Review: Jessica Jones S3 is flawed but packs a powerful payoff in the end

Jessica Jones makes its final bow with an imperfect but ultimately powerful and thought-provoking third season. The series finale—canceled before it even started streaming, along with the rest of the Marvel/Netflix Defenders series—expertly explored conflicting notions of justice, the possibility of forgiveness and redemption, and what it really means to be a hero through the lens of Jessica's fractured relationship with her adoptive sister, Trish Walker.

(Spoilers for all three seasons below.)

Along with the first season of Daredevil in 2015, Jessica Jones helped launch the Defenders shared universe on Netflix to broad critical acclaim. The show earned praise for its gritty noir tone (perfectly captured in the main title sequence), complex characters (shout-out to Carrie-Ann Moss's Emmy-worthy turn as Jeri Hogarth), and unapologetically frank depiction of a woman struggling with PTSD in the wake of an abusive relationship. It's hands-down my favorite of the Defenders series, although Daredevil's arch-villain Wilson Fisk will always hold a special place in my esteem.