She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) s01e06 – Just Jen

Are self-contained wedding episodes a thing? This episode of “She-Hulk” breaks the fourth wall so Tatiana Maslany can tell the audience it’s one of those episodes. Those being self-contained wedding episodes, which—if they are a thing—I have many questions about. Like do they usually involve random guest stars with no bearing on the series, who’ve either never been on the show before or have no dramatic impact whatsoever?

It’s a perfectly good lawyer and Maslany character development episode, but it’s also a bizarre one if it’s supposed to be a trope.

So Maslany goes to her childhood family acquaintance’s wedding as a bridesmaid. Patti Harrison plays the bride. Eh.

Harrison’s obnoxious (getting married on a Thursday), and Maslany wants to show her up by going as She-Hulk. But then Harrison bursts into tears, and Maslany agrees to play human for the wedding. Except then powered but not super villain influencer Jameela Jamil shows up to take her revenge on Maslany. Can Maslany make it through the episode without getting angry? Will cute boy Trevor Salter still like Maslany when she’s angry? Why so many rhetorical questions?

Because rhetorical questions are a slippery slope.

Anyway.

The wedding stuff’s just okay. Kara Brown gets the writing credit, and the script goes overboard making Maslany sympathetic and Harrison terrible. I can’t remember what shitty thing Harrison’s doing, but Maslany should’ve just left at some point. Like, her only family member there is the stoner cousin, played to two or three-line perfection by Nicholas Cirillo. And then there’s a whole night with Jamil at the wedding venue (they had to get there Wednesday) where she and Maslany could bicker or something.

Plus, Jamil’s not the show’s best casting. A little goes a long way because, at some point, she has to realize Maslany can crush her head like a grape, only she never does, even though they superpower-fought in the first episode. So it’s the part too. She’s too many contradictory kinds of bad at once.

The lawyer plot has Ginger Gonzaga teaming up with Renée Elise Goldsberry to defend David Pasquesi in some divorce cases. Pasquesi’s known as “Mr. Immortal,” and whenever his wives yell at him, he kills himself to widow them and move on. Pasquesi’s great, Goldsberry and Gonzaga are an excellent team (six episodes in, and I don’t think Gonzaga’s actually helped Maslany on a case yet)—it’s the superhero lawyer show; it’s perfect.

It’s just got a weird wedding thing going on next to it. Good direction from Anu Valia at least keeps the nuptials moving along.

Then there’s a very dark cliffhanger, which again suggests Disney’s not going to shy away from the trolls in its properties’ fan bases.

Can’t wait. Hope there’s literal troll-hunting by episode nine.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) s01e05 – Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans

There aren’t any big guest stars this episode; it’s all regular cast—including Renée Elise Goldsberry getting a big part after showing up in the background for an episode. Two episodes? Did I sleep through a scene in the first episode where they introduced the law firm staff? Because they really should’ve. Especially since Josh Segarra’s back this episode, and no one says his name (it’s “Pug”), so if you weren’t paying attention for his minimal involvement an episode or two ago… he’s basically just some dude.

But forgetting the characters not being introduced by name, this episode is the law firm sitcom I’ve been waiting for. Tatiana Maslany has to go to court to fight for the “She-Hulk” moniker, and her ostensible nemesis Jameela Jamil starts a wellness brand with the name to be an asshole. Goldsberry represents Maslany and the two bond over lawyer stuff, but also the alter ego business. Their tactics are good both as legal show banter and character development. She-Hulk, the character, has an odd place in the Marvel Universe, someone who can change their appearance at will, without a secret identity; the show’s been staying pretty light on the psychology of it, but it’s nice to see it still affecting the arcs.

Then Ginger Gonzaga and Segarra have a subplot about trying to get Maslany clothes for both She-Hulking and not. It’s a strange delayed costume reveal arc, complete with an Easter egg reminding of the last time a Marvel show did such a delay. Albeit not a Disney+ one. Gonzaga and Segarra are fun together, even if the arc’s busywork.

Because it’s a law firm sitcom episode, not an “MCU movie star guest stars” episode. Though I’m not sure anyone’s thought out the legal ramifications of superheroes and trademarks yet in the MCU. Kevin Fiege should get on it.

Script credit to Dana Schwartz, Anu Valia directs; it’s exactly what it should be. I’m going to be so sad if the last episode doesn’t promise another season. “She-Hulk”’s what a Marvel show should be.