This is a Non-Spoiler review for the first 4 episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The latest addition to Marvel Studios’ Streaming presence. A 9 episode series, trying to bend the superhero genre into a Ally McBeal style law procedural., with a character who on the surface appears to be a derivative of the Hulk.
This series, straight from the get go, makes it clear how wrong that initial assessment is. This isn’t a Hulk action film/series akin to what you may expect from the MCU. This is a lawyer procedural, this is the story of Jennifer Walters learning to accept her new found power as the Hulk. It’s a show that’s very meta and takes you through her struggle in a very comedic way. It also actually feels like a TV Series, every episode can stand alone on its own. Unlike every previous MCU show, it doesn’t feel like a film cut into parts. The extra episodes really give it the time to breathe, and allow us to settle in with the tone and all the characters.
Fun, fun and more fun
If you go into this series expecting a Law comedy series, then you will be delighted. The series really is a comedy all around, it follows the concept of representing dramatic moments with comedy. Think more Thor: Ragnarok and less Thor: Love and Thunder. Tatiana Maslany is absolutely perfect as both Jen and She-hulk, she perfectly balances the comedy with the drama in a way which makes you laugh but also feel for her. The cameos are awesome and the gags in relation to certain Avengers are truly hilarious. The show can also at times be extremely silly fun, which at times can seem like too much, but as soon as it does it reels you back in with great action and new plot points. The fun of the series is that we get to see past MCU characters who have been in projects which are more dramatic, serious and involve the weight of the world or universe. These characters now get to play in a much mire light hearted and small setting, they are put in absurd and hilarious situations where they get to show a different side of themselves, adding another dimension to the character. Another side of the show which shines, is her calling out the assholes of the world, which is bound to make those exact people in the fandom mad.

She-Hulk origins
Another part of the series which I loved was her origin, we finally get an explanation for why the Hulk suddenly shifted back to human form in Shang-Chi. The Hulk is also much better portrayed in the series in comparison to in the 2 previous Avengers films, where he is nothing more than comedic relief. We get an insight into what made him want to merge him and the Hulk together, and for the first time since The Avengers we get a reference to how he became the monstrous Hulk. You can feel the pain of what years of dealing with the Hulk has done to him. He wants to help Jennifer deal with the being the Hulk, to kee her away and safe from the years of pain he had to face. Jen and Bruce have a really fun cousinly relationship. It’s also just really cool and hilarious to see 2 Hulks communicating with each other and pissing each other off. Jen can control She-Hulk from the start but Bruce still feels the need to guide her as he thinks she can’t go back to her old life as a lawyer. Jen has worked hard her entire life and has had to prove herself to become what she is, so she doesn’t want to let go off her life as a lawyer. this causes a conflict between the 2, which could’ve been made extremely dramatic, but instead its done in a comedic way which make everything a lot more fun. There’s also some really curious and potentially game-changing setup for the Hulk’s future.

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Lawyer Time
The show greatly shifts gears after the first episode and delivers on its premise as a law procedural comedy. Jen wants to fit back into her life as a lawyer and ignore the fact that she can Hulk out. But as you’d expect this doesn’t work out for her and she has to deal with being famous as a superhero and still being a lawyer. She has to now deal with the fact that people will now think that her accomplishments are due to her being 6’7 and green, when in reality she put in years of hard work to get to where she is. She is in charge of the superhuman division of her law firm, which instantly provides amazing opportunities, especially in a world as rife with superheroes as the MCU. This gets her in touch with Wong and Abomination, which leads her through settling in to being both She-Hulk and a lawyer. To help her through and be the best friend, we have Ginger Gonzaga’s Nikki, who really is Jen’s number 1 cheerleader throughout.

The Villain
Every MCU Disney Plus series, with the exception of Moon Knight and Loki, has had a villain problem. It’s not that the villains haven’t been great, it’s been that there hasn’t been enough time to explore their motivations, to learn why they are evil. In every show it has felt as if it’s all been building to a movie’s final act where the villain is finally revealed. This format may work in a film, but it really damages the quality of these shows. With the exception of Loki, every MCU finale has felt like a third act of a film compressed into a 40 minute episode. Which really doesn’t work and detaches the tone of the show. in She-Hulk’s case there is much more time available. Four episodes in the series has only given hints as to what the main conflict of the series could be, but because of there still being more than half the series left it still works. Episode 4 ends by setting up the villain, who we have previously met, and also delivering to us the main conflict of the series. Meaning that now the series can kick into high gear, but there is still ample time to explore the villain.

Closing Thoughts
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, has had a great start, exactly capturing the tone and mood of the comics. The series is funny, silly and full of heart, allowing you to see characters in the MCU from a different side. Even though she’s a Hulk, her struggle’s balancing her two sides is quite relatable. Also, get ready for the most fun you’ve had in the MCU. It is is a Law comedy first and foremost, it’s about a woman in her 30s trying to do her best, who’s built herself up as a lawyer but has that entire life shaken up now that she can go green and 6’7. It’s much smaller and it’s quite relatable.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Starts Streaming on Disney Plus Tomorrow!
ALSO READ: Moon Knight Series Review
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