“A Normal Amount of Rage”

The Marvel Cinematic Universe expands once again by introducing Bruce Banner’s cousin, Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Female characters in comics are often created under the premise of being the female version of a male hero. Examples include Supergirl, Batwoman and, of course, She-Hulk. Over the years different writers were able to reinvent these characters to give them their own identity distinct from the character that inspired their creation but the comparison will always be there. That comparison provides fodder for storytelling, especially in superhero stories where reconciling a new identity is usually a big part of the origin story process.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law leans into the fact that Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) becomes a female Hulk. She spends a lot of time with her cousin, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) exploring her new normal and being given pointers on how to live with what she has become. Bruce Banner once was a tragic figure in the MCU. He used to spend every day looking over his shoulder in case those who wanted to exploit what he had become had caught up with him. On top of that, he lived in constant fear of the monster within him being released and causing incalculable harm to those it comes into contact with. The duality between Hulk and Bruce was a major fixture in his earlier appearances and Bruce wanted to be rid of what he considered to be a curse. A high-level comparison is Jekyll and Hyde but it’s much more than that and was explored to some extent.

Eventually, Bruce managed to find a way to control his inner monster. In Avengers: Endgame, he details that he managed to merge Bruce and Hulk in some way to create a complete being. In the case of that film, it seemed to be Bruce’s mind in Hulk’s body which invites questions around what happened to the Hulk. Thor: Ragnarok confirms that Bruce and Hulk were two separate beings after several references to “the other guy” in prior appearances so it stands to reason that Bruce has silenced the Hulk in some way, if not outright killed him though it has never been explained. This show addresses it through Bruce stating that he integrated the two identities but that doesn’t seem to be the case as the personality on display is still Bruce so the fate of Hulk is still an open question.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law sells itself as a legal procedural set in the MCU so it’s unlikely to be the show exploring the deep philosophical implications of two beings inhabiting a single body and what happens when one forces dominance. It is curious that the show would so overtly reference “the other guy” and bring back the analogy of hands on the wheel to simplify the idea of control without actually confirming one way or another and it’s certainly a personal frustration to not have it explored but it isn’t necessarily a flaw in this show. This is Jennifer’s story and Bruce is a supporting player in it so the focus is rightly on her.

Right away this show stands out as being different to what the MCU has delivered previously though that isn’t to say it’s different to the point of being inaccessible. One major callout is that Jennifer breaks the fourth wall in a very overt way. She talks directly to the audience and it’s used to set up the origin story flashback. Within that flashback, she breaks the fourth wall with Bruce looking on in confusion which suggests other characters will notice her doing this which may provide fodder for some comedy down the line. Breaking the fourth wall is a trait common to She-Hulk in the comics but in the context of this show, it immediately establishes a more tongue-in-cheek approach and invites the audience to settle into its lighter touch while offering direct insight into Jennifer’s thoughts and feelings as she provides commentary on a given situation. This episode barely uses the technique so it isn’t overwhelming.

Jennifer is immediately an engaging character. The very first scene establishes her role as a lawyer and that she’s very good at what she does. Practising an argument that she will soon deploy in court shows that she is well prepared and takes her job seriously. Her male colleague looking to take her place sets up the sexism that will challenge her in her professional life. It’s a very quick scene but establishes so much and does so efficiently. Tatiana Maslany is completely at home in the role and imbues Jennifer with believable intelligence and confidence while expertly juggling the comedic with the dramatic.

Much of the episode deals with her adjusting to the new normal of being a Hulk. The opening scene establishes that she is a Hulk and has come to terms with it judging by how casually she remarks on it during the fourth wall break before transitioning to the flashback to explain how this came about. She becomes She-Hulk following a car accident that accidentally mixes some of Bruce’s blood with hers. Later, Bruce explains to her that there’s something rare about her DNA that allows her to Hulk out but the episode isn’t concerned with long scientific explanations. The takeaway is that Bruce understands why it happened and the focus should be on dealing with the fact that things are different.

One major difference between Jennifer and her cousin is that her Hulk doesn’t come with an alternate personality. She is still Jennifer when she changes which suggests that Bruce has some psychological issue that created a secondary personality that attached itself to the Hulk. Jennifer being herself in both forms skips a lot of Bruce’s lesson plan as a lot of his early work focused on preventing the change because it was something he couldn’t control. Since Jennifer retains control the focus shifts to controlling the change itself. This lends itself to some effective comedy such as Bruce encasing her in a chamber of horrors that will result in death should she fail to transform or waking her up with an air horn to test what triggers her transformation. Once again, the light touch is prominent.

Bruce only has his experience to go on which centred around controlling his rage since anger and stress were triggers for his transformation. Jennifer points out that she has become an expert at controlling her rage simply by being a woman. She cites examples such as being catcalled in the street or dealing with being dismissed in her professional life. Controlling rage is necessary in simply living her life because expressing the anger that she feels within her wouldn’t be accepted. It makes reference to the double standard that exists between men and women in the workplace as well as society in general and Jennifer’s account of it suggests a frustration on her part along with a grudging acceptance that for now, it’s the way things are. In the context of her Hulk training, it highlights that she doesn’t have to learn a lesson in control in the same way because she is already far more adept at managing rage than Bruce.

