The following contains spoilers for She-Hulk: Attorney at Law Season 1, Episode 7, "The Retreat," which debuted Sept. 29, on Disney+.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is vastly different from other Marvel Cinematic Universe series because the show's protagonist maintains a relatively normal life outside her new superpowers. With this tonal shift, the series is also able to focus on societal issues and poke fun at some recurring themes Jen Walters would likely encounter in the real world. Some characters in the series have essentially served to mock toxic masculinity and sexism, especially in the business world, and these jokes elevate the series refreshingly.
Many of these characters serve as side stories in each episode, adding to the development of Jen's coworkers within the law firm. At the start of the series, Dennis Bukowski is introduced as one of Jen's coworkers at the Los Angeles Country District Attorney's Office. He undermined her when they worked together, trying to take the lead on most cases and insinuating she couldn't do the job as well as he could. He also proudly talked bad about women and down to them.
One of Dennis' most sexist and memorable lines was in Season 1, Episode 2, "Superhuman Law," when Dennis said, "There's a hot chick over there. I'm gonna go talk to it," implying women aren't people. He is the most over-the-top sexist character, and the show punishes him appropriately. When he's forced to seek legal counsel for help against a superhero, his arrogance and sexism protect his assets while proving to the audience that he is a joke.
Meanwhile, in Season 1, Episode 6, "Just Jen," Nikki Ramos (Jen's paralegal) stayed behind to help another attorney, Mallory Book, while Jen attended a wedding. The case she encountered with Mallory included a man with superpowers named Craig Hollis, or Mr. Immortal. The man had a long list of ex-spouses he tricked into believing he died once the relationships became difficult. What made his character sexist was the way he claimed he could not understand women when he made very little effort to do so and caused major problems for them without remorse.
Mr. Immortal served to represent a large portion of men in society who also find women difficult to understand without taking the proper time to get to know a woman on an individual level. Women are often labeled as naggy and without a sense of humor by sexist individuals who are inconsiderate with their words and efforts. Although Mr. Immortal was highly frustrating, the episode ended by providing payback to the women he manipulated and abandoned, giving viewers a necessary catharsis to self-serving individuals such as him.
Many men in the series, on the other hand, aren't sexist and provide a safe space for the women in the show, but there are other ways Jen deals with sexism throughout the series. Societal expectations for her are very different from her cousin even though they are both Hulks. For instance, Jen struggled to navigate dating or living a normal life with her powers because she's judged by her gender. Before gaining her powers, she already made a name for herself in a male-dominated field, but she still struggled to be seen or respected by her peers.
One heartwarming moment in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was in Season 1, Episode 7, "The Retreat," when Jen had a counseling session with a group of men. She shared her dating woes and insecurities about herself, and the group made her feel better. This provided a nice change to the male characters she often interacted with in the series, and it also displayed what healthy communication between genders could look like. Although Jen is likely to still encounter sexists in her line of work, it was nice for her to experience a safe and healing moment with her male counterparts.