The tone of She-Hulk has been incredibly consistent over the five episodes, it is an easy going and funny legal sitcom with a superhero being the star. The comedy has been the focus of the last three episodes with each one feeling like a 30-minute sitcom more than a Marvel show. I think She-Hulk has been entertaining, but if this is the last Marvel series of 2022, I wish they went with something that hit a little harder. The pandemic really messed up production on films and series, and Disney might not have been in a place to have something else air after She-Hulk. Episode four delivered some action and some really good laughs because of Donny Blaze (played by Rhys Coiro who was also Billy Wilder from Entourage). Donny Blaze is an interesting example of what happens when someone fails out of Kamar-Taj, they have knowledge of magic, but they lacked the will to keep up with it. I am curious who Cornelius was, he seemed to be the one who was pushing Donny to use his knowledge for personal gain. Wong has really become a key part of Phase Four of the MCU, he seems to be the link between a lot of the elements of this phase. I admit it was shocking in Now Way Home when we learned that Wong is now the Sorcerer Supreme (but it makes sense since Dr. Strange disappeared for five years). Wong has been a good mix of serious when he needs to be, but also very lighthearted and good for laughs. She-Hulk's biggest strength has been the comedy, and having Wong, Dennis and Donny have really helped.
With the series having four episodes left it is starting to feel like the show is not going to be anything more than it has been so far, which is not a bad thing. The dynamic between Titania and Jenn is really good, but we still know nothing about Titania beyond that she is a super-powered social media influencer. I don't see Titania being a true villain, but her desire for revenge against She-Hulk will possible maker her ally with someone else. Since the Wrecking Crew made their debut in episode three it has been quiet, I wonder if they show up again but with more help or better weapons. In my review of episode two and three I tied Daredevil's looming appearance to the Kingpin being the guy who hired The Wrecking Crew, but now maybe Daredevil was in L.A. looking for a new suit. The yellow helmet teased at the end of episode five is teasing a Daredevil appearance in episode six, but we never got to see She-Hulk's new suit. As much as I am looking forward to Daredevil, I am also curious about She-Hulk's new suits as one is something she can wear for work and the other might be an Avenger suit.
RECAP OF EPISODES 4 & 5
Episode four titled Is This Not Real Magic? starts with a magic show being conducted by Donny Blaze. As the crowd becomes disinterested in the show Donny uses a sling ring to open a portal but an audience participant falls through and eventually ends up in Wong's bedroom. The woman is named Madisynn, and her appearance ruins Wong's attempt to watch The Sopranos as she spoils the episode he is about to watch. Wong goes to see Jennifer because he wants to stop Donny Blaze from using the magic he learned at Kamar-Taj for his own personal gain. Jennifer points out that the American legal system is very different from the mystical arts, so Jennifer will try to use a cease-and-desist warrant to stop Donny Blaze. Jennifer's paralegal friend Nikki is setting up Jennifer with a dating profile so she can meet someone. The warrant is presented to Donny and his manager Cornelius who will fight the warrant. Jennifer is on a date with a guy who is very beneath her, and even he is not interested in her at all.
At the hearing Wong opens a portal to bring Madisynn to court so she can testify that Blaze's reckless use of magic put her in danger. Blaze's lawyer is able to make Madisynn appear to be an unreliable witness, and then Blaze, Cornelius and the lawyer begin doing magic tricks in the courtroom. Jennifer out of frustration makes a dating profile for She-Hulk and she becomes inundated with suitors. She-Hulks first few dates are a bust, but then she goes out with Arthur, and they hit it off amazingly. Donny is doing another show and he opens a portal again, but by now the audience is expecting more. Donny then tries something different by making a bird appear, but the bird lays an egg in a woman's hand and inside the egg is a little demon. Donny attempts to open a portal to send the demon back to where it came from, but the portal won't close, and more demons come through. Donny opens a portal to get Wong's help who agrees only because people need help, Wong attempts to call Jennifer for help, but she has brough Arthur home. Wong opens a portal and interrupts Jennifer's date, and she follows him through to help deal with the demons. She-Hulk tries to kill the demons, but it doesn't work so Wong opens another portal to an arctic tundra and he and Jennifer start throwing the demons there. Jennifer before going makes Cornelius and Donny agree to follow the cease-and-desist order. Jennifer spends the night with Arthur, but in the morning when he sees Jennifer instead of She-Hulk he is underwhelmed and quickly leaves. The episode ends with Jennifer being served papers that say Titania has copyrighted the name of She-Hulk and she is suing Jennifer because she is using the name. The mid-credit scene involves Wong and Madisynn hanging out watching a show and eating popcorn.
