AKA Hero Pants

## Marvel Cinematic Universe

*"Maybe he felt bad that he hadn't stopped him earlier. Or he's following my example, trying on his hero pants."*
―Jessica Jones to Trish Walker
***AKA Hero Pants*** is the tenth episode of the third season of the television series *Jessica Jones*.

## Synopsis

Jessica wrestles with her emotions as she tries to untangle herself from a murder investigation.

## Plot

Dorothy Walker's body is taken from the morgue to the Edgecombe Funeral House, where Jessica Jones is expected to begin planning her funeral arrangements. But instead, her apartment is being ransacked and she is under investigation for the murder of Carl Nussbaumer. Imada suggests that maybe it is the grief of Jones losing her adoptive mother that caused her to kill Nussbaumer, but Jones denies having any involvement in his death. Detective Imada questions what Jones and Nussbaumer had talked about after he turned off his body cam, but she refuses to talk. Nussbaumer was beaten to death, but Jones’ hands show no signs of an altercation. Inside Jones’ drawer, Defford finds a file labeled Nussbaumer. When nothing is found in Jones’ apartment, Imada and Defford take the file and leave.

Jones meets up with Trish Walker at the funeral house to pick a casket. However, Gene Burchell, the funeral director, informs them that Dorothy had already chosen a casket. Dorothy's attorney sends over the details, but Walker wants nothing to do with Hogarth & Associates. Dorothy hired the firm around the same time Walker did. They had Dorothy's will. Jones exits the funeral house to find Imada and Defford harassing Walker. Jones tells Walker that she didn't kill Nussbaumer, but she thinks Erik Gelden did. She suspects that Gelden felt bad for not stopping Nussbaumer earlier. Jones has no intentions of handing Gelden over, but she needs to know the truth behind Nussbaumer's death.

Jeri Hogarth calls Kith Lyonne over to her office to share with her that the IRS has agreed to a reduced fine, and other than Demetri Patseras, the defrauded foundation donors will accept a minor settlement. Lyonne doesn't have the money to pay, but Hogarth is willing to give her a loan, in a written agreement. Hogarth remarks that Patseras’ refusal to settle feels like a personal vendetta. Lyonne explains that Patseras and his wife gave Kith and Peter Lyonne the seed money for the foundation. They were Peter's clients and their closest friends until Lyonne noticed bruising on Fiona Patseras’ shoulders. Fiona didn't want Patseras to go to jail, but Lyonne got her away from him, and since then, Patseras has blamed her for the breakup of his marriage. Looking to exploit a weakness, Hogarth looks into his records. As Lyonne left, Hogarth instructs Char to set up a meeting with Walker and to send Berman up, the lawyer covering Dorothy Walker's estate.

Jones returns to her apartment and begins looking for a memento to pin to Dorothy's memory board. She is interrupted by Gelden, who informs her that Imada and Defford are sitting outside her apartment. He pieces together that they are trying to pin Nussbaumer's murder on her. Fortunately, Gelden wasn't on camera, even though he is the one with the motive. Gelden swears he didn't kill Nussbaumer. She checks his hands, and much like hers, there isn't a scratch on them. While Gelden didn't kill him, he is happy that Nussbaumer is dead. Still, Jones is unsure.

The following morning, out in the hallway, Malcolm Ducasse informs Jones how he was just questioned by two detectives, who claims Jones killed a cop, and with that, Ducasse offers his services. Jones only has one suspect, that being Gelden, and so she wants Ducasse to tail him. However, given Nussbaumer's history, there could be someone else who wanted him dead, and it is up to them to find out who. Before parting ways, he tells Jones how he no longer works for Hogarth.

Jones heads over to Hogarth & Associates to see Berman in regards to Dorothy's will. In the conference room, instead of Berman, Jones is greeted by Hogarth, who plans to terminate her professional relationship with Gregory Sallinger as she regrets helping him. In the will, Walker receives half of everything while the other half goes to the "Dorothy Walker Fund for Women in the Arts". To Jones, Dorothy left the remaining contents of her liquor cabinet as well as her Edwardian wingback armchair. While the chair had no value, Jones used to sit in it after school, plugged into her Discman. When Dorothy put it in Jones’ room one day, Jones assumed she was being banished from the rest of the house. From Hogarth, Jones gets the original will and a box containing everything Dorothy had on her the day she died. Even after being fired, Hogarth wants to continue representing Walker, asking that Jones facilitate a meeting. Jones declines, adding that Dorothy doesn't even know she is about to die, and she wants to do something good before going. Hogarth on the other hand, knows she is dying, and yet Jones questions what she is doing with that time. Hogarth replies that she is trying to fix several mistakes.

