Category: Reviews

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.