I finally watched the third and final season of Jessica Jones, and while the actors make it work, the storylines were definitely going downhill. Maybe it is for the best that Netflix cancelled the Marvel series. The story relies on a lot of new characters to hide the real villain, who seems to be the obvious candidate if you have been paying attention for the last two seasons. Bait and switch is the name of the game as we are regaled with flashback heavy episodes, most annoyingly of scenes that we only saw moments or one episode earlier that switch perspectives to reveal what is really going on. At thirteen episodes, it felt as if they did not need that many episodes and relied on its characters being dumber than they usually are when anyone could see what was coming.

It felt as if the titular character was really a supporting character in Jessica Jones’ final season though she still had center stage, and the series leaned heavily on its favorite trope, when the hero is mistaken as an outlaw, to move the story forward. Marvel needs to ban that theme from its repertoire. It is lazy and overdone. The viewers know that everything will get cleared up eventually. It is the dramatic equivalent of a seventies sitcom that relies on misunderstanding for comedic relief. Everyone’s favorite private investigator lets one guy in her life which leads to her latest antagonist. Meanwhile Trish, Malcolm and Jeri are trying to adjust to the changes that they made to their lives in the prior season.

I never could buy that this latest antagonist was worth anyone’s time and effort, especially considering how easily his storyline was ultimately resolved when Jessica put her mind to it. He mainly serves as a catalyst to get to the real final season villain and as a lightning rod to represent the worst, trollish elements of our society that usually lurk online until they started buying red hats and tiki torches. Instead of resonating, it felt more of an elevation of his status and a cheapening of Jessica’s and her cohorts for them to bother with such a lowly fish. I never bought that he was a genius outwitting them considering that I anticipated all his moves. Unlike Kilgrave, who credibly victimized Jessica and others, this new dude constantly getting the jump on Jessica and her friends was insulting. You do not need powers to be a formidable foe, but you do have to be better than a homicidal men’s rights activist. He resents women, people of color and powered people. Yawn. He is a boring character with nothing but respect to Jeremy Bobb who does some really interesting work when his character is at his most vulnerable, but still wants to get the upperhand.

I actually liked Jessica’s latest love interest, Erik, though his hair annoyed me. His story arc was satisfying though it felt as if Netflix Marvel execs were angling for a new spin off show at the price of Jessica’s actual storyline, but it worked because he felt like a real person. His sibling dynamic furthered an already existing theme of the show. I did not recognize Benjamin Walker, whom I enjoyed as the titular character in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Walker did a good job being likeable, but not completely trustworthy though I did get tired of the story constantly pretending as if he was leaving for good. He never does. Oops sorry.

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As I watched the third season of Jessica Jones, it reminded me of Christopher Nolan’s Batman franchise because you do not really need Batman until the end of the movie, and it really is more about the villain. If instead of Jessica, you substituted Trish for most of the action, it would still work until the end when you need Jessica to wrap the story up. Instead of a romantic relationship, during one of her vigilante nights, she crosses Erik’s path, figures out what he can do and saves him from the serial killer, but like Jessica, fails to stop serial killer. The writers would not need to change much, and Jessica would need less saving and dumbing down. It makes sense that Trish would make rookie mistakes since she is just beginning, but Jessica has entered a suspect’s home before and almost got in trouble.

If Krysten Ritter was not such a great actor when it comes to projecting her character’s internal emotions on her face, the constant torturing of Jessica Jones would be insufferable. Honestly at this point in her life, if she had stayed away at the beginning of the series and returned at episode 12, it would have made as much sense. Unlike prior seasons, her relationships did not even resemble anything healthy with the exception of her new assistant, Gillian, whom Aneesh Sheth played superbly. I want a spin off show following Gillian going to gallery openings and being bored.

I felt as if Jessica Jones never answered the question why Trish Walker needs to be stopped, but not The Punisher. I am not saying that I disagree, and I am not one of the people who always hated Trish (that designation goes to Karen), but these questions were asked and analyzed in Daredevil and The Punisher in a way that is woefully missing in this season. Arguably Trish’s approach is more tailored and less prone to collateral damage than The Punisher’s approach, but I feel as if it was underexplored and assumed it was because these bitches be crazy. On one hand, I feel as if any viewer could draw that conclusion by watching the progression of her character, and I am not a fan of philosophizing while fighting, but in a world where The Punisher exists and is loved, why does Trish have to be stopped? Erik serves the purpose as the human evil detector, but I wonder if he would need even more ibuprofen around Frank Castle. I do not need a crossover with Luke Cage. I need one with the loveable madman.

I still love horrible human being Jeri, who is her own worst enemy. Carrie-Anne Moss is a dream and manages to make a thoroughly unlikeable character completely riveting and sympathetic. I cringed a bit at a grown ass woman sounding like a pathetic stalker as she waxed nostalgic about a college lover, but Moss sells it as if it is the greatest love story of all time, not lame. Sarita Choudhury is smoldering as Kith, her latest love interest, but her character annoyed the hell out of me. I hate when people look down on someone morally but benefit from it. Jeri, what are you doing? Also is Laurent in therapy for thinking that he physically hurts women now and is doomed to be worse than his father?

Malcolm’s story arc was odd and grimy in a way that felt simultaneously satisfying and disappointing. I may not want him working for Jeri, but finally getting Jessica’s respect does not feel like a race anyone should want to win. Dude feels like he is slowly returning to his season one self. Also it feels as if Jessica Jones underexplored what Jeri thought of Malcolm and Zaya, Jeri’s associate and Malcolm’s love interest, as her children. Jeri as a mother figure had great potential as a perfect continuation of the theme of morally questionable mothers.

I loved watching Jessica Jones because of the perfect performances. It is gorgeously shot, and I still love giving it my full attention, but the beats became too predictable and made our beloved characters seem like buffoons. The series did not exactly stop while it was ahead, but it managed to stop before it became embarrassing.