REVIEW: ‘She-Hulk: Attorney At Law’, Episode 7 – “The Retreat”

She-Hulk: Attorney At Law Episode 7 finally asks the question, “What if there was a support group for supervillains?” The end result is explored in “The Retreat,” as Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) once again crosses paths with Emil Blonsky (Tim Roth). When Blonksy’s inhibitor collar malfunctions, Jen travels to his retreat to find out what happened. And she ends up stuck there as a fight between two supervillains wrecks her car. To make matters worse, she hit it off with Josh (Trevor Salter), a guest she met at her friend’s wedding. However, Josh isn’t responding to Jen’s texts after spending a week with her, frustrating her to no end.

This episode again cements my belief that Maslany would be great in a romantic comedy, but I’d also love to see director Anu Valia reteam with her for said project. Valia has a gift for the montage; “The Retreat” opens with a sequence of Josh and Jen going on dates around San Francisco, interspersed with back-and-forth texts between the two as well as titles depicting the passage of days. And she has a gift for bringing out Maslany’s comedic talents. Scenes of Jen constantly staring at her phone or staring forlornly at her TV had the unintentional effect of drawing laughs from me. And it’s oh so relatable; Jen was not kidding when she said that dating in your 30s is the worst.

The real MVP of the episode is Roth. When it was first announced that he was returning for She-Hulk, fans were happy that plot points from The Incredible Hulk would be followed up on. And the show has taken an unexpected but very fun turn in making him a therapist/self-help guru—most of the supervillains in his care talk about their deep-seated insecurities and why they turned to crime. And Roth feels like he’s truly engaged in their plight, offering advice to better themselves. It’s enough to make you forget that this character can also transform into a huge reptilian monster who tried to kill the Hulk.

Blonksy’s therapy sessions also serve as a way for Jen to come to terms with her She-Hulkiness. This is where “The Retreat” takes a surprisingly emotional turn, as Jen talks about how she feels like people like her She-Hulk self more than her actual self. Maslany pours a great deal of emotional release into this scene, and even though she’s in her She-Hulk form, you can see the genuine sadness and questioning in her eyes. She’s always been a great actress, but this scene is a great reminder of what put her on the map; her ability to convey a wealth of emotions with merely a look.

She-Hulk Episode 7 even sees a bonafide comic book writer handling the scripting process in Zeb Wells! Wells brings a mix of genuine emotional pathos and some deep comic book cuts, as many of the supervillains attending Blonksy’s retreat are genuine C to D-list supervillains. Never in my life would I think I’d be seeing the Porcupine on a major comic book show, yet here we are. This bodes well for Wells’ tenure as showrunner for the upcoming Marvel Zombies series. I hope to see more of this as other Marvel Studios writers, including Sabir Pirzada, have also penned comic book stories.

She-Hulk Episode 7 delivers another winning installment, mixing romantic comedy with D-list supervillains and emotional breakthroughs. It also has a killer ending that will definitely pop up in the final two episodes. And even though fans may be waiting for a certain Man Without Fear, this episode reminds you that it’s Jennifer Walters’ show first and foremost.

New episodes of She-Hulk: Attorney At Law premiere Thursdays on Disney+.