I have no words. There's probably a good idea behind the comedic approaches here, but the execution just fails. I like the premise of having a "debate" between illusionism or stage magic against real magic with Wong at the center. I even approve of the comedic approach to it. But any simile the show had for a semi-decent lawyer show is all gone as not even the judge is taking it seriously.
I hate to admit it but, this show doesn't know what it wants to be. I get the whole "let's be and do everything": the action, the slice of life, the sitcom, the lawyer stuff. However, surprisingly, I am not bothered by it. I mean, it made me chuckle sometimes, I like the super dumb party-girl character shtick and how she made a pact with a demon from another dimension, I love that absurdist humor of jokes pushed to the max, like this girl is probably doomed for all eternity and the show just doesn't give a what not even herself. If we are going down that route I am all up for it, but unfortunately, like others have said, so far only this episode embraced this off-beat, serious-show-rule-breaking gags. But I can understand why people think this is bottom of the barrel stuff. There's nothing to be said here, the show has no overall message it wants to send. THere's no character development for ANYONE, and I mean, anyone. Not even Jen, we just assume she is She-Hulk and happy with it. We 4th-wall-break, make the dating app profile gimmick, and probably every other slice of life sitcom gag without rhyme or reason.
Also, I feel the whole dating app thing is a bit false and the fact that she cares so much about whether she gets matches or not is a bit degrading. And not because it is featured in this particular show but because in general it is a complicated world and it hits hard when dealing with the dating sphere of this time. Sure dating apps are too integral to the dating sphere today, but I feel men are the ones mostly "having" to "search for girls"/get matches and girls generally can "choose" amongst the ones they matched with. Or at least that's my experience (as a man) who consulted his female friends. I find it hard to believe that beautiful actress Tatiana Maslany got 0 matches after swiping for a while. I get the gag, like I know the whole approach is "oh no, human woman can't get matches I'm sure her superhero counterpart does" and see a bunch of weirdos match with her instead. I know the joke here, is just the punchline doesn't land for me because the theme of the show hasn't embraced at all, at least in a more "serious" matter, whether Jen is jealous of her "other self" because it attracts so many "positive" things like dates and jobs. I just wish the show would address more these things, I find it interesting the trope of "embrace your true self" that Jen is mostly giving vibes about rather than "become who people want you to be". She is worried that She-Hulk provides more to her life than her true self and it would be nice to have a moment to slow down and contemplate that character moment.
And the whole dating app thing is just so shallow a subject to address. Our main character succumbs to what I can only consider "peer pressure" after her friend tells her she has to get a boyfriend through that channel. A channel that is so manipulative and depends on so many pitfalls of social media it is sad to have Jen navigate it. But I guess it's something that exists and is happening today, so I guess it's understandable the show would explore that avenue.
Also, it unceremoniously spoils more than once The Sopranos show for many who haven't seen it yet... I swear this show is just a mess. A black hole for everything it could have been or strived to be. It is provoking (which so far I had no issues with), attempts to be funny or at least not take itself too seriously. But then why construct a narrative involving old characters and featuring returning faces, it only makes me think less of Wong, particularly on this episode where comes across as full of himself and I cannot take himself seriously. Between Wong from the first Dr Strange and his latest iterations, there's a massive character drop where he is just a joke machine that comes and goes in and out of stories. It's really hard to see him as a character with an agency of his own. Anyways, here we are.
I hate to admit it but, this show doesn't know what it wants to be. I get the whole "let's be and do everything": the action, the slice of life, the sitcom, the lawyer stuff. However, surprisingly, I am not bothered by it. I mean, it made me chuckle sometimes, I like the super dumb party-girl character shtick and how she made a pact with a demon from another dimension, I love that absurdist humor of jokes pushed to the max, like this girl is probably doomed for all eternity and the show just doesn't give a what not even herself. If we are going down that route I am all up for it, but unfortunately, like others have said, so far only this episode embraced this off-beat, serious-show-rule-breaking gags. But I can understand why people think this is bottom of the barrel stuff. There's nothing to be said here, the show has no overall message it wants to send. THere's no character development for ANYONE, and I mean, anyone. Not even Jen, we just assume she is She-Hulk and happy with it. We 4th-wall-break, make the dating app profile gimmick, and probably every other slice of life sitcom gag without rhyme or reason.
Also, I feel the whole dating app thing is a bit false and the fact that she cares so much about whether she gets matches or not is a bit degrading. And not because it is featured in this particular show but because in general it is a complicated world and it hits hard when dealing with the dating sphere of this time. Sure dating apps are too integral to the dating sphere today, but I feel men are the ones mostly "having" to "search for girls"/get matches and girls generally can "choose" amongst the ones they matched with. Or at least that's my experience (as a man) who consulted his female friends. I find it hard to believe that beautiful actress Tatiana Maslany got 0 matches after swiping for a while. I get the gag, like I know the whole approach is "oh no, human woman can't get matches I'm sure her superhero counterpart does" and see a bunch of weirdos match with her instead. I know the joke here, is just the punchline doesn't land for me because the theme of the show hasn't embraced at all, at least in a more "serious" matter, whether Jen is jealous of her "other self" because it attracts so many "positive" things like dates and jobs. I just wish the show would address more these things, I find it interesting the trope of "embrace your true self" that Jen is mostly giving vibes about rather than "become who people want you to be". She is worried that She-Hulk provides more to her life than her true self and it would be nice to have a moment to slow down and contemplate that character moment.
And the whole dating app thing is just so shallow a subject to address. Our main character succumbs to what I can only consider "peer pressure" after her friend tells her she has to get a boyfriend through that channel. A channel that is so manipulative and depends on so many pitfalls of social media it is sad to have Jen navigate it. But I guess it's something that exists and is happening today, so I guess it's understandable the show would explore that avenue.
Also, it unceremoniously spoils more than once The Sopranos show for many who haven't seen it yet... I swear this show is just a mess. A black hole for everything it could have been or strived to be. It is provoking (which so far I had no issues with), attempts to be funny or at least not take itself too seriously. But then why construct a narrative involving old characters and featuring returning faces, it only makes me think less of Wong, particularly on this episode where comes across as full of himself and I cannot take himself seriously. Between Wong from the first Dr Strange and his latest iterations, there's a massive character drop where he is just a joke machine that comes and goes in and out of stories. It's really hard to see him as a character with an agency of his own. Anyways, here we are.