This is Part 2 of 2 discussing Disney+ Marvel from 2022. Check out Part 1 for discussions on Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – New Characters
Jennifer Walters / She-Hulk
Oh 😶 If controversy isn’t my middle name, it might be after this. Because the internet has been screaming at me for months (years!) that this is the death of the MCU right here… and I really liked this series. Apart from the first episode, and the last, which have glaring problems, this is pretty much exactly what I’ve been asking for from the MCU – to slow down, and take stock. Not every product has to introduce a new concept or be death-defying, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law gives the MCU a chance to look around and take stock of what’s been happening in a light-hearted manner. I love the casting of Tatiana Maslany – I think she fits the bill, as a plainish-looking good-Samaritan, that is able to handle the fourth-wall breaking schtick, that you can’t begrudge the MCU for wanting to get involved in, after Fox has had so much success with Deadpool. Apparently, the She-Hulk comic was originally designed with this tongue-in-cheek tone in mind anyway, so this is the perfect vehicle. As a vocal fan of the Netflix Marvel Knights series, I thought it would’ve been groovy if Jennifer Walters was hired by Jeri Hogarth, to represent those with abilities, since Hogarth had already had experience in the area, and could be a demanding boss – but I can’t get everything! Also, this series is set in Los Angeles, instead of New York, and although Hogarth could’ve moved in the years surrounding the blip… maybe Carie-Ann Moss was busy. You also couldn’t have the two-dimensional angle of playing on Jen’s boss as an uncaring white male, but I could leave that. Yet, the setting and storylines allow for Jen, and the wider MCU, to look around and survey Earth’s current landscape, now accustom with an array of magicians, and Asgardians, and botched scientific experiments alike, while concurrently dealing again in the street-level observations that have so severely been lacking since the Marvel Knights. Concerning Jen herself, she leads the series in what is a girly show, with dating tribulations, and those annoying men that just make life the worst – sure, it’s not always appealing to me, as a man, but not everything has to be for me, and that’s not to say these perspectives don’t have value. Sex in the City had resounding appeal for many years on television – a show I’ve always found personally icky in my limited interactions – but that doesn’t mean I begrudge its success. Having said all that, I certainly feel there was enough in this show that kept me involved. The series, and classic superhero value, is at its best when Jen is coming to terms with how she wants She-Hulk to be perceived, and herself actually liking this new persona she initially tries hard to ignore. I like that where most superheroes strive to live up to the newfound responsibility, or cherish their new abilities, Jen is actively annoyed by hers at the beginning, proud of herself alone and the life she is trying to build. It’s new, it’s precious, it’s exciting! 😃 As for the first and last episode grumbles that I have, I’ll address the former later, but I just wish the last episode didn’t try to pre-empt the internet backlash with bad faith, and instead, just develop a kick-ass conclusion for its own. Unless you engage in the negativity 100% affectively, you just look self-conscious and petty, and while the show does hit on some validity – those hating on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law just for the sake of it – I keep coming back to Barbie, as a better example of displaying confidence in your product, and pride in your brand. If you can make a really good show, and people hate it, who cares? Positive emotion trumps bad emotion – Inception taught us that. But I also understand the attempt of what they were trying to do. The K.E.V.I.N robot was an interesting choice, and it probably couldn’t have existed in any other format to date, so I get the chance the show took to be something different.
Nikki Ramos & Augustus “Pug” Pugliese
These are Jen’s confidants; in her work and in her social lives. I really thought Nikki could have been accused of being a ghost for a while, just showing up wherever Jen needed her, across multiple workplaces and at her home. Nikki is Jen’s paralegal, and I don’t know how it works; are they hired by the firm, or do they follow a favoured lawyer around like an assistant coach? 🤷♂️ And Pug; he’s the male gal-pal, ready to put his male dignity on the line in the name of friendship – and I don’t write that as a criticism. Nikki and Augustus work well as competent lawyers, moral compasses and comic relief whenever the show needs it – that’s a triple threat. Nikki even has that episode where she puts her big-girl pants on and solves the quagmire of drama that comes from Mr. Immortal, and she does it all by herself. Ultimately, every superhero needs sidekicks, and these two are quality.
