Season 1, Episode 7, “The Retreat”

Last week, it seemed like She-Hulk: Attorney At Law was finally settling into some semblance of a regular format: A story/B story, a fun side case for the supporting cast, moving away from the MCU cameos. But this week tosses all that aside to pull Jen away from GLK&H and back into Emil Blonksy’s orbit. Sorry, Renée Elise Goldsberry. Hopefully, we’ll catch you next time.

Nevertheless, it was a perfectly pleasant episode, and Jen clearly needed the getaway. She’s living the sweetest little rom-com with, Josh (Trevor Salter), the beau she met at Lulu’s wedding. Until quite abruptly, she’s not. (And Josh wasn’t beating those “suspicious dude” allegations early on: His flirty texts on Jen’s screen suggested he already knew what neighborhood she lived in.) Because Jen is a woman living in the 21st century, she can’t help obsessing over their texts when he ghosts her after they have sex.

Luckily a distraction is provided by Blonsky, whose inhibitor malfunctions up on that “wackadoo ranch of his,” in the words of his parole officer. Chuck is reasonably concerned that he might meet the Abomination up there, so he asks Jen to accompany him in her capacity as lawyer and superhero. The malfunction turns out to be a simple run-in with an electric fence (thankfully, Princess Silk Feather, Blonsky’s favorite chicken, was unharmed). Still, the visit expectedly goes off the rails when Man-Bull (“Was a weird lab experiment, don’t ask”) and El Águila (not a matador) destroy Jen’s car.

Rather than his harem of prison pen pals, in this episode, Blonsky surrounds himself with a gang (parole board, take note: it’s not a real gang) of super-adjacent dudes who are trying to get in touch with their feelings. Continuing to obsess over her phone, Jen doesn’t really want anything to do with this rag-tag bunch until That Guy (Nick Gomez) walks in. As Jen helpfully reminds us (“Tell me they Previously On’d him! No, I don’t care, we’re doing it again”), he’s a member of the Wrecking Crew that attacked her weeks ago. Now, he’s at Blonsky’s ranch taking “radical accountability. How exactly he’s doing so is still anyone’s guess.

It’s with this unlikely group that Jen is finally encouraged to voice her true insecurities around She-Hulk. Her super persona is like the cool friend you had in high school: “Like, you think life would be so much easier if I were that person, and I can turn into that person anytime I want to. And everyone pays attention when I’m this. Like, my colleagues, my boss, guys,” she shares. “But it feels like cheating because would they like me if I didn’t have all this? If I were just Jen, would the same guys who like She-Hulk stick around for Jen? Because some of them don’t. And that sucks for Jen because Jen is great. And no one cares when there’s She-Hulk.”

The group manages to convince her to trust them with Just Jen, which is a really liberating moment for her. She is very glad she stayed at the retreat, and is even convinced to delete Josh’s number from her phone (and check out the yurt). Blonsky says she’s welcome back any time, and the not-a-real-gang gives her a parting card (Front: “Bye Jen” Inside: “We love Jen AND She-Hulk”). Jen gets to drive off with a new sense of dignity and a new lease on life.

Unfortunately, we now know that Saracen (Terrence Clowe), the maybe-vampire (and our comments section), was correct that Josh was, indeed, after Jen’s blood. A flashback to their Adult Sleepover shows Josh creeping around in the dead of night, copying the contents of her phone (what does he need that for?!). He also takes a picture of her asleep, half-naked, which is such a heartbreaking violation on top of the betrayal—a very unsettling note for the episode to end on. Jen doesn’t yet know that Josh is actually HulkKing, but one fears the reveal will undo all the progress she made in the yurt.

Stray observations

• So, like… Josh did get her blood then? That’s what his text message at the end of the episode implies, but it’s kind of funny after all the menacing needles they showed us that we don’t actually see him do it.
• Excellent needle drops this episode: we’ve got “MMMBop” by Hanson, “IDGAF” by Dua Lipa, and my favorite, “Now I’m In It” by HAIM, the perfect soundtrack to Jen’s dream rom-com.
• Nikki says Jen is nominated for “Female Lawyer of the Year,” and with all due respect to our girl… for what? She’s light on the lawyering lately, you have to admit.
• Shout out to John Pirruccello as Chuck the parole officer. Really enjoyed his brief appearance and exasperated “Jen, Jen, Jen, you’re honking your horn at a ten-foot tall lizard monster.”
• Actually, the entire guest cast is pretty delightful this week, particularly the possibly codependent Man-Bull and El Águila, played by Nathan Hurd and Joseph Castillo-Midyett, respectively.
• Wardrobe Watch: Jen’s casual outfit at the farm genuinely looks comfortable for both Jen and She-Hulk, unlike last week’s baggy wedding dresses.
• “You know what? Apologize to my Prius Prime. WITH MONEY.”
• Poor Jen’s sweet text messages are torn apart by the group: “I can’t stop smiling” is “thirsty and a cliché,” according to Porcupine (Jordan Aaron Ford), and they all groan at her “blushing smile emoji” double-text. On the other hand, they immediately offer to kill Josh for hurting her feelings, which is cute. (Maybe they should’ve done it!)