The pre-finale of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law brought the Devil out of the hood, quite literally. After a mid-season slump which became laborious to get through, we finally get an eventful episode with a much-awaited cameo by fan-favourite lawyer-superhero Matthew Murdock aka Daredevil.
First things first, Charlie Cox shines in every scene as Daredevil. It appears as if the actor never hung up his suit. Cox effortlessly retains the easygoing charm of the lawyer-by-day and the intense weight of the superhero-by-night.
Daredevil’s yellow-and-red suit is refreshing at first, but the novelty quickly wears off and we find ourselves clamouring for the classic red one. There are many nods to the character’s classic solo show, including a hallway fight scene and a few seconds of its introduction woven into the background score.
The way in which the plot brings him into the show is also interesting. Matt goes to court against Jen (Jennifer Walters), defending Luke Jacobson, who created super suits for both of them. After destroying her in court, the two unknowingly engage in a parking lot brawl where Jen destroys Matt. This is followed by a team-up where they destroy Leap-Frog.
This narrative probably felt like an ace in the script. The problem started with the execution. We say this with complete respect to Tatiana Maslany and Charlie Cox’s portrayals of their respective characters — the duo simply do not have any chemistry. Despite Jen’s fourth-wall gushing about how their vibe feels flat, there is barely any effort in establishing tension, making the payoff seem hollow. The tonal difference of this show and Marvel’s Daredevil doesn’t help, as Matt feels like he’s caught in the wrong party.
Even here, things feel off not because Matt jokes but because he exists in a world where everything is a joke. The most revolting example of this is how Matt makes a convincing case for allowing superheroes the choice of anonymity but has his alter-ego busted twice (in very stupid ways) in the episode.
The problem is not entirely with She-Hulk, as Cox’s Daredevil comes with a widely loved dark tone that fans associate with the character. The half-attempts to balance this with the spunk of She-Hulk mostly feel like a misfire. It’s evident that the makers wanted to do justice to Daredevil’s ethos, but they end up becoming caricatures more often than not. This is evident in the fight choreography too, where the show trades Daredevil’s combat style from heavy and painful punches to the acrobatic finesse of a gymnast-cum-ballet dancer. The style of snappy short takes is another jarring change from the lingering cinematic shots without cuts that we have come to expect from the character.
That being said, a lot actually happens in the final-third of the episode after Daredevil departs. Jen jointly wins a ‘Best Female Lawyer’ award, where her victory speech is cut short by a video telecast of her and Josh’s exploits in the previous episode. In a first, Jen publicly loses control, causing mass panic before she is accosted by the authorities with multiple sniper lasers pointing at her.
The show is very smart with teasing a cliffhanger and setting up a high-stakes finale. However, this is the first time that there are actual stakes for the character, so a lot depends on how the finale approaches it.
For all the tropes that She-Hulk has broken, we actually find ourselves rooting for a good-ol’ drama in the finale. One where actions have consequences, heroes fall and rise, and tears are shed. But beyond everything else, one that will make us feel for the character.
