Meanwhile, we see that Ortega goes to but some cheese when she brings along the criminal from earlier who has been reprogrammed to be someone else. Meanwhile, Kovacs is still be tortured, killed and then revived to be tortured more. Meanwhile, Ortega makes it home with the cheese and we find out that the criminal has been reprogrammed to be her grandma. the mother voices her displeasure with this but Ortega tells her that it was the only sleeve available and everything will be fine. Meanwhile, Kovacs is still being tortured and has another flashback to his Envoy training. The guys controlling the program start to see that Kovacs’s body is shaking and are wondering how he is still holding up. Meanwhile, Ortega’s partner Samir Abboud (Waleed Zuaiter), brings over a pie and Ortega asks him if he has gotten any info from the program yet. Samir says no and he joins Ortega for her family dinner. Ortega and her mother go back and forth about how God is watching them and how they don’t believe in how people are using sleeves because it goes against their values. Meanwhile, Kovacs is being torched with a flamethrower and his legs get burned off, while this is happening we get another flashback. This time, we learn that no matter what happens, Kovacs is an Envoy and he will prevail over the torture and find a way out.
We then cut to Ortega and her family finishing dinner and her mother are taking the dishes. The mother is still upset about what Ortega said during dinner and Samir has to talk her down. Meanwhile, The torturer is taken out of the VR room and gives the owner crap about his program. He tells the owner that he needs something strong because everyone has a breaking point. He goes back into the VR room and brings along a container of slug creatures with him to help get Kovacs to break. Meanwhile, Ortega and her Grandma go back to the police station as they talk about her grandpa. Grandma then asks if they keep any drugs in the station because she wants to try some. Meanwhile, Kovacs has another flashback to the training and he finally starts to learn how to crack the VR Torture. The main lesson is to focus on the one thing you love with all your heart and you can prevail. Kovacs is able to escape the VR by stopping his own heart so they have to take him out of the VR room. Kovacs then tells them that they messed with the wrong guy because he is an officer and that people will come looking for him and they will kill them if he isn’t set loose. The scientists there start to panic and let him loose and Kovacs unleashes hell on all of them. He uses the guns in his bag to kill everyone in the building and takes the Torturer’s head with him. Vernon is outside with a guy who helped with the kidnapping and they find the building, right before Kovacs comes out and kills the guy with Vernon. Meanwhile, Ortega is with her Grandma smoking pot and she asks Ortega to not bring her back again by taking the stack out of the sleeve she is in. Ortega agrees and goes to do the procedure but gets a call asking her to visit a crime scene. The crime scene is the same place that Kovacs just escaped from and Ortega finds the tracker she put on Kovacs on a dead body. Ortega bursts into the hotel looking for Kovacs, Poe and Vernon try to tell her they don’t know anything and she tells them she will be back for them. Kovacs is in the shower and hears Ortega banging on the door. Ortega starts to yell at Kovacs with him asking about someone named Ryker that the Torturer kept calling him and Ortega won’t talk. Kovacs grabs her knife and starts to cut himself all over his body until she talks, he starts to cut his throat when Ortega finally says she will talk.
I’m gonna be honest, I didn’t really like this episode that much. It felt like a bit of a slough to get through. Kovacs being tortured for so long started to get boring after a while and the subplot with Ortega wasn’t very interesting either. The last few minutes though are the only good part of the episode because there is finally some action. I’m all for explanation and plot-driven episodes but this just felt like bad filler.
I feel like I didn’t learn very much this episode and the only thing I can take away is that Kovacs had the sleeve of someone else and maybe Ortega knows a thing or two. This was the first episode of the series that I felt like skipping halfway through because it just let stale.
We did get to learn more about the Envoys and the training they went through so they can become the best but it was handled in a forced way that just didn’t seem interesting. I will say that the acting for the episode was great and everyone gave a great performance. Even Ortega’s family was enjoyable to watch but too bad it felt like it didn’t make an impact on the overall story.
The Verdict:
Episode 4 was the first misstep of this season, it tried to focus more on Kovacs’s past training and Ortega’s family but just couldn’t keep me interested or engaged. I will say that the last 15 minutes of the episode were the saving grace for the episode and the acting was also great. However, I still can’t look past the flaws and I hope the next episode will be better.
6/10
Next up, Episode 5.
REVIEW: Altered Carbon Season 1 Episode 3
Alright, it’s been awhile since the last review for Altered Carbon. We do apologize for that and we will be getting back on the saddle to finish this series. So with that in mind, time for Episode 3. Will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this episode crash and burn?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We open the episode to a flashback of Takeshi Kovacs (Joel Kinnaman), childhood. We see that he is with his sister and they are telling each other the story of the Patchwork Man. They finish the story before their parents come home and the kids hide in the closet. We see the father is taking to the mother and the father starts to abuse the mother. Takeshi and his sister watch this and they tell each other they will stick with each other no matter what. We back to present day where Takeshi is having a shower, he finishes and Poe (Chris Conner), delivers him an invitation to a party later that night. Poe then tells Takeshi that there was a drone in the room last night that got footage of him having sex with Bancroft’s wife. Takeshi get’s a call from Laurens Bancroft (James Purefoy), with him asking Takeshi if he is going to the party or not because Bancroft invited all the people that he thinks would kill him. Bancroft wants Takeshi there so he can chat/interrogate the guests so he can continue with his case. Poe tells Takeshi that he wishes he could go with him as the backup but he is stuck at the hotel because he is the brain of it. Meanwhile, Kristin Ortega (Martha Higareda), gets a visit from Oumou Prescott (Tamara Taylor), who invites her to the same party that Takeshi is going to so she can monitor the situation. Ortega has no choice but to accept when Captain Tanaka (Hiro Kanagawa), tells her to clear her schedule for that night. Meanwhile, Takeshi goes to visit Vernon Elliot (Ato Essandoh), in his shop and wants to hire him as the backup for the party. Takeshi then makes a trade with Vernon, he comes as the backup to the party and Takeshi will help Lizzie (Hayley Law), get the treatment she needs. Vernon reluctantly agrees because he hates Bancroft but wants to get Lizzie back no matter what. Takeshi and Vernon head back to the hotel where Poe greets them and offers a room for Lizzie but Vernon won’t be able to talk to her, only see her because her condition is critical. Vernon gives his consent and Takeshi wants him to take him to his friends in low places so they can get some gear. Meanwhile, Ortega is looking over the guest list to see that a bunch of criminals that she couldn’t talk to in the past will be at the party and that she will finally be able to talk to them. Meanwhile, Takeshi and Vernon visit a weapons dealer who shows off some awesome guns and knives. While Vernon is picking out his weapons, Takeshi has a flashback to a training session with is Envoy partners. Meanwhile, Takeshi and Vernon are back at the hotel and watching Poe set up a virtual room for Lizzie, Lizzie speaks to Poe but it seems to be nonsense. Vernon is glad that she finally spoke but wonders if he is doing the right thing. Takeshi tells him that Lizzie is in good hands with Poe because he can be focused and determined when he is set with a task. Takeshi warns Vernon that he is bringing him along to only watch is back and nothing else, he doesn’t need Vernon acting out.
