A podcast I listen to recently reminded me of a very important truth: making things is hard. Which is a good reminder when it comes to being an armchair critic. It’s easy for viewers to watch a show or movie and then walk away with ideas of how it could have been better. But, when you’re in the midst of it, that vision is difficult to maintain. Case in point, I have thoughts about She-Hulk, the latest arrival to Disney plus’ streaming service and latest addition to the rapidly expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe.
I’m not sure what the overall reaction to the show has been. I don’t have access to ratings and I try as hard as I can to live in a bubble in order to avoid voices that aren’t similar to my own. Though I have read articles and seen the memes that insinuate Marvel Studios’ movies and TV shows are starting to lean toward…the silly. This idea is very hard to argue with. Now that Thor: Love and Thunder is streaming, you can see for yourself. That movie was filled with jealous weapons, an even more shallow Thor and screaming goats. The only character taking anything seriously was Gorr the God Butcher.
Speaking of taking things seriously, let’s talk about She-Hulk. I think I like the show. But it’s hard to get into it when the comedy that’s happening throughout the show is also showing up inside the courtroom. I like that Marvel has jokes. I mean, I definitely don’t want things to dissolve into a Batman V. Superman scenario. I just missed the memo that announced that the MCU will all be comedies from here on out.
Again, maybe I’m being to hard on Marvel. I mean, what’s come before She-Hulk? Okay, there’s Ms Marvel, which was fun and teenager-y. Moonknight, which I felt took things seriously. As seriously as one can take a talking hippo, yes. And then Hawkeye with all the Christmas feels. But, these shows somehow all feel much lighter than say…Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Don’t you think? I feel like there’s definitely been a shift, from that first Iron Man movie. Another during Captain America: Civil War. And yet another after Spider-man Far From Home. But look, I don’t want this do turn into a “what’s going on with the MCU” article. So let’s see if I can’t get back to the point.
She-Hulk. I love Tatiana Maslany as Jennifer Walters and think she’s doing a great job. And I love the cameos from The Hulk, Abomination and Wong. All that’s been really fun. But the courtroom scenes are so unrealistic that they take me right out of it. The latest episode with Patty Guggenheim’s perpetually drunk party girl Madisynn was just annoying. Which puts me in the minority I think. Apparently the internet loves her.
Four episodes in I’m wondering if it really matters to keep watching it. I don’t really care about anyone involved in the show and if it never links up with the rest of the MCU am I really missing out (besides on some inside jokes)? But, the Marvel completist in me says I have to finish it…and the truth is I probably will. I just hope She-Hulk’s finale won’t make me regret strapping in for the long haul.
