She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
"She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" settles in to a nice groove with these three episodes. And gives viewers a nice formula for how the show is going to work week to week. Let's get to it.
"Is This Not Real Magic?"
Madisynn King: "My name's Madisynn. That's with two N's and a Y, but not where you think!"
She-Hulk: "Could you tell us about the night you participated in Donny Blaze's show?"
Madisynn King: "Oh, sure. First he gave me roses that didn't smell like anything. And then he pushed me into a fire land."
She-Hulk: "That must've been terrifying. How did you escape?"
Madisynn King: "I made a pact with a demon that I cannot discuss. Otherwise he said he would "reap my soul and the souls of all I love," which, honestly, is so dramatic. And I hate drama."
Madisynn King is sent to a demon dimension by failed Kamar-Taj disciple, Donny Blaze, who is using his mystic arts training to make money and endanger lives. When Madisynn appears in Wong's living room, he enlists She-Hulk to stop Donny using the legal system. Also, Jen attempts online dating as She-Hulk when her normal Jen profile fails.
There are a ton of dumb reasons why people didn't like "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." There are always going to be douchebag straight dudes who are always going to hate on something because its for women or because it calls out their problematic behavior. Or it does all of those things, like this one does. I think though that some MCU fans didn't really know how to deal with a series that was an honest to goodness sitcom. "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law" follows a pretty standard sitcom structure with an A plot and a B plot and it just factors the superhero stuff into it. If you don't like sitcoms, then you aren't going to love this show. I do really enjoy sitcoms and the character of She-Hulk, so this series was really made for me. And I think that starting with this episode the series really starts to find it's groove. It tells you exactly what you are going to get and we get a lot of great things with this episode.
We get one of my favorite minor MCU characters in Madisynn King. Madisynn is hilarious played by Groundlings graduate, Patty Guggenheim. Her repeated mantra of how you spell her name cracks you up at every turn. Madisynn feels like a party girl that we know or at least have encountered at one point in our lives. Heck, if you've been at a gay bar when a bachelorette party has descended on it, you've probably encountered twenty Madisynn's all at once. Guggenheim imbues Madisynn with this endearing charm which turns this character from a character that on paper should be extremely unlikable to one that is a standout within the series. Her scenes with Wong are some of my favorites and I'll sign the "Madisynn & Wongers" spin-off petition anytime.
That's right, the breakout star of Phase Four, Wong, is back in this episode. And he continues to be an absolute delight. He's naturally very funny and I really love seeing characters like Wong in a domestic setting. There's something really great about Wong, curling up in a blanket with some popcorn and watching "The Soprano's," which is spoiled by Madisynn. His unfamiliarity with the American system of justice is a great little character quirk that Jen has to deal with.
I don't hate all magicians, but there is something about a douchebag magician that really tickles me. Lots of shows have introduced Criss Angel-like asshole magicians and Donny Blaze joins that distinguished list. He is just the absolute worst. A mediocre magician who doesn't get much better when he's actually trained in the mystic arts. His lack of skill but supreme confidence coupled with his ever present hype man is infuriating for Wong and Jennifer and yet is wonderful for the audience. I love that even his lawyer is randomly doing shitty magic in the courtroom.
The B plot of the episode features Jen having zero luck with her civvie dating profile but getting a ton of dates when she sets up a She-Hulk profile. Though, the quality of the dates she gets as She-Hulk isn't great. They include a superhero fetishist named Todd but she also gets a hot doctor. I totally get that everyone has a type and I don't blame someone for wanting to be tossed around by She-Hulk, but it is a bit of a stretch that Jen, who is legit beautiful and a successful lawyer, would have so many problems finding a date.
The episode doesn't lack for action either. Donny's gates produce winged flying demons that Wong and She-Hulk have to take out. I love seeing She-Hulk Hulking out. Ripping the flying demons out of the air, shredding them and stomping on them. The episode really does do a great job of balancing out all the things that the series has to offer. The episode ends with She-Hulk being served by Titania who has trademarked the She-Hulk name.
Grade: A-
"Mean, Green and Straight Poured into These Jeans"
Mallory Book: "Why didn't you trademark your pseudonym?"
She-Hulk: "I never even thought about it, you know? Why would I? Did Doctor Strange have to trademark his name? Did Thor?"
Mallory Book: "You chose two examples of people who use their real names."
After being served, She-Hulk has to prove that she was using the name before Titania's trademark. The beauty influencer is putting the She-Hulk name on a bevy of inferior products and it is not making Jen happy. Jen enlists the help of GLK and H superlawyer, Mallory Book, to help her win the case. In the meantime, Jen gets put in contact with clothing designer for superheroes extraordinaire, Luke, with some help from Nikki and Pug.
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| Mallory Effing Book. |
This episode introduces us to a new character and gives us more information about an existing one, each played by amazing actresses.
We have met Jameela Jamil's Titania, but this episode we really get to know her. Jamil is pretty perfect in this role. If you've watched "The Good Place," you know that there isn't much that Jamil can't do and if you haven't watched "The Good Place" what are you doing? In the comics, Titania is She-Hulk's primary arch-nemesis, so it makes sense that she'd appear in this series. I really enjoy the twist on Titania by making her this vapid, social media, Kim Kardashian-style influencer while retaining her super strength so she is a match physically for the Jade Giantess. Jamil plays all this up to the hilt from her stance, her facial expressions and the Southern California vocal fry Valley Girl voice. Her effortless putdowns. I cackled when she referred to She-Hulk as Shrek.