We then cut to the party that everyone has been talking about and getting ready for. Takeshi get’s his bag with his gun taken, Ortega get’s her gun taken away and Vernon is disguised as a waiter handing out drinks. Takeshi comes across Miriam Bancroft (Kristin Lehman), and tells her that there was a spy in the room watching them last night. Laurens comes and asks Takeshi to follow him because he wants to talk to him. Ortega is up on a balcony doing a survalience scan of all the people at the party and she is talking to her partner back at HQ. She notices some people dressed as fighters walking upstairs somewhere and she decides to follow. She finds a married couple who are in different skins and asks to see their fighting licenses, Takeshi follows Ortega and they both discover that there is a fighting cage nearby. The two of them go grab a drink and Ortega tells Takeshi to stay out of her way. Takeshi takes the elevator to the next floor and finds Laurens waiting for him. Takeshi talks to Laurens about what he does and how he purchases fighters so he can have knife fights, while also talking about how he has lines that he won’t cross, unlike Takeshi. The two notice Bancroft’s son and Takeshi asks if he killed Laurens but he says no. The two talk about philosophy and God when Laurens tells Takeshi that he thinks of himself a god because every god needs minions, implying that Takeshi is his minion. Laurens leaves and Takeshi goes back to the party to talk to the guess. Takeshi notices that Miriam opens a bookshelf false door to go somewhere, he follows behind and sees that Miriam is having sex with one of the guards. Takeshi asks her what she is doing and Miriam reveals that she isn’t actually Miriam, but one of Laurens daughters named Naomi. Takeshi asks Naomi if she killed her father but she says she didn’t because, with her father dead, she would be penniless. Takeshi leaves the room and finds Isaac Bancroft (Antonio Marziale), talking in mandarin to some Japanese waiters. Isaac was telling a joke to them and the waiters don’t find it funny, Takeshi has to pull Issac aside so he can stop making an ass out of himself. Prescott comes and gives Takeshi crap for what he did to Issac and tells him that she wants to become one of the rich people at the party. Meanwhile, Vernon takes the elevator to the upstarts control room and offers up the guard some alcohol. Vernon then grabs his knife that is tipped with poison, stabs the guard and takes control of the computer system. Meanwhile, a few guests are showing off their trophies when Laurens takes centre stage and tells everyone that he owns the Last Envoy, Takeshi Kovacs.
We then cut to the fighting arena, everyone is gathered there to see the married couple from earlier fight to the death. Everyone watches the fight get bloody and Takeshi stops the husband from beating the wife to death. This causes Laurens to throw Takeshi in the ring and tells the couple he will give them both upgraded sleeves if they killed Takeshi. Ortega tries to stop this but Laurens says that they are all his property and he wants to raise the stakes but adding a weapon to the fight. Ortega is able to grab a gun and shoot the controls of the cage and disables them, ending the fight with no one dying. The couple is bloody and injured and they say they can’t repair their current sleeves or get new ones. Takeshi then forces Laurens to keep his promise of giving them both new sleeves. After the party is over, Takeshi and Laurens tells him that he needs to stay away from his wife and if he has anything new on the investigation. Takeshi says no but loved the party and walks out of the room. Takeshi finds Vernon outside and asks him where he was, Vernon was gathering survalience footage on Lizzie and Ortega walks up to give Takeshi back his gun. Takeshi tells Vernon to go home as he has somewhere to be, that somewhere is a strip club to talk to the same stripper who gave him info on Lizzie. She comes out beaten and bloody and uses a syringe on Takeshi to knock him out. Takeshi is then taken to a hospital place where it looks like he is going to be dissected.
This is a great episode coming back into the series after being away for awhile. I really do like the look and feel of the show and I’m glad that I came back to it.
I really do think that Laurens has alterer motives at this point because before he wanted to keep his investigation and Kovacs on the down low so he can solve his murder. However, now that Kovacs has been put on display as a trophy, it really does seem like Laurens is up to something and using Kovacs for more than solving his murder.
Elliot was also great this episode, not only rocking the suit while pretending to be a waiter, but he also has a great knowledge of the weapons and tools that they use in the Altered Carbon universe. I also like that he is willing to work with Kovacs, even if it means using Bancroft’s money to save his daughter.
Ortega is a little annoying since she is basically stalking Kovacs at this point and I think we all know that she wants to get in bed with him because the way she looks at Kovacs and how she talks about him.
The concept of Sleeves is explored more in this episode and I like that Bancroft has a fighting arena for people who are looking for a thrill and an upgraded sleeve. This universe continues to grow and peak my interest, I can’t wait to watch more.
The only downside to this episode is I thought the whole party thing was a little on the boring side and I wish it was shortened or cut out altogether. I didn’t really care about what happened at the party and who was there so I feel it would have been better if we were told about what happened instead of shown.
The Verdict:
Episode 3 was a great episode to come back to after being away from the series for some time. I really do love the concept of the universe and what it was to offer. The party itself was a little boring but you can say it was worth it for the fighting arena scene in the end. Let us hope that wherever Kovacs is, he can make it out alive in one piece.
8.5/10
Next up, Episode 4.
