“She-Hulk” Episode 4 R&R: Dating Horrors and Magic Nightmares
“Well, I guess your dating profile did say that you were a strong woman.”
by Rob LoAlbo
All photos courtesy Marvel Studios and Disney Plus
What do superheroes do in their downtime when not saving the world? Their personal and professional lives are under scrutiny this week as Jen juggles not just being a hulk but also dating some real monsters. And what’s the difference between 30-something men and demons? Only a demon can be sent back to hell. (Waka-waka!)
Hey baby…do you have spoilers in your pants? Cause I can see myself in them!
This week’s case: Online Dating v. Walters
FACTS OF THE CASE
Dating is hard, especially for Jen. (It isn’t easy being green.) She gets lots of attention but no love. She’s been swept to the left so many times that she’s developed Tinder whiplash. So given that Jen isn’t getting the dates, She-Hulk comes to the rescue. But first…Donny Blaze!
“You want real magic? Sometimes when I am driving, I can turn into…my driveway! Donny Blaze!”
Dime-store David Blaine’s act is sending audiences into wild fits of yawning. In a moment of desperation, he whips out a sling ring and sends drunk girl Madisynn through the dimensions to meet up with a goat named Jake who eventually dumps her out into Wong’s lap (but not where you thi-ink). Wongers knows just who’s to blame (Donny Blaze!) so instead of battling it out using the mystic arts, he’s filing a motion with a cease and desist! Blaze will do neither of those, thank you very much, so it’s off to the courts for some shenanigans. And with sitcom-ish characters like Donny and party girl Madisynn, who needs real MCU stakes? (Donny Blaze! — sorry, can’t help it.) Hell hath no comedic fury like a spurned Wong. It’s a zaniness that out-zanies last week’s shape-shifting elf fiasco.
But first, Jen’s off to the meat market with bad slabs of 30-year aged ground chuck. Not only are they not paying the check, but they’re as tasteless and uninspired as Paul’s cooking. (Creamy bacon spaghetti? Really, Paul?) Jen finally figures that she’s not getting any swipes, so she creates a She-Hulk profile and the swipes start coming in hot. Unfortunately, the men don’t: they’re some of the most self-absorbed dunderheads the universe has to offer, which makes me glad I married in my 20s. When one finally shakes loose as a possibility (he lets her talk, instead! And asks about her feelings!), she gets the hulk-bumps for his hot sensitive beefiness and decides to bed him just after a little rodent wrangling.
“Can I borrow your fingers? Other than mashing the keyboard, I really can’t type on this thing.”
Meanwhile, Donny Blaze gets himself into a pickle when a sling ring sleight of hand opens a hell portal and releases flights of demons that fly out of his “weird fire hole.” (Ew.) Wong and Jen get pulled into the fray and manage to tag team the horde, whipping them back home. But when Jen un-hulks (de-hulks?) Doctor Muscles pumps the awkward brakes and skids out the front door just as she gets served by Titania’s LLC. Girl can’t catch a break.
EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONIES
Bringing back Wong as a main course this time, the show improves and gets more tonally consistent and sitcom-y than beforehand. With the structure of the show following many typical half-hour adventures, it finally finds its pacing with a rising comedic structure-tide that lifts all boats. The characters are balanced out and no one outstays their welcome. Gao is learning to not keep characters around for too long and to make the show more about Jen and her “normal” life. Centering a plot around her dating life? Pure sitcom gold.
What’s best about this episode is just how low the stakes are, and I am quite sure that none of it will impact the MCU in any way whatsoever. A court case against a Vegas-y magician? Now, THAT’s magic. And Madisynn gets funnier every time I rewatch her, especially with her Wong interplay. They’re a match made at the bottom of a Goldschläger bottle.
“The only way I was able to get Madisynn to show up was by telling her that there was a case waiting for her, so she’s a little disappointed.”
Fourth wall breaks are becoming increasingly more meta, which is a good thing. Jen calls them as she sees them, often to the disparagement of the show creators. (“Everybody loves Wong. It’s like giving the show Twitter armor for a week.”) And that they are sometimes just a look or a raised eyebrow (something that probably only Maslany could pull off) brings us in on the joke. Finally: the MCU is including us in the fun in a natural and organic way. And more importantly, the MCU is finally fun again.
VERDICT
Again, a steady improvement, as we and the show are getting used to being in the same room. Not breaking the mold, but not exactly sticking to it either, it’s a lot of fun even if She-Hulk’s mouth and Maslany’s voice seem to be coming from two different places. Thankfully, when the humor hits and she’s in hulk form, it’s coming from the surroundings instead of from her. When Maslany’s around, she mugs well for the camera and self-deprecates with the best. And let’s not pass over the show’s biggest action scene so far: that demon herding scene was exciting, funny, and well-edited. (Remember Ms. Marvel’s action scenes? I knew you didn’t.) Finally showing us what She-Hulk can do, she’s a great addition to the Avengers since Bruce seems to be preoccupied with professor stuff.
“I usually use a selfie stick, but today I don’t feel like taking any long looks at who I am.”
WIN, LOSS, or SETTLEMENT
This week will rule in favor of the defendant, Walters. I’m finally finding myself looking forward to the show every week. Its humorous journey, with no real plot other than the ½ hour’s story, was one that I laughed along with. I really hope they don’t try to superimpose a bigger plot that spans the series. Keep it to the minor court cases, goofy character portrayals, and grounded girl struggles, and we might just win a big settlement by episode 9.
Star City Rating: 4 out of 5
Next Week: Don’t call her She-Hulk. Titania will sue you.