Mallory Book
In the background, Mallory Book gets to be the lawyer dramatically personifying the internal conflict that Jen also feels, as a woman trying to be taken seriously in the patriarchy. She sees Jen as a rival initially, but softens to find strength in numbers, and she’s the first most-qualified lawyer in this show that you’d want in your corner. Well, maybe after Matt Murdock 👀
Mary MacPherran / Titania
Yeah, I don’t know if we get enough of Titania in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law to formally like her one way or the other… She attacks twice, and acts as a parody when attacking again at the end…? The first time, when she busts through the court room door like the Cool Aid Jug, it comes with no context; and only plays the purpose of getting Jen to reveal herself as the She-Hulk. Then we are to understand that Titania owns a massive fashion label, and she’s now grumpy at the She-Hulk for interfering in her plans previously, which is fair enough; but what else do we know about her? Where does her super-strength come from? The show attempts to place her in the position of Rose Byrne in the wedding episode, as if taking Bridesmaids inspiration, but if this series was to get a season two, I’d hope Titania would be better fleshed out.
Todd Phelps / HulkKing
Jen was right – I totally don’t care about a super-blood super-Hulk saga, and I’m happiest going along with the idea that it didn’t happen. The internet troll storyline ultimately felt a bit contrived, considering Jen hadn’t really done anything that could be perceived as controversial. And since Todd ended up being the head of it, his role in the show is consequently wonky. But before that, he does act as one of the examples of how the male dating pool out there can be vane and shallow, and I wouldn’t debate that.
Donny Blaze, Leap-Frog, Runa, Mr. Immortal, Man-Bull, El Aguila, Saracen & Porcupine
These are all of She-Hulk’s fantastical and new supers-of-the-week, making up the plaintiffs and defendants in her court cases, as well as the few that help Jen channel her anger and insecurities at Blonsky’s Summer Twilights wellness retreat. I haven’t really seen Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D but I do wonder if they already established a looser format of introducing new supers that congeal with the dominant MCU narrative. I think, from memory, the Marvel Knights were pretty rigid in portraying all their supers as secret, so as an answer to how they weren’t known by Tony Stark or Nick Fury. But this approach in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law just confirms how the super’s barndoor is flung open, and there are many-many interacting with the general world every day now. As I’ve said before, we kind’ve knew that by now, and it’s nice to see how that’s going down. It’s hard to pick a favourite out of these colourful critters – Man-Bull and El Aguila surely have a funny relationship, Mr. Immortal has got himself into a peculiar sitcom style predicament with so many wives, and Runa, the shapeshifter, can certainly cause a heap of no good.
Megan Thee Stallion
And speaking of the supers-of-the-week, it isn’t unusual for a show with a sitcom style such as this to have guest stars show up every now and then either. Yes, many YouTubers have shown that clip of She-Hulk twerking with Megan Thee Stallion as proof of the death nail in the MCU coffin, and in seeing it for myself, I can’t believe how mild it is. It’s the show demonstrating how Jen can be girly and celebrate a victory like girls do with someone trendy in the music scene. Am I smitten by twerking? Not in the slightest. But I also don’t have a huge stick up my ass at the idea of people having harmless fun.
Madisynn King
😀Another shudder point for some, but again, not for me. Unfortunately, there are people like this allowed to exist in the world 😄 So seeing how they would conflict with the superhuman world is valid too. Madisynn is completely vapid, but she makes for an entertaining couch buddy next to the super serious Supreme Sorcerer Wong, in reality. She also works as a counterpoint to criticism that She-Hulk is ultra-feminist and anti-men, which is just not true, because the show is also out to depict a ditz, along with the control-freak chore of a women, Lulu, who’s wedding Jen attends. I think the best joke of the season may come with Madisynn recites her normal “….two N’s, one Y, but it’s not where you think!” and we see the opposition lawyer annoyedly cross out something on his notepad 🤣
Josh Miller
Josh is the serious love interest for Jennifer, whom she meets at her school friend’s wedding. He seems a pretty straightforward stand-up guy, until the plot needs him to be unexpectedly dastardly, and that’s about it.
