16 Times Trish Walker Acted Like A Total Villain On Jessica Jones

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When we first got introduced to Trish Walker on Jessica Jones, she was the epitome of class, resilience, and ambition. After overcoming drug addiction, the abuse of her mom, and the mind control of a maniac, she went on to become a highly successful talk show host with a loyal fan base. She embraced challenges, used her platform to help others, and constantly encouraged Jess to be a hero by using her powers for good. But that all changed when she turned into a power-hungry addict with a weird savior complex on season two.

We'll admit that at first, her heart was in the right place. She only wanted to make a difference and be able to protect herself while doing so. She wanted to nudge her sister in the right direction when it came to her powers. And she genuinely wanted to raise awareness about issues like poverty, murder, and human trafficking. But at some point, she realized that being the face of a lifestyle talk show wasn't enough. She decided that the best solution was to get her own powers, and she was so hell-bent on getting them that she completely disregarded the consequences.

Trish may not have lost all of her good qualities, but she certainly turned into a classic example of how desperation can bring out the worst in a person. See all the times she felt more like a villain than a good guy:

When she forced the ashes of Jessica's relatives on her without her consent

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It was actually in this very moment when we realized that Trish had truly lost it. For a while, she was pressuring Jess to investigate IGH and how she got her powers after the accident. Jess was understandably hesitant, seeing as how she'd have to relive a bunch of traumatic memories during the process. But when Trish realized that Jess wouldn't budge, she decided that the next appropriate move was to confront her with the ashes of her dead relatives (as if such a low blow would make Jess want to hop on board). It was just SO disrespectful.

When she tried to make Jessica feel guilty for not investigating IGH

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Before she pulled that stunt with the ashes, Trish was busy investigating Jess's past as if it were her own. To put it mildly, she was obsessed. When she saw that Jess wasn't willing to put in as much work, she made Jess out to be this coward who just didn't want to take responsibility. But given her line of work, Jessica already had enough drama to deal with without worrying about IGH. And second, Trish forced Jess to look into IGH under the guise of "It's your responsibility to save other victims" when really, she had an agenda all along. Sounds like something that a clever villain would do, no?

When she pretended to be in love with a news reporter to get ahead in her own career

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She claimed that she only realized this after her then-boyfriend proposed to her (although to be fair, Trish was expecting to go to an important interview but instead, she got a grand proposal from Griffin in front of all of their loved ones... no pressure, right?). However, we get the feeling that Trish sensed it from the very beginning. We imagine that she was drawn by Griffin's passion for his job and how he made a difference. Maybe she figured that, by being close to the guy who had her dream job, she could easily segway from Trish Talk to "top news reporter." But either way, the fact that she strung him along because of his career was just wrong.

When she insisted on putting Inez on her talk show

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She was already in the process of trying to change her show (aka less fluff, more hard-hitting news). But what she really wanted was a guest who could help her expose IGH and their illegal activity. Since she couldn't get anyone who was involved to agree to an interview, she settled for impulsively bursting into Hogarth's home and demanding that Inez (a former nurse) go with her for an interview. Oh, and of course, to top it all off, Trish was high at the time.

When she lost her temper with one of the guests on her show

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We'll admit that she made some solid points when she went on her rant. It's true that some people turn a blind eye to the horrors that are going on in the world. But even so, blowing up at a guest was entirely unprofessional and uncalled for. We get that she was passionate and eager to make a difference, but lashing out at a guest who was only trying to promote their work? And assuming that all of her listeners were clueless goons who didn't care about the news (because apparently, you can't care about lifestyle content and current affairs at the same time..)? That was just ridiculous and it doesn't make her any more of a saint.

When she went behind Jess's back to try and locate Karl

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Trish actually went after the guy who experimented on Jess, even though Jess specifically asked her to stay away. She teamed up with Malcolm, got him to snoop around Jess's laptop, then figured out where he was hiding. Without telling Jess a word or even trying to understand what she was planning. Because all Trish cared about was getting to Karl first and using him for what she wanted.