REVIEW: Jessica Jones Season 2 Episode 13
Alright, time for the Season Finale. Will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this episode crash and burn the Season?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSvnepZS26s[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We start the episode with Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), waking up on the couch from her knockout in the RV. Alisa Jones (Janet McTeer), is nearby when Jessica freaks out and runs out of the camper. Jessica asks where they are and Alisa says that she is driving wherever Jessica wants to go. Jessica tells her to go to the Raft but Alisa refuses saying she won’t spend any more time in prison. The two are interrupted by a driver passing by asking if they need help and they get back into the RV and drive off into the night. Meanwhile, Trish Walker (Rachel Taylor), is awoken by her mother Dorothy (Rebecca De Mornay), screaming “Patsy”, and she is with the nurse who asks for a urine sample. Mother and Daughter talk about what has happened and how Trish is way over her head and should not worry about Jessica. Meanwhile, Jessica and Alisa are talking about how Jessica is trying to escape and call the national guard on her mother but won’t. Jessica tells her that she has tried everything with her mother and Alisa says that she hasn’t tried joining her. The two talk about how they are the most powerful women in the world and that no matter what, people will always resent them because they will feel less than them. Meanwhile, Malcolm (Eka Darville), is finishing cleaning up Jessica’s apartment and drops his key on her desk. He calls confirming an interview with Linda Chow for a case. He takes a shower, shaves his hair and puts on a suit and also remembers to bring a case along with him. Meanwhile, Jessica and Alisa are still driving and come across a crash site with a family and a truck carrying propane. The tanks are going off and launching all around but Jessica and Alisa stop to help the save the family and the driver of the truck. Meanwhile, Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), is doing Yoga with her instructor (Also checking her out at the same time), when she gets a knock on the door. It’s Malcolm, who tells Jeri that he is working solo now and taking her case from Jessica. Malcolm also reveals that he put a mini camera into his bag so he could record his interview with Chow so that Jeri can get some info. Meanwhile, Jessica and Alisa are now going to head to the border because the family and cops can try to ID them because they helped at the crash site. Before they can get there, Jessica has to meet up with someone at a Diner, Oscar (J.R. Ramirez), of course.
Oscar meets with Jessica before she wants to leave and Oscar tries to talk her out of it. Oscar tells Jessica that the cops searched both of their places and Jessica then realizes that Oscar was followed by the cops to the Diner. Jessica creates a distraction for herself, sneaks out the back of the diner and jumps into a truck bed in order to escape the cops. The track drives to a gravel field where Jessica has stashed the RV and Alisa, Jessica stops and says that they must drive north. Meanwhile, Jeri goes back to her firm to confront her shareholders with the video and she wants them to double her severance and take half of their clients with her (Including a certain Danny Rand). Jeri leaves and meets with Malcolm in her office to thank him for his work. Malcolm wants to try and get a job with Jeri but she doesn’t hire him because he isn’t certified. However, she does give Malcolm a nice paycheque for his work (You can tell because of the look on his face). Meanwhile, Jessica and Alisa are still driving when they talk about where they should go since they can’t go to the border now. Alisa suggests that they go around and help people in villages and deliver supplies to those in need. They come across a roadblock and have to take another route to avoid it. The kid from the family earlier left his phone behind and Jessica gets a call from Detective Costa (John Ventimiglia), on that phone. Costa talks to Jessica about how she is one of the good ones and her mother is done for and he wants them to turn themselves in. Jessica breaks the phone but Costa is able to get their location and sends out a squad to get them. Jessica and Alisa have to come up with a new plan now, they have to find a parking lot to ditch the RV so they can find another vehicle. Meanwhile, Trish is in the hospital with Dorothy trying to access their situation and find a solution to help Trish out. Costa knocks on the door and wants to speak with Trish alone. Costa asks her if Jessica knows anyone around West Chester that would hide Jessica, Trish says no and Costa tells her what is going on. Costa gives Trish his card and tells her to call him if she has any trouble and tells Trish that he will try to bring Jessica in alive. Trish takes that as a sigh to get out of bed and help Jessica.
We then cut to nighttime where Alisa is sitting outside looking at where they stopped, a place called Playland. Jessica runs up and tells Alisa she found a boat down by the pier that they can use to escape. Alisa breaks the chains on the gate and goes into Playland, turning on the powers to the Ferris Wheel and other attractions in the process. Alisa tries to tell Jessica to run and that she doesn’t want to run and cause Jessica’s death. Alisa gets on the Ferris Wheel with Jessica following her and the two of them ride the Ferris Wheel. Alisa talks to Jessica and how she isn’t like Jessica and that she has done some bad things in her life. Before she can finish, Alisa is shot in the head and killed. It turns out that Trish is the one that killed Alisa. Jessica is furious and goes to confront Trish, and take her gun away. Trish tells her that the cops would have killed them both if she hadn’t killed Alisa. Jessica is filled with rage but lets Trish go when she hears the cops in the distance. Jessica stops the Ferris Wheel and goes to sit with her mother’s dead body and cry. Detective Costa shows up with the cops and finds Jessica in the seat and takes the gun away from her. Costa tries to calm Jessica down and tells her that she did the right thing, thinking she killed Alisa herself.
We then cut to sometime later when Jessica goes back to working her PI job and spying on a man while taking pictures. Later on in the evening, she walks into a liquor store and someone tries to rob it. Jessica stops the robber, has the owner call the cops and still manages to pick up some booze in the end. Jessica goes back home to find Trish outside her door, Trish tries to explain why she had to be the one to kill Alisa but Jessica doesn’t want to hear it. Trish tries to say that she is still her sister but Jessica can now only see the one who killed her mother and Trish took away the only family she had. Trish leaves and goes to the elevator when she is bumped by a cleaning lady coming out and she almost drops her phone. Trish is able to save the phone with some fast reflexes, causing her to smile and think she may be developing powers. Meanwhile, Jeri is on the phone and picking out a logo for her new firm when she is told her six 0’clock is here. It’s Pryce Cheng (Terry Chen), along with his new employee, Malcolm. They talk about a job that even Jessica wouldn’t take and Jeri agrees to hire both of them for a case. Meanwhile, Jessica is in her office uploading the photos to her computer, he decides to take a walk down the hall and runs into Malcolm. They don’t say anything but exchange looks as Jessica walks down the stairs instead of using the elevator. Jessica walks down the Oscars place and joins them for dinner. Oscar tells Jessica that he finally got an Art Gallery show in a small venue coming up and they are celebrating that. Oscar and Veto ask about Jessica’s day at work and she tells them about what happened at the liquor store earlier.
