Posted by She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, Marvel’s newest Disney+ series launches on August 18th. But ahead of that premiere, I had the opportunity to get an early look at the first four episodes of the show. This review will NOT contain any specific spoilers for these episodes (especially because I was so delighted to go into the show without any myself) but let’s talk about what you can expect from the show and my overall thoughts so far.
What to Expect
She-Hulk is a show that knows exactly what it is: a lawyer show set in the MCU and all of the wild cases and situations that could and would come up because of that. The show follows Jen Walters (Tatiana Maslany), a lawyer who just so happens to have recently gained superpowers due to a car accident involving her cousin, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) aka the original Hulk. And, as has been clear since the show was first announced and from all recent trailers, it’s a comedy!
And it’s an utter delight of a show. While yes, of course, the jokes are there and there in greater quantity than some recent Marvel projects, they’re well done and often grounded in true-to-MCU (and even real)-life experiences. There are quite a few “meta” and fourth-wall-breaking jokes as well, often playing to what the perceived reactions to this show may be.
So, yes, She Hulk-Attorney At Law is a lighter and more fun approach to the MCU than recent projects. But it’s nice to take a break from the world-ending (or multiple-worlds-ending) stakes that the characters have been dealing with recently. Goodness knows there’s plenty more of that coming up.
The show also features several new and delightful (in… various ways) characters. Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga) is Jen’s best friend and co-worker (her paralegal) who isn’t afraid to push Jen professionally, in her social life or even in her superhero life. Titiana (Jameela Jamil) is set up to butt heads with Jen/She-Hulk thanks to a chance encounter between the two. Agustus “Pug” Pugliese (Josh Segarra), Jen’s newest co-worker, is a sweetheart and one of my new favorites so far- only beaten out by the delightful Madisynn (Patty Guggenheim).
But what about the returning Marvel characters?
The Cameos of She-Hulk
As seen in some of the recent trailers for She-Hulk, Jen very much wants people to know that this isn’t a “cameo every week show”. But, of course, the trailers themselves play up those cameos: Bruce, Emil Blonsky, Wong, and even those same two seconds of Daredevil that they keep using!
As Jen says in the most recent trailer, “Just remember who’s show this actually is.” Does the show itself do that, though? Yes.
Without getting too deep into much-more spoiler territory, all of the cameos come about naturally. None so far detract from the fact that this is Jen Walter’s show- they just add to her story. As an already-trailer-spoiled example, of course, Bruce/the Hulk is going to be in the show. He’s how she got her powers, and of course, he’s going to want to help train his cousin.
The other MCU characters who pop up are similarly natural to the story and un-forced. Even references to other shows and movies so far are done well. Sure sometimes it’s a bit of fan service. But so far, it’s been done well. And without distracting from the fact that, again, this is Jen’s story.
My Thoughts
I genuinely loved the first four episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and I cannot WAIT to see the rest of the show! It’s funny, charming, and lovingly written and performed. There are so many moments that made me laugh- especially a few of the end-credits scenes (each episode so far has one) and a few of the self-referential/meta jokes (ah, Twitter)!
As I said earlier, too, the show does a great job of referencing other MCU projects without it feeling forced or unnatural. There were even a few so far that I did not expect, but was delighted by nonetheless! There were one or two that I had to pause the episode so I could have a moment. A nice balance is struck in the show so far- rewarding long-time viewers of the MCU while still explaining what needs to be explained for newer fans who may not have had the chance to catch up on everything yet.
Also, there are many moments that are incredibly relatable despite the fact that this is a show about a woman who can transform into a 6-foot-7 green superhero. In fact, almost anyone can relate to the nightmare of having something derail your life from what you thought your plan was going to be. Sure, it might not be the sudden acquisition of Hulk-like abilities derailing your law career, but then we all went through 2020. I think it’s safe to say that that changed the course of a lot of people’s lives.
She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is a wonderful addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I really hope that people give this hilarious show the chance that it deserves to have and don’t skip it just because they’re turned off by the idea of a comedy show in the MCU.
Honestly, I love that they’re able to genres-within-the-genre now- be it the horror slant that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness had or this lighthearted show. The fact that not every entry into this saga has to be an action or spy/thriller type movie/show is great! It expands on who may find enjoyment in this and possibly future Marvel projects.
You can catch the first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law on Disney+ starting on Thursday, August 17th.
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