‘Jessica Jones’: 7 Burning Questions For Season 3

[This story contains full spoilers for season two of Netflix’s Jessica Jones.]

And with that, another case has been closed. Now what?

The long wait for a third season of Marvel’s Jessica Jones begins, as Netflix has yet to announce the Melissa Rosenberg-created drama’s renewal for a third season. (Three additional Marvel shows — second seasons of Luke Cage and Iron Fist, as well as a third season of Daredevil — are in production and will arrive in the coming months.) With that said, another shot for the hard-drinking hero feels all but inevitable at this point, especially following the events of season two, which ended with the primary characters in greater places of change than ever before.

Until Jessica (Krysten Ritter) returns for her next assignment, we’re left with little to do but speculate on what the future holds for one of the Marvel-Netflix experiment’s most compelling characters, not to mention the other individuals in her life. Here are the questions we’re asking between now and season three:

1. How Will Jessica Recover From Losing Her Mother — Again?

Season two centered on Jessica’s relationship with Alisa (Janet McTeer), her long-lost mother who resurfaced with massive strength and anger management issues aplenty. Rather than center on Jessica battling a new villain, Rosenberg and her team wisely refocused the story on Jessica trying to save and even bond with the antagonist. It was starting to work out, too… right until Trish Walker (Rachael Taylor) went ahead and shot Alisa in the head, right in front of Jessica. How will our hero channel the loss of her mother for a second time — especially at the hands of her best friend? Expect that question to loom large over a likely season three.

2. How Will Jessica Honor Her Mother’s Final Wish?

“I’ve done a lot of damage in my life. But somehow, you’re standing on top of the rubble like a shining light. ‘Hero’ isn’t a bad word, Jessica. It’s just someone who gives a shit and does something about it. … You are far more capable than I ever was. Maybe I don’t have to be amazing. Maybe I just made you.” Those are Alisa’s final words, and according to showrunner Melissa Rosenberg, they will resonate deeply within the show’s hero: “Even though Jessica has gone through an enormous loss here — several losses — I think she walks away with a little bit of her mother’s wish for her.” How will that manifest in season three? Will we see a more actively heroic Jessica Jones… perhaps even a more outwardly sunny version of the character? Somehow, the latter proposition feels doubtful; but Jessica fully embracing her role as someone who “gives a shit and does something about it” feels well within her wheelhouse.

3. How Will Jessica and Trish Come Back Together?

Admittedly, there’s no guarantee that Jessica and Trish will come back together at all. It’s hard to imagine healing the rift between the two veritable sisters, given Trish’s role in Jessica’s mom’s death. For her part, Taylor is certainly putting her hopes for reconciliation out there into the world, telling THR: “The female friendship between Trish and Jessica is the heartbeat of the show. I love that we bring a friendship to the screen that’s not a sanitized version of female friendship. It’s messy and complicated.”

4. Will Trish Become a Full Blown Superhero Next Season?

That’s certainly the tease we’re left with when it comes to Trish, who exhibits superhuman reflexes in her final scene of the season. Based on the Avenger known as Hellcat from the comics, Trish’s destiny as a superhero has been bubbling just beneath the surface all series long. Now that it seems like she has actual powers, it feels inevitable that a full-on Hellcat showing in season three is in the cards. With that said, Rosenberg is remaining coy on the possibility: “I really love leaving it at this ambiguous thing. You always want to leave some doors open. That’s a door that’s open, and if we step through it — or how we step through it — will be the stuff of another season, should we get one.”

5. What’s Next For Jessica’s Relationship?

Despite the horrible loss she suffers at the end of the season, Jessica moves forward with a new family of sorts in the final moments of the finale. In the scene, she sits at the dinner table with landlord-turned-lover Oscar (J.R. Ramirez) and his son, recounting the details of her very eventful afternoon. Over the course of the season, Jessica lets her emotional guard down with Oscar, culminating in their peaceful meal in the final scene. Will that happiness last into season three? Given all the other tragedies in her life — losing her mother and losing her best friend — it would be nice to see Jessica hold onto this one considerable portion of happiness.

6. When Will Malcolm Turn His Back on Hogarth?

Eka Darville and Carrie-Anne Moss’ characters ended the season with their stories intertwined. After branching out as a freelancer and helping out with her case, Malcolm (Darville) found himself drawn in deeper to the world of Jeri Hogarth (Moss), working alongside Pryce Cheng (Terry Chen) on some new project that may or may not be illegal, depending on the approach. Given Malcolm’s morality, it’s hard to imagine he’ll follow Hogarth too far down any dark rabbit holes before bringing some light to bear on the situation. But just how far will he go before his moral compass realigns? Considering how season two brought Trish to so many lows, it’s easy to see Malcolm hitting a similar level before being allowed the chance to rise again.

7. Will We See Kilgrave and Alisa Again?

Forget the question of season three’s villain; topping Kilgrave (David Tennant) and Alisa is such a tall order that the Jessica Jones writing team is likely chewing on that very question at this very moment. Instead, given the fact that Kilgrave appeared for a one-episode affair — serving as a mental projection of Jessica’s inner turmoil — can we expect to see him return in similar fashion at some point in season three? And if so, what’s to stop a similar cameo from McTeer as Alisa from happening as well? The possibility is at the very least in play, but don’t bank on it as a guarantee. According to Melissa Rosenberg regarding the Kilgrave cameo: “I just adore David Tennant and I love writing that character, but that’s not enough to put him in the episode. It has to be organic and it has to drive Jessica’s story, otherwise it’s going to just feel plopped in there. Fortunately, the direction we went with her invited that story.”

What are your biggest questions ahead of a possible season three? Sound off in the comments below, and keep following THR.com/LiveFeed for more coverage.