Relationship Spotlight: Jessica Jones & Trish Walker (Jessica Jones)

And just for a change of pace, how ‘bout a Marvel superhero and their non-powered best friend?  (But seriously, folks…)  Trish and Jessica’s relationship intrigued from my first glimpses of it, and over the course of the season, it became one of my favorite things in a show packed with goodness (backstory spoilers.)

I’ll be honest – when I first saw Jessica come to Trish’s apartment in the pilot, I wasn’t sure what to make of them.  I could tell they obviously meant a lot to each other, and it was clear that they’d been going through a rough/possibly-estranged patch, but I didn’t know what type of relationship was on the rocks.  Were they friends?  Sisters?  Exes?  There wasn’t one distinct vibe in terms of how the related to each other; the main thing that really came through was the strength of how they felt, not the form it took.

(I suppose it makes sense.  Technically, Jessica and Trish could be considered both friends and sisters, since Jessica was taken in by Trish’s mom after her family was killed and the two eventually became incredibly close, and I see how Jessica has something more akin to emotional intimacy with Trish than she does with Luke, her prospective love interest.)

But anyway, let’s get to the more interesting stuff.  Trish and Jessica’s defining quality seems to be a loyalty that’s unfailing but realistic.  Both have offered emotional support and help to the other when they clearly need it but insist that they don’t – when they were teenagers, Jessica confronted Trish about her controlling stage mother’s physical abuse, and throughout season 1, Trish tries to help Jessica process the overwhelming revelation that Kilgrave is still alive.  Both are tenacious in their efforts to break down the other’s walls (tough love is a definite factor with these two,) but they also know that they can’t ultimately help someone who refuses to accept it.  So, they both reach points where they fall back and give the other space, not giving up but saving their words for a time when the other will be more receptive.

Any relationship like this has to eventually address the superpowered elephant in the room, and Jessica and Trish are no exception.  In flashbacks, we see a period where Trish is filled with excitement at Jessica’s powers – more so than Jessica herself – and it’s in fact Trish who first suggests that Jessica should use them to fight crime.  In the present, Trish’s take on Jessica’s powers is more balanced, recognizing the power, the responsibility, and the danger, and while she’s still in favor of Jessica using her powers for good, she’s more measured in her encouragement.

She always doesn’t want to see Jessica taking on all the risk herself.  Since Jessica’s first encounter with Kilgrave, Trish has been learning self-defense, both to protect herself and to acitively assist Jessica.  Jessica, no surprise, isn’t thrilled at that idea.  Apart from her lone wolf, “I don’t need help from anyone!” attitude, she’s protective of Trish in a way that she thinks is totally justified but that Trish feels is a bit paternalistic.  Season 1 finds both of them having to reevaluate their stances:  Jessica seeing how her friend can stand on her own, Trish realizing just how intense the stakes are when she gets involved in something like this.