WOW….. there’s a lot to unpack with this episode
I will start with the fact that I thought Alisa was going to live and leave Jessica behind so Jessica can go back to her life but nope, of course, Trish had to be the one who killed Alisa. I was hoping they kept her alive so she can come back later but now that’s not an option.
I have been saying it for the last half of the season now but I really do hate Trish now. Trying to give herself superpowers and now killing Jessica’s mother, that’s low and now it’s going to take a lot to redeem her now. She didn’t have the right to pass judgement on Alisa and for that, she is paying the ultimate price.
Maybe Jessica’s head was clouded by the fact that Alisa is her real mom but towards the end, Alisa was finally accepting the fact that she won’t survive the chase and be locked up in prison again.
I’m glad that Oscar wasn’t left out of this episode either. I really do like Jessica and Oscar together and I’m glad that even after all the crap they went through, they were still able to work things out in the end.
Malcolm finally moving on from Jessica is a little bittersweet for me because I really did like him working with Jessica. However, if you work in a toxic environment, you are gonna want to escape at some point and work for someone else (I have experienced this in real life as well so I can feel him). Malcolm going to work for Cheng is a bit of a crappy move since Cheng was such an asshole to Jessica but I can let this slide, after all:
I also like how this episode wrapped up a lot of the loose ends for this season and it really does feel like it’s complete. Jessica is alive and with Oscar, Malcolm is working for Cheng who is working with Jeri and Trish is still alive and maybe developing her powers.
I really wonder what will happen next season. Maybe we will see Jessica and Jeri get into a competition as they become rival PIs. Maybe Trish will discover more of her powers and become Hellcat. Maybe we will get more cameos from other Netflix MCU show characters, I hope maybe Luke Cage or Danny Rand will come and see Jessica in the future.
The Verdict:
AKA Playland was everything I expected to see in the Season Finale. Although, I have some issues with Trish in general and about her killing Alisa. Other than that, we finally got to see how everything went down and all the set up for the next season. Malcolm working for Cheng was unexpected but I will remain open to the idea. Overall, this was a great episode with some problems but I enjoyed it and I really liked Season 2 as a whole.
9.5/10
REVIEW: Jessica Jones Season 2 Episode 12
Alright, time for Episode 12. After the last episode with Vision Kilgrave, will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this crash and burn?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSvnepZS26s[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We start the episode with Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), and Dorothy Walker (Rebecca De Mornay), watching over Trish (Rachel Taylor), as a nurse checks up on her. The nurse says that Trish is stable right now and leaves the room. Jessica and Dorothy have a heartwarming conversation about how Jessica isn’t the reason Trish wanted powers so badly and Dorothy doesn’t blame her at all. If Trish doesn’t make it Jessica is all the family that Dorothy has left. Jessica then gets a call from Detective Costa saying that he has some bad news. Meanwhile, Alisa Jones is in a charity truck when it pulls up to a donation centre. A man is about to open the truck when Alisa breaks the doors open. Alisa walks into the centre and steals some clothes before she leaves. Alisa walks around New York and take in some of the sights and sounds the city has to offer. Meanwhile, Jessica is talking with Detective Costa and his partner about Alisa and where she might go. Jessica tells them that Alisa will go after Trish because she ruined everything for Alisa and got Karl killed in the end. Meanwhile, Dorothy is walking up to the hospital when a TV anchor with her cameraman come to her and start questioning her about Trish. Dorothy tries to slide past the questions but the anchor is able to convince her to tell her story. Meanwhile, Alisa is at Karl’s hotel room grieving over him and sees that Dorothy is on the news talking about Trish. Alisa walks out of the room and steals an RV while the owners are gone. Meanwhile, Jessica is with the cops driving when they get a report on how Alisa was at the station Trish used to work at and hurt the manager there. The cops decide to bring in the SWAT and back up against Alisa, they get stuck in traffic when Jessica kicks out one of the car doors and runs to the hospital. Meanwhile, Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), is on the phone calling pawn shop owners to find if any of her stuff was brought into them. She get’s nowhere until one calls her back on one of her items and gives her an address. Meanwhile, Alisa reaches the hospital and interrogates a doctor for info. The doctor tells her off camera and she jumps into Trish’s room through the window with Jessica getting there at the same time. Alisa starts to approach Trish when Jessica tries to stop her, the two of them get into a fight and Jessica is able to calm Alisa down. The Detectives bust in and shot Alisa, Alisa grabs Detective Sunday and falls out the window with her and kills her while Jessica and Costa watch. Meanwhile, Jeri goes to the pawn shop and talks to the owner. The owner tells Jeri that Shane was there yesterday but it comes at a cost.
We then cut to Jessica and Dorothy at the Mourge. Dorothy spins a new story about how what happened to Trish is her fault and backstabs her. Costa comes in and takes Jessica to see Sunday’s body. Costa then asks if Jessica can step aside and let the cops handle Alisa because now it has become personal. Jessica will now have officers around her at all times and Costa tries to convince Jessica to make a statement so she can leave it the cops and she refuses. Jessica then goes to see Trish in the morgue alone so she can check on her. Trish finally wakes up and is mad at Jessica for stopping the operation and letting Karl die. Trish also tells Jessica that she wants her powers because she wants to help the world and not be an alcoholic piece of s**t like Jessica (Trish’s words, not mine). Jessica get’s a call from Alisa in the middle of their fight and Alisa wants Jessica to meet her somewhere, just her and no one else. They decide to meet at Trish’s apartment and Trish tells Jessica that she has Simpson’s gear in her closet so she can use it. Meanwhile, Jeri meets with Turk (Rob Morgan), under a bridge and he brings some stuff that Jeri asked for. Turk does this so he can get a favour from Jeri that he will collect at a later date. We see that in the bag Turk gave Jeri is a Magnum. Meanwhile, Jessica leaves the room to go to the bathroom and sneak away from her officers. She sneaks out of the bathroom window and sneaks onto a van carrying some of the bodies from the Mourge. Jessica hides in one of the body bags and hijacks the vehicle and the convinces the driver to go to Trish’s apartment. Meanwhile, Jeri is able to track down Shane and Inez and Jeri talks to Inez. Jeri tells her that Shane is a con-artist and is using Inez just like he has used other women in the past. Jeri tells Inez that Shane has thousands of dollars stashed away and he doesn’t really care about her. Before Inez leaves, Jeri gives her the gun she got from Turk so she can use it as protection. Meanwhile, Jessica gets to Trish’s apartment and finds the bag of weapons in the closet. Meanwhile, Jeri watches from the window as Inez and Shane argue and fight with Inez using the gun to kill Shane. Jeri then calls 911 to tell them about a shooting. Meanwhile, Dorothy tries to call other hospitals to get a different room when Trish wakes up and hears her mother. Trish tells her mother that she thinks she is dying and she get’s a fit that needs nurses. Meanwhile, Alisa makes it to Trish’s apartment and finds the place dark and empty.
