She-Hulk season 1 finale review: Clever, clever treatment comes with its flaws

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law finally concluded its rapidly polarizing season with its ninth episode on October 13, 2022. Picking up from a tight cliffhanger of the previous episode, this one was responsible for undoing every cliche and every pattern that the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) has established over the years.

It was a perfect finale for a show that has consistently defied "superhero flicks," and viewers will either hate this anti-climatic episode or love Marvel's bravest attempt yet (yes, considering the Avengers films too). The finale was replete with clever writing, great plot twists, interesting crises, and a brilliant attempt at breaking the fourth wall.

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She-Hulk: Attorney at Law season finale signals the reconstruction of the superhero genre

With WandaVision and Loki in the past, Marvel has tried to do something novel. However, all the shows before She-Hulk eventually fell into the same superhero trope. She-Hulk managed to stay away from these constraints by embracing a free-flowing approach throughout the season. The random filler episode or Jennifer Walters' (played by Tatiana Maslany) constant interaction with the audience was immensely refreshing.

However, the final shattered the pre-established patterns of superhero flicks while also critiquing the same. This was a very clever move from the showrunners.

The finale picked up from the earlier episode's cliffhanger, but with an added twist. The Inteligencia, which is driven by their hate for Jennifer's gift, uses a stylized video that says:

"Jennifer Walters, Esquire. Lawyer. Millennial. Searching for a way to balance her career and her personal life. Then an accidental dose of gamma-radiated blood alters her body chemistry... And pursued by online trolls. She is provoked into a rampage that has landed her in prison. And now she is seen only for the raging spirit that dwells within her."

Subsequently, Jenn is constantly interacting with the viewers. Be it navigating her way out of a situation or breaking down at seeing multiple Hulk plotlines collide, Maslany delivers her best performance so far.

Things are relatively normal until Jenn stumbles upon the group meeting of Intelegencia. Led by Todd (John Bass), a series of offbeat things ensue. Todd becomes the Hulk with Jen's blood, Abomination is let loose again, Titania (Jameela Jamil) breaks another wall, and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) arrives from space. This leads Jenn to stop the frenzied plotline and leave her show.

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Writing her own story: A novel take

In perhaps the most creative sequence of MCU yet, Jennifer walks out of the screen and talks to her show's writers, who point her to the AI-driven creator of their content, K.E.V.I.N. Jenn talks to him and rewrites her story, removing useless elements, breaking away from the pattern of explosive finales, and rearranging plot elements to suit a legal drama.

The show ends rather quickly, which could be the only complaint about the finale. However, other than that, She-Hulk ended in a wonderous way, something that most shows would not dare try. It was mostly enjoyable and certainly thought-provoking. All in all, She-Hulk concluded with a certain flair that would either be much loved or hated.

All ten episodes of the show are now streaming on Disney+.