Spoiler Warning: She-Hulk Season One
After a superhumanly underwhelming previous episode, She-Hulk is back in big green form, with some gold and red mixed in. Following an uneventful stint in group therapy with a gaggle of lesser superheroes, Jen Walters and her alter ego returned to court and got back in action for episode eight, “Ribbit and Rip It.” Speaking of backbench heroes, this episode introduced yet another goofy vigilante in Leap-Frog, a hapless crime fighter clad in a Super Mario 3-like frog suit. The episode balanced out the masked hero scales with the appearance of a long-teased A-lister, Daredevil.
This is the episode we’ve all been waiting for since DD somersaulted across the screen in the series teaser trailer months ago. And the character’s first official MCU appearance lived up to the hype and then some. Not only is it great to see Daredevil back in the fight, Matt Murdock actor Charlie Cox and Jen Walters actress Tatiana Maslany have incredible on-screen chemistry, both in their super suits and court clothes. We get plenty of both in episode eight, along with some signature Daredevil fight sequences /Hulk smashing-hybrid scenes.
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Here’s a breakdown of “Ribbit and Rip It.”
Enter Leap-Frog
Marvel Studios / Disney
The episode starts with a late-night electronics robbery being interrupted by the aforementioned Leap-Frog. In his attempted intervention, he shows off some lackluster martial arts moves like the ones we pulled as kids after watching too much TMNT. This gets him a swift beating by the two thieves, and he attempts an airborne escape with a pair of rocket boots, yelling his catchphrase, “Ribbit and rip it!” at take-off. The boots malfunction, and Leap-Frog bites the pavement.
Leap-Frog’s alter ego Eugene Patilio sues the manufacturer of the boots, Luke Jacobson, enlisting Jen to represent him. Jacobson also put together She-Hulk’s new wardrobe to accommodate her drastic changes in frame. Jen tries to reason with Jacobson to make amends with Patilio, but he refuses and blacklists her from future patronage of his shop.
At the hearing, Jacobson’s lawyer is running late, and eventually, in walks Matt Murdock. Jen wants a list of Jacobson’s other hero clients, and Murdock argues that would endanger the lives of their loved ones. He cites the repeal of the Sokovia Accords, first introduced in Captain America: Civil War, as a way to reel in unsanctioned action by the Avengers. Using his keen nose, Murdock is able to surmise that Patilio used the wrong kind of fuel to power the boots, landing a dismissal of the suit and a win for his client.
After Work Drink
Marvel Studios
Jen hits her usual haunt for a post-court drink, and the bartender slides a bright green appletini in front of her, courtesy of Matt Murdock. The two chat about the law and life and immediately hit it off. “A low blow insulting a blind man’s clothes. I’m wearing pants, right?” says a smooth-as-ever Murdock when Jen knocks his wardrobe.
Both Jen and Matt get emergency calls from clients and part ways, to the former’s chagrin. Later that night, Jen gets a frantic call from Leap-Frog, who says he’s being assaulted. Jen follows the GPS to a parking garage and effortlessly drops a knee in front of Leap-Frog’s car, sending his attacker airborne, revealing our first look at a red and gold-suited Daredevil. She-Hulk starts swinging, and Daredevil dodges everything she throws at him, eventually somersaulting off the garage and Parkouring his way back to a fleeing Leap-Frog.
She-Hulk uses the trademark seismic clap to bring down Daredevil, quickly unmasking him to reveal Matt. “It’s very daring to use ketchup and mustard as your color scheme,” she quips, referencing DD’s new classic-colored suit. He reveals that Leap-Frog has kidnapped Jacobson to make him a new suit.
Invading the Lilypad
With their team-up now official, Daredevil and She-Hulk converge on Leap-Frog’s eye roller Batcave equivalent, the Lilypad, complete with a vintage Frogger arcade machine. In an excellent return to the thrilling fight choreography of his Netflix series, Daredevil easily mops the floor with a few goons and faces off five more, only for She-Hulk to come in through the ceiling, dropping them all at once.
She-Hulk once again makes her own doorway, smashing through the wall to the hideout’s main room, with Daredevil picking off henchmen one at a time. She does the talking, and he does the smashing.
After the cops show up and take in Leap-Frog, Matt casually sits on the neon “Lilypad” sign. It’s reminiscent of Keaton’s Batman atop the Axis Chemicals sign in 1989. Matt has to go back to New York the following day, so he and Jen just go for it and hook up for the night, followed by Daredevil doing the walk of shame the next morning, complete with his boots in hand.
The Gala
After excellent Wolverine and Red Hulk references, the episode concludes with She-Hulk attending a gala for Female Lawyer of the Year awards, which she and several other attorneys win. At this point, the big bad reveals itself with Intelligentsia, a nod to Anonymous, hacking into the gala screen and showing a video of Jen and Josh in bed. Jen understandably flips out, chases down a masked man filming the chaos, and is stopped by cops with glowing ominous super guns. Quite a packed episode.
“Ribbit and Rip It” is hands down the best She-Hulk episode in this great season and one of the best we’ve seen in the entire Marvel/Disney+ catalog to date. Daredevil fit seamlessly into the series, writing him funny and lighter than the grim tone of his own series but not so far over the top into camp territory. He retained just enough of his darkness to complement the tinge of light needed to fit into She-Hulk’s comedic spirit. The season will conclude with the next episode, presumably bringing She-Hulk face-to-face with Intelligentsia to cap off the campaign.
