Refreshing and Hilarious, 'She-Hulk' is the Show Marvel's Been Missing All Along

This is a spoiler-free review of the first four episodes of 'She-Hulk: Attorney at Law'. Major plotlines and character cameos will be omitted from the article. 

Full disclosure, I am a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and have watched (and re-watched) nearly every Marvel project that's debuted in theatres and Disney+ thus far. So when I say She-Hulk: Attorney at Law's an MCU project unlike anything I've ever seen before, I mean it. Think: Suits meets New Girl; a delightfully humourous law comedy show that happens to be centred in a "superhero universe". 

First of all, the show does not follow the PG13 format of most Marvel shows and films. The humour used by Tatiana Maslany's character Jennifer Walters (otherwise known as She-Hulk) comes across as more "adult" as compared to her superhero counterparts. Walters is not one to shy away from making suggestive jokes and is very much the kind of extroverted and easygoing woman you'd meet at work, at a bar, or through a mutual friend.

She is, in other words, relatable and real in the way she approaches the situations or relationships (platonic or romantic) she finds herself in. The lawyer is just like any other woman – one who worries about her career, her family, and her dating life all in one. 

I couldn't help but observe the key differences between the Hulk and She-Hulk's origin stories when watching the show; the difference being Walters' fully content state in She-Hulk's form, which we know Bruce Banner struggled with for years before Avengers: Endgame.

Maslany's co-star Ginger Gonzaga shares the same sentiments in a statement: "The Hulk’s initial struggle is that he's out of control and it's primitive, [She-Hulk] is conscious in this other form and it's uncomfortable. You're watching this super thing very aware of how she is in the world and how she's being viewed – when she's special, when she's different, and when she has power. It's this other perfectly cerebral, complex, and funny thing that Tatiana's so gifted at that’s really cool to watch in comparison to the Hulk's journey."

As compared to other projects, She-Hulk did not fit the template of a typical MCU show. It rather felt like I was watching a fast-paced courtroom comedy about a woman who doubles as an otherworldly being when she needs to. Of course, there's also writer Jessica Gao to thank for the show's witty lines, managing to balance smart dialogue with true-to-life scenarios that are commonplace to modern-day career women. 

On top of that, I was also impressed by the supporting cast's ability to capture my attention in a short span of time per episode. Breakout stars Josh Segarra and Ginger Gonzaga were both able to hold their own alongside Maslany to introduce their dynamic characters to the MCU; a cast whose chemistry shone through on screen.