She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Is as Funny, Charming, and Occasionally Awkward as Its Heroine: Review
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The post She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Is as Funny, Charming, and Occasionally Awkward as Its Heroine: Review appeared first on Consequence.
The Pitch: What if there was a lady… who was also a Hulk? And also a lawyer? Yeah, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law pretty much tells you exactly what the show is from the start. Quite literally, in fact: The newest Marvel series to come down the Disney+ pipeline features newly minted meta-human Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) speaking directly to the audience about how her life recently got upended by an accidental exposure to her cousin Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo)’s blood.
Because Jen and Bruce are related, Jen’s able to survive the sudden infusion of gamma particles into her system, and she also manages to get a handle on being a Hulk with a working human brain relatively quickly. But while she’s learning control over her new persona (with the advantages and disadvantages that accompany it), she’s also still trying to live something close to her pre-Hulk life — working as a lawyer, spending time with her friends, and even dating. Can a She-Hulk have it all in the big city? Cue the Mary Tyler Moore hat toss, except with Jen’s Hulk strength, said hat would end up in the atmosphere.
Praise Be the Case of the Week! Since the beginning of the Disney+ era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the most exciting series have not been the ones which are described too-easily as “a six-hour movie” (looking at you, Falcon and the Winter Soldier). Instead, they’ve been the ones which make use of the episodic format to tell stories that don’t fit into the conventional blockbuster mold, whether it be the ever-changing sitcom riffs of WandaVision or the weekly anarchy of Loki.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law very much falls in line with those, with its half-hour episodes and comedy-forward approach to telling MCU stories. This gives it the advantages that come with stand-alone episodes — the ability to play around with formats and story ideas, while bringing in fresh new characters each week. This isn’t Law & Order with superheroes, though — instead, it’s far closer to the days of Ally McBeal. (That’s a very dated reference, but also that’s the best-known female-led legal comedy made for TV since the ’80s, unless y’all want to bring up the USA Network series Fairly Legal, a show you definitely remember existing before this moment.)
The point is, each episode presents a new case of the week (sometimes more!), light and fun legal dilemmas infused with humor. Overall, there’s a goofy energy to this series that may not jibe with everyone’s taste, and the thing with committing this hard to the show’s comedic approach is that when a joke doesn’t work, it really doesn’t work. But there are way more hits than misses, with a gleeful appreciation of pop culture references that make sense within the framework of the MCU.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+)
Also, there’s a certain discussion about the sex life of an Avenger that may already be spoiled for you by the time you read this review, but while the description of it might come off as, among other things, crass fan-service, in the context of the episode (especially paired with Maslany and Ruffalo’s pitch-perfect delivery) it’s genuinely one of the funniest moments of a Marvel Cinematic Universal property to date.
Who’s That Girl? Maslany was rumored for the role of She-Hulk for what feels like years before it was actually confirmed (after no shortage of denials being issued on Maslany’s part). But there’s a reason the first whisper of her involvement set the internet ablaze: Maslany is a staggeringly talented actor who won a dang Emmy for the incredible range demanded by BBC America’s clone drama Orphan Black. But beyond Orphan Black she’s struggled to find roles that fully showcase her abilities, making her starring role here feel like a revelation for the second time.
There’s some awkwardness to the CGI Jen’s interactions with the world, but Hulked out or not, Maslany brings more than the necessary amounts of heart and humor to Jen, letting her awkwardness and innate female rage help complete the portrait of a fully-defined new protagonist. The first episode in particular puts a heavy emphasis on the idea that as an adult woman living in the world today, Jen has no shortage of experience with controlling her anger for fear of the repercussions — something that might feel too obvious to even mention, except that it’s an idea that perhaps male members of the audience might not find obvious.
Also, it’s not the most important relationship of the series, but as someone with a large number of cousins myself, this critic was pleased to see the connection between Bruce and Jen feel authentic to those bonds — not as close as a sibling, but more loose and friendly as a result of that.
Pals and Confidants: When it comes to the rest of the cast, the ensemble’s highlights include Benedict Wong once again stealing scenes as the beloved Sorcerer Supreme — it’s becoming clear that instead of giving Wong his own headlining series, Marvel has just decided to make sure that Wong is in all MCU properties going forward, and quite honestly? No complaints, keep that sweet sweet Wong content coming.
Meanwhile, Josh Segarra as Jen’s coworker Augustus “Pug” Pugliese doesn’t get much of a chance to stand out in the first four episodes, but given the delicious nature of his line readings on the criminally under-watched The Other Two (stream on HBO Max!), there’s reason to get excited for him getting a bigger platform here. Also exciting to see is Jameela Jamil (The Good Place) as Titania, though her appearances in the first four episodes are limited — her character seems poised to take a bigger role in the back half of the season, though.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (Disney+)
The Verdict: While officially a comedy, each episode so far does feature some significant super-powered action, which isn’t necessarily pilot director Kat Coiro’s specialty (and there’s some pretty awkward editing as a result, especially in the first episode). But while there are definitely growing pains on that front, She-Hulk is the first MCU series that feels like it truly could thrive without its connections to the MCU at large, largely because of its fresh and funny tone.
Where the true potential of She-Hulk emerges is in the opportunity to explore what it means to live in a world where superheroes are just a normal part of daily life, from the point of view of someone belonging to both worlds. Jen’s not so much a reluctant superhero as she is a very dedicated lawyer, and the juxtaposition is enough of a premise to make this show engaging, never mind the MCU guest stars dropping by. (No sign of Charlie Cox as Daredevil yet, but that’s just something to look forward to.)
Things in the MCU can be awfully serious, a lot of the time. If the rest of the season follows through on the promise of the first four episodes, with the strength of its clear and unique voice shining through, She-Hulk could prove to be exactly the sort of light divergence this franchise needs. Put it another way: Ally McBeal made it to 112 episodes, and that show had zero Hulks. Maybe She-Hulk, with its multiple Hulks, can at least make it a few seasons.
Where to Watch: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law smashes onto Disney+ beginning August 18th. New episodes debut weekly.
Trailer:
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Is as Funny, Charming, and Occasionally Awkward as Its Heroine: Review
Liz Shannon Miller
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