She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- Whose Show Is This?

 "Bruce smashes buildings. I smash fourth walls and bad endings. And sometimes Matt Murdock."

Those who dislike postmodernism, self-referentialism, Jacques Derrida, Police Squad, The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, and other jolly japes with the fourth wall, will not like this finale. Many, but by no means all, of said critics, will not be aware that violence to the fourth wall have been a fixture of the character of She-Hulk ever since those dim and distant days when John Byrne was on speaking terms with Marvel.

This finale, a splendid, sparkling, first class conclusion to a series which has generally been good but not necessarily great, is a masterpiece. It takes that absolutely traditional She-Hulk style and applies it to a different medium. Yes, it makes no sense that Jen would be in so much trouble for property damage. Yes, the online toxic baddies make no sense- although, to be fair, nor do real life right wing virgin keyboard warrior bros, many of whom have genitals almost as tiny as Andrew Tate's.

And then the contrived attempt at a climax- Abomination, Titania, Hulk, Todd Hulk... yeah, I love how Jen takes control and gives the creative team a piece of here mind. I love K.E.V.I.N. (a tribute to H.E.R.B.I.E. is probably in the mix) and the metatextual riffing on MCU storylines. This is unique television gold.

Also, the opening tribute to the '70s TV show is enough in itself to elevate this episode to greatness.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- Ribbit and Rip It

 "Why do you pretend to be blind, man? Cos that is really problematic."

Before we get to you-know-who, because it's Jen's show... this is a superb screwball comedy and equally superb as a pre-finale. I love how the episode ends with, er, a bang, and Jen blatantly lampshades to us that there are a few minutes left to go, which will be followed by a twist. And oh, what a twist. Is Jen ruined? Do the haterswant not to kill her, but to doxx and troll her? Such is the age we live in.

But yeah, Daredevil, with that retro, pre-issue #7 costume. Charlie Cox being awesome. The simultaneous rivalry and flirting, with the inevitable conclusion. Jen finally finding the right man. And, er, Leapfrog being an utterly hilarious character, although I love the prickliness of Luke Jacobson.

It's all aboit the screwball comedy, though, and both leads nail it in both acting and charisma. Also, I know we've seen Matt on the big screen in the definitely proper MCU, but this is your actual Daredevil. Let'ds not let the guest star take over, though. It its own right this is a bloody good episode in a series which has impressed but not always dazzled.,

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- The Retreat

 "Spanish is a language, not a nationality, so..."

"You've never heard of Spain?"

In fact, Spanish is a nationality but not a language, which I think you'll find is called Castilian. God, even I know that was bloody pedantic,

Anyway, this episode is enormou fun, with the plot contriving to get Jen to Emil Blponsky's ranch of New Age nonsense, where he and a bunch of hilariously realised crap baddies from the comics (yes, Man-Bull, Porcupine and El Aguila are now in theb MCU...) somehow help Jen get over being dumped.

Yet there's more to it, I think. The script doesn't side with Blonsky and his twaddle, but mocks it. Jen has every right to be angry at the Wrecker, and the others are wrong to de-legitimise the anger of a woman assaulted by a man. 

The early scenes are heartbreaking. Jen and Josh start their relationship with a dating montage, only for Jen to wake up alone and be on tenterhooks for the next text, as we all have been with a new partner. The reveal at the end is shocking- all Josh ever wanted was to steal Jen's secrets, all on behalf of those online haters whom Jen casually dismisses as "losers".

Things are clearly about to go very, very wrong. And this continues to be highly entertaining telly.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- Just Jen

 "Yes, itr's a self-contained wedding episode."

Another short little sitcom episode ensues with more fourth wall-breaking, this time by playing with the tropes of mid-seasdon wedding episodes. So Jen-powerful and successful- is a bridesmaid at a wedding where none of that matters, she's not one of the queen bees and is expected to act as a servant, and her achievements mean mothing besides the mere fact of her singledom. Ouch

Ginger and Mallory get a nice little sub-plot with Mr Immortal, who is no Great Lakes Avenger here but someone who just temporarily dies to avoid conflict, leading to some rather amusing relationship problems, and all because he can't avoid conflict.

Jen, of course, is stuck in a trap from Titania but, once green, is easily able to defeat her. She seems to have found a nice man too. All seems to be going well. But Bruce is missing. And on the Internet there are rumours that there are those who wish her ill.

This is not, perhaps, the greatest episode but nevertheless it makes for entertaining viewing. We now seem to be moving into the endgame with a season arc becoming prominent...

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- Mean, Green and Straight Poured into These Jeans

 "I own who I am!"