Holden Holliway & Dennis Bukowski
Holliway is a pretty generic bully boss who always has the legal-ese for why the story of the day is allowed to happen. He assures Jen that the correct documentation has been signed, or what her contract states, to cattle-prod her in the direction of drama. As I’ve already mentioned, I would’ve preferred he be Jeri Hogarth, but that would be too interesting, now, wouldn’t it? 😤 And Dennis Bukowski is the resident jerk and dumbass that the show can point to; to indicate how unfair things can be in Jen’s life, and how unnecessarily difficult they can be too. I thought, at one point, the show was going to shift him into being a well-meaning fool with a heart of gold, perhaps more like the Todd in Scrubs, but that would be unnecessary.
Luke Jacobson
And speaking of the Marvel Knights own Jeri Hogarth (for a third time now), how cool would it have been if the costume fashion designer for the town’s supers, turned out to be old Melvin Potter, from Daredevil, now out and proud, of his booming agency. It would fulfil a link, as to how Matt Murdock and he know each other as well. But oh well, we get a snarky Luke Jacobson, and his type of character – prissy and short – has never been a favourite of mine. He’s a marvel with a needle and thread though.
Skaar
Yep, apparently Hulk has a son, who we only see for about 10 seconds of screen time and doesn’t say I word. So, I suppose he’s a peg for a future hole…? I don’t know if I want to know, and I don’t know if I care to know.
Jen’s Family (Morris, Walters Elaine Walters, and Ched)
Jen’s family are just there to show nobody is on the same wavelength as her, even at home. They’re not really worth giving another thought, although I’m glad the series didn’t lean too hard on Ched – Jen’s cousin – as being too hopeless and ignorant to function.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – Established Characters
Bruce Banner / Smart Hulk
Okay, here’s where the criticism of She-Hulk’s first episode comes in, and it intertwines with the Hulk. I’d agree that the first episode of She-Hulk is a mess; too rushed and blasé in its affect to get the show moving. The car crash, and transfer of blood that turns Jen into the She-Hulk is so coincidental, there’s no drama in it at all. And then Jen is able to become a sentient She-Hulk so quickly that Hulk loses his mind. I get that he is perturbed at how easily Jen is able to control herself, after it supposedly took Bruce years to master – and the show palms it off like, “oh well, tough luck, cuz-arino”. I get why Bruce is also overly cautious in testing She-Hulks limits, and how her getting out of hand could be catastrophic, and Jen is nothing but annoyed by how Bruce is smothering her. Jen, Bruce lost years of his life, fighting on a distant planet he didn’t even know how he got there – I know you’re stressed that you’re life has been turned upside down, but be a little nicer. The series also shows Bruce bumming about in band t-shirts, as if to say this cruisy guy is stuck in the mainstream and is misogynist, maybe. It’s a choice, and since we haven’t got to spend much time with Smart-Hulk since Avengers: Endgame, it’s interesting to gain any insight into his life. And the carefree attitude, that comes with the shirts, does jump off groundwork laid in ‘Endgame, where we see Bruce has let his fame go to his head a little somewhat, but I also don’t begrudge the man only finally getting a chance to relax after so many years, now that he and Hulk have made peace. So, what I’m saying is, I wouldn’t have a problem with the copious band shirts, if they didn’t come with the above outlined tensions, suggesting we totally take Jen’s side ✋ I didn’t know that Bruce could still opt out of Smart Hulk mode, and go back to looking completely human either – the cynic in me reckons that might just be to cut down on CGI. But it was really nice for the series, to allow Bruce Banner to tell us about his nights with Tony Stark, at their little island bar, and what he was doing after the blip 😌 As for debates, as to whether Steve Rogers was a virgin or not, I mean that’s the sort of girl-talk that drunk and curious girls are into, isn’t it, and I’m glad the incredible Bruce Banner was able to set his cousin straight 🙃
Emil Blonsky / Abomination
