“Just Jen,” the sixth installment in She-Hulk’s first season was an interesting episode. Not so much interesting in terms of exploring Jen’s growing attachment to her hulked out persona. Or even interesting as a story. But interesting in that the episode’s B-plot (that would be Mallory and Nikki working to get Mr. Immortal out from under his eight divorce cases) was ten times more interesting than Jen’s A-plot (wedding, continued issues integrating Jen and Hulk, Titania magically appearing, shady scientists apparently searching for a way to get access to Jen’s Hulk DNA, etc.). Sure, it was a fun meta joke that weddings always happen at inopportune times, which is why this particular episode happened to fall here in the season, but boy, was Jen’s entire arc a real snooze. And coming after another shaky Jen story from last week, well, I’m not sure if She-Hulk has the juice to finish out the season as strongly as it started it.
First, the good. Who would have thunk pairing Mallory and Nikki together would have created such a great team? It doesn’t hurt that Renee Elise Goldsberry and Ginger Gonzaga have chemistry for days (bummer Mallory is married, because those characters would be great together) – but seeing how Mallory and Nikki worked seamlessly together was a thing of beauty. Add into the story a great guest turn from David Pasquesi (Veep) as Mr. Immortal, and wow. Funny, smart, silly, and a great use of a superhero character as the impetus for comedy. I loved everything about this part of the episode. I loved it so much that I actually felt disappointed when the action shifted back to Jen’s part of the tale – and that’s something that shouldn’t happen when you’re crafting an episode of television centered around your titular character. Yes, supporting characters should be able to hold their own in their own arcs – that’s a sign of healthy, strong writing. But when the episode’s focal point is meant to be your hero’s part of the story and that falls super flat? That’s a problem. And when it’s happening this late in the game – and while introducing a potential big bad to take us through to the end of the season? That’s a major problem.
So, why did Jen’s arc at Lulu’s wedding not work? Well, largely because it didn’t know what it wanted to show us about who Jen is at this point in her development. She’s got the new threads (which, I’m not someone up on the latest dress stylings, but that dress didn’t seem all that special or fashionable to me), a new attitude, and it all comes crashing down when she encounters basic realities of life. Yeah, Lulu was a moron, but Jen rolling in as She-Hulk was definitely a party foul. And yes, that guilt certainly explains Jen’s reluctance to push back against all the rather demeaning things Lulu demanded of her, but wow, what an awful person. Considering Jen hasn’t spoken to her in literally years, why not just peace out? I certainly would have.
And then there’s the Titania of it all. Where to begin. If the writers aren’t sold on how fast Jen should accept and integrate her life with She-Hulk (which they definitely aren’t), they don’t seem to have much of any idea how to utilize Titania in this story at all. She’s clearly not meant to pose a real threat to She-Hulk (who can easily dispense with her during their reception brawl*), but what other purpose does she serve than to be a minor inconvenience for Jen? She’s not funny. She’s not a great adversary. She just shows up, takes screen time away from supporting characters who are interesting and have had development, and then leaves in a huff. Is it possible she will link up with a greater villain? Sure – especially now that we know there’s both an incel online network and some sort of scientist group (maybe one in the same?) looking to take Jen down. Although having them want to work with Titania – a rich, vapid, attractive woman of color who has superpowers – would be an odd choice. But still, I’m struggling to find a reason for having Titania at this late point in the season – and that’s a major issue with the series.
*With everyone recording the fight – and no one seeing the sucker punch from Titania that started things off – why would Jen just go all out and try to take Titania down like that? I mean, I assume that video will be used to make it look like she’s the aggressor and trying to hurt an innocent Titania (which really is a better plan for Titania to execute – although the show certainly didn’t make it seem like she was planning it that way). That plays into the angry message board bros and the potential scientific need to study her strength and power nicely. But man, Jen, think before you act. Everyone’s got a camera and you’re a public figure. You have to act like one. Even in a comedy.
So, while it was fun to see Mallory and Nikki get the chance to take center stage – even if that wasn’t exactly what the episode was crafted to have happen – it was disappointing to see that the series doesn’t have a clear arc mapped out for Jen at this late stage of the game. I’m sure the arrival of Daredevil will help in her finding her balance, but we’ve got three episodes left, we have a lame villain, and a hero who is still trying to find her way. And yes, we knew there would be some shadowy cabal in the background at some point (this is the MCU after all), but with such a short runway left to land this season, I’m not sure we have time for the show to get there. All the more reason not to dick around with an episode like this one.
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