Renée Elise Goldsberry makes her debut as Mallory Book, Jennifer's colleague, who takes on her trademark case. Goldsberry is most well known for originating the role of Angelica Scuyler in the Broadway show, "Hamilton." She's so amazing here. She is supremely confident and capable and that all just exudes from her pores. She is straightforward and matter-of-fact with She-Hulk, but she isn't cruel. I enjoyed that they altered Mallory and Jen's relationship from the comics. They are very much at odds and competitive. In the series, they are more friends and that is what I like to see. Mallory clearly respects Jen and it's nice to watch them commiserate over the trials they've both had to face as successful women.
They way that Jen wins her case ties back to the last episode. She uses her She-Hulk online dating profile to prove that she was using the name and identifying as She-Hulk. Mallory mentions that not many people would be willing to humiliate themselves publicly in order to win a case and Jen is pretty humiliated here. She has these jerks she dated paraded in the courtroom. She has her profile read out loud which is where the title of the episode comes from. And even the kindest of them, the doctor, admits he wouldn't have dated Jen out of She-Hulk form. I think this is a great example of them showing just how committed Jen is to her career, for better or for worse.
The B plot this episode is Nikki and Pug stumbling on a fashion designer for superheroes, Luke Jacobson. They find him through someone selling bootleg Avengers merchandise. I still need an Avongers T-shirt. It cracked me up seeing Pug and Nikki decked out with all that nonsense. Luke is your typical, haughty fashion designer. He's initially not down to help her out but sees the challenge in making clothes that could fit Jen and She-Hulk. He ends up making her suits along with something special aka a super suit. We also get a glimpse of a yellow helmet that may belong to a certain devil of Hell's Kitchen.
Grade: A-
"Just Jen"
Jennifer Walters: [looks at camera] "Yes, it's a self-contained wedding episode. And if you think this is happening at an inconvenient time, you're right. Cause that's how weddings always are. But I'm gonna look great, so let's go."
Jen is invited to the wedding of a high school acquaintance. She shows up as She-Hulk initially but is asked by the bride to be just Jen. She agrees but it could be difficult to keep that promise when Titania shows up as a guest. Mallory and Nikki work with a man named Mr Immortal who faked his own death to get out of eight marriages. This leads the women to a website called Intelligenica that has some disturbing She-Hulk content.
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| Dat ass. |
I really enjoy seeing Jen embracing her alter ego and using She-Hulk in a way that I think a lot of us would. Why wouldn't you want to use this bad ass, hot alter ego to show off and be the center of attention somewhere that you really don't want to be. It's great watching Jen in her Luke Culbranson dress bask in the compliments and show off for the guests at Lulu's wedding. She's primping, she's aw shucksing. It's fabulous.
So, it's not a huge surprise that Lulu tells She-Hulk that she wants her to be Jen all weekend to not steal focus from her big day. Lulu is legit the worst. She is basically a caricature of a Bridezilla. She doesn't care about any of the success that Jen has in her life. All she cares about is that Jen doesn't have a man. She has her clean dirty dishes and iron the groomsmen's shirts. Her groomsmen is a dog that was recently resuscitated. I'm not sure why Jen is putting up with this. She admittedly doesn't even really like this woman, so why not put her in her place?
I don't love this wedding plot if I'm being honest, but Tatiana Maslany still slays it. She's great as she drinks and gets down on the dance floor to "Walking On Broken Glass" by Annie Lennox. Se meets a seemingly nice guy named Josh who is more impressed with Jen than with She-Hulk. She has her final confrontation with Titania. It's not so much as a confrontation as like a one sided fight with She-Hulk getting the most punches in and Titania taking herself out and busting her veneers. This whole thing is frivolous. I appreciate the show acknowledging that out of the gate, but it doesn't make it more interesting.
I was way more into the B plot. Mr. Immortal is a C-list Marvel superhero who leads the Great Lakes Avengers. I love him being made into this commitmentphobe, philanderer who would rather fake his own death than have a confrontation with someone. He's so uncomfortable with people, particularly women, calling him to the carpet that he throws himself out of Mallory's office window when she and Nikki are basically calling him to the carpet.
I love seeing Mallory and Nikki working together. It makes complete sense why people would idolize Mallory and want to be around her. But Nikki shows that she is great at her job. She steps in and negotiates deals with each of Mr. Immortal's scorned spouses that give them what they want. I especially enjoyed the sincere apology with 20 seconds of intense eye contact. Mallory is clearly impressed as well and it's great that Mallory doesn't try to take charge. She trusts Nikki's skills and that just shows that she is an amazing boss and leader.
Mallory and Nikki also stumble upon the Intelligencia website. It's a dark web style website that is full of awful incels, the same type that hate on the show, hating on She-Hulk and making gross posts and death threats against her. Mallory is absolutely right that they shouldn't give this any air and it's not going to do Jen any good knowing about this. But I completely understand Nikki wanting to warn her good friend even though she understands as she's doing it that it's maybe not the right call. But it turns out maybe the warning was the right thing since we see an Intelligencia run lab crafting needles that will break She-Hulk's skin.
Grade: B
Next up, Jen heads to Emil Blonsky's retreat when she doesn't hear back from Josh after they sleep together, Jen meets Matt Murdock and it all comes to a head in the season finale.
What do you all think? Is the show finding it's footing? Do you like the sitcom format? Is Madisynn an icon? Let me know in the comments.
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