The Following Recap/Review Contains Spoilers for Episode 2 of ‘She-Hulk: Attorney at Law’

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is back with a brand new episode this week after an entertaining and promising premiere episode. Last week saw audiences meet Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), a lawyer who accidentally receives some gamma-radiated blood through her cousin, Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo), after a car crash. The episode started to dabble into how Walters navigates the complicated waters of being an attorney, while also being a superpowered 6-foot-7-inch hulk.

It also showcased the various fascets the show promises to bring, featuring action, emotional complexity, and fourth wall breaking. All in all, the premiere episode did a great job in setting the groundwork the series is aiming to follow, while also exciting fans about what’s to come. How does the series follow up on its premiere? Does it manage its temper well or rage out into mediocrity? Let’s find out!

In this episode, titled “Superhuman Law”, Jennifer is hired at a prestigious law firm but must practice as She-Hulk and represent a… complicated client. As the description hints, that complicated client is none other than Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth), aka Abomination. It features the return of the character in his human form for the first time since The Incredible Hulk. The episode also provides clarity on when it takes place within the MCU timeline.

Jennifer sees herself dealing with the repercussions of the events that occurred in the trial. After being named by the media “She-Hulk”, she goes to a bar with Nikki to relax. Not much relaxing happens, as Jennifer gets fired from her job due to the mistrial she caused. She then struggles to find a new job because no one wants a “sideshow” as a lawyer. Jennifer then proceeds to go to a family dinner to check in with her parents. The scene in itself featured the typical fan service dialogue, but it served as another strong showing of a family dynamic in an MCU TV show, something that has become a strength as of late for Marvel.

Drowning her sorrows yet again, she eventually gets hired by GHL&K, the same firm that caused the mistrial that got her fired. As she later finds out, the underlying condition for her hiring was that she is to lead the superhuman law division and practice law while keeping her appearance as She-Hulk, as well as representing a controversial client.

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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law then kicks into high gear after this. Jennifer is told that she must represent Blonsky for his parole hearing. This makes Jennifer extremely uncomfortable due to the history Blonsky has with her cousin. She consults with Bruce and gets the ultimate green light to do so, but not before we see something interesting from Bruce’s side. As soon as he hangs up, we see Bruce take off in a similar Sakaarian ship to the one seen in episode one. This is yet another strong hint that we may see a Hulk solo outing soon, or a side plot may develop throughout the season for him.

After his approval, Jennifer goes to visit Blonsky to make the ultimate decision of whether she’ll represent him or not. It was great to see Tim Roth back in the MCU as his human version, given that the character did show up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. He’s definitely bringing a new version of the character, but it’s based enough on his roots in The Incredible Hulk to give fans of that film some excitement. After that, Jennifer decides to take on the case, only to find out that Abomination has escaped prison. This then leads to the episode concluding with the media showing clips of Abomination fighting against Wong in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. With that, we also now know when the show takes place within the MCU timeline.

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The episode in its entirety was just fine. It does enough to keep those who enjoyed episode one hooked while moving the story forward. Its short runtime for the most part works really well when it comes to overall pacing. Where it hurts the show is with its development, as an episode like this doesn’t feel like enough. An argument can be made that it’s more to do with the release strategy than runtime, but it doesn’t help either. Many viewers will find essential episodes like these, that serve to move the story forward, as lacking due to this. It is something that should improve as the story develops, but only time will tell.

Another aspect that becomes very clear during the episode is that Tatiana Maslany is a star in her own right. Her presence and charisma are enough to carry the show and make it a worthwhile watch. She is the perfect embodiment of Jennifer Walters, even if the CGI doesn’t do her any favors when it comes to distractions.

Overall, the second episode of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law was a solid follow-up to its premiere. Although it didn’t bring anything extraordinary, it does enough to keep viewers invested in the story it is developing. One thing is for sure, Tatiana Maslany’s performance alone is making the show a worthwhile weekly watch. – Kenneth Colon

Grade – 7/10

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Airs New Episodes Every Thursday on Disney+

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