The following contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1 Episode 8, “Ribbit and Rip It,” is now streaming on Disney+.
From the beginning She-Hulk: Lawyer, Jennifer Walters is grappling with the harsh truths about her super-powered condition. Perhaps hardest of all is the fact that she only seems to attract attention in her Hulk form. And while an invulnerable 6’7″ green-skinned woman is admittedly difficult to ignore, Jen feels chronically overlooked for who she really is. This is especially true in her romantic life. Season 1, Episode 4, “Is This Not Real Magic? makes it painfully clear that the guys she dates are into She-Hulk, not Jennifer.
Matt Murdock’s critically acclaimed arrival in Season 1, Episode 8, “Ribbit and Rip It,” and his subsequent romantic liaison with Jennifer, changes all that. Their connection transcends their natural chemistry and similar temperament, and validates Jennifer in a way she still does has never experienced before. Matt is blind, so he doesn’t care what she looks like — and that simple fact confirms what has become the central thesis of the Disney+ show.
She-Hulk’s looks are a double-edged sword
Jennifer’s ambivalence about her superpowers is in the Marvel tradition. Characters like Rogue, The Thing, and She-Hulk’s cousin Bruce Banner must contend with a myriad of problems they never faced as their normal selves. Jennifer appreciates the perks of her She-Hulk form, including the fact that it got her a job and that she can command a room if she wants. But the TV series notes on numerous occasions how much of it depends on superficial details rather than the very capable and attractive woman she always was.
Nowhere is this more evident than in her love life. “Isn’t that real magic?” shows Jennifer struggling for attention on the dating site she joined until she replaces her profile with one for She-Hulk. Her various dates – even the ones she sleeps with – make it clear which side of her personality they are interested in. She’s forced to put them all under oath when Titania tries to copyright “She-Hulk” in Season 1, Episode 5, “Mean, Green, and Cast Right Into Those Jeans.” The effect all of this is having on Jennifer comes out in Emil Blonsky’s retreat in Season 1 Episode 7, “The Retreat” – the same episode that reveals her would-be lover Josh was involved in the worst kind of betrayal, to get a sample of their blood. People can’t seem to see past their green side.
Daredevil knows the real Jennifer Walters
Matt Murdock’s blindness is something of a silver bullet to all of Jennifer’s woes. He literally can’t see her – although he can certainly feel the physical difference in her She-Hulk form – which makes it all a minor matter to him. He first meets her in the courtroom in “Ribbit and Rip It,” where they are fighting opposite sides of the case. He later spots her at her local bar as Jennifer and buys her a drink. Not only is it clear that he respects her acumen, but that his interest in her has nothing to do with her powers. She’s in Jen form the entire time they start getting serious about each other.
This continues as the two continue their flirtation. Aside from the actual fight, Jen remains in her normal shape and Matt remains engaged and interested at all times. The most revealing moment comes just before its completion, when the two strip off their clothes and slip into the bedroom. The camera captures a slightly risqué shot of her bare legs just before they turn black. They are clearly Jennifer’s normal limbs and definitely not green.
More than a simple superhero ship, spending the night with Matt validates Jennifer in a way she’s been looking for ever since She Hulk Premiered. As hard as her powers might be to manage, she was willing to take the heartbreak and stay true to herself. Her rendezvous with Matt is sweet and touching — though it was most likely a one-night stand — because of this endorsement. Whatever he feels about her, it’s because of who she is, not what she looks like. This is perhaps the most heroic thing he does in the whole episode.
New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law stream Thursdays on Disney+.
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