By Landon Graybill
Intro: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Review
Where to Stream It? Disney+
Starring: Tatiana Maslany, Jameela Jamil, Mark Ruffalo
Created by: Jessica Gao
Editor's note: The pilot episode was screened for this review.
The latest Marvel Universe show premiered its first episode on Thursday, setting up what appears to be a low stakes, mature, and fun courtroom drama that occasionally breaks the fourth wall. You know, ever since Fleabag I guess everyone's doing that (just joshing ya, She-Hulk has been breaking the fourth wall since her comics).
I don’t want to beat around the bush, I liked it. My biggest gripe is that it felt kinda rushed and I would have liked more time in each scene. That isn’t the worst problem for a show to leave me wanting more, but if the next episodes don’t take their time in telling the story I worry it might end up feeling hollow and exacerbate the public's growing “superhero fatigue”.
Otherwise, She-Hulk is probably my favorite strong green woman since Princess Fiona. Jennifer Walters (Maslany) is a funny, charming, and strong-willed attorney who is exposed to her cousin’s blood in a car accident. This cousin however is none other than Bruce Banner (reprised by Mark Ruffalo), and ends up activating her dormant genetic abilities to synthesize gamma radiation. For those of us who aren’t freakin’ nerds- that means she’s a hulk now.
Brisk Beginnings
She-Hulk is taken to He-Hulk’s beachfront lab where he is determined to guide her through controlling and understanding her Hulksona. However it quickly becomes apparent that she is innately adept at controlling emotions, and does not have another consciousness she has to battle for control of her body. She sails through training, to the dismay of Bruce who was looking forward to being a mentor and is visibly jealous of how quickly she progresses.
There’s some nice scenes where Bruce reflects on his friendship with Tony Stark, and explains his life philosophy given these powers he’s had to struggle with to control. This a welcomed bit of character development as Hulk has gone without any solo movie or show unless one wants to count the 2008 movie with Edward Norton portraying the titular hero.
Jennifer is determined to get back to her normal life and career as a lawyer, with no desire to become a superhero. She seems to be in full control of her ability to switch between human and hulk, and wants to help people through the law rather than vigilante justice. I like this angle and hope they show some fun courtroom drama alongside the inevitable fight scenes.
The first episode concludes with Jennifer back in the courtroom, about to deliver her closing argument, when an unidentified villain (played by Jameela Jamil) smashes through the wall and starts to attack the jury. She-Hulk transforms and swiftly incapacitates her.
Finding its Footing
I’m looking forward to the rest of the series. I think Maslany is killing it as the lead, bringing confidence and humor in every scene. The show has set up some themes around Jennifer dealing with annoying men, a conflict the show has mirrored in real life by getting review bombed by Redditors (not the ones subscribed to r/196, they’re cool).
She-Hulk needs to lean into the unique traits of the series in order to maintain interest in it. I would love to have a more “show not tell” philosophy of storytelling, with some of the dialogue in this first episode feeling heavy-handed in its themes. Maslany is a good actress, give her stuff to do rather than just lines to read.
One of the more interesting ideas of She-Hulk appears to be Jennifer’s powers being a hindrance to her goals in life rather than a blessing that found someone in need. Jennifer was already well on her way to finding success as an attorney, so I hope the show deals with her rejection of the traditional superhero life and she doesn’t compromise in how she wants to cause change in her world.
Final Thoughts: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Review
Jessica Gao does it again in her classic “human transforming into something green” style. To anyone that isn’t already a Marvel fan, this show probably will not be their starting point. But anyone that would appreciate the MCU expanding to tell stories that have a woman front-and-center should welcome the arrival of She-Hulk.
Did you enjoy She-Hulk? What do you think worked and what didn’t? Let us know in the comments!
