Movie Review: Ant-Man and the Wasp - The ANT-idote to Infinity War Blues

After "Infinity War" left Marvel fans on a devastating cliffhanger, we needed a real pick-me-up. Enter "Ant-Man and the Wasp". While not originally a part of the Phase Three slate, the "Ant-Man" sequel was added to the schedule after the first film's surprise success. The shrinking hero wasn't coming alone this time as the new Wasp makes her MCU debut. The result is a film that's not afraid to have fun, bringing new kinds of action to the MCU and possibly being the franchise's most hilarious entry.

Paul Rudd outdoes himself in this film from his previous performances as Scott Lang/Ant-Man. Whereas before he was trying to find a new path for himself, here, he's more or less content with his life and more confident in the Ant-Man suit. He's a bit more happier than before, enjoying himself and making more jokes. Since Rudd is a more comedic actor, this film allows him to play more to his strengths. If it wasn't for him, the film would just be way too serious. Admittedly, he does become the butt of jokes, but that's the point; he's still one of those people you'd least expect to be a superhero.
Like "Spider-Man: Homecoming" and "Black Panther", this film deals with some fallout from "Civil War", but this time from the side of someone on Captain America's team. The film opens on Scott nearing the end of his house arrest when he's pulled back into action by Hank and Hope. This makes for some hilarious moments when Scott has to rush back to his house before the FBI gets there and act like he never left. It's like those movies where the kid is grounded and has to make it back home before their parents find out.

Evangeline Lilly reprises her role of Hope Van Dyne from the previous film and is now following in her mother's footsteps as the new Wasp. She is without a doubt a major badass and probably the best female fighter in the MCU, giving Black Widow a run for her money. And before you say "Well it's not fair because she can shrink", remember that she was able to hold her own against Ant-Man back in "Civil War"; given Hope already has years of training compared to Scott, it could be a pretty even fight. But besides her fighting capability, she still has great chemistry with Rudd and adds a lot of the emotional backdrop to the film. My only wish was that she was able to interact with Scott's daughter Cassie.
Which brings me to my next point. Abby Ryder Fortson continues to be an adorable delight from the first film as we see more of the father-daughter bond between her and Scott, whether they're just playing or when she covers for her dad when the FBI try to catch him breaking his house arrest. We even see she not only shares her dad's sense of humor, but his willingness to do good as well. She wants to be a hero like him, and I say in a few more years we'll see just that.

Everyone else from the first film is great as well, from the serious Michael Douglas as Hank Pym to the hilarious Michael Pena as Luis (who doesn't love the way he tells a story?). Then you have newcomers in Laurence Fishburne as Bill Foster and Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne. Fishburne is usually pretty good in whatever he's in, especially when he acts in a fatherly role (in this case to Ghost). And while Pfeiffer has a very minor role in the film, her reunited moments with Hank and Hope are some of my favorite moments of the film.
Finally, there's the main villain of the film, Hannah John-Kamen as Ava Starr, AKA the Ghost. Her powers are new visual treat for the MCU and her story makes her one of its most tragic villains. In some aspect, she reminds me of Bucky when he was the Winter Soldier. Having her powers since she was a child, she was used by SHIELD on missions with the promise/lie of a cure; I can't help but wonder if HYDRA was using her as well. In any case, the way she was used her whole life made her how she is, leading to her more villainous tendencies, despite only wanting to be normal. When it comes to Phase Three of the MCU, Marvel seems to have finally solved its villain problem with a five compelling villains in a row.

As for the action, they definitely had more fun with the shrinking and growing this time around. It focuses a little less on working with ants and more on shrinking pretty much everything, from cars (to which Hank carries around in a Hot Wheels container) to buildings. Not only does it make for entertaining fight scenes, but also another memorable car chase scene on par with the one in "Black Panther".

