As Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law makes its arrival on Disney+, it fills the DC’s Legends of Tomorrow size in hole in our hearts.
“I’m not a superhero. That is for billionaires, narcissists, and adult orphans for some reason.” – Jen Walters/She-Hulk
Press were only sent the first four episodes for review. Every episode includes a tag scene that follow the initial credits. The run-times for Episodes 1-4 are 35, 28, 32, and 34 minutes, respectively. The pace is so quick that the episodes are over before we know it. Fast pacing isn’t a bad thing but you still have to wait a a week for new episodes.
After being hired by GLK&H (Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, and Holliway), Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) heads up their superhuman law division and brings best friend/paralegal Nikki Ramos (Ginger Gonzaga) with her. This comes at the same time as she’s navigating being single and looking to start a relationship. The series manages to embrace the comedy on all fronts. Whether its dating, family, or work, the writers certainly know where to find the comedy. I mean, she can hulk out and her father still gives her a thing of pepper spray for self-defense! But still, Jen is not ready to be a superhero–she just had the unfortunate luck of being in a car accident with Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo). Unlike the moment when her cousin first became the Hulk, Jen has full control of herself when she hulks out.
I love how the series is embracing of the fourth wall by having Jennifer addressing the audience. This goes back to John Byrne’s run on the series in 1989-1994. The series knows that its audience looks forward to the tag scenes and the different guest appearances each week. It also knows that it is going to be the talk of Twitter. There’s certainly plenty to discuss on Twitter through four episodes. This comedy series just happens to be a contemporary legal comedy that comes with a side of Marvel. Jen Walters is no different than Mary Richards or Ally McBeal. Aside from Jen being a superhero, many people are sure to resonate with the whole aspect of having to navigate a professional and personal life.
Tatiana Maslany is absolutely perfect in the role. We’ve seen her portray multiple characters in Orphan Black but this is different. This time around, she’s playing in the Marvel playground and pushing the comedy limits in the MCU. The series surrounds her with other comic performers, including Josh Segarra’s Pug. Pug is an attorney at GLKH and changes up the dynamic in Jen’s friendship with Nikki. In fact, I love this side of Wong (Benedict Wong). We’re seeing a side of him that we haven’t gotten a chance to see before. It’s fun to watch and I’d like to see Marvel embrace this side in their dramatic pictures and series.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law does everything it needs to do in the first episode by setting up the series. What we know from the first episode is that it takes place sometime after Avengers: Endgame. The other thing from the trailers is that the series ties into Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. What I can tell you is that all of your pertinent questions will have answers during the first four episodes. One of the main questions I’ve seen deals with Hulk’s arm because the trailer shows that he’s no longer wearing a sling. You’ll get answers soon enough at Bruce’s Mexican home. If you haven’t watched Shang-Chi in a while, he’s wearing a sling in the mid-credits scene. You’ll get answers about its place on the timeline soon enough as new episodes release on Disney+.
While Disney+ isn’t streaming The Incredible Hulk, it also didn’t include any clips in its Legends episode on Bruce Banner. Despite this, Emil Blonsky/The Abomination (Tim Roth) is back in the series. This follows his brief appearance with Wong in the aforementioned Shang-Chi. You probably have some questions but I won’t answer them at the moment. The series fully embraces its comedy with Mark Ruffalo’s Smart Hulk even acknowledging that he’s become a different person since the fight in Harlem. Unless you’ve been living in a cave, Ruffalo replaced Edward Norton in 2012’s The Avengers.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law embraces the absurdity of a show like DC’s Legends of Tomorrow while still remaining grounded in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
HEAD WRITER/CREATED FOR TELEVISION BY: Jessica Gao
DIRECTORS: Kat Coiro (Episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9) and Anu Valia (Episodes 5, 6, 7)
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, Kat Coiro, Jessica Gao
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Wendy Jacobson, Jennifer Booth
CAST: Tatiana Maslany, Ginger Gonzaga, Jameela Jamil, Josh Segarra, Jon Bass, with Renée Elise Goldsberry and Tim Roth
SPECIAL GUEST STARS: Mark Ruffalo, Benedict Wong
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will premiere August 18, 2022 on Disney+. New episodes will release weekly on Thursdays. Grade: Episodes 1-2: 4/5, Episodes 3-4: 4.5/5
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