Krysten Ritter On 'Jessica Jones' Season 2's Bold New Direction

Part of Jessica Jones' appeal in its first season was its breakneck speed: we hurtled along with our heroine on a rollercoaster journey from one crisis to the next. But according to star Krysten Ritter's clues about Jessica Jones Season 2, audiences should ready themselves for less tempo, more depth. During an event celebrating The 10th birthday of Saks Fifth Avenue’s 10022 Shoe Salon, Ritter spoke to Bustle's Sage Young all about the highly anticipated new season. Apparently, she's dealing with more than Kilgrave aftermath — she's also experiencing skyrocketing popularity, with "her phone ringing off the hook."

But this new adulation doesn't mean Jessica will change — she's a loner, after all, Ritter says: "She keeps her circle small because she doesn’t want people in her life, so there’s no textbook on how to deal with new popularity or new eyes on you."

That sounds like a tough enough situation for someone who finds it difficult to let people in, but there will be other challenges too, like the trauma and PTSD she has to process at the same time. While Ritter didn't say anything about the character being in therapy, if Jessica was forced by her trauma to start opening up about her life, this could explain how viewers will learn so much about her past without endless flashback scenes.

Ritter emphasizes that the key topic of the second season will be exploring "more of why Jessica is the way she’s is" (which could also lend itself to some therapy sessions). She argued we shouldn't assume that the superhero's personality is just about Kilgrave: "Even in the source material, so much stuff has happened to her. You feel for her ... Every time, you’re just like, ‘Ugh, she’s been through so much.’ Yet she still fights. Which is what we love about her."

And if you've been wondering what could have led to the character's pessimism and cynicism, it sounds like this is going to be the season we'll get plenty of answers. Which is a lottery win of a plot development, right? But the actor also warns audiences that while she has been hoping to recreate Season 1, that this is a radically different beast, summarizing the evolution in where each installment took place. "The first season was in her head and the second season is in her heart," offers Ritter.

Luckily for fans, exploring Jessica's heart in Season 2 will still deliver the elements that made Season 1 so fantastic. Ritter says the writers "have dug even deeper and made it feel just as big and just as impactful, just as personal."

Nobody is denying the power of the compelling first season of the show. But changing up a winning formula is a move that's as smart as it is bold — it means viewers aren't likely to find the series stale or predictable, which is exactly what fans loved about it in the first place.