She Hulk (1×07) The Retreat Review

Olly DycheSeptember 29, 202284/100n/a7 min
Director
Anu Valia
Writer
Zeb Wallis
Rating
TV-14
Running Time
35 minutes
Airs
Thursdays
Channel
Disney Plus
Overall Score
Rating Summary
The Retreat is another enjoyable episode that relies solely on its main plot which takes Jen on a journey of self-discovery.

For our review of the last episode of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, click here.

Most of the MCU Disney+ series all had six episodes at most, with Wandavision and What If? being the only exceptions. She Hulk is much more in the vain of those two aforementioned series, having more than six episodes which is something fans can only hope the MCU keeps delivering. As a result, She Hulk doesn’t feel rushed as viewers are allowed to better connect with the characters and its stories. Sure, She Hulk feels more like a procedural and may not tell as much of a cohesive story as other MCU series but the is still an overarching story there and this week’s latest episode is no different, offering viewers another shocking reveal at the end.

The Retreat is another enjoyable episode that may rub some fans the wrong way as Emil Blonsky returns and is once again the standout. It kicks off with a cute romcom esque montage with Jen and Josh (Trevor Salter) who have some fun and go on a few dates before eventually sleeping together. But the next morning Josh is gone, and after sending him a text Jen doesn’t here from him again. The start of the episode is fun and happy thanks to an upbeat soundtrack. However, the mood quickly changes when Jen’s anxiety and dread kicks in after awaiting a text from Josh which sadly never comes.

Eventually Jen receives a call from Emile Blonsky’s Parole Officer, Chuck Donelan (John Pirruccello), about a malfunction alert for Blonsky’s inhibitor. Assuming he turned into the Abomination, Donelan is terrified to investigate on his own so asks Jen for backup. When they arrive, they find Emil not in his Abomination form and as his inhibitor was disabled after saving his favorite chicken. After fixing the inhibitor, Donelan quickly drives off but before Jen wasn’t as lucky. Stuck at Blonsky’s retreat, she wanders into his support group, leading to the best moments in the series. Roth is brilliant as the other characters hilariously bounce off each other, delivering many great laughs. Similarly, they all come together to help Jen with her problems as both Jen and She-Hulk.

After the session, Jen leaves with a big smile on her face, making new friends who love her as Jen and She-Hulk. That moment is followed by a shocking revelation in the final moments, revealing that Josh isn’t who he said he was.

All in all, this episode delivered everything that fans love about the series such as interesting writing, great characters and hilarious jokes, as well as a few fourth-wall breaking moments. Whilst there is no B-plot, the main plot is one of the best of the series so far. The final reveal is shocking and will undoubtedly get fans excited for the last two episodes and fans will sure to keep asking who is “HulkKing”, perhaps this may still be the Leader or someone else entirely.


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