Episode 5 of She-Hulk is easily the weakest of the series so far. The episode isn’t awful. However, my immediate reaction after the episode was that’s an episode of television that exists.
There are some strong moments of course. Tatiana Maslany remains incredibly endearing as Jennifer Walters. Episode 5 is the first episode in the series to not feature an established MCU character. She-Hulk has a really strong ensemble cast. Having an episode focusing just on the show’s cast was great. I just wish the episode had given all those characters a more interesting courtroom case.
The trademark case over Titania using the name She-Hulk should have been hilarious. Unfortunately, the comedy just doesn’t really land during the case. By far the best aspect of the case, is Jennifer bringing back all of the terrible dates she went out with as She-Hulk in the last episode.
The strongest storyline by far is Nikki and Pug going around Los Angeles trying to find a better wardrobe for Jen. I also like Renée Elise Goldsberry getting more screentime as fellow attorney Mallory Book.
Unfortunately, the positives aren’t strong enough to overcome this unmemorable episode of She-Hulk.
With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood out in Mean, Green and Straight Poured into these Jeans. There may be some minor spoilers. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is available to stream on Disney Plus.
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A boring trademark case in She-Hulk episode 5
Jennifer is already being sued by Titania over the rights to the She-Hulk moniker. Everywhere Jennifer looks there’s an advertisement for She-Hulk by Titania. Jennifer confronts Titania early on, which eventually leads to the court case.
Holden Holliway, Jennifer’s boss, wants the case dismissed. After all, they hired She-Hulk to be the face of the superhuman law division. Mallory is assigned to take Jennifer’s case.
During the case, the judge leans towards Titania. Jennifer is shown being dismissive of the She-Hulk name in several video snippets. Mallory also provides videos showing Jennifer didn’t choose the name. Other people started referring to Jennifer as She-Hulk and the name stuck. These videos were before Titania filed the trademark.
However, the momentum changes after Jennifer has a brilliant idea. She decides to bring all of the terrible dates she met online as She-Hulk. The experience is incredibly embarrassing for Jen, but does help her win the case and retain the She-Hulk trademark.
There are many stakes during this case, which is fine if the comedic beats land. Unfortunately, the comedy never really comes across during the case.
A wardrobe change
Pug asks Nikki for help. He needs a partner to stand in line with him for exclusive Iron Man shoes. She agrees to help but asks for a favor in return. Nikki wants Pug’s help in locating a more tailored suit for Jennifer and She-Hulk.
They eventually find a tailor who makes all kinds of suits for superheroes. He’s uninterested at first. Even making a costume for She-Hulk isn’t too enticing. However, when he finds out Jennifer wants an outfit that can adapt to her changing body, he’s all in.
There’s not a lot at stake in this storyline. However, it gives Ginger Gonzaga as Nikki and the terribly underutilized, but awesome Josh Segarra as Pug more to do in the episode.
Dual identity
Jennifer is finding more to like about her identity as She-Hulk. For instance, Jen doesn’t have to fear walking home alone.
When she denies likeing the She-Hulk name to Nikki, she accidentally crushes her stapler. There are also small, subtle moments from Maslany showing how the potential of losing the name bothers her.
Jennifer is an awesome character in her own right. At some point, it would be nice to see characters others than Nikki recognize how special Jennifer is as a person. Pug clearly thinks highly of Jen and Mallory gains some respect for her. I just wish there was more balance because everyone likes She-Hulk and only a precious few acknowledge Jen’s greatness.
She-Hulk Episode 5 final thoughts
There’s nothing terrible about She-Hulk episode 5. However, you could also skip this episode and not miss anything. The clever premise is undone by an underwhelming script.
The Review
Episode 5
PROS
- Tatiana Maslany continues to nail every eccentric trait of Jennifer Walters.
- Nikki and Pug's search for a tailor for She-Hulk and Jen is a pretty fun subplot.
CONS
- The writing isn't nearly as sharp as previous episodes.
- The court case is paint-by-numbers boring.
- Lack of balance between people liking She-Hulk and being dismissive of Jennifer Walters.