That is until Jessica pulls out a gun on her and wants her to surrender or else she will kill her. Jessica doesn’t have the strength to pull the trigger and Alisa knocks her out. Later on, Alisa is driving down a road with Jessica in the RV, we don’t know where they are going but I know one thing is for sure.
After the last episode gave us Vision Kilgrave and the death of Karl, this was the perfect follow up episode. As the penultimate episode of the season, it felt like it and really did set everything into motion for the Season Finale. I’m expecting huge things to happen in the next episode and I hope I’m not disappointed.
Alisa really did go full She-Hulk this episode. Breaking down doors, leaping tall buildings and killing people of course. She is a scary opponent and I can’t wait to see what she will do in the next episode.
Although Dorothy and Trish weren’t in the episode for long, Dorothy really did show her true self. At first, she was trying to side with Jessica but then turned on her when she found out about Alisa. Dorothy is a wolf in sheep’s clothing and only really cares about Trish.
Speaking of Trish, I almost thought she was gonna die this episode near the end but she instead goes into a seizure I think and maybe this will be how she develops her powers and maybe she will break out of the Mourge to Save Jessica and finally become Hellcat! However, I will have to wait until the Season Finale.
The Verdict:
AKA Pray for my Patsy feels like a penultimate episode and serves its purpose of setting everything in place for the Season Finale. Alisa raged out and her relationship with Jessica was truly tested this episode and Trish may become a superhero in the next episode. Overall, I can’t wait to watch the Season Finale.
9.5/10
Next up, the Season Finale of Jessica Jones Season 2.
REVIEW: Jessica Jones Season 2 Episode 11
Alright, time for Episode 11. After the last episode ended with someone clubbed to death, will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this crash and burn?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSvnepZS26s[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We start the episode with Jessica (Krysten Ritter), freaking out about what she has done. With the guard named Dale dead at her feet, she was to think of something fast. She cleans up the body and all the blood while wiping her fingerprints from everything. She decides to make it look like Dale had committed suicide by jumping from the roof. Meanwhile, Alisa Jones (Janet McTeer), wakes up to find a new guard assigned to her and she gives Alisa her breakfast. Before Alisa eats, she asks to make a phone call to Jessica. Alisa calls Jessica when she gets back to Alias and the two of them talk about what happened. Alisa tells Jessica that she is proud of her and that she needs to watch out. Jessica is now being tormented by Kilgrave (David Tennant) for her actions and what she did. Jessica decides to take a shower and once she is finished, she finds an envelope under her door. It’s from Oscar (J.R. Ramirez), which contains all the papers and the passport that Dr. Karl (Callum Keith Rennie), needs to escape. She takes the envelope to the hotel and finds that Karl is missing. Vision Kilgrave (That’s what I’m going to call him), starts to talk to her and bug her. Jessica looks around to room for clues with Vision Kilgrave talking and trying to manipulate Jessica. She finds that Karl’s stuff is still there, including his room key and thinks that Karl was kidnapped. Meanwhile, Jessica goes to the prison to visit her mother and hears the other guards talk about what happened to Dale. Alisa is able to get the visitation room to herself and Jessica so they can talk about Dale. Jessica tells Alisa that Karl is missing and Alisa thinks that Trish (Rachel Taylor), took him (She isn’t wrong about that). Jessica tells her it wasn’t Trish and that she will find Karl. Jessica leaves the prison and Vision Kilgrave starts to sing “I Want Your Cray Cray”, while Jessica is trying to call Trish and find her. Trish doesn’t answer and Jessica yells at Vision Kilgrave to get out of her head. Meanwhile, Jessica makes it back to her apartment with Vision Kilgrave sitting in Jessica’s chair and talking to her about how she has killed three people now and she should own the fact that Dale is dead. Jessica finds that someone used her computer (Trish and Malcolm), she walks down the hall and kicks down Malcolm’s (Eka Darville), door. She doesn’t find anyone home but she finds Malcolm’s laptop and does some snooping of her own. She finds the dating website that Malcolm has been using for his hookups and tries to use the distance of some women to try and get a location on him.
