‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’ Sets Its Own Tone
by Frank Martin
If it hasn’t become clear already, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has truly cemented itself as being its own thing within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This week’s episode really shows that it places comedy at the forefront of its storytelling. Previous episodes certainly had comedy, but they were also heavily character and plot-oriented. This episode seemed to be primarily driven by jokes — not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s just that there is no other part of the MCU that’s taken comedy this far, so it’s a nice change of pace to see something heavily rooted in the universe’s mythology that seeks out laughs rather than action.
Wong (Benedict Wong) returns in this episode to stop a fake magician from using the mystic arts. That alone is a premise rooted in comedy. This also plays over the backdrop of Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) attempting a dating life. These two plot lines poke a lot of fun at the situation with silly antics and lighthearted dialogue. Not that the episode was completely deprived of action. There’s a very cool scene that has Wong and She-Hulk dispatching a horde of demons which also hints back at the fact that She-Hulk is being drawn into becoming a superhero despite her reluctance to do so.
Another difference between She-Hulk and the rest of the MCU — specifically the Disney+ shows — is that each episode feels distinct and like its own thing. Looking at past shows, each one played out like a long movie with an overarching plot that dictated the direction of each episode. She-Hulk does not do that. While there is a grand thread that links one episode to the next, each one consists of its own plotline that makes them very distinct with their own feel and pacing. Of course, there have been some complaints about the show. But that mainly comes from the fact that the tone is distinct from the rest of the MCU, which is fine. After over ten years of storytelling, it’s nice to see this universe consist of so many different styles. For those looking for something a bit more MCU classic, those movies and shows will be coming soon. For now, She-Hulk is a nice change of pace.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law airs Thursdays on Disney+.
