Parents' Guide to

Jessica Jones

By Kari Croop, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Flawed heroine fights evil in a darkly sexy, violent world.

TV Netflix Drama 2015
Jessica Jones Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 24 parent reviews

JKjaya
JKjaya Adult
February 24, 2021
age 18+

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
Gregmcdonald
Gregmcdonald Adult
January 5, 2021
age 13+

Great

I have let my 13 year old daughter watch this, and I see no problem with it. As a television show, the concepts are a little dark, but nothing my daughter couldn’t handle. Jessica is a strong woman with a disturbing past, but she doesn’t let this get her down. My daughter loves this show, although her friends don’t. This is my parenting route and everyone will have their own. I have told her that she can come to me if she felt unsafe, scared or disturbed, and she has not. I myself have watched all of it and feel this is right for my daughter’s maturity and understanding of concepts, such as alcohol, rape and some extreme violence. Thanks, Greg.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 24 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Haunted by memories of her time with the controlling Killgrave (David Tennant), JESSICA JONES (Krysten Ritter) is a hard-drinking private detective who makes her living tracking wayward spouses through the shadows of Hell's Kitchen. But she's also an ex-superhero with extraordinary abilities that she's trying to keep under wraps. While she sifts through the wreckage of her shattered personal life, she gains strength from her best friend (Rachael Taylor), a powerful employer (Carrie-Anne Moss), and an intriguing bartender (Mike Colter) with secrets of his own.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (24):
Kids say (31):

As a role model, she's dark and dicey. But if you like your heroines strong with a side of snark, there's no denying that Jessica Jones makes for great and ultimately addicting TV. And you don't have to be a "comic book person" either. Even those coming to this Marvel drama with zero backstory will find plenty to like, from the cinematic story lines and compelling cliffhangers engineered to keep binge-watchers sated to the main character's refreshing twist on modern feminism. It's all a little weird, but it works.

Whether you want your kids watching or not is your call. Though the series' fascinating study of an abused woman coming to grips with her past may resonate with some teens, the show's overall themes are dark and difficult. Most scenes involving Killgrove are also deeply disturbing. And though the show steers clear of "graphic" sex in terms of nudity, what you do see is definitely ... explicit.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Parents can talk about how Jessica Jones measures up as a role model. What are her virtues? What are her vices? Why do we root for her in spite of her flaws?

  • Does Jessica Jones make any major changes to the Marvel comic that inspired it? What are the pros and cons of staying faithful to a show's source material versus adapting it to suit a different medium?

  • Does the fact that Jessica Jones airs exclusively on Netflix affect the way it's written and constructed? What would the show be like in terms of language, violence, sexual content, and structure if it aired as a non-streaming series?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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