A new episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is arriving on Disney+. “Ribbit and Rip It” is the eighth episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series. It follows Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) as she takes on a new case representing Eugene Patilio/Leap-Frog, a wannabe superhero who wants to sue tailor Luke Jacobson for giving him a faulty suit. This show has gotten off to a slow start, but the seventh episode was a step in the right direction, and now, we have the first enjoyable episode of this series in a good while.
This episode does retain a few of the issues of its predecessors. For example, the sequence where Leap-Frog fails miserably at stopping a robbery could have been a gold mine of physical comedy on the page. However, Kat Coiro’s direction is never enough to have the jokes land. The choices in camera angles and editing never sell the comedy, and for a show that is intended to be a legal comedy, this series has never offered much of the humor that the concept allows. While the tone remains lighthearted and easily digestible — and Maslany is charming as the lea — She-Hulk is not funny enough to earn the laughs it could have.
But the episode takes a turn for the better when we learn that Jacobson has hired Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) as his attorney to represent him. After Matt easily wins the case, he makes peace with Jennifer at a bar. The conversation they share is heartfelt as he guides Jennifer on how to be the best of both worlds, helping people as a superhero and as a lawyer. You can tell he speaks from experience, and a spark of flirtation appears between these two lawyer superheroes.
After that, Jennifer gets a call from Eugene, who says he is being attacked in his car. She-Hulk saves him from his assailant, who ends up being Daredevil. It is a joy to see Cox don the cowl again as the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen, back in action as he faces off with She-Hulk and reveals that Leap-Frog has kidnapped Jacobson. Next, the two go to the Lily Pad, where we finally get some stakes and exciting action as they battle Leap-Frog’s goons and take him down as a team. The two sleep together and even though they have only interacted for one episode, they have real chemistry. It will be fun to watch whether this relationship will end up being long-term or casual.
She-Hulk arrives at the Southern California Law Awards gala, where she and several other female lawyers receive awards. However, the event is taken over by Intelligencia, who leaks a video of Jennifer sleeping with Josh on stage. She-Hulk destroys the screen and chases down Intelligencia members before getting arrested by the Department of Damage Control. For the first time in a while, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has given us an episode that makes us want to tune in to see what happens next. The cliffhanger at the end of this episode feels more investing, especially as we move into the season finale. The finale does not need Daredevil, Hulk, Abomination, or even a big bad. If it concludes the story on an exciting high note, this show won’t be a waste of time after all.
SCORE: 7/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 7 equates to “Good.” A successful piece of entertainment that is worth checking out, but it may not appeal to everyone.