Now for some MINOR SPOILERS so you might want to skip this paragraph. I think we all pretty much expected some kind of tie-in with "Infinity War" and Avengers 4, and it happened with the mid-credits scene showing Hope, Hank, and Janet disintegrating because of Thanos' use of the Infinity Gauntlet. While I knew something like that was going to happen, it still left with me with the same devastated feeling from "Infinity War". But not only that, the stinger at the end of the film said "Ant-Man and the Wasp will return" and then a "?" fades in. I think at this point, Marvel's just trolling us. It's like "Wasn't that a fun movie? Well, time to remove that nice feeling you had." I mean, we all know what happened will be undone, but come on, Marvel. It still hurts to watch these characters die. But I digress.

Nevertheless, "Ant-Man and the Wasp" is the feel good movie of the summer, with lots of laughs, action and emotion.

TV Review: Luke Cage Season Two - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

I think it would be safe to assume that Luke Cage has had the most exposure of all the Marvel Netflix heroes. He debuted in Jessica Jones before starring in his own series and then finally forming the Defenders. In each series, Mike Colter shines as the bulletproof hero and now it's finally time for the spotlight to focus on him again with season two. And for the first time since the Netflix shows began, the second season of a series finally without question triumphs over the first.

Much of what made the first season great is still prevalent here. The atmosphere still feels natural accompanied by entertaining music (with another new song about Luke created in the finale) and Luke is still the "man of the people" hero, even embracing it a little more this season. Tonally, this season is very akin to "The Dark Knight". That's a comparison I do use a lot when it comes to sequels, but it's just where my mind goes, not to mention that said film did so well that it shouldn't be surprising when others try to emulate it. To get in specifics though, we have the hero getting comfortable in his position until a new threat (who has a flare for the dramatic) escalates problems to a new level, leading the hero to question his methods and what he's willing to do (or in some cases not do) to prevail.
One of the main threats this season is new villain Bushmaster, coming to Harlem for revenge on Mariah Dillard for what her family did to his in the past. Similar to Diamondback, he poses a real challenge to Luke, taking a concoction that amplifies his strength and durability, even allowing him to be impervious to bullets, but not at Cage's level. In addition, Bushmaster has some formal training and some tricks up his sleeve, making him more than just a physical threat to Cage.

That brings me to the action of the season. Along with the Luke/Bushmaster fight scenes, the season is able to come up with new ways to surprise me. One of my favorite moments is when Luke is able to ricochet a bullet back into the gunman's leg. Then there's the issue of the violence. Just when you think the Marvel Netflix shows can't take things up a notch, they do. I still find myself going "Oh ****" at some moments, and there's one scene in episode ten that's unnerving and kind of hard to watch, especially when you consider how frequent mass shootings are.

What I really think makes this season better than the first is that it has a bigger emotional punch this time around, and the best moments come from the relationships between characters. These were some of my favorites:
* Luke Cage and James Lucas: Luke's estranged father makes his debut, and is pretty much the catalyst of Luke's emotional journey this season. Seeing his father brings about the pain of Luke's past, and this has a major effect on his mission to protect Harlem and his relationships. Despite a rocky start though, the two slowly mend their relationship and their interactions are some of my favorite parts of the season. Colter and the late Reg E. Cathy have brilliant chemistry together. On that note, Cathy really is an amazing actor, and I did think he was good in Fant4stic despite not having much to do there. It's only a shame he won't be able to return for another season.
* Shades and Comanche: Comanche was in prison with Shades and Luke in the flashback episode in season one, and this season he's out and working with Shades and Mariah. It's here we see the bond between him and Shades, and what ends up happening between the two begins a real character turn for Shades, and you start to see there is a bit of a good side to him.
* Mariah Dillard and Tilda Johnson: Mariah sets out to make amends with her daughter this season, but things don't really go well with Bushmaster trying to kill her. As the season progresses, Tilda learns the horrible truths about her mother, eventually leading up to a pivotal moment in episode 9 with what some may see as a twist reveal. Alfre Woodard delivers one of the most powerful performances I've ever seen in this episode, and it's this moment that reveals how much of a monster Mariah is. But that's only the beginning as for the rest of the season, she fully embraces her dark side and in my opinion, cements herself as one of the MCU's best villains.

