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.
