The big build-up to The Defenders left many Marvel fans wanting when the smoke cleared and all of The Hand's cards were placed on the table. The question now is whether that misfire will bleed into each of The Defenders' individual series or whether Marvel Television will compartmentalize those events and simply pick up where each show's most recent season left off.
For Jessica Jones season 2, it definitely appears to be the latter although the general consensus among the early-reactions (Marvel TV sent reviewers the first 5 episodes) appears to be that the same pacing issues that plagued The Defenders are present in Jones' sophomore outing.
Since that Tweet, season 2's consensus score has dropped to 78% on 18 reviews. In comparison, season 1 was certified fresh at 92%. If this trend persists, the show will quickly change to "Rotten."
If you're on the fence about Jessica Jones season 2, here are some of the top reviews and critical analysis from the show's first five episodes.
"The first season of Jessica Jones captivated me. But after more than two years of anticipation of a second season, the first five episodes of the show’s second season left me disappointed and, worst of all, bored."
---Polygon
"There was an undercurrent of terror throughout “Jessica Jones” Season 1 that gave the series a darkness and dynamism which elevated it over previous Marvel series; Season 2 lacks that in its first five episodes. Yet there are still eight to go, which is plenty of time for Jessica to make bad decisions in her fight to do right. And one thing remains unchanged — her story is singularly hers, uncompromising and unapologetically all about what we’ve come to love about this character."
---IndieWire (score: B)
"Equal parts droll, damaged and fierce, Ritter is so damn charismatic that she’s able to carry most of the lopsided season with seeming ease, and almost (almost) distract you from plotting issues."
---/Film
"Dramatically speaking, it’s a tad disappointing. What made the first season the strongest and smartest of the Marvel/Netflix set was the way it presented itself as less a superhero story with a feminist twist than a smart feminist noir-thriller with a superhero twist. Now, aside from some post-Weinstein-relevant drama with a sleazy filmmaker from Trish’s (Rachael Taylor) child-actor days, the show focuses more on the distrust and prejudice Jessica faces as an outed “super”.
---Empire Magazine (score: 3 out of 5 stars)
"Ritter is so charismatic, and so good at toggling between sarcasm and outright pain, that a lot of this is more watchable than it should be, given the glacial pace at which the plot moves and the amount of time spent on lesser characters and filler stories. But the overall trend for this cluster of shows is worrisome. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage all burst out of the gate strong before fading later in their debut seasons. Iron Fist was a miscalculation on every level, while Defenders, The Punisher, and now this new Jessica season haven’t even managed the strong start."
---Uproxx
"Ritter finds a way to channel her character’s debilitating pain with such raw ferocity you can see the glaze of tear behind her eye and feel the anxious lump in her throat. Her performance alone is captivating enough to keep the first five episodes consistently entertaining, even as the story moves at a snail’s pace. Jessica is finally ready to confront the source of her trauma and out the enemy who has been hiding deep within her troubled past, but you'll have to trudge through the emotional torture right along with her to find the riveting answers the show promises."
---Newsweek
"If you thought that the team-up of The Defenders would have any bearing on the individual character seasons of Marvel’s Netflix heroes, think again. As has been the pattern, each Defender is kept in their own sandbox until it’s time to play together, but then they are swiftly sequestered again. It can be a little disappointing, although when it comes to Jessica Jones, it’s actually a good thing."
---Collider (score: 4 out of 5 stars)
"Based on the first five episodes, Jessica Jones season two is certainly building up to a solid journey that will leave audiences wanting more of the character by the end of the finale."
---Forbes
"While it’s more of the same in Season 2, it lacks shock value. Krysten Ritter still brings her A-game as the titular character, another knock-it-out-of-the-park casting decision for Marvel’s live-action worlds. She’s as alienating as ever in the lead role, making few friends, drinking heavily, still throwing people through doors (a comic-book tradition they’ve kept), and having the occasional random hookup on the side. Her sarcastic responses to anyone who talks to her may be her most impressive super power."
---Washington Post
"In sum, this season feels less binge-worthy, thanks to its story and villain problems. But I still loved getting to reunite with these characters. This is still very much a series with something to say—about trauma, about women’s anger, and about trying to survive without losing the person you want to be. In the era of peak TV, when so many series are technically well-crafted but not necessarily showing up with something to say, that makes Jessica Jones so worth watching for me."
---The Mary Sue
"The circumstances around her family’s death have now supplanted Kilgrave as the repressed memory haunting her each night. The toughest question Jessica Jones Season 2 has to answer is whether that mystery can support the absence of a central villain like Kilgrave, and, in the five episodes sent to critics, that does feel like a bit of a struggle. If Season 1 offered a super-powered Silence of the Lambs, Season 2 seems to try its hand at monster movie shtick* with an unseen killer picking off leads. It isn’t until Season 2 puts a face to the threat that things really start to pick up; having dragged a bit with minor nuisances like agency rivalry and building eviction, or a few repetitive arcs for the supporting cast."
---ScreenCrush