Another thing I liked about this season is that we see some real fallout from the Defenders, unlike Jessica Jones' second season. The prime example is Misty Knight, who lost her arm during the final battle with the Hand. Misty's journey is about trying to rise above her injury both personally and professionally, eventually receiving a cybernetic arm made by the company owned by Danny Rand (Iron Fist), which does give her a little strength boost. On that note, I liked Misty a little more this time around as she's more willing to work with Luke after all they've been through. She also still struggles with the line of working within and outside the law and I think it works better this season than the last.
And of course, episode ten of the season guest stars Finn Jones reprising his role of Danny Rand, "the immortal Iron Fist, protector of..." oh you know the rest by now. It's no secret that Iron Fist got the short end of the stick when it came to his series and his appearance in the Defenders. With the Hand defeated though, Danny's shown to become a more lighthearted character. Luke mentions that Danny seems different, and in my head I imagined him saying "Yeah, I got better writers". Seriously though, I guess when you can't keep claiming you're the chosen one in a secret war, you get a major personality overhaul. Much like in the Defenders though, I loved Luke and Danny's interactions; they just play so well off of each other. Like I said before, these two definitely need a "Heroes for Hire" series, but based on the way this season ended, I think we're going to need another solo season for Luke before we get there.

Speaking of the finale though, it not only wraps up some plot threads from season one but it also creates a massive status quo shift. What happens is kind of cool, but at the same time, kind of unsettling. It's going to be interesting to see where Luke's character goes from here as he now walks the thin line between hero and villain.

Overall, the second season of Luke Cage is one of the best to come from Marvel and Netflix, retaining and elevating much of what made its first season so great, as well as taking things in a bold direction for the future.

RATING: 10/10

Movie Review: Deadpool 2 - Another Serving of DP...Phrasing

The first Deadpool movie in 2016 was a surprise hit. Despite Fox not having faith in the project and being given a limited budget, the film was a success with critics and audiences and broke many box office records. A sequel was without question, but now with full support from Fox and almost double the budget of the first film. But like many surprise hits, there's the question of whether the second time around can be just as good as the first. In my view, Deadpool 2 goes bigger and badder than the first film but doesn't stand out as much.

The first film was a lot more "in your face", certainly like they had something to prove. That makes sense considering that along with the low budget, it was Tim Miller's first time directing a movie and Ryan Reynolds' fourth superhero movie after three flops (Blade: Trinity, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Green Lantern). Against all odds though, everyone involved in the first film worked with what they were given and turned out something memorable. With more faith and money going into Deadpool 2, in some ways, it does feel like any other modern superhero movie. But because of that, we do get more action scenes on a bigger scale, more characters, cameo appearances, and the return of a past X-Men villain finally done justice in live action. The comedy not only makes call backs to the first film, but pushes the envelope even further. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard during a movie where I actually had to catch my breath. In a way, I kind of see the Deadpool movies as a mix of real superhero movie and spoof superhero movie. It makes fun of the tropes of other superhero movies from DC, Marvel, and the X-Men series itself (no one is safe), while also doing its own thing.

What does help Deadpool 2 stand out from the original is that there's a lot more emotional depth. In the first one, Deadpool's mission is mostly a selfish one, but here he's a lot more altruistic while still being the wisecracking asshole we know and love him as. It shows real character development Even the ending has potential to go out on the same emotional level as "Logan", which I kind of think they should have went with, but the ending we do get does fit more with the tone of these films.

All the returning cast from the first one don't skip a beat, bringing more hilarious performances. One particular aspect I like is that Dopinder interacts more with Weasel and Blind Al, even wanting to become a contract killer like Deadpool and taking a job at Weasel's bar to learn the ropes.

