She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finally premiered on Disney Plus last week, and the overall reception has been positive! The superhero sitcom concept was risky, with early impressions poking fun at the awkward VFX, but people have been swayed by Tatiana Maslany’s excellent performance and the series’ nod to MCU canon. Also, it’s just genuinely nice to see a Hulk story once more, as Bruce Banner’s Hulk has taken a supporting role through the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is in large part due to 2 failed back-to-back attempts at a more serious Hulk film, but this show embraces the world around it while building toward something new. Read on for our Recap of She-Hulk Episode 1, Key Characters, Easter Eggs, and What to Expect for Episode 2!
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Episode 1 Recap, Key Characters
It should be stated that if you’ve not caught up on the show, you shouldn’t read any further, but if you have, you might like to know what you may have missed on the first viewing. The episode, “A Normal Amount of Rage”, premiered on Disney Plus on August 18, 2022.
The episode is presented to the viewer by Jennifer Walters, who states that she is indeed a Hulk, and proceeds to tell her story of how she got there while still working as an attorney. Jennifer, on a trip with cousin Bruce Banner, gets attacked by an alien ship which sends the duo tumbling into a car wreck. Bruce, in his human form, notices his inhibitor broken by the crash, resulting in him no longer being able to safely transform. Jennifer, attempting to rescue him, gets her injuries infected with Bruce’s gamma-infused blood. The results are instantaneous: her genes, similar to Bruce’s, accept the gamma radiation but cause her to Hulk out during her fight-or-flight response.
The rest of the episode chronicles her journey toward embracing what comes next, and her reluctance to take on the role of superhero after working for her life to become a lawyer. Bruce, intensely wrapped up in the idea of this kind of gift is meant to be used for heroics, also has to come to terms with this, while also reminding her that this power will result in her life never being normal again. The two prepare Jennifer’s abilities as she masters the She-Hulk form, with the surprising aptitude and emotional control compared to that of her uncontrollably raging cousin when he first turned.
The two clash over what Walters’ new purpose would be as the She-Hulk, leading to an exciting fight between them. The fight devastates the beachside lab they operated out of, and She-Hulk helps the Hulk reconstruct it as a figurative and literal mending of the fences. The cousins part ways and Jennifer attempts to resume her normal life as an attorney. Months pass, and this life seems normal at first, with Jennifer working in court on a case, but is immediately interrupted by a flamboyantly-dressed stranger, crashing onto the scene. This is, of course, Titania, and Jennifer, cheered on by her friend Nikki (to who she has told her Hulk secret), transforms and takes this intruder down, ending the episode.
Episode 1 Easter Eggs
The show had quite a several easter eggs and quirks about how it was run, from the Office or Parks and Rec-style fourth-wall narration to the deep dive into the real issues of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: the matter of Steve Rogers’ virginity. Here’s a rundown of the easter eggs shown in this episode:
- The ship that attacks Bruce and Jennifer is a Sakaarian spaceship, the planet where Bruce as the Hulk ends up after Avengers: Age of Ultron and for most of Thor: Ragnarok.
- Bruce truly hulks out for the first time since Infinity War, visibly losing control of the uninhibited, raging Hulk inside.
- The beachside lab/beach house where the two work to train Jennifer’s She-Hulk state was given to Bruce by Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, jokingly as a loaner, but we see a tender moment where Bruce grieves the loss of his dear friend. There’s even a glimpse of Bruce and Tony’s initials etched onto the wood of the bar, B.B. and T.S.
- There’s a reference to Bing-Bong from Inside Out, and how heartbreaking that scene truly is. But this also refers to the idea of Pixar existing in the MCU, which is further complicated by Chris Evans having voiced Buzz Lightyear in their most recent film.
- Jennifer comes across one of Iron Man’s older, more damaged masks, being kept as a memento or possibly as a reminder as to who the owner of the lab is. As Jennifer approaches, you even hear the music from the film for a moment.
- Bruce’s situations where he trains Jennifer to Hulk out are largely inspired by experiences he had during the Avengers films. His attempt to coax Jennifer back out of her She-Hulk form is also from Age of Ultron, and it’s here that we see Walters showing she’s fully lucid, even asking why he’s speaking to her like that.
- The post-credits scene (don’t miss these) finally addresses a fun fan topic, Captain America’s virginity for the duration of the MCU until his departure, where Hulk finally admits to Walters (and the viewers) that he lost it to a woman in 1943 on a USO tour. There’s even a reference to Rogers’ hind quarters (that ‘is’ America’s ass, from Endgame) and puts this debate to rest forever.
- Much of Maslany’s performance as Walters is heavily inspired by Julia-Louis Dreyfus’ portrayal of Elaine from Seinfeld, which you can easily see reflected in her mannerisms and body language.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Episode 2 and What to Expect
She-Hulk episode 2 will premiere on Disney Plus on August 25, 2022. In it, we will see more about Titania from the end of the first episode, as well as her colleagues’ reaction to her transformation, with only her friend Nikki knowing before the events. Given what we know about Titania, this will certainly not be our only encounter with her in the series, but with how her firm reacts to this recent revelation, she could end up becoming a unique, superpowered attorney who could cover some high-profile clients.
This concludes our coverage of the Recap of She-Hulk Episode 1, Key Characters, Easter Eggs, and What to Expect for Episode 2! Be sure to check out more content like this in our entertainment column!
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law premiered exclusively on August 18, 2022, for Disney Plus, and will air episodes weekly every Thursday. The first season will consist of 9 episodes.
