A former child star with something to prove
Patricia "Trish" Walker grew up famous. As a kid she was the star of a sitcom called It's Patsy!, a role her mother pushed her into and controlled with an iron grip. As an adult, Trish has reinvented herself as the host of a New York talk radio show, and she wants people to take her seriously as more than a fading face from old reruns.
Her sharpest asset is her nerve. Trish is the kind of person who will pick a fight on air with someone dangerous because she thinks it is the right thing to do. That instinct makes her brave and, more than once, reckless.
Trish's series in order
- Marvel's Jessica Jones (series, optional): her home show, where she is a main character from the first episode.
- Marvel's The Defenders (series, recommended): a supporting role in the crossover, where she stands by Jessica as the four street-level heroes team up.
- Marvel's Luke Cage (series, optional): a brief cameo.
All three shows came out of Marvel's partnership with Netflix and now stream on Disney Plus in the US.
How Trish changes across Jessica Jones
The first season casts her as Jessica's anchor. She shelters her, argues with her and refuses to let her drink herself into a hole while the two of them deal with the mind-controlling Kilgrave. Trish trains in self-defense because she hates feeling powerless, and that small detail turns out to matter a lot.
From there, her arc is about wanting the very thing Jessica has and does not want: power. Without spoiling the later seasons, her search for a way to become a hero herself pulls her into some of the show's darkest territory, and it changes her relationship with Jessica for good. Comic readers will recognize where her path is heading.
Trish and Jessica
The relationship at the center of her story is with Jessica Jones. Trish's mother took Jessica in as a teenager after a family tragedy, which made the two girls adoptive sisters. They are opposites: Trish is polished, public and hungry for approval, while Jessica is private, rough and allergic to praise. That contrast gives the show many of its best scenes. Other key people in Trish's life include her manipulative mother, Dorothy, and Malcolm, Jessica's neighbor who becomes part of their circle.
Rachael Taylor in the role
Taylor is an Australian actor who plays Trish with a bright public smile and a lot of tension underneath. She makes the character's ambition feel human instead of selfish, which matters a great deal for where the story goes. Before Jessica Jones, viewers knew her from the first Transformers film, where she played analyst Maggie Madsen, and from the horror series 666 Park Avenue.
Watching Trish's story in order
Start with Jessica Jones season one, which introduces Trish and her history with Jessica. Then watch The Defenders, where she has a smaller role but helps connect Jessica to the team. Return to the later seasons of Jessica Jones afterward to finish her arc, since they continue the story from where The Defenders leaves Jessica. If you want the full Netflix crossover picture, browse our MCU characters page for Daredevil, Luke Cage and Iron Fist.