Overall Thoughts: Light, humorous MCU story is daring at times, a bit too edgy at times, but overall a decent return to Phase 1 form.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law might sound outlandish for those not familiar with the comics, but it's actually a decent concept. A lawyer wishing not to become a superhero getting her cousin's superpowers. And breaks the fourth wall. And, solves some pretty cool cases. And, also, gets to Hulk around at times too. The result is a show that's funny, perhaps a bit too edgy in places, a little weird in places.
That being said, I feel like She-Hulk is close to the same vibes that the first two Iron Man movies and the first Hulk movie brought. There's an off-kilter sense of humor and fun here, as well as a sense of simplicity in its storytelling that avoids being convoluted. Yes, it's connected to the MCU (whether Jen Walters likes it or not). Yes, there's cameos and special appearances in some episodes. But, thankfully, these moments don't spoil Jen's growth as a character (she would not allow it, trust me!).
As Jen, Tatiana Maslany brings a self-aware, sometimes snarky, yet also sympathetic persona as Walters. She also does a nice job with the superhero side of things as well. I hope we see more of her in the MCU going forward. As for supporting roles, Ginger Gonzaga is OK (if not exactly inspired) as Jen's best friend Nikki. Jameela Jamil's villain does a little better as a foil for Jen's character. Mark Linn-Baker and Tess Malis Kincaid are solid as Jen's parents. Appearing in a handful of episodes, it's nice to see Mark Ruffalo again get to be a mentor of sorts here. Yet, his role is limited enough to not overshadow Jen. I will not spoil other appearances.
The visual effects here are solid for a TV show (not without a few hiccups here and there, however), with Jen's transformation an overall success. The music score is solid as well, including a solid end credits suite by Amie Doherty.
As far as story and pacing go, the episodes that do not quite click are episodes 5 and 8. Those go in directions that seem a little too off-kilter for Marvel and the series in general. Both episodes feel like unnecessarily episodic detours as well, without really advancing the series' story too much. Only the final few minutes of the eighth episode set up a finale. And thankfully, Episode 9 wraps everything up in a surprising, very interesting way (I will not spoil it, but it had me pretty surprised).
The episodes run at about 35 minutes apiece. On the positive side, this keeps the overall pacing fairly quick. On the downside, some plotlines feel a little too TV like and not cinematic in a few places. That being said, especially in the final episode, it's clear that the writers were not aiming for a real cinematic event here. So, I guess it all evens out in a messy way that's both a positive and a detract.
In the end, She-Hulk is a bit of a refreshing change of pace for Marvel. The legal comedy bit is entertaining, and Maslany is a winner as Jen. There's also enough MCU connections (and surprise appearances) to keep everyone excited. While its' a little too adult for young superhero fans, for older teenagers and up, its' a fun diversion. Not a classic on the level of WandaVision or Loki, but definitely middle of the pack for Disney+ shows so far.
Grade: B
