She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has straddled the line between humor and absurdity all season. A good Tatiana Maslany has overcome silly storylines by establishing an endearing protagonist. Jennifer Walters’ travails adjusting to her powers, dating, corporate life, and social media sexism were understandable. An idiotic finale tosses that exposition through a window. “Whose Show Is This?” lands with a stupid, exasperating thud. A cheeky attempt at cleverness backfires with an avalanche of dumb reveals and twists. Her ability to break the fourth wall fixes a formulaic ending and pokes fun at Marvel Studios. It doesn’t work and encapsulates the show’s flaws.
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Spoiler WarningAn opening montage recaps the season with a nod to “The Incredible Hulk” classic 70s series. Jen wakes up in a DODC cell. Mallory (Renée Elise Goldsberry), Nikki (Ginger Gonzaga), and Pug (Josh Segarra) bail her out of prison with a plea deal. She has to wear an inhibitor and can no longer transform into She-Hulk. A depressed Jen moves back with her parents. She loses her job at GLK&H.
An irate Jen wants to sue Intelligencia for defamation. Nikki decides to infiltrate the site and unmask the HulkKing. Jen escapes to Emile Blonsky’s (Tim Roth) wellness retreat. Nikki posts a video of Jen dancing in college to gain Intelligencia access. She’s invited to a secret meeting, and then uses Pug as her cover incel. He banters with the disgusting misogynists that despise She-Hulk. The revolting Todd (Jon Bass) reveals himself as the HulkKing. He takes the stage to introduce their speaker.
The Abomination walks into the room to an ovation. On cue, Jen also enters stupefied. The meeting is being held at Emile’s compound. He’s being paid to speak. Todd gloats about stealing Jen’s blood. He sent Josh (Trevor Salter) to seduce her. Todd injects himself and ‘roids into a hulk. Suddenly, the wall crashes down as Titania (Jameela Jamil) and Bruce (Mark Ruffalo) inexplicably join the fray.
Jen Storms the Marvel Studios Writers Room
Disney Platform Distribution
A disgusted Jen interrupts the narrator. This is a ridiculous ending. She turns into She-Hulk, crawls out of the frame into the Disney+ portal, and storms to the Marvel Studios writers room. Jen lambasts them for turning her life into a spectacle with last-minute plot changes. After signing an NDA, she tosses off Marvel goons to reach K.E.V.I.N.
Drum roll please, the Knowledge Enhanced Visual Interconnectivity Nexus, is an AI that creates MCU movies using algorithms. Jen complains that Marvel movies are all the same. She doesn’t think women are portrayed fairly. Jen wants to drop the big-budget superhero shenanigans and get back to fixing her life. K.E.V.I.N. acquiesces and agrees to update the finale.
Outside the compound, Todd is arrested. Jen promises to sue him. Thus disappointing Titania’s hope for a beat down. Emile admits to breaking his probation. He’s returned to his cell at the DODC for a ten-year stint. Daredevil (Charlie Cox) appears for the feel-good boyfriend ending. Matt Murdock sits with her family for lunch. He laughs with Jen as her parents ask how much money he makes. Bruce arrives from Sakaar with a guest. He’s brought his son, Skaar. Days later, She-Hulk climbs court steps as a confident lawyer. She’s suing Todd and Intelligencia. A mid-credits scene has Wong (Benedict Wong) rescuing Emile from his cell and taking him to Kamar-Taj.
Related: She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Mid-Season Review: Superhero Sitcom Needs a Smarter Approach
Failed Self-Deprecation
Marvel Studios
Insert WTF here. So… at any point in time… Jen could have stopped the show and changed it to her liking. She could have found love, dealt with Titania, and dropped her sexist internet trolls in an instant. Showrunner Jessica Gao and director Kat Coiro bomb spectacularly with K.E.V.I.N. The hack effort to lampoon MCU storylines and Kevin Feige isn’t clever, but an incredibly foolish attempt at self-deprecation.
Skaar’s introduction saves the finale from being a complete failure. I look forward to further Hulk characters with better plots. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law took its premise to the basement. It tried to address pertinent themes with comedy and flopped. My premiere comparisons to Ally McBeal and Fleabag were too generous. Those shows were sharply written. She-Hulk devolves when it had a chance to be smart and meaningful.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a production of Marvel Studios. The first season is available in its entirety on Disney+.
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