From giving us a little heart attack by displaying Disney+’s home page to Daredevil falling from the sky, the finale of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was unexpected and refreshing on all accounts! (Might I say, she even gave Deadpool a run for his money?)
The finale was a brilliant conclusion to Season 1. Refusing to indulge in a formulaic superhero-versus-villain showdown, Jennifer Walters uses breaking the fourth wall as a creative solution for the show’s final problem.
There’s quite a lot to talk about, so let’s get the court in session!
1. Points in Favor
As soon as Ep 8 aired, fans and media outlets alike sprang into speculations of what the finale would behold—Hulks in all shapes, sizes, and colors, a slew of villains, and more. But the bigger question was what would She-Hulk do after being put into such a compromising position and being framed as a raging monster?
At first, the episode tricks us into thinking it’s going to be one huge showdown. There’s a gathering of Intelligencia led by Todd, Emil’s villainous betrayal, and another appearance by Titania, who just happens to hate She-Hulk for any reason she can find.
They even managed to add Nikki acting suspicious and Bruce hauling down from space to that mix!
I’ve said this plenty of times, but the show being so acutely self-aware is one of its biggest strengths. On the surface, the finale shows us that the Intelligencia is She-Hulk’s main antagonist this season. But you can’t deny that the spineless Todd being their leader is a letdown.
Now look at it this way—aren’t the Intelligencia nothing but a bunch of trolls we’ve encountered plenty of times online? Those who have review-bombed the show, criticized She-Hulk’s twerking on Twitter, and rolled their eyes at her talking about “woke” women’s issues, among other things.
Going super meta, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law depicts that the real villain lies on the other side of the screen.
The show has always been one step ahead of us. The finale was aptly titled “Whose Show Is This,” giving us enough clues that not only will Jen reclaim the problematic situation in front of her, but also the direction of her life and the show.
Exiting the screen and going back to the Disney+ homepage is not going to help either, as She-Hulk literally obliterates the fourth wall and goes behind the scenes to where her destiny is being decided.
We meet She-Hulk’s writers, tackle Marvel Studios’ high security, and come face to face with the man behind it all. Oops, I mean AI, K.E.V.I.N. That got a good chuckle out of me!
Jen makes sure to drop some truth bombs, especially about MCU’s creative decisions and trajectory. (Fingers crossed, they pay heed to it.) Lastly, but most importantly, she rewrites her show’s ending, because this is her show after all.
The ending is quite wholesome. The bad guys are punished without any unnecessary drama or infrastructural damage, there’s a lot more of Matt Murdock than expected (yay!), and Jen promises to deliver justice, be it as an attorney or a superhero.
Plus, can I get a hurrah for the recap clip that paid a wonderful tribute to The Incredible Hulk series?
2. The Jury Is Disappointed in…
The finale is not fully without its bumps or criticisms. The most obvious complaint is that there was too little of it!
Jennifer reaffirmed her stance that She-Hulk is a legal comedy, and as such, the run-time is shorter than the other Disney+ shows. Still, it would’ve been nice if the finale was the exception to this rule.
Because we spend so much time breaking the fourth wall, the show brushes away some really important questions:
- Is Todd really the ultimate, big bad villain responsible for Intelligencia? On what grounds did the police suddenly arrest him? Does that mean we won’t see any more of the real Intelligencia in the MCU?
- The real douche of the show, who we all hate, is Josh. Yet, he’s missing altogether and isn’t made answerable for his actions. Jen getting closure on that matter would’ve been satisfying, to say the least. Please, Season 2, let’s give Josh what he deserves!
- Lastly, did Todd/the Intelligencia steal Jen’s blood or not? I know, she “erased” Todd becoming a Hulk courtesy of her blood, but everything else is quite vague around that situation.
3. Closing Statement
In the face of complaints outlining how saturated the MCU is or how it is preoccupied with setting larger events than telling good stories, She-Hulk provides a relatable, funny, and introspective break from the commercial superhero universe.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law revolutionized the comic book quirk of breaking the fourth wall and delivered an ending that no one saw coming. The finale is evidence enough; I rest my case.
4. About She-Hulk: Attorney at Law
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is an American superhero television series created by Jessica Gao for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, the show is a part of Phase Four of the MCU.
Jennifer Walters, Attorney to superhumans, must balance her job and identity as She-Hulk and decide which path is for her. Her journey is hurdled by dangerous enemies like The Abomination and Titania. Her cousin Bruce Banner trains her to live life as a green-skinned superhero.
The comedy-legal drama premiered on Disney+ on August 17, 2022, with weekly episodes every Wednesday. The show stars Tatiana Maslany, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Roth, Jameela Jamil, Benedict Wong, and Charlie Cox.
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