“A Normal Amount of Rage”
What They Say:
Jen Walter’s world is turned upside down after a freak accident leaves her with superpowers.
The Review:
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers)
Among the many characters I never expected to see make the leap to live-action, She-Hulk was definitely one of them. The character is one that delighted for years when John Byrne brought her into the Fantastic Four for a while and I loved her original series and what came afterward. The character is a natural fit for the growing expansion and a post-Blip Marvel where the fanbase itself has diversified even more in what it can tackle. There are a lot of big characters and groups still to introduce but I’m thrilled that they’re not just loading up the next big ticket name from the comics but instead going for some interesting characters to do new things with. She-Hulk certainly affords that opportunity and reminds me of why I loved Ant-Man so much when that came along because it wasn’t like the other projects at the time, even while playing to the formula.
With this show set for nine episodes, the opening episode works a lot like comics in that it’s framed in the present but everything else that takes place in it is a flashback to a few months ago. It’s here that we see Los Angeles lawyer Jennifer Walters going on a weekend road trip getaway with her cousin Bruce. It’s interesting in itself because we see how he’s spent time back in human form and trying to heal his arm after past events and just learning how he’s managed everything. Everything goes south, however, when a ship for Sakaar shows up along the highway and they end up crashing off the road, only for a situation to end where Bruce’s blood ends up in Jen’s wound and she ends up Hulking out. The whole Sakaar thing is sidelined until later – I won’t even be surprised if it doesn’t get looked at in this series – and the real focus gets underway.
That has Bruce bringing Jen to his hidden getaway in Mexico that Tony built for him years ago where he can test and protect himself and others from himself. It’s a great little vacation spot aboveground but below is a modern facility that lets him figure things out. And that figuring out gives us the reveal that Jen’s very similar to him and unique when it comes to gamma radiation and that she’s basically like him now, at least as he was in the beginning. And this is the beauty of the background here in that Bruce, who has documented everything like a proper scientist over the past fifteen years, is glad to be able to help someone else through this situation with his binder of information and experience. Jen, naturally, just wants to get back to her life and wants none of this. But that whole power and responsibility thing is there and Bruce also knows clearly that just her existence as this paints a target on her back and he’s insistent on training and working with her some.
The bulk of the episode does focus on the training side of it and it works really well. Others can quibble over the quality of the CG, voices while in Hulk mode, and so forth. I understand it but at the same time nothing here feels bad or offensive in a way that it takes me out of it. It works for what it is and it fits for the kind of lighter/comedy approach that this is taking as well. But what seems to frustrate some people from what I’ve read elsewhere on it is the way that it shows the differences in how Jen and Bruce live which informs how they handle being a Hulk. This is just simple reality and to not acknowledge it would be the fantastical part of it. Jen makes clear that she’s already different from Bruce on this in how his blood impacted her but also just in her level of control. One of the best lines that Bruce had years ago was that “I’m always angry” thing that allowed him to basically be in control of it. Jen’s always had to modulate her anger and cope with it because of how the world operates and that puts her far ahead of someone like Bruce who had different challenges but ones that didn’t force him into this box.
I’m not saying it’s a celebration of differences but it’s exactly why exploring the same kind of character through a new lens is great. It’s what we saw in the comics over the years, in limited ways by male writers for the most part, but it’s always been there. The team behind this is able to bring it to life and through this medium in a clearer and sharper way that helps to illuminate how she will manage her life by having the career she’s worked her for while dealing with the threats that come with it. But it’s also going to show that unlike her cousin Bruce, she’s going to enjoy her life whereas he was intent on just hiding himself away while trying to not be a threat. That opens up its own story possibilities and can provide new avenues for Bruce as well. Just seeing things like the yoga and balance moments and how Jen figures out a different way to use her frame difference with the hand clap things is a perfect distillation of it.
It’s just like the comics but through this particular reality and format.
In Summary:
There is a lot of fun to be had in this opening episode and it goes by well without feeling rushed, even though the end framing bit in the present is a bit rushed. But it views pretty much as an opening issue of a She-Hulk comic would and it has a great ending sequence with its artwork. The humor here works well where there are layers at time and some lightly raunchy elements that are welcome too. This is supposedly just the start of the whole bit about Captain America and how he lost his virginity gags and seeing how Chris Evans is in stitches laughing about it just reinforces how well this fits into the greater scheme of things. I’m excited to see where this goes as it shifts away from Bruce and Jen’s dynamic, which is definitely a good close-cousin kind of thing, and focuses more on her trying to balance everything and the weirdness of it. I’m excited.
Grade: B+
Streamed By: Disney+
