She-Hulk Episode 8 Review: What Is This Show?

What is this show trying to be at this point? She-Hulk Episode 8 was definitely going to be the best episode of the series to date…up until the final 10 minutes as everything went off the rails.

Uh, I think the writers forget that season-spanning plots usually are established in the beginning of the season, not just tagged on at the end of the penultimate episode. We have wasted seven episodes on absolutely nonessential, nonsensical dribble that should have been cut out of the show in the writing room.

There shouldn’t have been so much emphasis on dumb side-side-side characters, such as the shapeshifting elf, Abomination’s friends at the retreat, Titania, that Mystic Arts phony, and even Abomination himself.

The writers of the show have WASTED She-Hulk as they have used the character just to fulfill their own fantasies and dreams of what they would be like as a ‘superhero’, while also giving Jen Walters some of the most unrelatable problems and struggles I’ve ever seen in a character.

To be honest, these writers, Marvel Studio’s President Kevin Feige, and Disney itself should all be ashamed of themselves for releasing the show as it is.

“Wow, James. Why are you so upset? You’ve been railing on She-Hulk for eight weeks now. Why has this show’s gross misuse of She-Hulk affected you so strongly now?”

The reason why is because I saw something in this episode that I haven’t’ seen all season long: potential.

Yes, She-Hulk actually showed some great character potential and development for the first time in these past eight weeks, even if it was only for 20 minutes or so. And do you want to know what sparked that potential? The introduction of Daredevil.

Finally, She-Hulk has set aside these horrific caricatures of so-called ‘side characters’ and introduced an established, beloved Marvel character that not only can add personality and originality into a scene, but is also more than capable of driving said scene altogether.

Charlie Cox, the actor who plays Daredevil, is one of the best superhero actors I’ve ever scene as he just gives so much uniqueness and gravitas to such an interesting, brooding character.

I’m glad the MCU was finally able to acquire his rights from Netflix…but, unfortunately, they are wasting him on a horribly executed show.

Essentially, this episode revolves around Jen Walters first representing, and then hunting down, a guy named Leap Frog (yes, I know how stupid that sounds) who is suing his suit designer as it set him on fire in a botched robbery.

After she loses her trial because Matt Murdock (Daredevil), who is representing the suit designer, convinced the judge that Leap Frog was responsible for his suit’s failure, she headed back to the lawyer bar that we’ve seen a few times and has a few drinks with Murdock.

The ensuing scene with Murdock telling Jen Walters that she has the ability to use both her powers (her legal mind and Hulk strength) for good was a welcome scene as it finally introduced some altruism to Jennifer. This whole series has painted Jen Walters as a self-absorbed, uncaring ‘superhero’ that has only focused on bettering herself in regard to her love life.

Really, what else has the show discussed in its nearly 4-hourse of television aside from how dreadful Jen Walters is as picking up men? See what I mean about these writers superimposing themselves onto She-Hulk?

Nevertheless, after leaving Murdock, she gets a distressing call from Leap Frog as he tells her he’s being attacked by some mysterious villain. Obviously, we all know that this villain is none other than Daredevil himself when we see his classic horned helmet, but Jen Walters doesn’t as they have a quick battle before he tells her why he’s really chasing Leap Frog.

Suprise, Leap Frog is yet another corny, unfunny villain. Who could have seen that coming?

What makes Leap Frog even more unsufferable is that he is a direct Batman rip-off, which I’m really surprised the Marvel executives allowed to be put on screen. It’s an unwritten rule that you don’t mock, belittle, or even mention other franchises superheroes…unless you’re a spoof movie like Deadpool, of course.

And even then, it’s still a little risky to be doing that.

Anyway, Daredevil and She-Hulk have a few more good scenes debating how to take down Leap Frog’s henchmen and the potential Jen has as a superhero, before a cool enough action scene ensues that showcased the sensory-based superpowers of Daredevil in the MCU.

It would have been a great ending to an episode that finally had me interested in watching She-Hulk. Key word in that sentence was ‘would’.

Instead of just ending the episode on a relationship cliffhanger between She-Hulk and Daredevil (as they have only known one another for 12 or so hours by this point) or have a meaningful scene with Jen Walters finally learning what it means to be a superhero, the writers of this show just decided to fulfill their own strange fantasies by having Jen Walters and Daredevil have a love scene.

Yup, Jen Walters and Daredevil disregarded all of the usually beginning barriers to a relationship and just ‘went at it ‘ without any build up or payoff.

Just…why?

Why ruin the potential budding romance/friendship between Daredevil and Jen Walters in a future season for a cheap, intimate scene that nobody was asking for? Does everything have to be revolved around Jen’s love life in this show?

And, to top it all off, the episode didn’t end there as it had a quick, 5-minute gala scene that resulted in the mysterious lap-coat group hacking into a huge computer, broadcast their distaste for Jen Walters ‘taking’ Hulk’s powers, and then display the intimate scene Jen and Josh had from last episode. Like I said, what is with these writers and superhero love lives?

EVERYTHING in this series has revolved around it!

Nonetheless, Jen Walters rightfully rips down the TV and goes berserk on the crowd, which leads to her arrest. What was that all about?

I though Jen could control her Hulk rage? And how was any of this setup for Jen Walters to have a heel turn? This show is honestly so frustrating as She-Hulk HAS the ability to be a great Marvel character, but she is being wasted on incompetent, self-interested writers that only care about writing their own romantic frustrations into She-Hulk.

This episode probably was going to end up in the 7’s or even 8’s prior to the final 10-15 minutes. Daredevil’s inclusion not only elevated the characters of She-Hulk and her pathetic weekly villains, but also gave this show’s plot some agency. Yet, his love-scene misuse and the ensuing She-Hulk arrest scene brought this episode crashing back down into the depravity that it has grown accustomed to.

She-Hulk Episode 8 gets a 5.5/10 from me.

Images Source: Featured Image: (Disney/Marvel) (Official Trailer | She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Disney+ – YouTube)

In Text Image 1: (Disney/Marvel) (Daredevil | Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Disney+ – YouTube)

In Text Image 2: (Disney/Marvel) (Official Trailer | She-Hulk: Attorney at Law | Disney+ – YouTube)