We then cut to Trish with Karl at a storage facility where Karl grabs a box with his research in it. Trish has Karl at gunpoint and she starts to insult him when he asks her about the gun. They get in the car after a lady comes across them and wants a photo of Trish, Trish refuses and drives off. Meanwhile, Jessica is going through Malcolm’s Teaser account and calling all the ladies that Malcolm has messaged and is able to get a location on him. Meanwhile, Malcolm finally frees himself from the trunk and finds himself in a parking garage with Trish and Karl coming back from a store. Malcolm starts to yell at Trish with Trish pointing her gun at Malcolm and firing a warning shot. Jessica finds everyone in the parking garage with Trish driving off with Karl. Meanwhile, Alisa is pacing around her cell when she sees her guard watching a documentary on the Marinas Trench (Not the band). This causes her to relive a memory with her and Karl on a beach talking to each other about Karl wanting to close down the clinic and get a place by the ocean, just the two of them. Meanwhile, Jessica and Malcolm are walking down the street with Jessica yelling at Malcolm about how he was blinded and used by Trish. Malcolm wants to help Jessica but she doesn’t want his help and Malcolm tries to find out what store Trish went too. Jessica is being tormented by Vision Kilgrave with dual thoughts about Malcolm and Trish. Before she can snap, Malcolm finds the place that Trish went too, a Veterinary. They go inside and interrogate the employee working there about what Trish bought. The employee tells them some ingredients that Trish bought and Jessica is able to figure out that Trish doesn’t want to recreate the Inhaler, she wants something more powerful. Meanwhile, Trish and Karl are back at IGH with Karl setting up the same equipment he used on Jessica and Alisa to give Trish the same or different powers as them. Trish wants to be like Jessica and doesn’t want to feel powerless anymore. Meanwhile, Jessica and Malcolm and walking down the street and Vision Kilgrave is finally able to really get inside Jessica’s head and starts to manipulate her into choking someone who looks like him but is a random guy on the street. Malcolm is able to snap Jessica out of it and stays behind to talk with the guy so she can go to IGH. Meanwhile, Karl is operating on Trish and letting the machine does it’s work when it starts to backfire and looks to be killing Trish. Jessica makes it in time to stop the machine and Karl and almost kills Karl with Vision Kilgrave telling her too and she doesn’t. Karl finally accepts his fate and tells Jessica to grab Trish and run while he grabs her gun and destroys IGH. Meanwhile, Jessica is able to get Trish to a hospital and Malcolm meets Jessica there. The two of them get into an argument about Trish and what Malcolm did with Jessica firing Malcolm.
Later on, Jessica is sitting in the hospital waiting room late at night when Vision Kilgrave comes back to talk to her. Vision Kilgrave talks to her about Trish and what she did to Malcolm with Jessica finally accepting that she isn’t a killer like Kilgrave. Meanwhile, Alisa is watching the news from her cell when she sees that Karl has been found dead at IGH and she loses control, throws her guard at the wall and escapes her cell.
Wow, I think I may have to call this the Vision Kilgrave episode. I knew that Kilgrave would be back during Season 2 but it was so good to have him back. David Tennant steals the show whenever he is on screen and it makes me miss him all the more. I really hope that in a future season, Kilgrave will come back again and not just as a vision this time.
We finally got to learn what Trish really wanted out of the whole IGH event and kidnapping Dr. Karl. She wanted to get her own superpowers like Jessica! Well, clearly Trish did get her powers right away and she almost dies in the process. Let’s hope that if she does it powers, Jessica is able to give her the greatest piece of advice for a superhero to know.
With Karl being dead, it throws a wrench into everything now and Alisa is now going to be out for blood. I can’t wait to see what Alisa will do in these last 2 episodes of the season. This episode was a damn good time and it was the episode this season needed to really kick things into overdrive and now we will get to see the carnage unfold.
I feel really bad for Malcolm, all he wanted to do was help out his friends and what did he get in return? Manipulated, Knocked out and thrown into a trunk, shoot at, yelled at and also lost his job. I have really been liking Malcolm this whole season and I really hope that what has happened to him this episode doesn’t turn him into a villain.
The Verdict:
AKA Three Lives and Counting has become my favourite episode of the season. David Tennant back as Kilgrave really helped make this more enjoyable. Also, we finally got to find out Trish’s intentions with IGH and Karl, I’m glad she didn’t get powers right away and now she is taken off the board. I do feel sorry for Malcolm because he was just trying to help and everyone has just stepped all over him. With only 2 episodes left, there is no telling what type of Carnage that Alisa and Jessica cam make now that s**t has hit the fan.
10/10
Next up, the penultimate Episode 12.
REVIEW: Jessica Jones Season 2 Episode 10
Alright, time for Episode 10. After the last episode dealt with more than one families drama, will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this crash and burn?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSvnepZS26s[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
We start the episode with Alisa Jones (Janet McTeer), walking down the prison in chains with a lot of guards around her. She goes to the visiting centre where Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter) and Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), are waiting there for her. Jeri is going to be Alisa’s lawyer and she tells her that they can get her what she needs, keep it inside the prison and set up visitation. All of that and more if she tells the officers everything about Dr. Karl, IGH and what they did to hear. Meanwhile, Trish Walker (Rachel Taylor), is doing a practice run of her new show, she doesn’t do well during the performance and she gets a pep-talk from Ronald saying that she needs to talk about her life and all the issues she had so she can stand out. Meanwhile, Jessica tries to get Alisa to say something and take the deal but she refuses and won’t give up anything. This leads Jessica and Jeri to leave and consider their options. Jessica get’s a call from Trish and she tells Jessica that she did go off the deep end with the Inhaler but now she is clean and the guys at CCN got a tip about Alisa and her story. Trish, Jessica and Malcolm (Eka Darville), all meet back up at Alias and talk about the current situation that they have on their hands. Malcolm get’s angry at Jessica for not telling him about her mother and storms off in anger. Trish finally tells Jessica about the Inhaler and Trish tells Jessica that she wants to do the IGH story but leave her mother out of because Jessica doesn’t want the blowback. Trish leaves Alias and goes to check on Malcolm and he comes clean about what happened between them. Malcolm tells Trish that he wants her but is afraid that she is too damaged and doesn’t want to be with someone whose soul is damaged by everything that happened.
We cut to later on that night, Jessica gets a call from Oscar (J.R. Ramirez). Oscar talks about how he would see his kid on the first Saturday of every month and that Jessica will be ok. However, Jessica tells Oscar that she won’t get to see her mother because she will be sent off to a Guantanamo like prison where she will never be seen again. This causes Jessica to want to go out but is stopped by Oscar at the elevator. The couple hug it out and this leads to them sleeping together. Meanwhile, Trish goes to a doctors office and tries to get a list of ingredients for the Inhaler. The nurse tells her that the drugs in the Inhaler can’t be replicated and most of the ingredients are illegal. Meanwhile, Jeri is in the bathroom when she get’s a knock on the door. It’s Jessica, she askes Jeri if she can delay the prison transfer for her mother, saying that she can get Dr. Karl and get him to confess. Before Jeri gives Jessica an answer, Jeri introduces Shane (Eden Marryshow), the person with the healing powers who healed Inez Green (Leah Gibson). Jeri wanted Jessica to meet Shane so she can think about her decision to get Dr. Karl. Jeri wants to get Dr. Karl so she can learn more about his work and keep people like Shane to help people instead of locking them away. Jessica declines this and demands she makes the delay. Meanwhile, Jessica is at the prison talking to her mother about planning a vacation in exchange for a confession. They talk about how Alisa took them to a cheap hotel near the beach when Jessica was 12 and that she and her brother use to fight about what rooms they would get. Alisa goes back to her cell where the guard tells her she has to eat her dinner. However, Alisa is not hungry and she goes into a fit of rage when the guard tries to force her to eat. Alisa almost kills him but stops herself, saying that she can never be controlled. Meanwhile, Jessica goes to the hotel and finds Dr. Karl in the paradise room. Jessica convinces Karl to leave the country and to go South America. Dr. Karl then tells Jessica that he never worked on Shane at IGH, meaning that Shane is either a fraud or someone else worked on him. Before he can leave, Jessica takes a few mugshots that Oscar can use to develop a passport for him.
