She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 1 “A Normal Amount of Rage” Review: A Fun Lawyer Show with Tons of Roots in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Ever since Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings last year, I’ve accepted that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has eclipsed my admittedly rudimentary knowledge of Marvel comics. As a result, I have no idea why Shang-Chi, America Chavez, Gorr, or Ms. Marvel are essential parts of the direction of where the MCU is heading. Well, other than they are new characters that lead into teams I’m vaguely familiar with: the New Avengers and Thunderbolts.
So, when the first trailer for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was released, I had no basis for what to expect. Besides a very quick paragraph about her origin in the Marvel comics, I know nothing about She-Hulk or Jennifer Walters. Her most famous comics series, The Savage She-Hulk, ran years before I was even born, and even her 2004 series, She-Hulk, wasn’t something that even caught my attention at the time. But then, by the time She-Hulk regained a solo series, I was out of school and wasn’t reading comic books as much as I was in middle school.
Having watched the series opener, I’d say it’s somewhere between Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel in terms of how much I enjoyed the setup for the story that’ll unfold throughout the next eight episodes. It’s relatively simple and to the point, but with layers for the viewer to unpack upon each watch. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a lawyer show at its heart, but I get the sense that those expecting the traditional MCU landmarks from the other Disney+ shows like fights every episode and subtle references to the larger MCU will be peppered in throughout the season.
It may surprise you, but there’s not a ton to this episode’s story. In its 37-minute runtime (less, if you don’t count credits) “A Normal Amount of Rage,” the episode tells you how Jennifer Walters became She-Hulk, and how she adapts to it. It doesn’t spend all season getting there like Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, or Hawkeye. So, clearly, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law won’t just be a show about her origin story; it’s much more than that.
One pivotal moment where we key into that is what sets She-Hulk: Attorney at Law apart from the rest of the Disney+ MCU lineup. It knows it’s not a spy show like The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, an ode to Doctor Who like Loki, a multiversal tale like What If…?, a show about the failings of superheroes (although, I suspect it will go into that territory), a look at mental health issues, or anything of the sort.
What head writer Jessica Gao (who you may know from episodes of Silicon Valley) keys in on are the differences between Jennifer and Bruce. She’s not a man, so she’s not “always angry” like Bruce’s Hulk (more on this in a bit). She’s spent years (and owes thousands of dollars in student loans) building her life as a lawyer to become a superhero. She’s fine where she is. I don’t want to give too much away, but these key differences make She-Hulk: Attorney at Law a show I’ll probably review for the next couple of months. I don’t want a redo of the Lou Ferrigno Incredible Hulk show from the 1970s, I want something new, and Gao provides it in spades with her script.
Another great part of the episode is the direction by Kat Coiro. If you haven’t heard of her, check out Marry Me to get a feel of her style. Coiro allows this show to exist in these two worlds without one impeding the other. There are great moments like Jennifer Walters breaking the fourth wall to explain something to the viewer and little beats where Nikki Ramos gets to deliver one-liners that made me chuckle. Don’t get me wrong, this is still an MCU show on Disney+, so we get references out the wazoo, but anytime those moments came up, they felt natural, as opposed to other entries, where it feels a little forced.
Something I worried about going into the show was how Tatiana Maslany and Mark Ruffalo would play off each other. After all, Jennifer Walters and Bruce Banner are cousins, so they needed this chemistry that felt like they’d been bickering with each other all their lives. However, all my worries were cast aside as soon as I saw the two onscreen with each other. I won’t give away the scene, but there’s this recurring bit with chopsticks and hot Cheetos that locked it in for me. Bruce doesn’t understand it and is somewhat disgusted by the concept, but once Jennifer explains it, he’s good.
While I’m talking about Jennifer, let’s talk about Tatiana Maslany’s performance as Jennifer Walters. I had no doubts about her ability to portray an emotionally complex character like Jennifer, as I’d seen bits and pieces of Orphan Black. In this BBC series, she plays multiple characters. However, my faith is shaken in her a little with her performance here. There’s very little emotional complexity she brings to Jennifer. From moment one, she’s pretty confident in her abilities as She-Hulk to the point where I was disinterested just about anytime she was in Hulk form. It’s not a bad performance, but it’s a head-scratching one for sure, given that I know Maslany is capable of a much better performance.
As much hubbub was made about the effects work in the trailers, put your worries to rest. I noticed no animation that looked rubbery, unnatural, or approaching the uncanny valley. Instead, both Hulks have this natural sheen that feels like it folds and stretches in believable ways. There’s even subsurface scattering around the lip and ear areas. Props to the teams at Digital Domain, Wētā FX, The Third Floor, capital T, Ingenuity Studios, and Soho VFX.
All I can say about She-Hulk: Attorney at Law at this point is that I’m very excited to see where it goes. This is new territory for a Disney+ series set in the MCU, and I hope that I’ll be able to rank this season (series?) amongst the likes of WandaVision or Loki.
★★★★★
The series opener is now available to stream on Disney+ every Thursday. Check back each week for my commentary and review of each episode.
If you’d like to listen to me watch the episode, click below to buy the commentary!
Until next time!
Thanks to Thomas Stoneham-Judge from Movies For Reel, Shane Conto, Joseph Davis, David Walters, Ambula Bula, Matthew Simpson, Thom Blackburn, Aaliyah, Libby Stephenson, Destiny, and Roze for supporting Austin B Media on Patreon!
