Author: Mary Maerz

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finally gets into its full groove in its third episode, and the result is the series’ best episode by far. By being able to embrace the half-hour story format, the show capitalizes on its concept and various parts to create some memorable and enjoyable television. But at the end of the day, Episode 3 is simple: it is wholeheartedly hilarious and full of constant literal laugh-out-loud moments.

With Wong’s introduction, the show once again proves it has strong connections to the MCU that it uses to enhance She-Hulk. The legal case-by-case structure essentially gives the show—apart from Jen’s overarching personal journey—the substance and story it needs on a weekly basis without the weight or pressure of actually needing a heavy overarching premise. There are clear breadcrumbs to a larger plot on the horizon, notably with the Asgardian construction worker-inspired Wrecking Crew that tried to take a sample of She-Hulk’s blood for “the boss.” But that tease is quite frankly the least interesting part of the episode by far.

The focus on smaller-scale stories also gives She-Hulk the space it needs to be genuinely funny and a pure comedy. Without the mandate of a slowly unraveling “main story”, each episode can just simply be enjoyed for what it is. The series can take elements, like Wong, from the greater universe and frame them in its own comedic lens without having to take on any responsibility for the true development of those characters or elements outside of this specific series. The cast, particularly the supporting cast, proves itself to be a formidable comedic vehicle when the narrative gives them the screen time. Josh Segarra’s Pug and Drew Matthews’ Dennis Bukowski handle the B-story without a problem and put in some of the best performances of the episode.

The pure absurdity contained in some of She-Hulk’s source material and comics generally is often not explored in live-action projects because it is—exactly—absurd. Phase 4 in general has been letting itself delve into that weirdness, but this series probably embraces the weird more than any other project. The simple joy of watching the “everyday life” of a Hulk and the Sorcerer Supreme along with the trivial and silly adventures they get into is virtually never part of the usual MCU experience. By not taking everything so seriously, She-Hulk gets to exist and breathe on its own, unique scale. But its resources make the small-scale stories feel much more exciting than if the revolving door of characters and clients was entirely new or bland. The show, through its connections to cameos and references, has an anchor in the MCU that keeps it from drifting into forgettable waters.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’s third episode sees the series transform into what it is intended to be. Where the first two episodes jogged, Episode 3 sprints. The show is fully self-aware, and even directly calls out misogynistic patterns that surround female superheroes and woman-led projects, particularly on social media. She-Hulk has nothing to prove to those who cannot handle the concept of a “She”-Hulk getting attention. For the rest of the world, this episode proves that the series is a hell of a good time.

After the first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was dedicated to establishing Jen’s character and origin as the titular character, the second serves as a strong transition from that more traditional Marvel Cinematic Universe style of storytelling into what the series promised it would be—a half-hour episodic legal comedy.

Episode 2 does not fully embrace new terrain, as the premise of the show is still laying the groundwork for future episodes. There are still elements of an origin story considering Jen is freshly She-Hulk and the story has to tackle the immediate consequences of that. But by the end of this episode, Jen is firmly established in her new job, formally setting the stage for more consistently-structured and individually-wrapped episodes and mini-narratives.

The nature of Jen’s job as a lawyer practicing superhuman law is designed to take advantage of the wider use of known and new MCU characters that can come in and out of the series as if it were a revolving door. The foundation She-Hulk sits upon is—by MCU standards—an incredibly unique and fresh concept of a somewhat self-contained universe of story type and tone that simultaneously relies heavily on the greater universe to thrive. The beauty of the series concept is that the MCU as a whole has a somewhat unfettered ability to come into the show for the show’s own purposes. Consequently, how viewers see the MCU can be changed, but the consequences of a She-Hulk episode do not necessarily have to genuinely impact elements or characters in the larger narrative. Moreover, the series can tap into the MCU with reckless abandon, but by design, this does not force it to be anything but its own series.

Tim Roth’s reemergence as 2008 The Incredible Hulk’s Emil Blonksy is a perfect example of this. Blonksy, aka the Abomination, was never a comedic character. In fact, after his debut 14 years ago, he has barely been any kind of character at all. But in this She-Hulk episode, he is hilarious. His mini-story about parole allows his character to be “changed”, but the real magic is in the series’ ability to take any character and reframe them in the show’s own comedic light.

The huge character inclusions in She-Hulk, like Banner and Blonksy, also makes the show feel bigger and more exciting for everyone involved. Blonsky in particular connects the Hulk theme and invokes some of the purest MCU nostalgia there is. By being so connected, the series can be the universal hub of fan service, even if it is not the vessel one would expect it in.

Presumably, the series could ultimately lean toward a more traditional MCU-specific plot like other series, which would naturally cause it to deviate from an episodic legal comedy. But the show could surprise and actually maintain its relatively closed-off structure for the sake of She-Hulk alone. Bruce’s departure back into space clearly beckons larger implications for She-Hulk. Whether those implications affect the series itself or just the character in the future is yet to be seen. 

She-Hulk’s second episode brings the series closer to where it will get comfortable in coming weeks. For now, it is still in some transition mode, but the humor and personality remain consistent throughout the first two episodes. The series’ has absolutely wild potential as a fan service machine, and the nature of the show is actually built to handle that type of giddy excitement without distracting from anything else. After this episode, She-Hulk is surely set to hit the ground running and embrace its concept from here on out.