#inez green

Propaganda:

jessica jones x mincing mockingbird guide to troubled birds [½] –> Part 2 

I haven’t talked about Jeri much yet, but Jeri is and always has been one of the pillars of this show. While people were fawning over Kilgrave, I was all about Jeri. That hasn’t changed.

In this season we find out more about her backstory. She lived in poverty, got bullied at school for being poor (and while it’s not mentioned, I can imagine that her being a lesbian also contributed to alienation from her peers), and despite all this, she has managed to become successful. Ayn Rand would be proud. (Well, save for the whole lesbian part. She was pretty homophobic.)

In my review I talked about how the power theme in this season is not limited to the supernatural, but also extends to the “power” men have compared to women. In the conversation between Jeri and Inez, we also get a taste of the power the rich have over the poor. And like Trish envies Jessica’s and Griffin’s “powers”, Inez envies what Jeri has. Trish still loves her sister. Inez still had some sort of feelings for Jeri (assuming she was telling the truth, and I believe she was, why else would she get into that car?), but the jealousy is there, and it’s what drives them to hurt them.

Jeri climbed to the top. But she did some questionable things in the process, and continues to do so. Last season she threw Pam under the bus to save herself. This season she freed Shane, who she was sure was a real criminal, just to get a chance to cure herself. And later on, manipulated Inez into murdering Shane.

Inez and Shane aren’t much better. They took advantage of Jeri’s weakness, tricked her, and stole all her belongings. It’s a disgusting thing to do to a woman who believes she is dying.

And Jeri? She didn’t pull the trigger. She didn’t kill Shane. She technically never told Inez to kill him (correct me if I’m wrong, I didn’t screencap the whole scene). However she handed the gun to Inez, and made a vague comment about how she needed to protect herself. Jeri knew exactly what it would result in.

Jeri’s need for power is different from, say, Trish, because Jeri is not trying to be heroic. Jeri doesn’t claim to want to save the world, or any of the people in it. Jeri is looking out for herself only.

In a post earlier today I talked about what defines a villain. We could consider this post a continuation of that analysis. 

Is Jeri a villain? Her arc mirrors Jessica’s this season in some ways, but Jessica never intended to kill the prison guard. Jeri, on the other hand, knew what she was doing when she gave Inez the gun. But does intent matter when the result is the same? Look at Alisa. Look at Dr. Karl. Look at Trish.

“What can you say of figuring out who will be the new antagonist?”

Acknowledging that Jeri Hogarth is extremely fucking problematic I still want to say that she is so smart and I LOVE HER SO MUCH FOR SERVING EVERY O N E this season!!

On a serious note, some people think the way her character is written reinforces the “predatory lesbian” trope, but I feel that the way her sexuality is portrayed is inextricably linked to her personality, and as such is neither meant nor taken to represent anyone but herself. As the only lesbian on the show right now, it’s understandable one would wish for the most nuanced and non-villainising (lol low standards) representation possible, but that would erase so much of the very well-fashioned nature of Jeri Hogarth. Thus, I find the nuanced portrait of this not ideal - in fact severely flawed - lesbian character very worth painting; aside from that, I like to think that this JJ’s representation doesn’t fuel any negative stereotypes about lesbians on a whole, but rather asserts the validity of homosexual desire and sexuality as a large part of one’s psychology and motivations.

While some extreme or negative aspects of Jeri’s personality did manifest in her sexual/romantic relationships - her deceit and ambition in season 1, paranoia in season 2 - Jeri is not actually *predatory* toward her love interests at all. With Pam, despite the relationship occurring at the unequal boss-secretary power dynamic, it was steered by Pam NOT Jeri, occurring on her terms as well; with Inez some lovely subtleties to the champagne scene showed Jeri visually taking cues from her and affirming that Inez was open to her advances.

It is rare that a lesbian character is allowed to be overtly sexual and unabashedly driven/influenced/made vulnerable by of her sexuality. In watching JJ and Jeri’s storyline the audience is forced to take her sexuality seriously and see her romantic/sexual life as both an inevitable mirror to the aggressive and harsh aspects of her personality but also a point of humanisation. While she can be leery, jealous and upfront, through Jeri’s sexuality we also saw her capacity for tenderness, intimacy, trust and love. It is this balance that redeemed the problems of the representation in my eyes.

Have to admit that even without assessing if it was “ok” to delight in the new dimension to Jeri they showed this season, I felt helplessly thrilled to even hear Jeri articulate her desires (accepting the hooker’s invitation, asking Inez to stay, saying “I wanted to drink rum, make love to beautiful women”, and the camera then visualise them (showing her drool over yoga lady, admitting Jeri and Inez in bed, etc)

I am conflicted over whether I like Jess and her Mum bonding, I think I like it but it just means that when it all goes to shit its going to hurt Jess even more.

I did love that she was already bonding with Oscar and talking Spanish to him.

I’m pissed that Alisa let Dr. Karl go after all the shit that he’s put both of them through.

Who the hell is shooting at them now though?!?!?!?!

Trish kicking some ass = Great stuff, Trish still addicted to the super-inhaler and most likely losing her mind = bad stuff.

I cannot believe Trish got Malcolm to take it as well though and coming out with some nonsense that it’s not addictive, like have you looked in the mirror over the past week.

Trish / Malcolm started off the episode so well as well with some great post sex banter, Trish’s ‘You’re welcome’ absolutely killed me.

Pleased that Jeri is feeling hopeful and looking to be healed by that powered guy must she really go jumping in to bed with these women she’s known days.