Meanwhile, Trish goes to visit Alisa in prison. Trish talks to her about Jessica and how Alisa is manipulating her. Alisa starts to rage and Trish gets out before she can snap. Meanwhile, Jessica is over at Oscars where Karl’s fake passport is being made. They hear a knock on the door and discover that’s Trish. Trish tells Jessica that she went to go see her mother and warn Jessica about what she is doing to her. Jessica shrugs it off and Trish goes to visit Malcolm. Malcolm is lifting weights and this leads to them having sex. Meanwhile, Alisa is asleep in bed when she is awoken by the guard she attacked who put tasers in her cuffs. The guards shock her while he is trashing her cell saying that she is going to abided by his rules or else she will never see her daughter again. Meanwhile, Jessica is back at Oscar’s waiting for the passport to be done. They talk about what will happen after everything is done and if they will still be together. Jessica doesn’t give him an answer but tells him to call her when the passport is done. We then cut to Jessica at the prison meeting Jeri there. Jeri tells Jessica that Alisa signed the papers and that everything seems to have worked out. Jessica then tells Jeri about Shane and how he may not be who he says he is. Jessica tells Jeri that Green has been lying to her about Shane this whole time and that she is not cured of her ALS. This causes Jeri to get upset but she will still file the paperwork for Alisa. Jessica goes to see her mother in visitation. She tells her that the paperwork is being filed tomorrow and she will be released soon. Jessica notices burn marks on Alisa’s arms and she starts to ask with Alisa telling her not to worry. Meanwhile, Trish and Malcolm are in bed when Trish starts to talk about what has happened to her over the past 2 weeks. Trish tells Malcolm that they should both help Jessica and they should go find Dr. Karl and they go snooping on Jessica’s computer. They find the pictures that Jessica took and are able to get Dr. Karl’s location. Meanwhile, Jeri comes back home to find her place has been looted by Shane and Green who are both gone. Meanwhile, Jessica is following the Guard who attacked her mother and is on the phone with someone who worked with him. She finds out that the Guard was fired from a previous job because of prisoner suicides. She then follows the bus he goes on while in a cab. Meanwhile, Trish and Malcolm are at the love hotel but aren’t getting anywhere. Jessica follows the guard to his house and Trish is able to get a visual on Karl. Trish gets out of the car along with Malcolm but Trish knocks Malcolm out and puts him in the trunk. Jessica waits till the guards leaves his house so she can sneak in through the window. Jessica doesn’t find anything until she looks behind a bear head trophy on the wall to find the numbers of previous prisoners. The guard pepper sprays her and beats her with a club. Jessica is able to grab the club and she accidentally kills him with the club.
This was another great episode and it really does feel like everything is starting to come full circle and wind down. I loved how Jessica is able to convince her mother to take the deal by sending Karl away. It feels like Alisa will be able to spend more time with Jessica soon. I also liked how Alisa is able to control herself while in prison and is only using her powers when necessary.
I also love how Malcolm is finally starting to step up and help Jessica with her case, even when she is not around to do so. Malcolm is starting to evolve into his own PI and I’m really glad to see how he is doing.
Trish on the other hand, while she is trying to do the right thing, can’t help but end up trying to get herself killed. I don’t know what she is on now that the Inhaler stopped working but she is just going on a self-destructive warpath right now. I thought she was supposed to be a superhero like Hellcat but now she is just turning into her own version of Simpson from last season.
The acting in this episode was really strong from everyone. We got to see a lot of emotions run high and everything did a fantasic job.
The Verdict:
AKA Pork Chop showed us that life in prison with a superpowered being isn’t always easy. It also showed us that Trish continues to go on a downward spiral into madness and I just want it to end. Other then those, this was another great episode and I can’t wait to see how it continues to unfold in the last three episodes.
9/10
Next up, Episode 11.
Jessica Jones Has Been Renewed For Season 3
It’s time to celebrate with some whiskey! Jessica Jones is getting a third season!
Fresh off of Season 2, which has been getting positive reviews from critics. We are even reviewing it here on the blog so make sure to check those out here. So far, we are really digging Season 2 and are almost done reviewing it so make sure to stick around for those when they are released.
The renewal keeps the show on Netflix as Disney prepares to launch a rival streaming service of its own. Disney last year pulled all of its Marvel feature films from Netflix for its planned streaming service, which will also include an untitled Marvel original TV series.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
REVIEW: Jessica Jones Season 2 Episode 9
Alright, time for Episode 9. After the last episode ended with shots fired, will this episode continue to maintain the momentum or will this crash and burn?
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSvnepZS26s[/embedyt]
Warning: Spoilers Ahead! Turn back now if you haven’t seen the episode!
