She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is entering its mid-season stride as episode four Is This Not Real Magic? dropped Thursday on Disney Plus.
This episode largely focused on Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) and saw the return of a fan favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe staple. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law airs every Thursday on Disney Plus.
Be sure to check out our reviews of the first two episodes as well as the third episode to get the full scope of the show.
Warning: This review may contain light spoilers for those who haven’t seen the first three episodes.
Synopsis
Struggling magician Donny Blaze (Rhys Coiro) attempts to wow an unenthused crowd with his mediocre magic tricks. He decides to utilize a sling ring of Doctor Strange fame to open a portal for volunteer Madisynn King (Patty Guggenheim).
She quickly finds her way to the home of Wong (Benedict Wong), who is incensed at Blaze for unauthorized use of the slide ring. He employs Walters to take legal action against Blaze.
Blaze continues to use the ring, ending disastrously and forcing Walters and Wong to team up to save the day.
Meanwhile, Walters is trying to ignite her dating life via a dating app, finding no success in her human form. She decides to give it a go as the She-Hulk and finds much more success.
The episode ends with a callback to earlier episodes and sets up a likely multi-episode arc.
Breakdown
This episode did a fantastic job at showing the struggle Walters has balancing her human and hulk forms. For me, this made the episode stand out among others.
This theme has run throughout the series so far but it was much more explicit in this episode. Maslany, again, delivers a fantastic performance and you can really connect with her on the character’s pains.
Another good part is it picked up a storyline from the first two episodes that should make for an interesting arc moving forward. It also sets up what I hope is the cameo we’ve all been waiting for since the cast was announced.
The fourth-wall breaks this episode felt more natural. They happened more frequently and they added to the humor, a contrast from the previous episode.
Speaking of humor, Wong, both the character and the actor, are just amazing. Shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation work so well because of the no-nonsense straight man. Wong is fitting that role well so far.
We got a lot more action this episode as Walters finally got to Hulk out again. It made the show feel more like an MCU product.
Personally, I’ve been enjoying the separation from the larger MCU in tone. This episode’s action sequence brought back the familiar MCU stylings with superhero quips and intense action.
This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like it didn’t fit the rest of the show. I know She-Hulk can’t continue operating as a sitcom only but the distinct tone has been a breath of fresh air that when the status quo comes around, it just feels different.
Overall, this was an excellent episode that made me stoked for next week. There will be plenty of speculation on Blaze’s future with the show and the larger MCU.
Also, Madisynn was hilarious.
Verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars
This was my favorite episode, so far, of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. The character work in this episode was fantastic as Walters continues to struggle with her two forms.
Another point worth noting is this episode continues the trend of Thor: Love and Thunder as it added romance back into the loveless world of the MCU.
The action sequence will feel familiar to MCU fans, but does contrast a bit the overall tone of the show. This is a matter of personal taste, but as the MCU continues to redefine itself, moments like this will stick out.
The story is heading in a good direction and I am thrilled to see where we go from here with Walters.
Featured Image: Marvel
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