[Television] She-Hulk: Attorney at Law explores injustice — and not just in the courtroom

Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

Episodes: 9

Running time: 30-40 minutes

Cast: Tatiana Maslany (She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters), Jameela Jamil (Titania), Ginger Gonzanga (Nikki Ramos), Mark Ruffalo (Smart Hulk/Bruce Banner), Tim Roth (Abomination/Emil Blonsky), Benedict Wong (Wong), Charlie Cox (Daredevil/Matt Murdock)

Four stars

Tatiana Maslany is Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Tatiana Maslany is Jennifer Walters in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

If you’re a comics fan, you’ll know that She-Hulk’s first two comic series were The Savage She-Hulk and The Sensational She-Hulk (with the latter being the more famous adjective used for her). Her series had a distinct flavour, with She-Hulk frequently breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audiences. So does She-Hulk: Attorney at Law have that same sort of flavour? It’s not quite as savage, but it does score on the sensational front.

Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the final superhero television series in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). It focuses on the titular character, a lawyer who has all the power of Hulk but none of the psychological downsides. However, this means that she’s a beacon for trouble in the MCU, forcing her to fend off bad guys while still trying to pursue a career as a lawyer.

Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

She-Hulk seems perfectly well-balanced by the time she’s fully introduced and her secret identity as Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) is no longer a secret after supervillain Titania attacks. She also begins the series on a good note by getting some (unneeded) help from Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). He thinks that She-Hulk will have the same problems he did, that of having a different “Hulk” personality emerge when he uses his powers, but discovers that to his surprise that She-Hulk has none. What could be so bad about that? Well, as She-Hulk reveals, she has no trouble controlling her rage — because as a woman, she faces countless injustices and microaggressions in life that has trained her to hold back the very same rage that Hulk used to have trouble controlling. After all, Bruce Banner is a white male, who hasn’t quite faced the amount of injustice that She-Hulk has. And this sets the tone for the entire series.

Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

And that’s a theme that runs throughout the series — the injustices that She-Hulk has to face. Yes, as a lawyer, she literally has to face injustice (and fight it in court). But she also gets unfairly blamed for situations and gets the short end of the stick at times, and her experience as a woman (and now a superhero) has also left her more used to the blatant unfairness of the world. It almost makes you question — are her super powers really the blessing that we all think they are, or is she right for not wanting them, since they sometimes make her life worse? This is where it sets itself apart from the other MCU shows.

Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

Nevertheless, the series has its lighter moments and embraces just how normal the superhero life is in the MCU. It’s a show that could only have come out in Phase Four (or later), and it plays upon all the continuity that’s been laid down in earlier MCU films and shows.

Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

However, the visual effects aren’t quite what you expect. Perhaps most of the budget has gone to the title character, who, admittedly, doesn’t always look stellar. Hulk does (but then, maybe it’s because they’ve got more experience in bringing him to life?). A particularly egregious scene comes in the first episode, when a bag of snacks goes flying into the air in slow motion and it doesn’t look like snacks at all. It gets better later though, when less ambitious shots are attempted.

Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

The series also attempts (key word: attempts) to have She-Hulk break the fourth wall like she does in the comics, but it doesn’t quite work in the first few episodes. It picks up later, when it is integrated much better and used for plot purposes. In any case, She-Hulk’s character and storyline is enough to stand on its own — I, for one, am interested to see what path She-Hulk takes in the series and where we’ll end up. Since She-Hulk was a temporary member of the Fantastic Four in the comics… but I get ahead of myself.

Jameela Jamil as Titania in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Jameela Jamil as Titania in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

But the biggest question the series raises is — when will we get another solo Hulk film (or even series)? We find out how he recovered from his injury in Avengers: Endgame and some choice references are made to Avengers: Age of Ultron, but why give so much air time to Hulk when, you know, it’s She-Hulk’s series? Of course, there are distribution reasons for why Hulk doesn’t have his own film — so maybe this is the best compromise we can get.

Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

Ultimately, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a mixed bag, although it promises to get better. The series will hopefully shed some revealing insights on injustice in the MCU. Stay back for a post-credits scene in each episode because, you know, it’s an MCU show.

Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany) in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

You may also want to read: 

Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)
Tatiana Maslany is She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. (Image: Marvel Studios)

This article was written for and first published on Yahoo.


Follow Marcus Goh (yes, referring to myself in third person) on Facebook and Instagram for more (presumably) good updates!

I’m an independent scriptwriter who’s written for popular shows like Lion Mums, Crimewatch, Police & Thief, and Incredible Tales. I’m also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find me on social media as Optimarcus and on my site

Send me an email if you want to get in touch!


WANT TO BE AWESOME AT WRITING?

Then it’s time to take your writing seriously. Good writing opens up the doors to success. Download Secrets of Quick and Painless Writing to get started now!

 

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*