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The She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finale is finally here. Fresh off of last week’s thrilling episode, which featured the long-awaited arrival of Daredevil, this climactic chapter takes some big swings and sets up a number of exciting possibilities for the future.
1. Obliterating The Fourth Wall
For the most part, the Marvel Cinematic Universe operates within the boundaries of the fourth wall. Occasionally, characters will crack jokes that somewhat reference the fact that they’re in a fictional story. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has been an exception to the wall from the start, as Jennifer has often broken the fourth wall with some sassy quips. She cranks it up several notches in the finale and smashes the fourth wall in the process. When she’s dissatisfied with the way the final episode was going, she notes that the storylines are confusing and asks if they’re working for the reader. She then asks the reader if the episode is “working” for the viewer before the screen transitions to the Marvel library on Disney Plus, seemingly suggesting that the viewer is exiting the show. Jennifer takes matters into her own hands, as she breaks out of the menu and leaps into a Marvel Assembled program.
Upon her arrival, she storms off the set and enters the writers’ room for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Jennifer criticizes the story and notes it’s borrowing from many other narratives about superheroes. One writer responds by saying that some things are supposed to happen in every superhero story, but Jennifer fires back by wondering why they can’t do things their own way. When informed about K.E.V.I.N., a mysterious individual who is responsible for all the decisions about the show, Jennifer goes to the offices of Marvel Studios, where she sees what appears to be the opening credits for any MCU project. K.E.V.I.N. subsequently arrives, and, in response to Jennifer’s complaints, the robot says it has the most advanced entertainment algorithm in the world. Here, the episode goes off the rails.
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Jennifer says she’s unhappy with her story, and K.E.V.I.N. fires back by telling her that it’s his story. Jennifer proceeds to deliver her closing argument by stating that the MCU is known for its big spectacles, but it follows similar storytelling formulas. She says they don’t have to do that because she has her own ideas as to how the finale should play out. She pitches her suggestions, which undo the course of events for the first several minutes of the episode, including the Hulk (Bruce Banner) showing up to save the day. K.E.V.I.N. responds that the point was to have Bruce introduce someone, but Jennifer interrupts by telling him to save it for the movie. She then lists several MCU characters with “daddy issues,” wonders when the X-Men will show up, and says she has ideas for season two.
In a nutshell, the fourth wall has been Hulk-smashed, and it will be fascinating to see how Jennifer and other characters potentially lean into this dynamic moving forward.
2. She-Hulk, The Superhero
Throughout the course of the finale, Jennifer finally becomes a superhero. Previously, she was reluctant to embrace her powers and use them to fight crime. But after she controls her narrative and defeats Todd, who is revealed to be HulkKing, the creator of Intelligencia, she takes the next step in her progression. As she heads into court, determined to score a legal victory over Todd, a reporter asks her some questions. Jennifer says that she’ll be coming after anyone who hurts innocent people. When asked whether she means she will pursue justice as a lawyer or as a superhero, Jennifer says that she’ll follow both paths. In doing so, it’s clear that Jennifer has accepted the two sides of herself, bringing the arc of season one to a clean conclusion.
3. Baby Hulk!
One of the briefest moments of the episode delivers one of its most significant outcomes. Once Jennifer beats the villain her way by reshaping the story, the episode concludes with a big family dinner. Matt Murdock is a special guest, and he’s not alone. Bruce arrives and says he had been away on Sakaar. He then introduced Skaar, his son. The newest member of the Hulk family stepped out from behind his father, setting the stage for the next chapter of Bruce’s arc in the MCU. In the comics, Skaar is connected to the “Planet Hulk” and “World War Hulk” storylines, so it seems like the MCU might be heading in this direction. If so, Bruce is about to step into the spotlight in a big way, perhaps more so than ever before.
From breaking the fourth wall to introducing Skaar, the She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finale delivered several moments that will leave viewers talking for weeks. As of this writing, the series has not been renewed for a second season, though Jennifer hinted at the possibility during the episode. No matter what happens next, this show established Jennifer, and She-Hulk, as a prominent hero in the MCU and fleshed out her character to the point that she can easily cross over into other shows and future movies. Plus, the finale set up Bruce’s future, which could include “World War Hulk,” a potential direction that will have casual and hardcore fans alike buzzing for some time to come.
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