She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Binge, Fringe, or Singe?
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
Binge, Fringe, or Singe? is our television series that will cover the latest seasons, miniseries, and more. Binge is our recommendation to marathon the reviewed season. Fringe means it won’t be everyone’s favourite show, but is worth a try (maybe there are issues with it). Singe means to avoid the reviewed series at all costs.
Before She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered, I was actually pretty excited for the show. I’ve been dying for Tatiana Maslany to be recognized on a wide scale after her perfect acting in Orphan Black (I thought she was going to be in more projects after the show concluded, and now hope that she will star in more post Marvel exposure), and that reason is the sole one as to why I dared watch She-Hulk. Otherwise, I’ve not been too keen on this fourth phase of Marvel Studios: I have found the majority of the projects to be underwhelming since this phase started. Having said that, I thought She-Hulk could have also been fun, and I was willing to give it a chance (read the above article in the hyperlink, and you’ll see that I was actually optimistic). The series does possess a much more light tone akin to films like Legally Blonde and 13 Going on 30, and I was initially intrigued by this: seeing Marvel tackle the romantic comedy genre seemed interesting.
I am afraid that — try as I might — I didn’t enjoy She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. It has nothing to do with the bullshit reasons that toxic males have for review bombing the series on various websites. I have no problem with the show commenting on systemic misogyny, because I also believe that it exists and is a constant problem on a daily basis. I identify as a feminist, and agree with nearly everything She-Hulk was saying as a commentative piece.
Instead, this has everything to do with how She-Hulk, while having elements that work, is a complete tonal mess of a show that is trying to be three different things at once: a look at romantic qualms in the twenty first century, a light legal series, and a Marvel Studios show. It tries to juggle all three identities in twenty-to-thirty minute episodes (the long intros, including the unnecessarily long Marvel Studios title card, and the gargantuan credits at the end certainly don’t help with the time constraints), and it isn’t given enough time or space to properly execute any of them. You don’t get enough room for chemistry or self discovery for the romantic comedy elements to work. Having the courtroom and legal scenes take up only minutes of time left me completely uninterested in what Jennifer Walters was pulling off as a promising lawyer. The Marvel scenes feel exactly like they always have, and they’re beyond stale at this point (except now they are gutted by awful CGI, as the result of these projects being rushed out without much care for the visual effects artists).
In case that wasn’t bad enough, each identity hurts the other. The Marvel action reminds us that She-Hulk is borderline invincible, and her crashing into each problem removes any potential threat or dread in this series. I don’t expect every story to be challenging, but not once (until the eighth episode) did I feel like there was any form of conflict in She-Hulk, and how interesting is a series that has zero friction? The romantic comedy elements burst into the legal scenes and undersell Jennifer Walters and her accomplishments, because her dating life and search for love are almost always prioritized over her work life. Finally, the courtroom material dulls down the action and romances, because it isn’t strong enough on its own that it must lean on the material around it. Additionally, all of these are ruined by the reality that this is a miniseries created just to usher in the next big Avengers film, to bring back Daredevil (so he, too, can be implemented in upcoming releases again), and introduce Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk for any other appearances she will undoubtedly have in the future. This is treated as barely anything but lengthy promotional material, and it shows. Nearly every joke is underwritten or overcooked. Every element feels like a vapid version of something better. All of the good qualities of the series aren’t properly treated for us to care.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law shows signs of a better show, but it is so messily executed instead.
She-Hulk is actually Jessica Walters: cousin of Bruce Banner who is a budding legal trailblazer who faces a change in her life once his blood contaminates hers in an accident. Now she has the ability to turn green and angry, but she is able to control it far better than Banner is, so she uses this transformative power to her advantage. Right away, she has to defend the public (mid trial, no less) from a villain named Titania (who is also a clout chasing influencer), so her secret is instantly revealed to the masses. She becomes She-Hulk: a name not coined by her. There’s something very interesting here about how she is idolized (and even fetishized) when she is tall, powerful, and green, and there’s a commentary here about the male gaze of female characters and the commercialization of superheroes to the masses. I just wish it was allowed to breathe amidst… well, everything else that smothers it.
