By Matthew Moorcroft

Solid Recommendation

• Directed by Anu Valia
• Starring Tatiana Maslany, Jameela Jamil, Ginger Gonzaga, Renee Elise Goldsberry
• TV-14

Out of every MCU shows we’ve had so far, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the hardest to sustain a conversation about. Not because it’s bad, mind you – the show, as a whole, continues to be an entertaining and funny in all of the right ways – but because simply by virtue in that it’s not trying to be anything more then that. Gone is WandaVision‘s deconstruction of TV landscapes, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier‘s themes of racial injustice and income inequality, Loki‘s philosophical discussions, Moon Knight‘s treatment of DID and Jewish heritage, or Ms. Marvel‘s celebration of Pakistani heritage. Instead, this is much more similar to Hawkeye, another series that is more interested in being a fun time for audiences and fans. In this case, it’s through the lens of comedy sitcom antics compared to Hawkeye‘s focus on being a lighthearted action romp.

This episode of She-Hulk, one which even Jennifer herself describes as coming at “an inconvenient time” is both a blessing and a curse, as it leans into that willingness to simply nothing more then a silly comedy for better and for worse. Just Jen has the makings of a solid premise for a standalone episode – a wedding where Jen is going out of obligation and confronting the idea that people still see her and She-Hulk as separate entities. There is thematic meat there, but of course, the show isn’t really interested in it nor does it even attempt to be. Instead it’s mostly an excuse to Jennifer in a situation that is uncomfortable and relatable, and on that base level, yeah the episode really works. Weddings are inherently funny situations, and putting our otherwise level headed character in a position where she is surrounded by high stress people is great. And it helps that she is also followed by Titania, who continues to make a solid impression as a petty, self made rival. Jameela Jamil is really committed to the bit here, and while isn’t in the episode as much as you would expect her brief appearance is fun.

It’s also overshadowed a bit by the more fun side story involving D-list Marvel character Mr. Immortal, who here is portrayed as a scam artist who marries multiple different spouses before “killing himself” to get out of it. It’s a darkly absurd premise that’s realized pretty well, all things considered, and it’s a perfect for the hyper-comedic, almost Looney Tunes esqe tone of She-Hulk. Ginger Gonzaga carries a lot of this on her back for good reason, and her presence continues to be one of the better things about the series. The resolution is a bit fast here but considering it’s nature as a fun side story, that’s fine by me and the actual way they get to the resolution is pretty funny regardless.

The episode’s final moments are sweet as well. While it’s clear we have a bit to go before Jen feels comfortable in either of her personas, it’s nice to see her let loose a bit and actually feel a bit at peace. And yeah, we know that peace will be broken sooner or later – we have 3 episodes left to go, and there are hints of a villain afoot – but for now, let’s just take the moment in stride.

And that’s really what She-Hulk is best at. It takes it’s pace in stride, happily content as a comedic, week-to-week sitcom with low stakes and a heavy focus on character gags. And you know what? I appreciate it. This isn’t the strongest episode of the bunch – not all of the jokes hit as hard as I think they want to and it’s attempts to tie into the grander story make the episodes more successful standalone elements feel less impactful – but it’s a good time. And frankly, that’s more then enough for me.