She-Hulk’s penultimate episode, “Ribbit or Rip It,” starts swimmingly, then goes off the charts in a toxic, disturbing display of internalized misogyny. And because I don’t feel like writing another review full of rage, we’re going to choose to focus the entirety of this article on why She-Hulk and Daredevil could be Marvel’s next best romantic relationship. Plus, Collider’s Arezou Amin already said it best:
“The hackers, as a further means of discrediting her, then go on to call her a slut, and “prove their point” by showing a recording of her and Josh in bed together — because the picture Josh took of her last week somehow wasn’t violating enough.
It’s not as though the show paints them as being in the moral right, but I must once again ask what place something as real as revenge porn has in a show like this. It’s not as if any of the male heroes are asked to exemplify the real-world horrors that men face.”
Where She-Hulk had a hilarious and engaging opening, the show took an unfortunate turn with this arc that has sadly put a bad taste in my mouth. Still, I’ll backtrack because we’re here to talk about romance.
The truth is, we’ve had Matt Murdock and Jen Walters for maybe ten minutes, and the intensity of which it’s easy to ship them is a little concerning. You can’t give me Charlie Cox and Tatiana Maslany constantly smiling, then expect me to turn off the TV without wondering if some brilliant soul who’s watched the episode at midnight has already written fan fiction for them. She-Hulk and Daredevil make this penultimate some sort of a doozy dream come true, and the gall of the series to wake us from it is frankly cruel. This ship is kind of really doing it for us, too, Jen—if Marvel knows what’s good for them, it’d hurdle at the opportunity to tackle this quietly and slowly after its quick, chemistry-filled sexy start.
She-Hulk and Daredevil’s meeting was probably supposed to be a mere one-night stand, nothing more—two people with insane chemistry giving in to their desires behind closed doors. Yet, it could be brilliant if we explore it further. Did Marvel realize what they were doing? Did they see the story unfolding like a stunning heated gem unfurling in a slow burn? Probably not, but we sure did. Plus, a role reversal with Daredevil’s walk of shame? Yes. Excellent. It’s so on-the-nose, corny, and simultaneously so damn intriguing. This episode did come to a very satisfying conclusion in Jen’s living room, and I need more. We all do. Immediately. Pronto.
Someone as gentle, warm, and so innately kind could be the perfect match for Jen after the failed relationships and downright horrific assholes who’ve crossed her path. They could balance each other out beautifully and, perhaps, more importantly, make each other laugh, which is how we ended up here in the first place. There’s nothing that sets a ship in motion quite as deliciously as two people finding themselves sharing effortless joy—entwining their pieces with one another’s edges.
In telling her that he could heartbeats then inching forward just a little bit to mention the speed of hers, Matt Murdock likely sent us all into a never-ending spiral. In this case, his gentleness further proves why Jen could trust him. It’s quiet moments of intimacy like this scene that equate to something more significant in the long-run, something worth excavating and digging further into when they’re hopefully established as partners. (Marvel, I’m begging you to give it to me.).
Thereby, as someone very familiar with the romance genre and how pacing plays a crucial role in development, She-Hulk and Daredevil are already a match made in heaven, whether as their superhero alter-egos or Matt Murdock and Jen Walters. There’s no denying that should the series dive deeper into their relationship, they could bring to our screens something profoundly special between two people who’d find all sorts of ways to fall into each other. The markers are all there, and Marvel should continue setting them up.
Plus, we could have them double date with Frank Castle and Karen Page in my perfect world. Thanks.