Marvel’s Jessica Jones Episode 6: AKA You’re a Winner Recap

Episode 5 and 6 spoilers ahead.

After coming to terms with the letdown of episode  5 of Marvel’s Jessica Jones, it was good to see the writers amp things up in episode 6, “AKA You’re a Winner.” I mean Jones and her gang had Kilgrave unconscious in their van and lost him. This time around, the show takes a very different turn.

For starters, we see Jones reunited with Luke Cage after he’s been notably absent. The dynamic between Jones and Cage is interesting but not terribly compelling yet. They are both damaged goods, brought together by what Cage thinks is chance, but we know that isn’t the case. The fact that both have super strength makes them a good match on some levels, but the fact that Jones carries the secret about the death of Cage’s wife makes it incredibly strained.

Cage seeks out Jones to help him find a missing young man. He’s been told that should he return him to his sister, he will be given information pertaining to his sister’s death. Keep in mind, Jones killed his sister while under Kilgrave’s control with a single punch and then blamed it on a bus wreck. Jones immediately goes into panic mode because she fears this information could out her.

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We also find out that the attack on Hope in prison that we saw in the last episode was orchestrated by her. She paid the other inmate to do it because … she’s pregnant with Kilgrave’s baby! Seriously? Yep. Hope is not going to keep the baby under any circumstances. Jones makes arrangements with her attorney to rush things to terminate the pregnancy.

This is where one of the most serious WTF moments comes in for me. Hogarth is seen at the hospital telling the nurse to have any fetal remains sent to an unknown lab. Keep in mind I don’t watch ahead as I write these, but I am very anxious to see what nefarious force wants DNA from the unborn child of Kilgrave.

Meanwhile, we see an incredible transformation by Kilgrave. Well, first we see him completely control a high-stakes poker game in order to win over a million dollars. We also see him tell a man to try and beat his head through a support beam. But then we see a complete change.

I assume because of all the attention he is getting by his former victims coming forward, we see him changing up his methods in order to forward his master plan. The scene where Kilgrave purchases the home is brilliant. He could have easily just told the man and his family to leave, but it is clear he wants to try and stay off Jones’ radar.

Meanwhile, Jones and Cage work the case and find Antoine, the missing young man. Cage thinks they have a plan to snatch him up before the loan shark he owes money to, hopefully getting him back to his sister so he can get that evidence. Jones is working her own angle and wants to beat Cage to the punch in case she needs to destroy the evidence to protect herself.

My one real issue with this episode, and an ongoing trend in the series, has been in the fight scenes. Just like in the previous episode when Simpson and Jones are bested by some thugs with stun sticks, the fight scene in the warehouse was really disappointing.

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I understand that they can’t overpower these characters, but when Jones can casually tear a steel chain in half with one hand, she shouldn’t struggle with some random street thugs. And seeing Cage tip over a plywood table with some planters on it shouldn’t be his exciting finish move. They should have been able to cleave through those security guys in the last episode leaving a wake of broken bones, and the fight in the warehouse should have taken all of ten seconds. Don’t give me super-powered characters that aren’t going to be super.

Criticisms aside, the story flows forward with Jones shows up at the sister’s house with her brother, hoping to beat Cage to the punch on the evidence. Unfortunately, Cage shows up the same time and reads the report. Jones expects him to turn on her, but the report indicates that the driver of the bus was drunk, and he assumes that was the cause of his wife’s death. Jones breathes a sigh of relief.

That’s short-lived when she finds out the driver is still working and Cage is on the way to find him and kill him. Jones shows up just after Cage throws him through the bus windshield, and to save his life, tells Cage the truth. I expected him to beat on her and she would just let him, but instead they have a brief exchange and he walks away. Sort of a letdown for what could have been a much more powerful scene.

The episode closes back with Kilgrave and his new home. We find out why he wanted this house so badly, and why he purchases it rather than take it. This is Jones’ childhood home. The episode closes with him peeling back some wallpaper to reveal her childhood height chart. As I’ve said, I don’t watch ahead, but this is the one part of this episode I am really anxious to see unfold down the road.