Author: Mary Maerz

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has now revealed two-thirds of its nine-episode season. While Episode 6 was a proclaimed “self-contained wedding episode,” it was actually one of the most significant episodes in the series’ second act in terms of moving the ball. Albeit through teases, the serious end game of She-Hulk is becoming somewhat more clear despite the insistence that each week is unique to itself. The sixth episode was strong in the same areas the show has been strong: humor, absurdity, and Tatiana Maslany. But its ending cannot help but signpost that the series’ third act may be drastically different from what we have seen.

First, the wedding plot was enjoyable, and it managed to incorporate several different unrelated elements into one space. Of course, Jen’s delicate relationship to herself as She-Hulk is prominent, but her dating life, professional success, and feelings of not being recognized or valued enough all play a major role. On top of that, Titania manages to stay involved, fan-favorite cousin Ched gets more screentime, and Patti Harrison is just a general gift in pretty much any project.

What was perhaps most interesting about the wedding stems from the fact that it remained noticeably vague and we have not seen it end. Of course, the mysterious guy Jen connects with seems to be a prime candidate for Thunderball, the member of the Wrecking Crew we met in Episode 3. The fact that he seems to know the wedding party raises interesting questions as to who else in Jen’s life is in on the ultimate scheme to get her blood. The actual groom of the wedding was never revealed or shown, so it seems like there is a strong chance that the reveal could be significant. Still, if it is a “self-contained” episode, that would imply the wedding plot does not have much more to it, but yet it absolutely seems as though several major villains are lurking (or, in Titania’s case, very openly present) in the event.

Given that it seems obvious that getting Jen’s blood is the goal of the mysterious “super” villain behind the scenes of She-Hulk, Titania is shaping up to be quite the assistant for the more scientifically-associated (“Science Villain”) teased villain. Titania has her own personal grudge against Jen (and their battle was almost comics-worthy), but her presence at the suspicious wedding suggests that she may also be in on a larger plot. It is in Titania’s comic book nature to work with other villains, including the Wrecking Crew. In her comic book origin story, she was more or less created by Dr. Doom. Perhaps the Science Villain is who gave her her superstrength in the first place. And if, as the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to hint at, the Science Villain is all about hulks, what is to say Titania is not a result of related experiments?

The speculation of who the Science Villain could be at this point is relatively mundane given the eventual return of Tim Blake Nelson as The Leader in Captain America: New World Order, but She-Hulk could always surprise. Of course, fans are still anxiously awaiting Daredevil’s arrival, and how he will fit in is still somewhat mysterious. Will he be mostly in a legal plot, or will he be a major force in helping Jen take on the final threat? It could be both, but one thing is certain—Charlie Cox is not in this episode. In any event, despite some posturing, it is hard to imagine that She-Hulk does not have significant ramifications on the wider universe after the end of the series. Even just the fact that Jen leaves a voicemail for space Bruce is making a point about other huge stories going on in this series’ orbit.

Outside of the main agenda, the B-plot with Mr. Immortal was the type of charming that only She-Hulk can deliver. It gave Nikki and Mallory more time to shine in their own rights, and Nikki as a character seems to consistently deliver more each episode. The series is able to tap into strange, funny, and out-of-pocket concepts from the comics without having to make a major statement on the MCU. In another project, the introduction of Mr. Immortal might have had greater ramifications. Here, it was a way to send a teasing love note to the type of source material that mostly does not make it into live-action. Still, the amount of superhumans occupying Earth-616 is clearly vastly more than anyone would have guessed before She-Hulk, and that may still have at least indirect implications going into Phases 5 and 6.

As She-Hulk finishes its second act, it is only clear that its own universe is expanding rapidly. While it still at times feels inconsistent or choppier than needed given the episodic structure, it delivers a unique charm and experience that no other MCU project has, and it does so through its overall tone but also its little details. Enjoying comicbook-y material, having multiple developed women characters, diving into humor a bit off-kilter than the MCU is used to, and taking an incredibly fun and bold swing at the series all pay off for She-Hulk. Those elements are as present in Episode 6 as ever. Still, it is a disservice to not call out the “self-contained wedding episode” as being one of the most plot-fluid episodes yet. The real villains are about to appear, and the superhero part of this MCU show is surely about to take off with it.

While Episode 5 remained satisfyingly enjoyable, much of the dazzle of previous episodes seems dimmed here. The episode uses Titania as its legal case backbone, but overall it felt as though this episode was built as a transitional point for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Instead of wacky paranormal antics, the story sets the stage for She-Hulk as an actual superhero. The result is fine, but of the five episodes of the series so far, Episode 5 is arguable the most skippable.