The episode opens with the reveal of who the shooter is, Pryce Cheng (Terry Chen). He is trying to kill Alisa Jones (Janet McTeer), which doesn’t go according to plan and he decides to make a run for it. Before he could leave the building, Alisa tracks him down and starts to beat him up but, Jessica Jones (Krysten Ritter), uses one of the syringes on Cheng to knock him out and stop Alisa from her actions. Back at Alias, Jessica ties up Cheng with duct tape and Alisa tires to help Jessica with her shoulder. Meanwhile, Inez Green (Leah Gibson), and Jeri Hogarth (Carrie-Anne Moss), are in bed together after they finished having sex. They talk about wanting to go on a vacation after everything is done. Meanwhile, Jessica is watching over Cheng because she can’t sleep when Trish Walker (Rachel Taylor), comes knocking on the door during the middle of the night. Trish grills Jessica on keeping her in the dark and Jessica points out that Trish is back on drugs. Trish storms off when Jessica tries to ask her about it and Alisa starts to have a nightmare. She breaks the bed and the chains and is standing up calling her Jessica. Jessica is able to wake her up and Jessica is able to put Alisa back to bed. We cut to the next morning when Oscar (J.R. Ramirez), taking out the trash when he notices glass shards on the ground from Jessica’s Windows. Oscar goes to knock on Jessica’s door and ask her what happened and Jessica tells him that someone tried to kill her mother and she got shot but everything is alright. Oscar’s ex-wife comes bargaining down the hall with their son and tries to argue over custody of their child. Jessica sets everything straight and the ex-wife is mad about Jessica and storms off. Meanwhile, Trish is back at her apartment eating a burger and ignoring texts. She goes to her laptop and sees that Griffin is on the news, she closes the laptop out of anger and goes to use the Inhaler to make herself feel better.
We then cut to Green and Jeri look over clothes and talking about Jeri’s fashion sense. Trish knocks on the door and then walks right in asking to speak to Green, Trish wants to put Green on the radio so she can expose IGH and what they did to draw out the killers behind it. Jeri refuses to give up Green because she would be putting herself and others in danger and Trish storms out. Meanwhile, Jessica and Alisa are showering down Cheng who has been knocked out cold all night. The water doesn’t wake him up and they decide to make breakfast. A breakfast that includes Spaghetti with Butter and Jam mixed in (I could handle the butter but not the jam). Jessica and Alisa talk about her father and how he was a bad driver. Jessica blames herself for the accident but Alisa tells her that it was because of her fathers bad driving. Alisa then grabs her ashes and flushes them down the toilet because she thinks it gives Jessica closure. Alisa talks about wanting to run away and start a new life so her and Jessica can start over. This is cut short when Oscar calls Jessica saying that his ex-wife took off with his son and he doesn’t know where they are. Oscar wants Jessica to do her thing and go find them. Jessica agrees and talks Alisa with her so she doesn’t kill Cheng in the process. Before they leave, Jessica injects Cheng with another dose of the drug so he can remain asleep. Meanwhile, Jeri goes to pick up Shane from prison and take him back to her place so he can heal her. I forgot to mention in the last review that Jeri has the power to heal anyone of their sickness and that is why Jeri wants him so bad. Meanwhile, we cut to Trish on her show doing an interview with an author about her new book. Trish starts to go off the rails however and she ends up quitting her own show right on the air. Meanwhile, Oscar, Jessica and Alisa go to the ex-wife’s house in order to search for clues and they find that their passports and the sons Captain America figure is gone. This leads them to a bus station where we see the Mother and Son on a bus to Montreal. Jessica and Alisa stop the bus using their bare hands and it is a really awesome scene that shows the true power of mother and daughter. Oscar is able to grab his son and the wife tries to tell her side of the story to Jessica.
We then cut to Jeri and Green making the bed when Jeri gets into the bed naked. Green tells her that Shane’s powers didn’t always work but Jeri is hell-bent on trying. Shane uses his powers and we don’t know if it worked or not. Meanwhile, Trish is punching her anger into a punching bag and gets a call from Ronald from CCN. Ronald talks to her about what happened on Trish Talk and hires her to do rage out like she did on a talk show for CCN. Trish goes to use her Inhaler but realizes that it is all out, there is nothing left in it. Meanwhile, Jessica, Alisa and Oscar with his kid are in the elevator walking out from their adventure. Oscar tells Jessica that he knows her mother is like her and now he owes them one for saving his kid. Jessica and Alisa talk about how Jessica doesn’t feel Oscar is safe around her mother because she killed the last boyfriend Jessica had. Before they could continue the conversation, Cheng finally awakes and starts to make noise in the tub. Jessica and Alisa go to check on him and talk about what to do with Cheng. Jessica tells Alisa to back off while she handles Cheng and she pushes him into the other room while Alisa is left out. Jessica and Cheng come to an agreement but Cheng still wants Alisa to pay for killing his friend. Jessica agrees and calls Detective Costa telling him that the killer is there at Alias. This causes Alisa to go rage and try to kill Cheng. Jessica tries to stop her mother from hurting Cheng and the two get into a fight in the hallway but Jessica begs Alisa to stop. Alisa runs off but is stopped by the cops waiting outside and Jessica tells her to stop and let the cops take her in.
This was another good episode. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the Oscar subplot and Trish is starting to get on my nerves now, I can still say that I really liked this episode. I like how Jessica and Alisa spent more time together and even stopped a bus together. I really like their chemistry and it just sucks now that Alisa is now in jail (I wonder how long it will take before she breaks out?).
The whole subplot with Oscar and his kid wasn’t the worst thing ever. However, it really did feel a little forced so that we can add more drama that Jessica needs to take care of and it takes away from the overarching narrative of the season. While I’m willing to let it slide because it gave us the scene of Jessica and Alisa stopping a bus together, I still can’t help but feel like this may not come up again in these next few episodes.
Trish, on the other hand, was really surprising and I’m really not liking her that much now. I know that she wants to help out and try to make the world a better place. However, screaming and attack an author over a book about Gluten is not the way to go about it. It’s starting to feel like she is getting a little too preachy while drugged up. Her whole rant kind of breaks the immersion because it feels like it could also be a critique on modern society as a whole. While fourth wall breaks are not always a bad thing, this one was handled a little too poorly.
I will give Trish one thing when she said that she quit her own show and slammed those headphones down on the desk, it was an awesome thing to see and everyone’s reactions around her were hilarious.
The acting in this episode was great and I really did like seeing both Jessica and Alisa happy about what they did for Oscar.
The Verdict:
AKA The Shark In The Bathtub, Monster In The Bed is a good episode but not as good as the last one. The Oscar subplot was nice but we could have gone without seeing it. Trish is also starting to become a meme of herself and is self-destructive. Overall, I liked this episode but not as much as I liked other episodes.
8/10
Next up, Episode 10