Here’s Why She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is Missing an Episode

Director Kat Coiro recently explained why She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was missing an episode from the first season.

The Disney Plus series has garnered polarized opinions from die-hard and casual fans alike. While some hate it for the stark difference in its theme from the cannon Marvel installments, others love it for the exact same reason. 

The show follows the life of lawyer Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) as it takes a sharp turn when she discovers that she can turn into the Hulk!

It mixes humor with MCU-esque action to create something unique. A legal comedy with a touch of Marvel. Now, who would not want to watch that?

Why does it have one episode less?

Initially, the show was announced to have ten episodes. That would’ve made it the longest MCU show to be released so far on Disney Plus. But episode 9 turned out to be the finale, and we got one episode less.

An interview with director Kat Coiro with The Direct threw light on this question.

Coiro clarified that episode 10 was never filmed and doesn’t exist. They started the venture with ten episodes in mind but realized that nine episodes were enough to tell the story that they had envisioned.

One of the most amazing experiences I’ve had as a creator and as an artist is Marvel is not bound by the same rules as, you know, other TV shows that have to be 22 minutes. And the story really dictated the length of the season. And so as the story came into focus and as we started putting the pieces together, it landed at nine. It could’ve been eight, it could’ve been eleven. And it’s the same with the length of the episodes. There isn’t a number you have to hit. It really is, ‘What’s best for this episode,’ which, in my opinion, is how it should be.

Kat Coiro

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was more like a sitcom in the Marvel universe. Like other sitcoms such as F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Rick and Morty, etc., a higher episode count always helps when the episodes are almost stand-alone and don’t bleed into the next one.

Other Marvel installments released on Disney Plus have only 6-7 episodes at max. But this had to have more because of its format. The directors could not stick to just the storyline alone and had to take some detours for comedic relief.

If there were to be 6 or 7 episodes, then the show would likely have struggled to accentuate the comedic undertones while moving the storyline simultaneously.

It remains to be seen whether She-Hulk: Attorney at Law season 2 will follow the same recipe of mixing sitcom with MCU (and breaking the fourth wall at every opportunity). This will decide whether it will follow the tried-and-tested Marvel way or take a detour as the series has done from the very first episode itself.

About She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is an American superhero television series created by Jessica Gao for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Kat Coiro and Anu Valia, the show is a part of Phase Four of the MCU.

Jennifer Walters, Attorney to superhumans, must balance her job and identity as She-Hulk and decide which path is for her. Her journey is hurdled by dangerous enemies like The Abomination and Titania. Her cousin Bruce Banner trains her to live life as a green-skinned superhero.

The comedy-legal drama premiered on Disney+ on August 17, 2022, with weekly episodes every Wednesday. The show stars Tatiana Maslany, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Roth, Jameela Jamil, Benedict Wong, and Charlie Cox.