Of course we also have the new characters. Let's start with Cable, played by Josh "Man, he's having a good month" Brolin. In a way, Cable and Thanos are quite similar. Both believe what they're doing is right and have some emotional resonance to them. The difference though is that Cable is still a straight up hero, even if he's going to extreme tactics. He's a pretty good antithesis to Deadpool, with the gruff voice and serious attitude compared to the witty fun-loving Wade. Is it any wonder these two are best friends in the comics; they complete each other. It's also probably good they didn't delve into Cable's complicated comics backstory, but a subtle hint at his parentage would have been nice; I'll settle for the Hope reference though.

Standing out just as much as Cable though was Zazie Beetz as Domino. The first scene where she uses her powers in the field shows just how badass she is. I also kind of see her as the middle ground between Deadpool and Cable, having fun but not always putting up with Wade's shenanigans.

All in all, Deadpool 2 hits the same marks as the original while going bigger with the action and comedy, adding in more emotional depth than before, despite almost losing itself in the large pool of superhero movies.

Movie Review: "Avengers: Infinity War" - Epic in Every Sense

10 years. I don't think that anyone could have imagined where things have lead to when the first Iron Man movie came out back then. Against all odds, Marvel changed the film industry by creating a cinematic universe full of so many different types of heroes. With "Avengers: Infinity War", it was time to bring everything together and to an end. There may be some point where the MCU will become too large and collapse into itself, but today is not that day.

"Infinity War" is as ambitious as first Avengers film was, not only uniting all the heroes of Earth, but the space-faring Guardians of the Galaxy as well. And when you have a villain bent on wiping out half the universe, it's going to take all the big guns. Considering the stories this film is based on, what we have here is the first true event comic book movie, where the story is so massive in scale that it will affect every corner and bring characters together that never met before. We see new and every entertaining interactions between Avengers and Guardians, including Thor and Rocket, Iron Man and Star-Lord, and (albeit briefly) Captain America and Groot.

Tonally, this is probably the darkest film to come from the MCU, and it makes it clear from the beginning not just with the first scene, but by the opening Marvel Studios logo not including its usual fanfare music. Shit was definitely about to get real. That's not to say that the film doesn't include the trademark humor the films have been known for. Hell, it's probably the most I've laughed at a first viewing of a Marvel movie. In fact, it's those moments that are needed to alleviate the dark moments, otherwise, I think the movie would be downright depressing.

The action is top notch as always, and I would say probably the most graphic from these films (the opening scene and Vision getting stabbed from behind come to mind). One of my favorite moments though was Spider-Man swinging through New York during a fight scene; I know we've seen Spider-Man swinging through the city in past films before, but this is the first time we've seen him do it in the MCU. It was quite a big deal for me.

But let's talk about the real star of the film: Thanos, voiced by Josh Brolin. Having been teased since the first Avengers film and Brolin being cast four years prior to "Infinity War", this has been built up for a long time. What we get is not only without a doubt the best MCU villain probably ever, but Thanos will go down as one of the greatest villains in cinematic history, right there with Darth Vader. His very presence is imposing and with the power at his disposal, there's true fear in what he'll do next. In a way, he's a natural disaster, like a hurricane brewing in the ocean that has finally made landfall.  Thankfully he's not just evil for evil's sake, as he's shown to be a complex character. He truly believes his goals are noble and he does have some shred of love in his heart. All villains before pale to the glory of Thanos (which isn't hard in some cases).

The film is full of a lot of shocks and twists that fans won't see coming, especially the ending, even though we probably should have. I myself am still in awe of what happened. It's best to remember that when the film was announced, it was a two-parter, with the second coming out in 2019. Despite the name change, it's still definitely a two-parter. That being the case, even though this is definitely the best MCU film to date, the story's not over yet and I will wait until Avengers 4 is released next year before updating my ranking list.

All in all, "Avengers: Infinity War" is an epic event of heroes coming together against a great evil that needs to be experienced in theaters with a finale no one can be prepared for. For those of us who've followed these characters since the beginning, it's an emotional roller coaster. It only hurts that we must wait a year to find out how it all truly ends.

Movie Review: "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" - Another Mixed Bag (SPOILERS)

It goes without saying that Suicide Squad has become a household name recently. The 2016 live action film, despite not being critically well received, was still able to find an audience. That said, I guess I should have seen an animated film coming. And much like it's real life counterpart, "Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay" had potential but doesn't necessarily live up to it.

