TVXOHOF, JULY 2019 - JESSICA JONES

July is kind of an amorphous month for the Television Crossover Hall of Fame.  Many of the other months have themes – January/Classic TV, February/Black History, April/”The Fool”, May/the Ladies, August/Westerns, September/Behind The Scenes, October/Horror, November/Newsmakers, December/Multiverse lately….

But I was never sure what I could do with July.  Lately I’ve been toying with the idea of using that month for cops and private eyes.  And since our overall theme for this 20th anniversary year of the TVXOHOF has been superheroes, I’m lucky enough to have one who fits the bill… just barely.

JESSICA JONES!

It was a toss-up for me to go with either Luke Cage, the Hero for Hire, or Ms. Jones.  I decided that Luke Cage, having the heftier credits list, deserved a more fitting showcase than a Friday Hall of Famer.  So I’m fitting him up for February of 2021.

Let’s take a look first at who Jessica Jones is and where she came from….

From Wikipedia:
Jessica Campbell Jones is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos, and first appeared in Alias #1 (November 2001), as part of Marvel's Max, an imprint for more mature content.

Within the context of Marvel's shared universe, Jones is a former superhero who becomes the owner (and usually sole employee) of Alias Private Investigations. Bendis originally envisioned the series centered on Jessica Drew and only decided to create Jones once he noticed that the main character had a distinct voice and background that differentiated her from Drew.

Jones has since starred in three ongoing series: Alias, The Pulse and Jessica Jones. Alias ran for 28 issues before ending in 2004, while The Pulse ran for 14 issues from April 2004 to May 2006. Jessica Jones debuted in October 2016. She became a member of the New Avengers, alongside her husband, Luke Cage, during Marvel's 2010 Heroic Age campaign. She has used various aliases throughout her history, including Jewel, Knightress, and Power Woman.

Marvel's Jessica Jones, or simply Jessica Jones, is an American web television series created for Netflix by Melissa Rosenberg, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), sharing continuity with the films of the franchise, and is the second in a series of shows that led to The Defenders crossover miniseries.

The series is produced by Marvel Television in association with ABC Studios and Tall Girls Productions, with Rosenberg serving as show-runner.   Krysten Ritter stars as Jessica Jones, a former superhero who opens her own detective agency.

A version of the series was originally developed by Rosenberg for ABC in 2010, but the network passed on it. By late 2013, Rosenberg was reworking the series for Netflix as A.K.A. Jessica Jones. Ritter was cast as Jones in December 2014. Jessica Jones is filmed in New York City, in areas that still look like old Hell's Kitchen.

All episodes of the first season premiered on November 20, 2015. They were released to critical acclaim, with critics noting Ritter's and Tennant's performances as well as the series' noir tone, approach to sexuality, and depiction of darker topics such as rape, assault and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In January 2016, Netflix renewed Jessica Jones for a second season; filming began in April 2017 and concluded in September 2017.

The second season was released on March 8, 2018, and a third season was ordered on April 12, 2018, which was released on June 14, 2019. On February 18, 2019, Netflix canceled the series, making the third season its last.

From the IMDb:
Following the tragic end of her brief superhero career, Jessica Jones tries to rebuild her life as a private investigator, dealing with cases involving people with remarkable abilities in New York City.

Played by Kristen Ritter, Jessica Jones appeared in the following series:

JESSICA JONES
29 episodes

THE DEFENDERS
8 episodes

You see my dilemma?  She’s only appeared in two series and to be a member of the TVXOHOF, a character or a member of the League of Themselves has to be in three different series.

As Prime-Time marches on and we’re kind of reaching a shortage of Hall-worthy candidates, we have relaxed the rules… a little.  If the character is mentioned elsewhere and in such a way that denotes they actually exist, than that gives credence to their existence in the TV Universe.

And we have three such references for Jessica Jones:

I was surprised that Jessica Jones didn’t show up in the 'Luke Cage' series, even just for a cameo, considering how… tight they were together for a time during her own show.  But unless her photograph showed up and I happened to be blinking, this is all we got:

Luke Cage:
The Main Ingredient (2018)

Daniel Rand:
Look, Luke… you're not alone. I've got your back. So does Misty. So does Jessica.

I find myself typing “Jessica Jones” as if it’s just not complete without both names.  I feel like Tracy Jordan always saying “Liz Lemon”.

Here was another reference….

Daredevil:
Kinbaku (2016)

Marci Stahl mentions that she has been hired on by Hogarth, Chao & Benowitz….

Marci Stahl:
Rumors among my new partners? Reyes has her sights on the mayor's office.
Matt Murdock (?)
This is my shocked face.
Marci Stahl:
And she aims to do so by building a platform on Frank Castle's conviction. She gets him, she sets precedent against these other vigilantes popping up. One in our office is already under serious scrutiny, lady by the name of Jessica Jones.

This last one is a little more oblique….

Iron Fist:
The Blessing of Many Fractures (2017)

Daniel Rand:
Where did you get this?
Joy Meachum:
I hired a private investigator a while ago to start digging.  She was worth every penny… when she was sober.

Sure, that could be just about any female private eye in Toobworld.  Maybe Honey West has seen the end of her better days.  But I think we're supposed to assume that this rarely sober P.I. is Jessica Jones.

Eventually she teamed up with Daredevil, Iron Fist, and Luke Cage as the Defenders, so it’s all good.

All five Netflix shows have been cancelled now as mighty Disney, who owns Marvel, probably has plans to use them on their own streaming platform.  But with the same actors?  Doubtful.  

In the meantime, welcome to the Hall, Jessica Jones.
I did it again!

O'Bservation:
In case you didn't notice, this also serves as our Wiki Tiki Wednesday offering as well.