The show’s humor is present throughout, but it feels softer and significantly much less cutting overall. The main focus of the episode, of course, is Jen’s own journey of self-identity and self-acceptance as She-Hulk. Her early moanings about the hero name given to her foreshadowed a time in She-Hulk when Jen would have to come to terms with that title for herself. Cleverly, the series framed it through a legal case. And perhaps it was more effective to present this type of narrative within a context not overpowered by the absurdity of Donny Blaze or another all-consuming joke. Still, Episode 5 feels a far cry from Episodes 3 and 4’s laughter and fun.

The episode also clearly lays the foundation for more superhero activities in later episodes. Obviously, Jen has now embraced “She-Hulk” as a part of herself. But the costume B-plot also ends in her receiving her (unseen) super suit, as well as a teasing reveal of Daredevil’s helmet. At this point, it is not entirely clear how Jen will make the jump from sticking solely to her legal carer to actually operating as a superhero, but with a costume and a super-buddy on the horizon, it is only a matter of time.

The use of She-Hulk’s supporting cast is highlighted in Episode 5. Nikki and Pug do get some additional adorable screen time, and the Matchr dates from the previous episodes returning was a satisfying full-circle moment for that mini-journey of Jen’s. Even cousin Ched makes a brief appearance after making a great first impression in Episode 2, but he remains fleeting.

Some of the supporting cast are, noticeably, a bit more fleeting than the story seems to recognize. A possible explanation could be rewritten episodes that removed significant backstories or introductions for some characters that were still used in substantial roles later. The best example perhaps is Mallory Book. She appears in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it way in Episode 3 but was just presumed to be an established character in this episode. Mallory is a major figure in Jen’s work-life at GLK&H in the comics, often portrayed as the rival successful colleague. She has been given a character poster and advertisement for the series, yet her role seems cut short. She may very likely have more time in later episodes, but it almost feels like the character was skipped over for several episodes.

Where She-Hulk goes from here, considering it is now potentially balancing a larger and maybe more traditional superhero story, will be interesting. The series has been incredibly unique thus far, but every Marvel Cinematic Universe series flirts with destroying its own identity for the sake of a more generic superhero plot. There is a delicate balance between She-Hulk’s attempted episodic structure and having a narrative that connects the full 9-episode series. It seemed stronger in the past couple of episodes that truly delved into the wild and weird side of the Marvel Universe on its own terms. But She-Hulk is destined to be a superhero as well, so the series will have a chance to square that story with the type of stories it has been telling so far. Taking the silly and fun out of the courtroom seems completely achievable, but Episode 5 just did not deliver at the same caliber as previous She-Hulk episodes.

The fourth episode of the nine-part series of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law doubles down on its intent to embrace an episodic half-hour comedy, and it is consistent with the success of Episode 3 with this premise. Episode 4 keeps She-Hulk as funny as ever. It is perhaps the first MCU project that will get fans excited for each week, not because they want to find out what happens, but simply because it is so enjoyable.

With certain characters and concepts (like Wong) carrying across multiple episodes, the series is avoiding a super strict “weekly” episodic structure that might forget all previous episode narratives. Still, the B story seems to act as an anchor for the structure—while certain stories span multiple episodes, the magic of Donny Blaze keeps it nicely choppy. It is a solid balance that embraces its MCU-unique style without limiting the stories and story arcs to miniature blips that exist purely within one short episode. She-Hulk is making it clear that it can do both. 

Episode 4 continues many of the themes and tones the series has previously set out. The Donny Blaze story is small, but Wong’s inclusion gives it more weight and intrigue. The fact that Wong can be reframed in this series in such a funny way without necessarily affecting the character in the greater MCU is brilliant. She-Hulk feels like comics or comic runs where characters take on very different facets of themselves at different times, but the MCU has previously avoided treading into this territory. In fact, some fans tend to lend harsh criticism to the studio if their favorite character comes across differently than how they have in the past.

But She-Hulk’s embrace of this strategy undoubtedly will go on to benefit how the MCU is able to tell different stories. It is especially clear at the tail end of Phase 4, a very experimental and sometimes messy phase, that the MCU wants to expand its offerings in a variety of directions. This series is a prime example of how the studio can do this successfully. Perhaps some stern fans simply need to embrace stories as they come, rather than investing themselves fully in one idea of what the MCU is. “Wongers” will certainly prove to be practice for some to take things less seriously, but Daredevil’s eventual appearance in She-Hulk will surely be a real test.

In any event, after two episodes that fully embrace the format and structure, it seems obvious from this episode that the back half of the series is going to be even better than what we have already seen. Supporting cast, cameos, and one-off performances are all hitting at the same level, meaning the episodic and mini-story experience can thrive. If anything, She-Hulk has only had a couple of episodes to fully take advantage of that structure, and those couple of episodes were some of the MCU’s best television. With five more episodes to go, things are only looking up for the unique series.