To give the film some initial props, the characters definitely feel more in line with their comic book counterparts. They make it clear that these are bad guys, who will fight and betray each other, not looking for any kind of redemption. However, there is still a level comradery between some of the characters. This is most evident in Deadshot and Bronze Tiger. Tiger is more noble to contrast Deadshot's selfishness, but they have as much similarities as they do differences, especially in their backstories.

As another R rated entry into DC's animated film line, the level of action is allowed to be as graphic as possible, aiming for the same vain as splatter exploitation films. While the initial scene achieves that, I found it down hill from there. The rest of the action in the film isn't bad, but it doesn't really stand out compared to that opening scene or any other DC animated film.

This film is pretty much a who's who of supervillains. That's a strength and weakness to me. On one hand, you get to see a bunch of villains who may not have had much spotlight on them before. However, some of them are gone as quickly as they appear, and unless you're familiar with the comics, you won't even know who they are, and even if you do, you still may not even care for them here. The point is, a lot of characters are superfluous to the plot.

For the most part, the voice cast is pretty good. We have Christian Slater as Deadshot, who definitely fits the roll well. Vanessa Williams plays Amanda Waller, who does such a good job, you'd almost think it was CCH Pounder again. For what little time she appeared, I liked Dania Ramirez as Scandal Savage. You also have C. Thomas Howell reprising the role of the Reverse-Flash, which is not only a call back to "The Flashpoint Paradox", but also connects to that film.

If I had a problem with anyone, it's Tara Strong, once again playing Harley Quinn. While she's usually great as the character, I couldn't help but feel her heart wasn't in it this time around; some lines weren't delivered as well as they could have been. Besides that, I just didn't feel Tara's voice fit with Harley's character design here. On another note, she is the main source of comedy in the film, usually from her or characters reacting to her. It lands half the time, but grating the other half, which I again attribute to Tara's line deliveries. It also doesn't help that there were awkward moments of silence like they're spacing it out for the viewer to laugh (and that's for comedic moments not just involving Harley as well).

The plot of this film is in my opinion kind of silly. The base of it is Amanda Waller sending the Suicide Squad to retrieve a "Get out of Hell Free" card, which is also being sought by Vandal Savage and the Reverse-Flash. And I'm not simplifying it there; the card literally says "Get out of Hell Free" in plain English on it. Whoever possesses the card at the moment of their death is immediately sent to Heaven. Now, the idea of such a macguffin isn't bad, but I have a hard time taking it seriously when a magical item like that literally says "Get out of Hell Free" instead of some ancient magic language.

This also ties into two other problems I have. The first being that we didn't need two sets of villains going after the card. You could have left Vandal Savage out entirely and just have the Reverse-Flash seeking the card; he definitely had the more interesting motive, trying to prolong his death long enough to get the card. The second being their use of the hero Doctor Fate, who had possession of the card before it was stolen. This is a new version of the character created for the film called Steel Maxum, who was chosen by Nabu for his fitness to become the new Doctor Fate. Aside from his fitness, the guy is your typical douchebag in love with himself who loses the card because of his own stupidity, leading Nabu to revoke the title from him, but I'm just left bewildered that he was chosen in the first place.

I was really excited for this film, and while it does well in some areas, I just can't overlook its flaws enough to recommend it, not even to fans of the live action film. And while I thought the live action film had good elements that were misused, "Hell to Pay" is bloated with characters and a plot that's all over the place.

As it stands, the best depiction of the Suicide Squad in film still remains "Batman: Assault on Arkham", which was essentially a Suicide Squad movie that despite my problems with it when it first came out, has actually improved with age.

Coming up next from DC's animated movie line is a two parter: "Death of Superman" and "Reign of the Supermen". In this instance, I'm going to wait until the second part is released to watch both and review them all at once; so don't expect that until next year.

