Spoilers for Season 2. Season 1 of Jessica Jones focused primarily on Jessica's quest to take down one person, the antagonist of Season 2 has proven to be a an organization at the center of a widespread conspiracy. Who's Shane Ryback on Jessica Jones? As Jessica finds and more people that have been affected by IGH, she learns of one who is a prisoner said to have a very helpful power. Considering the extremely high body count of knowing Jessica, having an ally like Shane (Eden Marryshow) — who has the ability to heal others — could come in handy.
Jeri tracks down Shane Ryback during Jessica's investigation of IGH, the shadowy organization that performed illegal medical experiments on people that resulted in them getting superpowers. Up until now, IGH has been proven to only been the source of two abilities: super strength and speed. Jessica Jones and her mother have superhuman strength, while the man who called himself "The Whizzer" was gifted with a supernatural sense of speed before his untimely death. However, Shane's power makes him not only an asset to himself, but also to who anyone who may be injured or ill.
Shane appears to have all the makings of a hero, however, he claims that being known as a healer has taken a toll on him. "I don't do that anymore. Brought me nothing but drama," he tells Jeri, when she meets with him in prison where he's awaiting trial for an assault charge. "They found out, they try to use you." Jessica's lawyer friend – who is trying to use him – offers to represent him in court, but their conversation goes south when Shane offers to try healing her. He can tell that she is ill. Unfortunately, it turns out that healing someone isn't as simple as Shane putting his hand on someone else.
It seems that Jeri's ALS is too much for Shane, who recoils once he discovers what is ailing Jeri. Despite his initial reaction, Shane is eventually willing to heal Jeri, causing the lawyer to have a change of heart. The once cold and often selfish character now finds a new mission in life – to try and find ways for people with powers like Shane to heal others and make the world a better place.
Jeri picks up Shane once he's been released from prison and keeps him at her apartment along with Inez, who she's begun a sexual relationship with. Jeri's Home for the Wayward Superpowered becomes a hub for the two, where Shane is introduced to Jessica. Jeri uses Shane as an example to encourage Jessica to reconsider taking down Dr. Malus and IGH. Jessica, headstrong as ever, doesn't heed Jeri's suggestion and resumes her quest to halt any illegal surgeries from bestowing powers onto people, whether people ask for them or not.
Shane seems to be a major breakthrough in super powered individuals, until it's revealed that he's not superpowered at all. Jessica learns from the man himself that Dr. Malus never treated anyone named Shane, meaning that either Shane got healing powers entirely on his own or he's a fraud. Unfortunately for Jeri, it's the latter — meaning that she hasn't actually been cured of her ALS. Everyone in Jessica Jones has been dealing with weird stuff so frequently, that Jeri didn't even consider that the person who is claiming to have healing powers may be lying. She's been witness to super strength and mind control, so it almost seems normal for someone to have healing powers. In reality, Shane's only power is that he's a convincing liar, and he and Inez clean the desperate Jeri out.
In a universe where superpowered people exist, it's about time someone employed a supposed power in a con. Unfortunately, Jeri was a particularly cruel target to pick.