Ah, Abomination. So many conflicting emotions with his new role in the show. Firstly, I was extremely and pleasantly surprised to see him pop up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, after I thought he’d been forgotten, along with everything from The Incredible Hulk movie. Getting into She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, I really felt the drain on the idea that he was a reformed criminal who had found spirituality, and Jen had to defend him. I don’t think anyone cared about what Emil had been doing over the past few years, and if he was reformed or not. Also, I seem to remember Emil as an ambitious villain, embittered and rage-fueled by the events of his main movie, so softening him and giving him a new life is a shadow as successful compared to what the MCU did with Trevor Slattery. BUT people can change, and the more I thought about it, the more it made sense that Emil might’ve seen his younger self as a product entangled in a corrupt system, and working to let go of all that, had led to an intense spirituality – it’s quite deep, in actual fact, for a goofy show. And then, by the time he is a guru at his own retreat, he really becomes a valued ally of Jen, and I really like his turn. But then, the ending – I don’t believe Emil would risk going back to jail for corporate events, and especially such where he doesn’t know or care about the subject of the meeting 💁♂️ But, again, She-Hulk’s ending is entirely wonky, and I suppose it’s all just a means to an end, to get Emil back to where he started, making his little side-quest redundant in the grand scheme of things – a classic move by comics and TV shows, whereby if you miss an episode, it doesn’t matter because everything is back to normal.
Wong the Sorcerer Supreme
Wong was appropriately Wong in his part necessary to get Emil out of jail. But hereafter, I don’t know how the Sorcerer Supreme even cares about the American legal system or allows a disgraced former pupil to leave with any magical relic. Couldn’t Wong have just portaled himself a hole big enough to reach his hand through, and take the ring from Blaze when it was nappy time? Absolutely he could! But these are the sorts of absurd everyday scenarios that some comic books like to entertain, and there’s a bit of familiarity in that for me, while also allowing us a platform for our favourite characters to be shown in a different light. I know it’s a cartoon, but hasn’t Teen Titans Go! managed eight seasons and a movie out of it? I wouldn’t want Wong reduced to such trivialities anywhere else, but here, in a quirky show like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, it’s okay, once and a while.
Matt Murdoch / Daredevil
In a show about lawyers defending superheroes, Matt Murdoch HAD to be in this series, didn’t he? And I’m ultimately glad he was. But I can understand the criticism that Daredevil is way too smiley and jokey in his episodes to be taken seriously though, yet I chose to rationalize it in thinking he was only playing around with Jen, because he knew who she was and that she was no threat, in what is her first venture into the superhero game. Seeing that Daredevil helmet in real time, without spoilers ahead of time, would’ve been jaw-dropping. As for Matt playing Jen’s bitch, because he took a “walk of shame”, I don’t buy into that at all, and I thought their thirst hook-ups were funny and fine. I do understand the concern, however, that bringing Daredevil into the MCU could water him down, when we know Daredevil works best when dark hardcore. I know I wasn’t warm on Kingpin’s inclusion in Hawkeye either. But we’ve been assured by Disney, and Charlie Cox, that the new Daredevil: Born Again will be hard, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see… 🤘
Werewolf by Night
Add monsters to the Marvel mix. I want to think of this short like a live action What If? alternative universe, or an off-world planet – something that disconnects this from the rest of the MCU. Then again, I can see Werewolf by Night being essential groundwork that will become relevant in the upcoming Agatha All Along or Blade (no more). As a stand-alone story, it’s not the worst, and I like the idea of Marvel using their brand to expand in every genre of storytelling, which they pretty much do. This is their classic horror short, and the black and white aesthetic gives it the 1930s monster movie feel, quite rightly. The violence is still fairly tame for the modern standard, but incredibly advanced for Marvel, who usually prefer their material kid-friendly. As for the Bloodstone, it’s merely another trinket in a long