Thomas Storai 
“She-Hulk smashes with the best Marvel finale. It is entertaining, unexpected and as meta as it gets!”
After nine weeks of awesomeness, we have finally reached the end of She-Hulk season one. And yet, it still feels like the series has just started. A Marvel sitcom style series was exactly what we needed to end the Summer. Even though, it is great to see how it ends, I wouldn’t have minded a few more episodes of pure fun! We definitely need more of She-Hulk in the MCU! Usually with finales, Marvel delivers big on the action, so what about this one?
PREVIOUSLY ON
As usual, we get the previously segment at the beginning of the episode. Though for the finale, we get something different. This previously on segment is a beautiful tribute to The Incredible Hulk series from 70s-80s. If one Hulk project could do that it was She-Hulk. This series is so meta that it doesn’t feel weird to have an intro with a practical She-Hulk costume and make-up. It surely sets the mood for the episode.
BREAKING THE MOLD
The episode picks up after last week‘s big twist. Intelligencia leaked Jen’s phone and as a results she went full on Hulk rage. Where do you go from there? The first part of the episode deals with the consequences of what happened. Obviously for Jennifer, this isn’t an easy time. This leads to a lot of changes in her life.
Typically, you would think that since it is a Marvel finale, you are getting big action with a fight against the villain. At the beginning, you think it is heading that way. However, this episode totally subverts our expectations and does something entirely different. I applaud Marvel Studios for this. I have absolutely loved every Marvel series so far. But this episode is truly unique! If you are not getting a fight against the villain, what do you get? This is when the fourth wall plays an essential role. They didn’t use it to just talk to the audience from time to time. In this episode, they make full use of this tool. It doesn’t get more meta than this. And this is so much fun!
TALKING TO THE FANDOM
Since the beginning, this series has been aware of what is going on in the Marvel fandom. For example, it pokes fun at the toxic masculinity. In fact, Intelligencia is very much the representation of that toxicity. What those characters say is exactly the tweets you see online from misogynists. When you have a woman-lead-series that deals with misogyny and sexism, it just makes sense that this organization would be the villain. I think it is also quite empowering the way she decides to fight them.
Moreover, by breaking the fourth wall, the series directly talks to the fandom about its expectations and things that have happened throughout the MCU. This meta aspect of the series allows it to do so many things that other series cannot do. What’s not to love about it?
SURPRISES
It is a season finale and for finales you need surprises. Beyond the uniqueness of the episode, there are more surprises. Indeed, we have seen a lot of guest stars throughout the season and this episode brings everyone together. It delivers big on this side too! It is a real joy to see all these characters again. And if you were still wondering what was the deal with Hulk seemingly going back to Sakaar, we finally have the answer. Undoubtedly, there is a lot more story to tell with the Hulks.
Furthermore, I have been thinking about Jennifer and Daredevil all week, rewatching the episode several time. Like I said in my review, their chemistry is off the chart. They are adorable together! So, I am incredibly happy to see them again together in this episode. This cannot be the last time, we see this couple! She-Hulk needs to appear in Daredevil Born Again. It has to happen.
VERDICT
She-Hulk smashes with the best Marvel finale. This is a unique and unexpected episode, it doesn’t get more meta than this! You are in for a lot of fun.
She-Hulk is streaming on Disney Plus right now!
Collectables Editor at Future Of The Force.
Star Wars and Marvel specialist, anime expert