Jones returns to her apartment with the will and box of Dorothy's belongings. Gillian had just started writing the obituary and informs Jones that the cops had stopped by to ask more questions. She told them that she never personally saw Jones kill anyone. Jones then hands her a roll of film and tells her to have it developed. Ducasse enters the room with Nussbaumer's police files. Inside are photos of Nussbaumer and the crime scene. One, in particular, caught their eye. Nussbaumer's badge had been ripped off. Inside the box, Dorothy's phone begins to ring. It is a client who is not yet aware of Dorothy's death, leaving Jones with the unfortunate task of informing her. Ducasse exits Jones' apartment to find Zaya Okonjo in the hallway. She had found out he had gotten fired, but Ducasse explains that he left to do better. Okonjo accuses him of helping Jones and the masked vigilante. Ducasse thinks he is better equipped to help people who actually need it. She wonders if he is leaving her behind along with the firm. Ducasse has done bad things, but he blames it on no one but himself. Although, he does admit that he felt as if he is being pressured into being something he isn't. And so, he needs some time.

Unbeknownst to Imada and Defford, who sits in their car, watching Jones’ building, Jones has managed to sneak out without being detected. She goes to Gelden's apartment, where she reveals that Dorothy used to hit Walker. She is the first bad guy that Jones had ever fought, yet that didn't make it any less difficult to bury her. Gelden explains that while his dad was also abusive, that didn't make it any easier to bury him. Before long, the two were kissing.

Hogarth calls Lyonne over to her apartment after speaking to Patseras and his counsel. Hogarth threatens a countersuit; they’d have a chance in court. But they’d be in for a long and ugly fight, which Lyonne wants to avoid. A case like this will require more than Hogarth's aggression. Her forensic accountant believes that Patseras is evading taxes. But she can't prove it without access to his records. His taxes are their leverage. Hogarth wants Lyonne's permission to do what is necessary. She knows a woman that owed her a favor, and she has the abilities that gives her the kind of access they needed, like she did with Peter's records. Lyonne believes that Hogarth wants her to condone what she did to Peter, and she won't, deciding to leave instead. Hogarth tries to chase after her but stumbles to the ground in pain.

Once Gelden is asleep, Jones begins looking through his belongings for Nussbaumer's badge. She finds a file labeled "J. Montero". Inside are several news clippings, detailing fires that left twelve dead. She also finds several other files and begins taking photos before leaving. Ducasse and Gillian await Jones’ return. Once she does, she sends Ducasse the photos she took of the Montero file. Jace Montero is someone that Gelden has been tracking, and he has a file just like that on Nussbaumer. Jones suspects that he is a target and wants Ducasse to look into it. Gillian then hands Jones the film she wants to be developed. Jones goes into her bedroom to get ready for the service. She grabs a jacket and then looks into her bathroom mirror, where she cries softly.

While taking her daily pills, Hogarth gets a call from Lyonne, who informs her that Patseras has threatened to put her in jail. He has asked the DA to file criminal charges of fraud. Worried that Laurent would be left alone, Lyonne gives Hogarth the permission to do whatever it takes to end this. Ducasse calls Jones to inform her that Jace Montero is a property developer with a new building going up at 130th and Amsterdam. He is still alive, but also a dick. Much like the rest of Gelden's marks. He may even be a murderer. A couple of his buildings conveniently burned down, killing people, and Gelden's files shows big insurance payouts. Jones reconvened with Walker outside her apartment building. Neither Walker nor Jones were ready, but they headed in for the service nonetheless.

As Ducasse is preparing to leave for Dorothy's service, he gets a surprise visit from Brianna Gelden. She no longer goes by Berry and is now looking for a job and a place to stay. She wants to prove she is okay before telling her brother she is back in town. She just needs someone to give her a second chance, to which Ducasse agrees to give her just that. Jones and Walker pulls up to the funeral house. Walker is struggling with the eulogy. She is disappointed in herself as she knows her mother wanted more from her. They then enter the packed funeral house.

