Finally, a decent episode of “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.” After seven weeks of absolute garbage writing coupled with garbage direction and accompanied by some of the most god-awful cinematography and rushed VFX work I’ve ever seen, at last, we’ve got an episode that’s watchable. But is that saying much? Because when you get the cinematic equivalent of tasteless junk food for seven weeks straight and then get something that’s edible, of course, it’s going to seem good. And it seems like that has been the modus operandi of the Marvel Cinematic Universe for some time now: not doing the bare minimum and then covering up their ineptitude with a touch of nostalgia. That nostalgic element in the case of “She-Hulk” is Matt Murdock/Daredevil (Charlie Cox), and the showrunners’ handling of the character does cover up how bad the show has been up to this point.
Spoilers Ahead
Jennifer Walters Gets Lawyered Out By Matt Murdock
The episode opens with Leapfrog (Brandon Stanley) filing a case against Luke Jacobson (Griffin Matthews) for giving him a super suit that malfunctioned while he was trying to be a hero and gave him third-degree burns. Jennifer (Tatiana Maslany) doesn’t want to take up the case because Luke is her costume designer too. And she’s afraid that if she goes up against him, he’s not going to make her gala dress. But Holliway (Steve Coulter) pressures her into it, and she requests Luke to take some responsibility for Leapfrog’s injuries. Luke, obviously, reacts violently by tearing up Jennifer’s gala dress and telling her that he is not going to make any more dresses for her. Jennifer says that that means they are going to have to go to court to settle this whole matter.
Matt Murdock makes a dashing entrance at the court to reveal that he’s the one who is representing Luke and immediately asks the judge to reject the motion to compel the production of the defendant’s client list. Why does Jennifer need Luke’s client list, you ask? Well, because she thinks she can prove that Leapfrog isn’t the first person who has dealt with his faulty costumes. So, if there’s a pattern, Luke can be proven guilty of being an irresponsible costume designer. Matt reminds Jennifer and the court that the Sokovia Accords have been repealed, and that means that a superhero is well within their rights to seek anonymity. And since Luke exclusively deals with superhero costumes, outing his client list would completely go against their right to privacy. On top of that, Leapfrog reveals he used jet fuel in his suit – thereby ignoring the manufacturer’s explicit instructions – and Jennifer loses against Matt.
Jennifer Walters And Daredevil Team Up To Nab Leapfrog
After the court proceedings, Matt meets Jennifer to ensure that they aren’t on bad terms professionally and personally. They make small-talk about the nature of their job, how they have to choose between clients that’ll pay the bills and clients who really need their help but aren’t that privileged, and how Jennifer can use the law to help those who have failed by society and use She-Hulk to help people who have been failed by the law. As Jennifer starts to feel something for Matt, a text from Todd (Jon Bass) and a call for Matt kill the mood of that moment. And as they part ways to deal with their respective “calls of duty,” it seems that Matt is developing feelings for Jennifer, too, as he tries to say something to her, laughs awkwardly, and leaves with a “nice meeting you.”
Jennifer’s dinner with Todd goes horribly as he tries to flirt with her while showing off the Wakandan spear he has just bought from an auction. Jennifer shows him his place and tells him that he is going to bill him for a whole hour. After returning home, she gets a call from Leapfrog, who is being chased by Daredevil. Jennifer debuts her She-Hulk costume and gets into a little fight with Daredevil. When she finds out that Matt is actually the Daredevil, she stops the fight and asks him what’s his deal. Matt says that Leapfrog isn’t actually a good guy. He is the villain in this case, and he has kidnapped Luke and is currently forcing him to make a new super suit for him. They partake in some Marvel “banter,” which is the franchise’s age-old custom of poking fun at their own existence, before heading to the Lily Pad (Leapfrog’s lair) to stop Leapfrog.
‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’ Episode 8: Ending Explained – Jennifer Walters Has A “Carrie” Moment
While breaking into the Lily Pad, Daredevil and Jennifer have a funny disagreement about how they are going to tackle Leapfrog and his henchmen/goons (apparently known as Tadpoles). Daredevil wants to go in stealthily, while Jennifer wants to smash her way in. Daredevil tells her to follow his lead, thereby setting up a hallway fight sequence (just like the ones from the Netflix shows). But, since it’s Disney-Marvel and since the showrunners prefer bathos over sincerity (while thinking it’s some smart form of subversion), the potential hallway fight sequence is interrupted by She-Hulk. They then proceed to take Leapfrog down, free Luke (who agrees to make her a gala dress) and return to Jennifer’s home to have sex. To be honest, I’m glad that they didn’t do a hallway fight because the fight choreography in every Phase 4 Marvel IP has been disgusting. “She-Hulk” is no different. I hope Matt gets his due in “Daredevil: Born Again.”
The following day, Matt does the “walk of shame” in his Daredevil costume, something that Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga) notices on her way to Jennifer’s house and realizes that he and Jennifer hooked up. But Jennifer doesn’t get to relish this moment as she is rushed by Nikki to get ready for the gala. Talking about the gala, it starts smoothly and then devolves into absolute mayhem as the terror group known as Intelligencia leaks Jennifer’s sex tape in front of everyone. This sends She-Hulk into a full-blown rampage, and she destroys the venue. The whole scene feels hugely reminiscent of “Carrie,” with Jennifer becoming the one thing she never wanted to be and the one thing that people think she is (even if they don’t say it out loud all the time): a monster. As the Department of Damage Control arrives to subdue her, she breaks the fourth wall one last time. This time, she doesn’t quip or joke as she knows she has done something irreparable.
See More: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’ Season 1: Ending, Explained – Is K.E.V.I.N. The Real Villain Of The MCU?
