Alright, we’re back with more She-Hulk: Attorney at Law — this one titled “Ribbit and Rip It” — and, well, let’s just get to it.
What Happens in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
Episode 8 begins with a “hero” named Leap-Frog seated in Jen’s office recounting a mission in which his ankle rocket boosters ignited and set his seemingly indestructible suit on fire. As such, he wants compensation for his troubles, which Jen thinks he can get. The problem? His suit was made by Luke Jacobson, who viewers may recall designed She-Hulk’s outfits. “Oh shit,” Jen-as-half-rendered-She-Hulk says.
Jen tries to dump the case with Holden Holliway but he insists she rise to the occasion. For reasons. So, she goes to Luke to discuss the issue and the costume designer freaks out at her alleged betrayal claiming he doesn’t make defective suits.
We cut to court, where Jen represents Eugene Patilio, aka Leap-Frog. At the start, it appears Luke has no lawyer, but in steps Matt Murdock and all I’m thinking is, “Please, don’t ‘She-Hulk’ the hell out of Daredevil, Disney.” He cracks a joke about not being able to find a parking spot — he’s blind, remember — and then gets right to it, calmly stating that Luke’s reputation as a superhero costume designer is widely regarded in superhero circles. He thinks the case should be tossed on those grounds.
“Who’s this asshole,” Jen smirks before suggesting the court call on Luke’s clients to testify. There’s some tense back and forth as Jen and Matt debate the legalities of forcing superheroes to appear in a public court, they name drop the Sokovia Accords; Matt thinks it’s dangerous for any superhero to compromise their identity, noting that while Jen chose to reveal her true name in public, others (like him) have gone the distance to ensure anonymity. Jen believes Luke’s clients must be forced to testify because all heroes suck, or something along those lines.
Honestly, it’s nice to see somewhat plausible courtroom banter on a show called Attorney at Law for a change, even if Eugene’s subsequent outburst (“I used jet fuel!”) diminishes said plausibility moments later. As a result of his outburst, the judge throws out the case, and that’s how the legal system works, folks.
Jen tries to get Luke back as her tailor, but he says he hates her now … so, no.
Later that night, Jen does what she does best and drowns her sorrow in alcohol. Matt stops by and charms his way into the seat next to her, and briefly drops some details about his law practice in Hell’s Kitchen. He then offers some advice: “Jen Walters can use the law to help people when society fails them, and She-Hulk can help people when the law fails them.” Is that the first great line we’ve had on this show?
Jen feels a connection with Matt but is lured away from the scene by Todd, the despicable tech bro with the She-Hulk fetish. I like how the writers consistently have Jen break the fourth wall to remind us about characters they didn’t do a good job developing.
No matter, Matt has his own appointment to get to. He bids Jen adieu and flees the scene. Honestly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Netflix Marvel, but it is fun to see Charlie Cox back as Matt Murdock. He plays the role extremely well and practically oozes charisma. Maybe Marvel will use him more appropriately on this go-round?
Anyways, Jen meets Todd at another restaurant. Apparently, the guy’s a huge Wakanda fan and recently purchased a Wakandan war spear. “Wakanda forever,” he shouts.
“Ah, that makes me uncomfortable,” Jen says.
What?
Well, the Wakandans want the spear back and he doesn’t want to give it back. He’s a jerk, you see? At one point, he slides a giant cup of wine over to She-Hulk, who pushes it away. Then, he comes onto her. She’s like, “Nah,” and stomps away. Because he’s a jerk. Got it?
Poor Jen stumbles into her luxurious apartment and tries to get some sleep, but then gets an urgent call from Leap-Frog, who claims he’s under attack. Jen suits up in her superhero outfit and heads out to see what’s up.
Moments later (thank God Leap-Frog was nearby?), Jen (adorned in her new superhero spandex) steps in front of Eugene’s car. Daredevil leaps over the vehicle, and the two heroes engage in a halfway decent combat scene that leads to millions in property damage. Daredevil avoids She-Hulk’s attacks and nearly gets away, but then she presses X on her control pad and does her sonic clap thing hard enough to knock the poor guy down. She then removes the mask and sees — gasp! Matt?
“You pretend to be blind because that is really problematic,” she says. Buzz words.
“No, I have heightened senses, blah, blah,” he responds. “Anyways, Eugene is the bad guy, here. He kidnapped Luke Jacobson and is holding him hostage at the Lily Pad.”
She takes his word for it, pokes fun at his suit (because even Marvel is embarrassed by their heroes), and heads off to the Lily Pad with her new pal. Daredevil impresses her with his ability to detect the heartbeats of all the goons in the buildings and then implores Jen to stay behind while he does his thing. I’m willing to bet he does some cool shit but ends up in a situation that necessitates She-Hulk saving his life. Just a hunch.
Inside, Daredevil does some cool shit and then backup arrives, necessitating in She-Hulk saving his life.
Together they fight off more goons in a cheesy bit that lacks any tension whatsoever because all the bad guys are hapless morons. Leap-Frog ignores her advice to put an end to the madness and leaps out the window shouting his signature phrase: “Ribbit and rip it!” Unfortunately, he falls too far, hurts himself and the scene ends. Thrilling.
Luke agrees to be her tailor again.
Jen meets up with Daredevil and the two continue their flirting and eventually head back to her apartment to play hide the zucchini. No, that phrase doesn’t apply here, but you get the gist.
The next morning, a bootless Daredevil enjoys the walk of shame.
Jen wanders out of the bedroom. “Doesn’t it feel like this episode should be over?” she asks us. Yes.
Unfortunately, Nikki arrives.
“Is this the big twist right before the finale?” Jen asks.
She heads to the gala to receive her award for “Female Lawyer of the Year.” Except, several women get the award and are then asked what it’s like to be a female lawyer because this is definitely a thing that happens. “Twice the work, half the recognition, and you’re always getting asked what it’s like to be a female layer,” Mallory says at her turn while the showrunners sip wine and high-five.
As She-Hulk is delivering her acceptance speech, Intelligencia hacks its way into the system. “She-Hulk doesn’t deserve your recognition or the powers she stole from Hulk,” a couple of masked men say.
A giant screen behind Jen displays her one-nighter with Not So Perfect Guy Josh and after everything she’s been through — the easy cases, the immense wealth, the fame and fortune, the attention, etc. — Jen finally Hulks out and absolutely loses her shit. Then immediately regrets her decision as the episode ends.
Final Thoughts on She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Episode 8
Mercifully, we only have one more episode to go before we can move on to the next Marvel thing. Admittedly, the Daredevil stuff worked pretty well. Charlie Cox and Tatiana Maslany display some nice chemistry, and the She-Hulk vs. Daredevil bit was fun to see — even if it didn’t really amount to anything more than desperate fan service.
As for She-Hulk, well, the ending to this episode was certainly a twist that happened, but who really cares at this point? I certainly don’t. I’ll watch the finale to see how anyone survives this trainwreck with their dignity intact, praying Marvel gives us something — anything — that offers a glimmer of hope for the future of this once beloved franchise.
