Matt’s observation about Jen’s unique position – “Jen Walters can use the law to help people when society fails them She-Hulk can help people when the law fails them” – is not only one our hero needed to hear, but one that could shape the series’ whole ethos (albeit only having one episode left, and no guarantees for a second season so far). Matt, ever the class act (my goodness I have missed this guy, can you tell?), extends Jen a peace offering in the form of an appropriately green Appletini, and the two have a poignant conversation that only two superhero lawyers could probably have. In addition to his legal smarts, his coy, clever sense of humor – almost surprisingly – works perfectly here, particularly in the next scene after he thoroughly bests Jen and Patillo in court. For those of you who might’ve been worried about She-Hulk turning Daredevil/Matt Murdock into a joke, it’s quite the opposite: he gets his time to shine too, and if one of the purposes of this episode is to get us even more hyped for Daredevil: Born Again, well, mission accomplished. Matt’s entrance is wonderfully understated – he’s just a normal lawyer, after all! – and we’re also reminded of just how good he is at his day job. Instead, we get to see Matt and Jen square off legally in a brisk court scene.
With all that we have to cover in this episode, there’s no room in the spotlight for a villain-of-the-week. And real quick, let’s touch on Leap-Frog: he’s yet another deep-cut reference for comics fans to enjoy, but otherwise, he’s completely forgettable. Instead, we get an absolute joke of a client, Eugene Patillo aka Leap-Frog, bringing a case against Jen’s tailor, Luke Jacobson – who also happens to be Daredevil’s tailor – bringing our two MCU lawyers together. Part of that is due to the “lawyer show” premise of She-Hulk taking a backseat this week, although that’s not to say it’s sidelined altogether. So with all that in mind, I have to appreciate how much Episode 8’s incredibly tight writing was able to squeeze in without it feeling incomplete and rushed. One of my biggest complaints about She-Hulk so far has been its length: despite being true to the sitcom format it’s chosen, 30 minutes per week often just doesn’t feel like enough to do all that it’s trying to do with Jen’s storyline and honor some of its larger MCU obligations and make every episode feel special and standalone in its own right.
It is, in more ways than one, the episode we’ve all been waiting for. This penultimate entry is, without a doubt, She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’s best half-hour yet, honoring both Jen and Matt, giving us heavy emotional and plot stakes, and still sneaking in a little bit of sitcom goodness. And it’s a testament to “Ribbit and Rip It” that there’s actual competition for Daredevil as the best part of the episode.
It’s not just a bit part, but a crucial role in this episode and She-Hulk’s arc as a whole. And although it’s been referred to as a “cameo,” that doesn’t seem to do Charlie Cox’s return as Matt Murdock justice. Well, here it is: our Daredevil appearance.
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