Video Game Review: "Batman: The Enemy Within" - Love That Joker

Over a year ago, I reviewed "Batman: The Telltale Series", a video game I commended for creating a unique Batman story and experience for fans and gamers. Considering the end of that game, a sequel was certain, which brings us to season two of the series, also known as "The Enemy Within". Unlike the first season's monthly release schedule, this season had more of a slow burn releasing the five episodes between August of last year to this March. While I would have liked a regular schedule, the story it was telling and how each episode ended only made me more anticipated for what would happen next. After such a long period though, it's finally over and the people at Telltale have outdone themselves in their continuation of the Batman story the players create for themselves.

Something to note is that while you can technically play the game on its own, they give you the option to import the choices you made from the first game, making it a true continuation of your Batman's story. I really liked that aspect because when it comes to game sequels, what you do in the previous story doesn't necessarily carry over; but then again, not all games have choice systems like Telltale games do.

A lot of what worked from the previous game is still prevalent for this one. Characters and voice actors return and are still to form, fight scenes that suck you in, the comic book style works hand in the hand with the graphic content (don't forget the M rating), and fan favorite characters are reimagined in realistic ways (well, most of them at least). But what makes this game more innovative is once again the choices you make in the story, and there's a lot more variety this time around. A complaint many had about the first game is that choices you made didn't have that much impact in the long run. You can't really say the same this time around. One difference is that you have more options during fight scenes; there are instances where you're given two options in how to take down a thug, but don't take too long to choose or you'll be the one taken down (something I learned the hard way). But the choices that really matter are the interactions with characters, and this game really puts you through the ringer this time around. In the first game, your choices were in reaction to the forces trying to break down Bruce and Batman. Here though, it really makes you question your morality; what you think may be the right thing to do will have ripples that effect your allies and their view of you. Like the last game, there are still obvious good choices and choices that will make you look like a dick, but there's a lot more gray area this time around. While before your Bruce and Batman's livelihood was on the line, now it's their soul.

But let's talk about the most fascinating aspect of this season: the Joker. Introduced last season, John Doe was a patient in Arkham that Bruce met, but he wasn't actually the Joker yet. I complained before about how he was around without being a direct result of Batman. Well, Telltale seemed to have a plan all along, because this is just as much John's story as it is Bruce's. The choices you make as Bruce influence the path John takes, where he'll eventually either become the villain everyone's familiar with or go way off script to become a vigilante in his own right. There are even two different versions of the season's final episode based on what road you take John down. In any case, like so many versions before, the Joker truly is a direct result of Batman's actions.

Personally, while I did my best to keep John on the right path, I couldn't help but make him into the traditional villainous Joker. While the vigilante route was a unique take, I still want my Batman story to have some familiarity with how I view the mythos. I had a similar instance last season where I could have prevented Harvey Dent's face from being scarred, even though his later actions were still very Two-Face like, so I figured why not get the full Two-Face anyway? The point is, I had the Two-Face and Joker I wanted.

As for the episode I had with my villain Joker, I have to say that this is probably the best new adaptation of the character since Heath Ledger's version in "The Dark Knight". When John goes bad in this game, he doesn't do it half-assed. He makes it clear to Bruce and to Gotham that he is a force to be reckoned with, that he didn't just decide to become your enemy on a whim. As I hoped, he definitely topped the craziness of last season. Despite all the pure evil he commits though, I would still try to reach to John's good side, much like I did with Harvey before him. Even the climax offers something new, with Bruce dealing with the Joker as himself instead of Batman. While it does have the standard quick-time action scenes, the feel of everything around it is a combination of psychological thriller and slasher film (the dinner scene in Texas Chainsaw Massacre came to mind), noticing some inspiration from Joker stories like "The Killing Joke" and "Death of the Family".

Much like "The Dark Knight", when the dust settles, your Batman, his allies, and Gotham will never be the same. There's even a heart-to-heart you have to have with Alfred at the end that will most likely ultimately lead to how the next season begins (if there is one, although it's very probable). I don't really have any predictions for a third season, but things I would like to see are Scarecrow and Dick Grayson's introduction and debut as Robin.

