She-Hulk season 1, episode 1 review: A Normal Amount Of Rage

“I am trying to show you that we can live between what we want and what is.” Spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney At Law season 1, episode 1 follow.

The latest chapter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe feels like a heartfelt satire that isn’t afraid to wear the fear of being human in a world protected by heroes and gods.

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law starts as a simple legal comedy, laced with tongue-in-cheek humor, but upon further inspection, there is more to the Disney Plus series than meets the eye.

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law season 1, episode 1 review

Perhaps She-Hulk‘s greatest strength is its ability to peel back to the humble illusion of being a hero and struggling to fit in. The series isn’t dark or brooding, but it does toe the line between, say, an imposter syndrome character study and a satirical trip down the MCU memory lane, and it turns out the films were a lot darker than we remember.

Of course, I need to praise the screenplay penned by Jessica Gao which allows the audience to witness Jennifer Walters’s struggles, wants, and desires – and resonate with them. Many will gripe and say that the 30-35 minute episodes will be a significant disservice. Still, I need to disagree because not only does the first episode balance exposition and a multitude of themes such as grief and depression that the Hulk has harbored since he lost his heart and humanity during Avengers: Endgame, but it also acts as a softcore palette cleanser that relies on comedy to ridicule and respect the MCU from it’s inception to its latest offering.

As the episode opens, we first see Jen, played to perfection by Tatiana Maslany. The latter is trying to find her confidence to establish her closing argument, which is vital to being a lawyer. However, the camera pans to show her office, which is clean and uncluttered, and her law degree is on the wall in the back, proudly displaying her qualifications.

Though, the simple interaction she has with her co-workers Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga) and Dennis (Drew Matthews) is a significant moment that shouldn’t be glossed over during viewing. Because it establishes the first time Jen is challenged with the preconception of her role in the workplace, she’s seen as inferior by one colleague – a fish out of the water, and Gao and her writers don’t hold back. The screenplay illustrates the challenges of living as a woman in this day and age, most noticeable in the bar scene later on.

Another element worthy of praise is the fourth-wall breaks, which work because Maslany lets the audience stand beside her and feel her emotions, which is crucial to understanding Jen. However, this series also isn’t afraid to be vulnerable at times and subtly human, leading to the lingering pain that Bruce Banner feels now that the original Avengers are gone or retired and that is a running plot thread that the series utilizes to showcase the truth of being a hero in the MCU. And the balance of living as something you are not and hiding in fragments of shame felt like the episode’s antagonist.

Seeing Bruce isolated, cut off from the world, and living as a hermit clinging to any memory of either Tony, Steve, or even Nat was hard to feel juxtaposed to how the trailers and marketing showcase Bruce’s role as a possible mentor to Jen. Instead, we are shown Banner hasn’t let go. He keeps one of Tony’s old helmets and uses the bar they built together. In the case of Nat, when Bruce mentions to Jen how she used to calm him down with a lullaby, if you pay attention closely, viewers can hear his sorrow and pain from his response. And this is where Mark Ruffalo continues to shine as the Jade Giant, because the Avengers may have been just people and icons to Jen, but to Bruce, they were family, and they are gone. It also feels like he’s scared for Jen being forever plagued by being a Hulk just as he was.

Of course, his emotions shift dramatically when we first see Jen transform into She-Hulk. He tries to follow a routine of the struggle and trauma by telling her to calm down because the shame he wields is terrified she will be uncontrollable. Then a little dose of jealousy manifests when Bruce realizes Jen is in control but also different, faster, and more robust.

In a way, this feels like a consequence of achieving balance, and it’s a reflection of not only the pain Bruce harbors but the struggles Jen deals with daily. This is why the training montage works, and the chemistry between Maslany and Ruffalo is fully displayed. Both are reflections of each other, Bruce feels the Hulk is a curse, and that’s when he finally comes to terms with the grief hanging over him. In contrast, Jen wants her old life back and even confesses, “I’ll never become like you” it felt a tad bit of foreshadowing that could lead to the mindset of Jen feeling at ease and content being She-Hulk due to the strength and spotlight it bears. Though I hope the series finds that equal balance between Jen and She-Hulk sharing the screen, and narrative.

To close, I enjoyed how the courtroom scenes gave off a made-for-television design. Still, again it factors into how the series cements itself as a dramatic legal comedy compared to the harsh, brutal maturity that Netflix allowed with Daredevil. I mean just possibilities of a scene between Charlie Cox and Maslany in the courtroom defending opposing clients, because we know the two will cross, along with a slew of other Easter Eggs, and thematic storylines just waiting to be unveiled.

With that being said, the premiere episode of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law gets a 9/10 for being a heartfelt legal comedy that also feels like a perfect blend of satire, and lore, while wearing the allure of the MCU on its sleeve.

I can’t wait to see what other surprises Marvel has in store, because Jen’s story is only beginning, and this series feels like a love letter to the source material, and MCU while raising real issues that are often glossed over time and time again.

The first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law is now streaming on Disney+.

What did you think of the first episode of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law? Let us know in the comments below!