That isn’t to say that Bruce has nothing to offer as his experience of being a Hulk is something that Jennifer can learn from. A comedically charged montage shows him imparting lessons about how to control and make use of the benefits of being a Hulk. Amusingly, Jennifer surprises him by nailing every lesson vert quickly. It alters Bruce’s perception as he had been focused on the negative aspects without considering what is positive about being a Hulk. This neatly shows that Bruce has something to learn from Jennifer and makes the training a more collaborative experience.

The Jennifer/Bruce dynamic is a lot of fun. Their natural back and forth makes them feel like cousins with a history. They challenge one another and are prone to childish bickering while having clear affection for one another. Their fight when Jennifer insists on going back to her life is a dialled-up family squabble and there’s a general sense of comfort when they interact. Bruce visibly becomes more relaxed the more time he spends with her and starts to have fun with being the Hulk possibly for the very first time. Details like their belching contest are a great way of showing that as well as Bruce eventually coming around to the idea that being a Hulk doesn’t have to be a curse that necessitates cutting ties with normal life.

In general, the episode is wonderfully paced, does comedy well and delivers excellent characterisation but it’s light on impact in places. Jennifer becoming a Hulk is a major change in her life but it isn’t taken as seriously as it should. There’s a brief moment of confusion before she accepts it and the episode transitions into Bruce training her. This show is comedic in nature and never suggests anything else but it’s jarring to spend almost no time on Jennifer reacting to what has happened to her. In context, it’s treated as an inconvenience rather than a life-altering change that will change how she approaches everything in life. The closest analogue would be a diagnosis of an illness that has to be continually managed such as diabetes. It’s something that can be managed but demands integrating the management of it into your daily routine.

Largely skipping over considering the wider implications of such a radical shift in personal status quo stands out though Jennifer’s unflinching determination to return to the life and career she has built for herself may manifest as a form of denial in later episodes. In the context of this episode it’s explained to her that she’s now a Hulk, she questions it briefly and then almost immediately moves on to the next phase. It’s far too quick and buries the idea that her life has completely changed under the comedy. It is in keeping with the clear intent of the show as established in this episode but trivialising the transformation in this way is limiting.

---

Verdict

A strong opening to the latest entry in the MCU with excellent characterisation, impressive pacing and a natural command of comedy. Right away this show stands out as being different to what the MCU has delivered previously but not to the point of being inaccessible. The fourth wall breaks establishes the tongue-in-cheek approach and invites the audience to settle into its lighter touch while offering direct insight into Jennifer’s thoughts and feelings as she provides commentary on a given situation. Jennifer is immediately an engaging character with the very first scene establishing her role as a lawyer and that she’s very good at what she does. Her male colleague looking to take her place sets up the sexism that will challenge her in her professional life. Tatiana Maslany is completely at home in the role and imbues Jennifer with believable intelligence and confidence.

Much of the episode deals with her adjusting to her new normal of being a Hulk. One major difference between Jennifer and her cousin is that her Hulk doesn’t come with an alternate personality. Since Jennifer retains control the focus shifts to controlling the change itself. This lends itself to some effective comedy such as Bruce encasing her in a chamber of horrors that will result in death should she fail to transform or waking her up with an air horn to test what triggers her transformation. Once again, the light touch is prominent. Jennifer pointing out to Bruce that she is already an expert in controlling her rage simply by being a woman along with examples of where she has to exert that control makes reference to the double standard that exists between men and women In the context of her Hulk training, it highlights that she doesn’t have to learn a lesson in control in the same way because she is already far more adept at managing rage than Bruce. He still has plenty to offer her as shown through a comedically charged montage where Jennifer nails every lesson very quickly. It alters Bruce’s perception as he had been focused on the negative aspects without considering what is positive about being a Hulk. This neatly shows that Bruce has something to learn from Jennifer and makes the training a more collaborative experience. The Jennifer/Bruce dynamic is a lot of fun. They feel like family with a history and bounce off each other well. As good as the approach to Jennifer adapting to her new normal is, it’s light on impact. The implications of the change are quickly dismissed in favour of having fun with her powers. She initially treats the change as an inconvenience rather than a life-altering change. It’s far too quick and buries the idea that her life has completely changed under the comedy. It is in keeping with the clear intent of the show as established in this episode but trivialising the transformation in this way is limiting.

We’d love to know your thoughts on this and anything else you might want to talk about. You can find us on Facebook and Twitter or just leave a comment in the comment section below. You’ll need an account for Disqus but it’s easy to set up. Don’t forget to share your rating in the “User Review” box

If you want to chat to me directly then I’m on Twitter as well.