Episode five which is titled Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans begins with a commercial for Titania's She-Hulk brand. Jennifer and Nikki go to Titania's popup shop for She-Hulk, but Jennifer attempt to stop Titania goes nowhere. Pug goes to Nikki to ask for her help in waiting in line with him for the new Iron Man shoes, and Pug reveals he knows someone who can make Jennifer hero clothes. Pug and Nikki end up at a boba cafe (but it is a front for bootleg superhero merchandise), and they end up having to buy to find the location of the actual designer. Jennifer has to meet with Mr. Holliway to explain the Titania problem, and Jennifer needs the help of Mallory Book to represent her in the case. The court appearance does not go well as Jennifer has trouble establishing that she was known as She-Hulk before Titania copyrighted the name. The designer meets with Jennifer, but when she only wants a business suit, he becomes bored. Nikki then has an idea that the designer could make a suit that would fit bother Jennifer and She-Hulk and the challenge makes him interested. At the law firm Jennifer learns that Mallory has a client who she went on a date with. Jennifer is embarrassed by the encounter, but it also gives her an idea for how to win her case. Mallory calls the men who went on a date with She-Hulk as witnesses that she was known as She-Hulk. The end result is that Mallory proves none of the men would go on a date with Jennifer, but they would date She-Hulk. The judge rules in favor of Jennifer, and Titania is forced to stop using the name She-Hulk to sell her products. The episode ends with Jennifer getting her new suits, and we see the designer had also designed a yellow helmet for Daredevil.
LAST THOUGHS ON EPISODES FOUR & FIVE
The show has been very successful at keeping the episode light and quick which is something that is very different from all the previous MCU series. The episodes move quick, and the humor was consistent and on point. The cast of the series is all doing their part with Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga) and Jennifer (Tatiana Maslany) being stand outs. The cast as a whole with all the minor characters we are meeting are all doing a great job, and they make the show what it is. She-Hulk is a comedy show, and if you think of it in that way, you can appreciate just how good it is. The casting of She-Hulk is amazing, and despite a lot of new or unfamiliar faces everyone that have been given a role consequence has proven to be great. I knew Tatiana Maslany was the star of Orphan Black and that she did a lot of great work on that show, but I never saw a single episode, so I am surprised with how funny she is. I did find Pug in episode five to be a little corny; if we knew a little more about him it might have felt more natural but seeing him wearing the Avingers gear and dancing was too kiddy for me. I like Titania, and I like Jameela Jamil (The Happy Place) the actress playing her, but like Pug I wish we got to know more about her. The lack of depth given to all of the characters with the exception of Jennifer is my only problem with the show so far. Jennifer/She-Hulk is the star, but characters like Nikki and Titania feel like they could benefit from a bit more character development.
The series has been very entertaining so far, and I am excited that the show manages to give each episode a distinct feeling. I am going to give episode four an 8/10 as I thought it was the most entertaining episode we have seen so far. I though Donny Blaze was a fun character like Dennis, and I kind of hope we see him again on this show or possibly in the MCU. She-Hulk being a more popular person than Jennifer is something interesting to explore, but no guys being into Jennifer does not totally work for me. Episode five for me is a 7/10 as the episode was funny, but it was held back by Pug's weird dancing moment and Titania's lack of character development. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has delivered five entertaining episodes, and I if the show keeps the tone light it might be Marvel's first foray into pure comedy; while I think Ant-Man was very close, I think She-Hulk has learned more into comedy than anything before it has. Each episode has been paced so good, the just over 30-minute run time is working to the shows advantage as there is not enough time for the episode to drag. I will be expecting more Titania as her threat at the end of episode five was "this isn't over, hater" sets up another confrontation between the two powerhouses. I want to see the suit that the designer made for She-Hulk, and now I can't wait to see Daredevil.
Thank you for reading my article and share your thoughts on if She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is working for you.
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