Jessica Jones stars Krysten Ritter as the titular Jessica Jones, a failed superhero-turned-private-eye working in New York City. Based on the Alias comic series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Gaydos, the show casts Jessica as the hardboiled gumshoe — a role usually filled by classic tough guys like Sam Spade. Sticking true to noir canon, Jones relies on narration and a jazzy score to set the tone, both of which can come across as a little too on the nose at times. But the same can’t be said for Ritter, who is brilliant in the role, playing a hard-drinking, damaged cynic who only happens to have super strength. She’s armed with a wry wit and real disdain for people’s bullshit, but it’s also clear that she helps others for just a little more than paying rent. Ritter conveys Jessica’s complexity with grace, letting the character’s pain simmer just under the surface as she juggles trying to protect those around her with coping with past trauma.

Trauma is a central theme for the series

Trauma is a central theme for the series, and every character — even the terrible ones — has to contend with it. And as much as the series is about Jessica herself, it’s also about the people around her, all mostly just trying to get by in a world suddenly filled with superpowered madmen. There’s Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor), Jessica best friend and confidante who’s seen her at her worst. There’s Jeri Horgath (Carrie-Anne Moss), the shark of a lawyer who gives Jessica cases to work. And there’s Luke Cage (Mike Holter), a bartender with secrets of his own. Each of these characters is given a chance to shine in unique ways, and Jessica’s relationships with them are all layered and complex. The show is paced deliberately, even slowly, teasing out each of their backstories in a way that connects organically back to Jessica, deepening the investment in each character with every reveal.