Yet again this is short, bvery short, a thirty minute sitcom episode. And it's based on a very sitcom premise, of Titania frivolously patenting the name She-Hulk to sell a load of old tat. Personally I love it, and how the solution is for Jen to humiliate herse;f via parading her recent dating history.

Some won't, of course, and I see the iMDb ratings are low, which I assume reflects polarisation. Those who like loads of ultra-testosterone-fuelled action will find little to enloy here. But the rest of us are having a great time, and not only becaudse of the Daredevil tease (retro custume?) at the end. The idea of a superhero tailor is well-handled, so much so that we'll forget the idea having appeared in The Incredibles, another Disney property.

I love the Jen and Ginger double act. I love the courtroom stuff. This is pure sitcom. But it's bloody brilliant sitcom.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law: Is This Not Real Magic?

 "You can't own magic!"

This is, essentially, a sitcom. And, despite Jen's frequent fourth wall breaking ways, we're not talking WandaVision. This is a straight sitcom.

So both story strands here lampshade the suer-hero genre. We begin with a rather good magic show falling flat, because this is the MCU, and people hear magic all the time. We then learn that the magician is a failed student of the Mystic Arts, using just a little crap real magic. The joke is, of course, that Wong wants to sue him. And it's fun. Wong- played with nuanced excellence by Benedict Wong- is a funny character while also being dignified and heroic, not an easy thing to pull off.

The other strand is, of course, the tragedy of Jen's love life. All the men she meets are self-obsessed losers. At last, as She-Hulk, she meets a seemingly perfect man... and he takes right off as soon as he sees her as Jen. Ouch.

I'm loving this, despoite the Sopranos spoiler. But I suspect those less humour-inclined may not be.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- The People vs Emil Blonsky

 "I don't know about you, but I'd smash."

This is where She-Hulk really hits it's stride. I love everything about this episode, from Jen's little fourth wall breaking asides to the last minute, unexpected appearance of what is surely the Wrecking Crew. But the best bit is, of course, when Wong gets told he's confessed to unlawfully helping a prisoner escape... and promptly teleports away.

The A plot with Emil Blonsky's parole hearing is fun, with the inevitable comedy with Tim Roth being superb, and Wong's dramatic late entrance. There's also a nice little linked thread of She-Hulk's reputation being generated by the stupidity of the media and online world, with its incels and pathetic little boys. So she submits to an interview, which, er, goes well.

The B plot, with a shape changing Asgardian elf and Jen humiliating Dennis to win his case, is hilarious. But I'm sure Dennis will do somewthing nefarious before the season is over.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- Superhuman Law

 "That name better not stick."

After last week's superhero origin story, we now have the introduction of the format. After getting reluctantly fired by the firm and unemployed, Jen is hired by the opposition and given a swanky new office heading up a new Superhuman Law Division. But there's a catch. She has to practise, in the office and in court, as She-Hulk... and, yeah, she, er, loves the name.

And there's another catch: she has to represent Emil Blonsky, the Abomination, at his parole hearing, and Blonsky tried to kill her cousin. Fortunately, Bruce is fine with it, so all is seemingly well.

It's also nice to see Jen's family, including her parents, her cousin Ched and, I think, Bruce's parents. The scene is a joy, especially her close bond with her dad.

So many nice touches, too. I'm an old school fan, I know of Titania. Here, she is... an influencer?! Also, I love her dad asking the very pertinent question of whether Hawkeye retrieves his arrows. I noticed Blonsky's prison was run by Damage Control.

The format looks fun. I'm excited. Also, I presume the fact that Bruce is in that flying saucer from last episode will be followed up out of the confines of this particular serial. And I loved the Shang-Chi bombshell at the end.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law- A Normal Amount of Rage

 "The triggers are anger and fear."

"Those are like the baseline for any woman just existing."

The above quote sums up this hilarious, clever, delightfully meta first episode. Jennifer Walters is Bruce Banner's cousin and, this being an origin story, gets her powers. But the conceit is that, wonderfully, because she's a woman and has to control her anger every day, she stays totally in control when green and can just change at will, sometrhing which Bruce still cant do after fifteen years.

Jen is witty, likeable, very well written and portrayed, and her desire to just continue practising as a lawyer rather than be a superhero is fun and intriguing. Just as awesome, the breaking of the fourth wall, with Jen constantly addressing the camera, is present and correct, including the fourth wall breaking, which is going to be such fun.

I love the banter between Jen and Bruce, and the subtle, fun, feminist commentary. This is such a fun firsat episode. I'm excited.