If you loved the last game, "The Enemy Within" is a must buy, especially if you want to keep the story you started going. All in all, the Telltale series does a great job at filling the Batman video game hole left after the Arkham series' apparent conclusion.

TV Review: Jessica Jones Season Two - The Redemption Continues

The first season of Jessica Jones was a surprise hit for me. It went from my least anticipated of the four Marvel Netflix shows to what I feel is the best of the lot. It's success like that that challenges creators to do something better or just as good. While I'm undecided if season two of Jessica Jones is better than the first, it certainly does things to make it just as memorable, keeping the overall series as the best Marvel Netflix show in my opinion.

There are two main things that help this season stand out from the previous. The first is that there is a legitimate mystery to kick things off, which goes hand in hand with both Jessica's job as a private investigator and the noir aesthetic that makes the series unique compared to its sister shows. And this works with the other thing different about this season, character exploration is at the forefront, with the gore and shock moments of the previous season dialed back. The first season was more in line with a traditional superhero story, with the sides being clear of who our hero is (Jessica), and the villain they're trying to stop (Kilgrave). This season however blurs that line, with characters' moralities becoming tested. Not only are our heroes doing questionable things, but our so called "villains" have good qualities to them. Some MCU villains like Killmonger, Kingpin, or Vulture may have well meaning goals but go about reaching them in terrible ways, but this is the first story where we don't really have a true enemy. Instead of a clear battle of good and evil, this season of Jessica Jones is just a bunch of damaged people trying to figure things out.

Which brings me to my next point. Much like the previous season, the shows continues its themes of post-traumatic stress order, but even more so this time around. Last season was focused a lot on Jessica and her battle with Kilgrave, which spilled onto so many other people. This season, we see that Jessica deals with a lot more than just her battle with Kilgrave, an example being her feeling responsible for her late family's car accident. In addition, we get little more insight into backgrounds of Trish Walker, Malcolm Ducasse, and Jeri Hogarth. While her past as a child star and her battle with addiction was touched upon last season, they go into a lot more detail about Trish's life here and how her past troubles coincide with her internal conflicts this season. Episode seven of the season is a flashback story about Jessica and Trish, which is one of the best of the season and overall series. With Malcolm, we get a small glimpse of his life before Kilgrave got him hooked on drugs and how after that, he tries to fill that hole without falling off the wagon. He and Trish have similar backgrounds and stories this season, but dealing with their problems in parallel ways. Jeri Hogarth is a lot better this season than last. Without spoiling anything about her story, she still does things underhandedly but a lot of her good qualities show through here, to the point where you'll feel sorry for her and rooting for her (one instance in kind of a morbid way) at different points by the end of the season.

Something prominent to note this season is a growing prejudice against people with powers. Last season, we had the woman whose mother was killed during the Chitauri invasion, blamed the Avengers, and tried to kill Jessica just because she also had powers. This season, we see people and police using terms like "your kind" and saying that having powers means they don't have the same rights as regular people. We even see precautions and treatments powered people have while being incarcerated, including multiple mentions of the Raft prison that was seen in Civil War. Considering this series is one of the only places that has connections to Civil War, particularly how civilians feel about and treat powered people, there's a lot of interesting areas to explore here.

Of all the new characters introduced this season, the only one I'd like to talk about (since there would be lots of spoilers if I talked about others) is Oscar Arocho, the new superintendent of Jessica and Malcolm's apartment building. He initially doesn't like Jessica because of her powers but the two become closer and eventually begin a relationship. Considering how Jessica's life is, she's obviously hesitant about letting another person into her circle. But with everything that happens to her this season, Oscar's really the only bright spot in her life, and they have great chemistry with each other. While I'm still in the ship that her and Luke Cage should be together like the comics, Oscar's a good fit for her, much like Claire is for Luke.

So overall, season two of Jessica Jones is able to be great in its own way, setting it apart from the previous one. You could say that in terms of live action, this is the first superhero tragedy, so don't go in expecting a clear cut happy ending.