Maslany claimed that there were two influences when She-Hulk was being made: Better Call Saul and Fleabag. The former show is barely present here, because the legal dramas of She-Hulk are never given the proper attention they deserve, so let’s just ignore this comparison right off the bat (maybe there were more compelling courtroom scenes and breakdowns of character that were cut from the final series). This show is more akin to Fleabag, but barely so; fourth wall breaks, self deprecating humour, and feminist overtones aren’t enough to make the two series alike. In Fleabag, the titular character talks to us to explain her true feelings that she can’t express to anyone else. She mocks herself because she hates herself, and is sharing our own feelings of self-disdain so we are all together in this communal space. The feminist themes are represented so much more daringly. In She-Hulk, the fourth wall is broken just because it can be (we don’t really learn anything else about Jessica Walters/She-Hulk when she talks to us). Jessica Walters is harsh on herself, but then she’s all good when she kicks ass and saves the day (so the feelings never feel genuine or like ours). The feminist commentary is watered down by Marvel’s typical levels of comedy, so they don’t really get to where they need to. Everything is levelled off and disallowed to reach their full potential.
An even bigger issue is that I don’t actually hate this show at all, either. At times, I find it a little charming and quirky, and Maslany is sublime as Walters/She-Hulk. I even dig the intended vibes the show has. Then the show finally gets better by episode 8, “Ribbit and Rip it”, when we stumble upon a series with consequences, Walters’ mishandling of her capabilities, and all of the separate elements colliding into something substantial: a millennial that is trying to have it all figured out, and failed to do so (have we all been there, am I right?). However, it’s too little too late; this is the eighth episode of a nine episode miniseries. Had She-Hulk been released all at once, maybe it would have been easier to binge watch, but having to sit and wonder what all of this is for for seven straight weeks is a frustrating experience that isn’t kind to its audience. As I’ve stated in my article about phase four, Marvel is trying to dabble in other genres, and it isn’t necessarily great at doing so. Romantic comedies aren’t just mindless and easy going. They, too, have adversities and proper storytelling (well, the good ones do, anyway). She-Hulk coasts for seven episodes, with the misapprehension that this is how the genre works. It isn’t.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is far from the worst show I’ve ever seen, but it really is disappointing to the level that I have to be honest with how flawed it is. It isn’t the worst series, but that doesn’t make it a good one, either. I know it is true to the self-referential nature of the comics, but it itself is disjointed and only partially realized. It isn’t given enough time to gestate, enough care to matter outside of promoting the next projects, or enough faith to be how bold it could actually be. It is lukewarm and mushy through and through, and it feels like a complete mistreatment of Tatiana Maslany’s talents, and the promising ideas from all involved. Is Marvel to blame for tethering all of its projects so they can only go so far? For making every piece of phase four a commercial for the next Avengers film? For neither remembering how to please its own audience whilst not knowing at all how to develop a new one? I’m not sure, but She-Hulk is indicative of all of the mistakes the studio is making lately. Isn’t it about time that they take a step back and really assess how their output has been this last year?
Probably not, because Marvel will always make money, and that’s the biggest sin and reason why She-Hulk is as lacklustre as it is. Quality doesn’t matter, and the hard work of those involved doesn’t, either (keep underutilizing your cast and under-appreciating your artists). All that counts are those ticket sales and viewer numbers. Because Marvel isn’t interested in the quality of its releases anymore, you’ll keep getting She-Hulk and works as half heartedly released as it is: projects that don’t take you, or anyone involved, seriously. My heart breaks for those involved that clearly put work in (and you can see that they have), only for such an insipid end result, but maybe it’s on us to stop watching if we’re not going to be considered at all.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Toronto Metropolitan University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.