Ducasse helps Brianna get settled in before leaving for the service. She knows it is a lot to take her in, but Ducasse insists that she stay as long as she needed. She assures Ducasse that he is a good guy despite what he might’ve thought about himself. Suddenly, Ducasse kisses Brianna and she kisses him back. They proceeded to get undressed and have sex.

At the service, Walker meets numerous individuals, all of whom speak highly of her mother. Walker and Jones reach the front of the room, where the podium, Dorothy's casket, and the memory board stand. The memory board is filled with photos. Jones adds her own photo to the collection, one of her, Walker, and Dorothy walking through a rain puddle. Jones finds it on her old camera. She shot it on accident the day they went to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Dorothy got the train schedule wrong and they missed the parade by an hour. And so, Dorothy took them to a movie theater instead. Jones then gets a call from Gillian, who informs her the police just came by with a warrant for her arrest. They found a witness. The owner of a bodega on Nussbaumer's beat. They are on their way to the funeral house for Jones.

Walker starts the eulogy. She plans on telling them a quintessential Dorothy Walker story about how she had pushed Walker to get a particular job on a TV show called "That's Our Girl". But Walker wants to talk about something else. Her mother's deepest fear; failure. Not her own, but everyone else's. Dorothy thought there was nothing more precious in the world than talent. And nothing more shameful than wasting it. In that time, Gelden had joined the service, taking a seat next to Jones.

As Walker is speaking, Jones notices a bruise on Walker's right wrist. As the sirens approach, Jones excuses herself. Later that night, Walker return to her apartment after the service, with Jones watches from across the street. Jones waits outside Walker's apartment the entire night. The next morning, she follows Walker as she leaves. However, she is cut off by detective Imada and Defford. They cuff Jones, who maintain her innocence. That night, Gelden sneaks onto Jace Montero's developing property. He could hear an altercation ensuing from with inside the trailer. He enters to the sight of Walker beating Montero senseless.

## Cast

**Main Cast:**

* Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones
* Rachael Taylor as Trish Walker
* Eka Darville as Malcolm Ducasse
* Benjamin Walker as Erik Gelden
* Sarita Choudhury as Kith Lyonne
* Tiffany Mack as Zaya Okonjo
* Carrie-Anne Moss as Jeri Hogarth

**Guest Stars:**

* Jamie Neumann as Brianna Gelden
* Aneesh Sheth as Gillian
* Chaske Spencer as Jace Montero
* Tina Chilip as Detective Imada
* Anthoula Katsimatides as Detective Defford
* Rachel McKeon as Char
* Mark Kenneth Smaltz as Gene Burchell
* Kim Fischer as Receptionist
* Sade' E. Moore as Former Actress
* Christine Donnelly as Divorcee
* Kevin R. Free as Stage Dad
* Rosie Veltri as Girl
* Perry King Jr. as Driver (uncredited)

## Appearances

### Locations

* New York City, New York
	+ Jessica Jones' Apartment Building
		- Alias Investigations Office
		- Malcolm Ducasse's Apartment
	+ Trish Walker's Hideout
	+ Erik Gelden's Apartment
	+ Edgecombe Funeral House
	+ Hogarth & Associates Law Office
	+ Jeri Hogarth's Apartment
	+ Metro-General Hospital (mentioned)
	+ Slice City (mentioned)
	+ Stars & Tykes Talent Agency (mentioned)

### Events

* Trish Walker's Vigilante Campaign
	+ Attack on Jace Montero
	+ Ambush on Carl Nussbaumer (mentioned)
* Assassination of Dorothy Walker (mentioned)
* Lindbergh kidnapping (mentioned)

### Organizations

* Alias Investigations
* Hogarth & Associates
* New York City Police Department
* Jace Montero Properties
* Zoey Lyonne Foundation (mentioned)
* WJBP-TV (logo)
* Internal Revenue Service (mentioned)

### Mentioned

* Dorothy Walker (picture)
* Carl Nussbaumer (picture)
* Eddy Costa
* Gregory Sallinger
* Peter Lyonne
* Demetri Patseras
* Fiona Patseras
* Berman
* Phillip Jones (picture)
* Erik Gelden's Father
* Blake Tower
* Laurent Lyonne
* Nine Inch Nails
* Jane's Addiction

## References

The Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki has a collection of images and media related to **AKA Hero Pants**.

## External Links

* AKA Hero Pants on IMDb
* AKA Hero Pants on Disney+
* AKA Hero Pants on Marvel Database