When she manipulated Malcolm, who clearly had feelings for her

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For a minute, we were actually convinced that there was something between Malcolm and Trish. They were such an unlikely pair but they grew on us fast... until we realized that Trish was playing the poor guy all along. It's one thing to want to hook up, but when you know that the person has real feelings for you, you fess up and admit that you're not looking for something serious. You don't string them along because you need them for your personal agenda.

And when she kidnapped Karl at gunpoint to try and get powers

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After seeing what she did to Malcolm, we feared that Trish would put a bullet in this guy's head. But instead, she offered herself up as his new guinea pig. She only wanted to kidnap Karl so he could take her to the IGH lab and give her supernatural powers... Which is funny, considering how she once pressured Jessica to go after the guy and stop him from doing exactly that. But anyway, the truly sad part is that this whole thing eventually led to Karl's death.

When she almost pounced on a total stranger for trying to pull out a book

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Talk about paranoid. She basically went out and started policing the streets (while high on her IGH inhaler, fyi). She looked around obsessively for any signs of danger until she spotted what she thought was a gun in a guy's pocket. She followed him on the bus, sat across from him and glared at the poor guy like a cat ready to pounce on its prey. But of course, she realized that his "weapon" was actually a rolled up book.

Her intentions were good, but she jumped to conclusions way too fast. By aimlessly looking for targets who seem dangerous and trying to be everyone's "savior," she actually could've gotten innocent people hurt.

When she made Malcolm, a recovered addict, take drugs again

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Remember that scene where a group of homophobes started to beat up Malcolm because he defended a gay guy? Well, lucky for him, Trish came to the rescue and defeated those guys in mere seconds. But then, when she saw that Malcolm was badly injured, she didn't offer to take him to the nearest hospital or call 911. Instead, she pulled out her drug inhaler and offered it to a former addict who'd JUST RECOVERED. Not a smart move, Trish.

When she accused Jessica of being weak and gullible around her mom, even though she was the same way with hers

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At first, Jess only saw her mom as a ruthless killer with a dangerous temper. But then she actually got to know her and she realized that maybe Alisa wasn't so evil after all, that maybe she deserved a chance.

When Jess tried to explain this to Trish, she dismissed everything that Jess said and assumed that she was being soft. She had the nerve to accuse Jessica of being brainwashed when in fact, she had a long history of being super gullible around her own controlling mom. Trish of all people should have understood what Jess was going through.

When she lashed out at Jessica for trying to save her life

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Imagine that you're in a hospital, standing by the bedside of a close relative who almost died. In fact, you're the one who saved them from that fate. But when they start to wake up, the first words that they utter are not "Thank you," but "You asshole." Doesn't sound like much of a greeting, does it?

Well, that's what Trish said to Jess, even though she probably wouldn't have had the ability to say those words had it not been for her. She couldn't care less about the fact that she was still breathing because she was more concerned about the fact that Jess prevented her from getting powers. Smh.

When she killed Jessica's mother

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If you still aren't convinced that Trish has reached villain status, then this one ought to do the trick. She snuck out of the hospital just so she could get rid of Alisa. And how did she do it? By shooting her in the head right in front of Jessica. Trish knew that Jess lost her entire family once before and she saw how it affected her. And yet, she put her through the same thing once again by taking the only real family that she had left. She didn't even give Jess a choice, which, in a sense, kind of puts her in the same boat as Kilgrave.

...And then insisted that she'd made the right decision

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Even after seeing the look of hurt and anger on Jess's face that night, Trish had the gall to go visit her and insist that murdering Alisa the right call. She repeated once again that it had to be done because Alisa was dangerous and Jess was too weak to do the deed. Well, news flash, Trish, that woman was still Jess's mother. And because of your actions, she had to lose her mother TWICE.