Marvel’s superpowered private investigator Jessica Jones still has more than a few personal and professional demons to deal with after the events of season 1. The series’ next season of hard-luck (and hard-drinking) adventures continues March 8 on Netflix, and for anyone who wants all the clues they can get, the streamer has revealed the 13 upcoming episodes’ titles. Better still, the information comes via pulp illustrations.
Season 1 showrunner Melissa Rosenberg reprises her role behind the camera for the second season of Jessica Jones, which will premiere on International Women’s Day with 13 new episodes. The series brings back star Krysten Ritter, as well as first-season cast members Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Eka Darville, along with newcomers Janet McTeer and J.R. Ramirez.
Episode titles, revealed
Ahead of the March 8 season 2 premiere, Netflix unveiled 13 “amazing pulp-novel-style covers.” In a tweet, the streamer highlighted that they were designed by a baker’s dozen of female illustrators from different parts of the world. The group collectively turned out art as compelling as the episode titles themselves. The covers tease more mystery, danger, booze, and heroics.
Are you ready? Here are the 13 comic covers drawn by 13 international women that are inspired by the 13 female-led episodes of Season 2. #JessicaJonesReturns March 8. pic.twitter.com/ONT12FLUz3
— Jessica Jones (@JessicaJones) March 5, 2018
The first episode is fittingly called Start at the Beginning. The season then continues with Freak Accident; Sole Survivor; God Help the Hobo; The Octopus; Facetime; I Want Your Cray Cray; Ain’t We Got Fun; Shark in the Bathtub, Monster in the Bed; Pork Chop; Three Lives and Counting; Pray for My Patsy; and Playland. Some titles are obviously ominous, like Pray for My Patsy, while others sound benign but likely aren’t. Facetime might seem harmless enough, for example — that is until you see the illustration and notice the shadowy figure looming behind Jessica and Patsy with a syringe in hand.
Along with the episode titles, the illustrations include the names of the directors, another talented group of women. The season’s helmers include Anna Foerster, Minkie Spiro, Mairzee Almas, Deborah Chow, Millicent Shelton, Jet Wilkinson, Jennifer Getzinger, Zetna Fuentes, Rosemary Rodriguez, Neasa Hardiman, Jennifer Lynch, Liz Friedlander, and Uta Briesewitz. Meanwhile, the writers include Melissa Rosenberg, Aida Mashaka Croal, Lisa Randolph, Jack Kenny, Jamie King, Raelle Tucker, Hilly Hicks, Jr., Gabe Fonseca, Jenny Klein, and Jack Kenney.
The story so far
Just a few weeks before the season premiere, Netflix released a video titled “Her Way” that offers a summary of the events leading up to Jessica Jones season 2. The video primarily features scenes from the first season, but does mix in a few scenes from season 2 — specifically, Jessica’s experience at an anger management class she attends early in the season.
New trailer, familiar hue
Netflix released the second trailer for Jessica Jones season 2 on February 7, and while the fresh footage introduced quite a few new elements that will make up the show’s sophomore story arc, it was a scene at the very end of the preview that has fans buzzing.
In the final scene of the trailer, Jessica is shown asking, “What did they do to us?” The scene then takes on a purple glow, and a pair of hands is seen clapping in the foreground.
It’s already public knowledge that David Tennant’s character from the first season, Kilgrave, will make an appearance in season 2 — but the nature of his return is a mystery. Given the character’s affinity for the color purple (which comes from him being known as “The Purple Man” in Marvel Comics lore), the scene’s purple hue appears to be a cryptic nod toward him returning to torment Jessica in the second season.
Premiere date dump
Empire debuted the latest photo from the second season of the series in mid-January, a little more than a month after Netflix and Marvel debuted the first trailer for season 2 of Jessica Jones and confirmed the season premiere date. It will be the first of Marvel’s live-action solo series on Netflix to return in 2018, with the third season of Daredevil and the second season Luke Cage also scheduled to debut this year.
With great trailer comes great story
The first trailer for the second season of Jessica Jones premiered in December 2017 and indicated that uncovering the truth behind the source of her powers could be a big part of the season 2 story arc.
Jones will also be dealing with the fallout from her decision to murder the mind-controlling villain Kilgrave (Tennant) during the first season. Tennant is expected to reprise the role for the show’s second season, but it’s uncertain whether Kilgrave will actually be back in action (this is a comic book universe, after all) or simply appear in flashbacks.
Leading ladies
In October 2016, Rosenberg indicated that all 13 episodes of the show’s second season will be directed by female directors. The first season of the series was the winner of a prestigious Peabody Award, and the series has been hailed as one of the best original shows on Netflix in recent years.
After making her debut as Jones in November 2015, Ritter returned to the role in August’s crossover miniseries The Defenders, reuniting with Luke Cage star Mike Colter, and joining Iron Fist and Daredevil stars Finn Jones and Charlie Cox, respectively, for the first time.
Updated March 7: We added season 2’s episode titles and directors.
