A homecoming delivers major revelations in Jessica Jones’ strongest episode

To say that Jessica Jones’ handling of Kilgrave is an improvement over the Alias comic book is a major understatement. Brian Michael Bendis’ interpretation of Purple Man is an utterly unsympathetic character, a remorseless maniac who breaks the fourth wall and talks about being in a comic book and is as obnoxious as he is repulsive. While there’s no physical rape committed against Jessica in the comics, Purple Man uses his mind control to sexually abuse Jessica in different ways, making her watch other victims and then forcing her to beg him for sexual satisfaction that he never grants her. It’s deeply disturbing and unpleasant, and the writers of Jessica Jones make a very wise choice in adding the motivation of love to Kilgrave’s character. His actions on the show are still disturbing and unpleasant, but they’re rooted in legitimate affection for Jessica that he doesn’t know how to express without hurting others.
“AKA WWJD?” is the most revealing episode of Jessica Jones’ first season, exploring Jessica and Kilgrave’s dysfunctional dynamic while delving into the backstories of both characters. Primarily set within the walls of Jessica’s childhood home, the episode is one long battle for control, with Kilgrave trying to use Jessica’s memories of happiness to manipulate her into loving him without being mind controlled and Jessica playing along until she gets the pieces in place to enact her own plan. The tension between Jessica and Kilgrave invigorates Krysten Ritter and David Tennant’s performances, and their scenes together have a depth of emotion that isn’t reached anywhere else this season.
The episode starts with a tour of Jessica’s house to highlight the importance of this space on her psyche, and Ritter fully captures Jessica’s increasing horror as she realizes the extent of Kilgrave’s obsession. He takes pride in how meticulously researched his recreation of her home is, but Jessica isn’t impressed that he used a magnifying glass to learn which CDs she had in her bedroom. She’s totally creeped out, but she knows that she can’t let Kilgrave see her fear, so she makes her behavior even more aggressively hateful. Kilgrave and Jessica are both performing for each other, with Kilgrave working to build an illusion of suburban domesticity that Jessica refuses to accept because she knows better than to trust him.
Jessica rips up the purple gown Kilgrave leaves for her to wear to dinner, and when she joins Kilgrave for the meal, she guzzles a bottle of wine as quickly as she can before fleeing back to her bedroom. That dinner is where we start to see more of Kilgrave’s perspective regarding the abuse Jessica suffered, and he’s shocked that Jessica blames him for her drinking problem despite the fact that she drinks to numb the pain that has lingered ever since their time together. He blames Jessica for killing Reva because he told her to “take care of her,” not kill her, and his victim-blaming is a classic move to avoid responsibility for his actions.
That rocky first night goes as expected, but writer Scott Reynolds introduces a new twist to Kilgrave and Jessica’s dynamic the following morning when Jessica’s nosy neighbor interrupts their breakfast in the backyard. Inviting Mrs. De Luca to join them for breakfast is a cruel way of forcing Jessica into a role that she doesn’t want to play, and adding an innocent life to the mix means Jessica has to play along. But once Mrs. De Luca starts bringing up the past that Jessica clearly doesn’t want to talk about, Kilgrave swoops in to the rescue of his beloved and makes the neighbor pay for hurting Jessica. He uses his mind control to compel Mrs. De Luca to admits that she never knew Jessica’s family was going to die in that accident and that she only says she did to feel important, and Jessica lets Kilgrave use his powers when it means gaining satisfaction for herself. It also sets up the possibility that maybe Kilgrave’s abilities can be harnessed for good, which Jessica will explore further after she learns Kilgrave’s tragic backstory.
Kilgrave makes the tiniest bit of progress with Jessica during breakfast, but it’s immediately erased when he touches Jessica’s hand, breaking the main rule that he never touches Jessica without her genuine consent. He thinks this one “good” deed for Jessica somehow makes up for all the bad from before, but Jessica won’t let Kilgrave forget that he raped her over and over. The conversation that ensues is the most important exchange of this entire series, finally cementing the details of Kilgrave’s abuse while showing how Kilgrave rationalizes his actions in his head:
Kilgrave: What part of staying in five-star hotels, eating in all the best places, doing whatever the hell you wanted, is rape?
Jessica: The part where I didn’t want to do any of it! Not only did you physically rape me, but you violated every cell in my body and every thought in my goddamn head.
Kilgrave: That’s not what I was trying to do.