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She-Hulk Episode 1 : Review with Spoilers
Published: 26th August 2022.
A full spoilery review of She-Hulk Ep 1.
Greetings everyone,
After immersing myself in the first episode of She-Hulk, I decided to share my thoughts with you. Be warned, we might tread into spoiler territory. Overall, the show did deliver some authentic moments but in my opinion, underperformed on the comedy front, which is a crucial element for a sitcom.
Tatiana Maslany, portraying the lead role, does an admirable job, delivering nuances that give the character depth. However, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk has moments that feel oddly out of character, with his acting delivery seeming to oscillate between quality and peculiarity.
The narrative starts strong, featuring a riveting courtroom speech that pays homage to the famous "great power means great responsibility" mantra. However, as the story proceeds, certain elements feel forced or contrived. The bit involving Captain America's virtue was an unnecessary detail, which, rather than adding substance to the narrative, seemed to tarnish the reputation of the beloved superhero character.
The origin of She-Hulk's powers is redesigned to include Bruce’s “inhibitor” device that prevents him from turning into the Hulk and facilitates unusually rapid healing. This somewhat hasty introduction of her superpowers, coupled with her quickly taking to her new abilities without much struggle, detracts from the usual superhero character progression viewers have come to expect.
Maslany's character, Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk, seems to display a somewhat problematic level of arrogance in the episode. This trait affords her an air of unlikeability, despite her being our heroine. Scenes suggesting she is markedly more competent than Bruce Banner at controlling her anger, though intended to portray her strength, come off as an unfair comparison, given the Hulk's well-documented struggles with rage.
Despite her newfound abilities and the potential responsibility that should come with them, Jennifer is depicted as somewhat selfish, yearning for her normal life back rather than embracing the opportunity to exact positive change.
Furthermore, the male characters in the episode are generally characterised as chauvinistic, which risks patronizing the audience – a sizable portion of which belongs to the male demographic. Bruce's character too, while predominantly supportive, has moments of inexplicable foolishness.
The action scenes are underwhelming, with the fight between She-Hulk and Titania not clearly depicted, taking away from the intensity of the moment. The show ends on a confusing note that belittles the personality of Captain America, demonstrating a consistent pattern of denigrating the conventional superheroes.
In summary, although the show features commendable acting from Tatiana Maslany and a good amount of dramatic depth, it lacks the humour essential for a sitcom. The character of Jennifer Walters, who ought to be endearing to viewers, instead rubs off as aloof and unrelatable. The questionable representation of male characters may not have the intended effect either. Despite these shortcomings, I do see potential for improvement and growth as the series progresses.
Therefore, She-Hulk's inaugural episode delivers a mixed bag of quality acting, intriguing moments of drama, and fundamental character representation issues. Regardless, I encourage you all to give it a watch yourself and form your personal opinion, as I'll continue watching and hoping for a turn-around in the upcoming episodes. Until then, happy viewing!
After immersing myself in the first episode of She-Hulk, I decided to share my thoughts with you. Be warned, we might tread into spoiler territory. Overall, the show did deliver some authentic moments but in my opinion, underperformed on the comedy front, which is a crucial element for a sitcom.
Tatiana Maslany, portraying the lead role, does an admirable job, delivering nuances that give the character depth. However, Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner/Hulk has moments that feel oddly out of character, with his acting delivery seeming to oscillate between quality and peculiarity.
The narrative starts strong, featuring a riveting courtroom speech that pays homage to the famous "great power means great responsibility" mantra. However, as the story proceeds, certain elements feel forced or contrived. The bit involving Captain America's virtue was an unnecessary detail, which, rather than adding substance to the narrative, seemed to tarnish the reputation of the beloved superhero character.
The origin of She-Hulk's powers is redesigned to include Bruce’s “inhibitor” device that prevents him from turning into the Hulk and facilitates unusually rapid healing. This somewhat hasty introduction of her superpowers, coupled with her quickly taking to her new abilities without much struggle, detracts from the usual superhero character progression viewers have come to expect.
Maslany's character, Jennifer Walters aka She-Hulk, seems to display a somewhat problematic level of arrogance in the episode. This trait affords her an air of unlikeability, despite her being our heroine. Scenes suggesting she is markedly more competent than Bruce Banner at controlling her anger, though intended to portray her strength, come off as an unfair comparison, given the Hulk's well-documented struggles with rage.
Despite her newfound abilities and the potential responsibility that should come with them, Jennifer is depicted as somewhat selfish, yearning for her normal life back rather than embracing the opportunity to exact positive change.
Furthermore, the male characters in the episode are generally characterised as chauvinistic, which risks patronizing the audience – a sizable portion of which belongs to the male demographic. Bruce's character too, while predominantly supportive, has moments of inexplicable foolishness.
The action scenes are underwhelming, with the fight between She-Hulk and Titania not clearly depicted, taking away from the intensity of the moment. The show ends on a confusing note that belittles the personality of Captain America, demonstrating a consistent pattern of denigrating the conventional superheroes.
In summary, although the show features commendable acting from Tatiana Maslany and a good amount of dramatic depth, it lacks the humour essential for a sitcom. The character of Jennifer Walters, who ought to be endearing to viewers, instead rubs off as aloof and unrelatable. The questionable representation of male characters may not have the intended effect either. Despite these shortcomings, I do see potential for improvement and growth as the series progresses.
Therefore, She-Hulk's inaugural episode delivers a mixed bag of quality acting, intriguing moments of drama, and fundamental character representation issues. Regardless, I encourage you all to give it a watch yourself and form your personal opinion, as I'll continue watching and hoping for a turn-around in the upcoming episodes. Until then, happy viewing!
MARKED
Noir Graphic Novel
Noir Graphic Novel
