This week’s installment of She-Hulk didn’t really move the dial in terms of storytelling all that much – yes, we resolved the Titania trademark lawsuit quickly and with only minimal bruising to Jen’s ego – but it was a necessary step in terms of providing a look into several of the show’s supporting characters as we head into the final stretch of episodes, as well as reinforcing the major underlying theme of the series: Jen’s need to integrate herself with her Hulk alter-ego in order to become the best version of her (something I suspect she’s going to get a boost on in the next few episodes from another MCU hero).
“Mean, Green, and Straight Poured into These Jeans” (the title taken from one of several embarrassing sections of She-Hulk’s dating profile – and it really says something about both the banality of online dating and the guys who went out with She-Hulk that this line was at all enticing) brought to life the comic duo of Nikki and Pug (Ginger Gonzaga and Josh Segarra, both finally let loose and given a chance to show off their comedy chops in their own mini-arc), a fine follow-up to the Madisynn and Wong dynamic of last week. Every superhero needs to have a set of normal friends who protect their interests and can land a joke, and this pair is a great addition to Team She-Hulk. And, while she’s not really a friend yet, our introduction to Mallory Book (Hamilton’s Renee Elise Goldsberry) seems to be trending a bit differently than her relationship with Jen in the comics. Where she’s a clear work antagonist for She-Hulk in the comics, they appear to have reached a détente at this stage of the series – although Mallory is not wrong about She-Hulk needing to score a better wardrobe. Using an episode to expand the universe of a series by spending time with key supporting characters is always a plus, especially when your show has some time to spare without a major universe ending catastrophe on the horizon.
Where the episode didn’t hit as hard and work as well was in the real introduction of Titania. Yes, she’s meant to appear vapid and spoiled – which she certainly did – but she’s also meant to be an antagonist for She-Hulk and she can’t really establish herself as such if she’s just a gnat Jen can swat away pretty easily. Is the series setting us up for a reveal that she’s in league with someone more powerful (or will it let her fall in line with that person in future episodes)? Perhaps. But the main arc of the series is Jen learning to accept that she can’t simply live two separate lives and continue longing for She-Hulk to be a minor inconvenience in her life – she has to embrace her own duality and accept that both sides of her identity need to work together in order for her to succeed in all facets of her life. Throwing a gnat in her path as her “main super-powered antagonist” in the series doesn’t help address that plot point. So, I assume there’s more than meets the eye to Titania – or at least I hope so – and I want to explore the character a bit more. She’s annoying, but not particularly funny, thus far and I’d love to see her have some substance and humor injected into the character. Otherwise, she’s just pulling focus from the more nuanced and fun elements of the series.
And speaking of super-powered folks who might help Jen realize that she can embrace She-Hulk and still be Jen (and an excellent attorney), it’s looking like we’re on the cusp of catching up with Matt Murdock. Yup, that was Daredevil’s helmet in the hat box at the close of the episode, so it’s looking like Hell’s Kitchen’s best legal mind will be stopping by the City of Angels soon to pick up his new suit. And who better to have a heart to heart with Jen about how hard it can be juggling a superhero identity and making sure all your legal motions have been filed on top of that than Daredevil? Will he reveal his real identity to her? Will he have some thoughts on where he fits into the MCU pantheon of heroes? Does he know that Wilson Fisk is still alive? How far into his crime fighting journey is he in this version of the character (just a reminder that this version of Matt Murdock is not the same as the one in the Netflix series, despite being played by the same actor – so, who knows where he is on his Daredevil journey here)? And what advice does he have that could help Jen figure out how to best live her life now that it’s so changed? While I’ve loved a lot of the series thus far, I think I’m most excited for her confrontation with Daredevil, as the two characters are such a good fit for the type of interaction and conversations that need to happen for Jen to complete her journey. Oh – and what is her super suit going to look like? Inquiring minds want to know…
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