Warning! Spoilers ahead forShe-Hulk: Attorney at Lawepisode 3.
With Jen Walters’ superhero origin story out of the way and the superhuman legal defense premise in place,She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawis a full-blown situation comedy in its third episode, “The People vs. Emil Blonsky.” Jen continues to work on Emil Blonsky’s parole case after footage of his recent escape threw a spanner in the works, while her new colleague Augustus “Pug” Pugliese represents her former colleague Dennis Bukowski in his case against a shapeshifting elf who convinced him she was a famous rapper.
A couple of days ago, it was announced thatMegan Thee Stallion would be appearingin an upcoming episode ofShe-Hulk. It was unclear how she would appear, whether she would be portraying a fictional character or playing herself as a celebrity friend of supervillain influencer Titania. This episode gets to Megan Thee Stallion’s promised appearance in a fun and unexpected way with one of the most creative cameos in the MCU: an Asgardian shapeshifter took her form to con a wannabe womanizer out of $175,000.
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“The People vs. Emil Blonsky” settles even more comfortably into the sitcom format with an A-plot and a B-plot. At one point, Jen looks at the camera and compliments the writers for connecting the A-story to the B-story, but they’re only tangentially linked. The lawyers all convene at a bar (the lawyer-centric Legal Ease Bar & Grill) to discuss their cases over a drink. There’s noSeinfeldian dovetailingbetween the two storylines. Still, the B-plot does set up a great comedic premise as it gives Jen an opportunity to call Bukowski a self-absorbed, chauvinistic moron as her sworn testimony under oath in a court of law.
The rumors and criticisms circulating around Jen’s superhero career provide a hilarious running joke. The show accurately predicted its own sexist backlash withonline trolls complaining about a female Hulk. The tweets and videos that pop up throughout the episode, with angry male superhero fans dismayed that another woman has acquired superpowers, are eerily similar to the social media reactions to the series itself. Jen is constantly harassed by reporters who want answers for ridiculous claims like she got rejected by the Avengers and she’s pregnant with the Abomination’s Abomi-baby.
Tim Roth continues to delight asa sillier version of Emil Blonsky, and Benedict Wong makes another fan-pleasing Phase Four appearance as Sorcerer Supreme Wong with drier line deliveries than ever. Wong blindly believes he’s above the law, which adds a great comical undercurrent to his interactions with legal professionals, and proves that he is indeed above the law when the parole board informs him that just confessed to a crime and he simply disappears through a portal.
At the beginning of the episode, Jen assures the audience that this isn’t “one of those cameo-every-week type of shows” before realizing that it actually is. But, in a sharp way to set up the title card, she tells the audience, “Just remember whose show this actually is.” The cameos are a joy, butthey aren’t pulling focus from Jen. She’s still the undeniable star of the show; she just happens to be surrounded by familiar faces in the hectic world of superhuman law.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawis refreshingly breezy and lighthearted, but it still has yet to find a comedic identity of its own. It’s getting there, finding its footing with the character dynamics and the fourth wall breaks, but its humor isn’t as idiosyncratic as that ofThor: RagnarokandGuardians of the Galaxy. The funniest moments areTatiana Maslany’s deadpan reactions. Jen makes an appearance on a news show to set the record straight on all the rumors surrounding She-Hulk. When the anchorman says he’ll be asking for her diet tips and exercise routine (a question he probably wouldn’t ask a male superhero), Jen incredulously replies, “I’m sorry… what!?”
The episode’s ending seems to tease a full-time She-Hulk transformation. Whatseparates Jen from her cousin Brucein the comics is that Jen enjoys her Hulk form and spends more time as the She-Hulk than she does as Jen. So far, in the series, Jen has only used her She-Hulk form at work where it’s an unexpected job requirement. She sees the She-Hulk persona as a burden that she only utilizes when she has to. But after being jumped by some thugs and effortlessly beating them to a pulp, Jen catches a glimpse of her green, musclebound self in the reflection of a car window. For the first time, she likes what she sees.
TheShe-Hulkwriters have been making great use of post-credits scenes. Marvel traditionally uses its credits scenes to tease future storylines and character additions. The credits scenes of Phase Four alone have introduced Harry Styles as Eros, Charlize Theron as Clea, andBrett Goldstein as Hercules. But inShe-Hulk, the credits scenes are being used to give each episode a comedic tag. The episodes themselves usually end on a cliffhanger or a big character development, so the post-credits tags allow the show to go out on a laugh each week. After the first episode’s “Captain America fu–” tag and the second episode’s tag with Jen’s dad using her superhuman strength for household chores, this episode’s tag brings back guest star Megan Thee Stallion as she signs with Jen as a new client.
The half-hour runtime ofShe-Hulk’s weekly installments means there’s no filler and the episodes move at a nice, fast pace. Jen has been established asa unique and exciting new Marvel hero, but the show needs to lean more into its strengths. With its self-awareness, its superhero who doesn’t want to be a superhero, and its blend of comic book action and legal procedural comedy,She-Hulk: Attorney at Lawhas the promise to become a truly one-of-a-kind sitcom by the end of its run.