line of mystical antiques being rediscovered in the MCU every day. As for the characters – well, I think we now have a British imprint of Jessica Jones 😮 There’s something about the leather jacket and butt-hugging jeans, as a winning combination to depict an aloof badass, where comic book movies can’t steer away. There is also what could be a random Doctor Strange soldier and Shang-Chi compadre in the battle for the Bloodstone. Man-Thing is quite clearly the most interesting of the new discoveries – I want to explore that ability he has more in my own time. What is it, atomic touch? Woah, that’s deadly. Man-Thing seems to be a gentle silent giant, and the MCU has a few of them now, not discounting Groot as the loveliest. As a semi-novice Spider-Man fan, I was under the impression that Jonah J. Jameson’s son was the resident werewolf of the universe, but I suppose the wider MCU has more, and Jack Russell is the chosen one. Werewolf by Night is not a waste of time, but it does kind’ve give away the second-half in the title… And how is it that Verussa doesn’t know how Jack has so many kills when readying the ceremony? I suppose, even if she doesn’t, and she’s reading off her husband’s secret ledger or something, there also could’ve been more nuance given to the fact that her husband seemed to trust Jack, to be part of this secret killing organisation, conflicting with her repulsion for monsters, and the urge to have him killed. Either way, I think the acting highlight of Werewolf by Night is Harriet Sansom Harris – she makes Verussa sound so evil. She looks like a chubby Annette Benning and has the talent to match. I’m sure Werewolf by Night will tie in somewhere.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
I cannot believe that I haven’t watched this sooner! For Christ’s sake, I skipped The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and went straight into Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, where there could’ve been valuable information planted in this that would’ve made the Guardian’s final outing confusing. But luckily, no 😌 As for this special, what a rollercoaster of emotions. I wasn’t feeling the moves of the aliens, or much of Drax and Mantis’ time on Earth, flipping cop cars and whatnot. It also bugs me how Drax is able to survive a thud through the trees at ungodly speeds in ‘Vol. 2, but can punch a human in a robot suit and not obliterate him – yeah, I know it’s a small thing, but Drax’s power has always gone undefined, and I will not let it go 😤 Then there’s Mantis needing Drax to throw her over the wall, but then is leaping alongside Drax over hedges thereafter, as they chase Kevin Bacon 🤷♂️But here is where the nitpicks end. Because I love Mantis, and this short is mostly about displaying her heart and abilities. It had to be her to ‘kidnap’ Bacon, so we could see her alter his mood so often. It actually didn’t occur to me the significance of Kevin Bacon until just before Kraglin says it – sure, I remembered that Peter Quill loves Footloose, but I’d overlooked that Star-Lord basically saved the galaxy the first time by mimicking Footloose when all seemed lost against Ronan the Accuser 😮 Kevin Bacon and his little eighties movie pretty much inspired the conclusion to the first uber successful Guardians of the Galaxy, and that’s pretty interesting; good homage as the revelry comes full circle. It’s wholesome, the idea of Guardians of the Galaxy doing a holiday special, just like the other huge space opera fantasy franchise did back in the day (Star Wars). I thought the music was excellent, and I always like getting an extra helping of these actors as these characters any time of the year – I see you Nebula, shuffle dancing like a dork! 😄 And even by the end, what is this tear in my eye, as Quill is ecstatic to have a sister; of course, he is. The exuberant eye-gasmic Christmas decorations that fill Knowhere are dopey and cozy, just like the Guardians of the Galaxy will always be, as one of the best creations to come out of the MCU easily. Special.
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So, there you have it – a breakdown of Marvel 2022. The last time to explored Disney+ Marvel, I ranked the seasons in order of how I liked them; but I already have Disney+ Marvel 2023 and 2024 closely following today, and so I want to rank all the TV shows ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.
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