Jessica Jones

As befits a show about a private detective, the lead up to the second season of ‘Jessica Jones’ expertly walked the line of piquing fans’ interest without giving too much away. But one of the things they did give away early in the game – like, “first trailer” early – was the return of Kilgrave. Unforgettably played by David Tennant, Kilgrave met his end in what was perhaps the most cathartic moment of the first season. But given the indelible impact he had on Jessica, it was never out of the realm of possibility that he might someday return, if only in flashbacks and the like.

But how would he return? And why? The more intrepid (and blessed with free time) among you already know the answer to one of those question, and now we can shed some light on the other. Speaking with CinemaBlend, showrunner Melissa Rosenberg shed some light on the rationale behind bringing the defeated villain back to the show:

“He’s part of Jessica’s experience in the world. Season one revealed that. And because you come to terms with it, and in her case kill the guy, doesn’t mean that it no longer exists in your psyche. It’s an experience she carries with her, and forms a lot of her actions and feelings. He’s kind of there in so many ways throughout, and the storytelling very organically calls for him to come back.”

That’s the writerly answer, and of course, it’s a perfectly valid and honest one. But there was more to the decision than that. Rosenberg continues:

“That and also I frickin’ love David Tennant. If the story starts leaning in a direction where you go “Oh, maybe we could bring David back,” you go that direction, you know? But it has to feel true to the character, it can’t feel like it’s there because I love David Tennant. It has to be true for Jessica’s story.”

‘Jessica Jones’ features returning stars Krysten Ritter, Rachael Taylor, Carrie-Ann Moss, and Eka Darville alongside newcomers Janet McTeer and J.R. Ramirez. The second season of the acclaimed superhero drama is now available to stream on Netflix.