Each and every week that we tuned in for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law on Disney+, we were aware that there were going to be those online who wanted to hate it on principle—that principle being that they hated the idea that a big green woman was having a fun time in Marvel’s world. As I’ve stated before, genuine critiques of the show are not part of this conversation. Someone not liking She-Hulk and explaining why from their own view isn’t a bad thing.
But there was a sea of trolls and manbabies who made it their mission to blame this show for everything wrong in their lives. For whatever reason, all the anger in the world that these people have ever had found its way to She-Hulk, and it manifested in week after week of them critiquing the smallest things in the show and making it their entire personality.
Now that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has come to an end, though, I hope that the conversation moves on from those who hated the series in bad faith and can instead focus on appreciating the series for the show that it is. Because really the show is good, fun, and actually brought a new light to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that was previously missing, and I’d like to talk about that without the added bonus of having anything I say become fodder for a YouTube video that calls me names simply because I enjoy things.
It felt nice to feel seen in She-Hulk
One of the aspects of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law that I really and honestly loved was how true it was to the millennial experience (in the lighter sense). It was funny and easy to watch, and I didn’t feel like I had to unpack every episode with all the knowledge of comics that had come before it, but it was nice to understand the nods to the She-Hulk comics that the show did make. It was easy.
That’s not to say other Marvel shows weren’t easy to watch or that She-Hulk is somehow less-than in terms of importance. If anything, the series just felt like one I could relate to, watch and enjoy, and not become overwhelmed by the sense of missing something which does tend to happen with shows based in the superhero genre (as a whole, not just with the MCU).
But it did feel nice to watch this 30-something lawyer have her life be a mess. It felt relatable. She was a lawyer and was still struggling with work/life balance and trying to figure out how to actually go on dates with normal guys. She hung out with her friends a lot and went to bars and loved Captain America’s ass. It was relatable!
On top of that, it felt nice to have a show that wasn’t that hard to see myself in. I finally understood how white men loved seeing Tony Stark because he was just a normal guy (in terms of superpowers) who was smart and could make a suit of armor. Seeing Jen happen into her powers and figure out a way to somehow navigate her life as both a lawyer and a 30-something with the idea of being a superhero thrown on top of that felt cool! For once, it didn’t feel like she was perfect. She knew she was a mess and I loved her for it.
But also, the show was just good. It was funny and a great new take on the world of Marvel with a comedy and bringing that style to life. Sure, WandaVision played with the genre of sitcoms and was funny, but it was also a show that explored trauma and unpacking grief, and the comedy elements were used as a tool for Wanda’s own journey within her grief.
She-Hulk was … just a comedy (which is what I would also label Hawkeye). I love the lighter aspects of the MCU because it was becoming a lot of trauma-based storylines (which I also love) without anything to balance the scales. So, She-Hulk felt like a breath of fresh air, and I really do think that it was a perfect way to bring Jennifer Walters into the MCU. I just hope we can now talk about the show without all the hoopla every time it’s mentioned.
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
