Marvel and Disney have spread their wings in many different directions since they established the Disney+ streaming service. Marvel would have shows that fit into their cinematic universe on the streaming service. WandaVision, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel are three distinctly different types of properties that Marvel has created in the past. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law might be the most vastly different thing they’ve done yet: a half-hour legal comedy.
Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), the cousin of Dr. Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), is driving a car when they inexplicably crash due to a spaceship appearing on the road in front of them. This causes Bruce to bleed profusely, and his blood gets on his cousin, causing her to Hulk out. Absorbing his blood turns her into a copy of her cousin, but she still needs to learn the ropes of what it takes to be a superhero. She just wants to return to her job as a lawyer, but the world has other plans.
Jessica Gao, Kat Corio, and Anu Valia have created a show like none before in the MCU. This show has a feel of legal comedies like Ally McBeal and Murphy Brown. That being said, the two distinguishing factors are that the lead character is a 6-foot 7-inch green Hulk and her tendency to break the fourth wall and talk to the viewers watching the show, similar to how she did in the comic book series. The show is based partly on the John Byrne run from the ’80s.
Tatiana Maslany has won an Emmy award for the myriad of characters she played on the sci-fi show Orphan Black from 2013-2017. She has done a few more roles in Perry Mason and as an evangelist and the girlfriend of a Boston Marathon bombing victim in Stronger. The part of Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk might be the most challenging of her career. She has to do a lot of mocap work and, as mentioned, break the fourth wall. The series mixes many different genres to give her a tough character to play. Like the master actress she is, she takes it all in stride and delivers scene after scene. This might be the best character I’ve seen this far in a Disney+ show.
This series shows the character as down-to-earth and relatable to those similar to her. She is in a world of women who are more career driven and on a path of success as far as being a professional but struggles in the dating world. Trying to find a man on her level isn’t easy for her. Swiping right and left can be a full-time job. This is where this show separates itself from other shows like it. The comedy that comes from the dating game is pretty funny.
Many people had a big issue when the trailers were released for this show: the CGI and the uncanny valley. People were down on the show before they could ever see an episode. I will be honest, the CGI isn’t great, but from what I’ve watched so far, the story distracts me from it after the first few times I saw it. I just ignored it and started being more concerned with the story and direction of the episodes and how they all fit in together. That was my main concern. I don’t think it’s an issue if all the other aspects of the show work, and they do.
After watching four episodes, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a fun show. The breaking of the fourth wall is an added element that is funny when it happens. The writing, direction, and acting, especially by Maslany, are the strong parts of the show. Fans of the character and the MCU should get past the CGI and uncanny valley and enjoy the more personal aspects of the show. Yes, it’s geared to career women and how they navigate through a world of men who want to control everything, but it says a lot about how intelligent and educated women can handle themselves in this world that wants to put them down. This is one of the best shows Marvel/Disney has put out thus far for Disney+. I can’t wait to watch the final five episodes of the series.
4 stars
Dan Skip Allen
Sean Boelman Founder/EIC disappointment media
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