She-Hulk's Missing Episode Explained By MCU Director

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law director Kat Coiro explains why the MCU show is missing an episode from season 1. Following on the heels of the likes of Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the latest MCU series to be released on Disney+. Marking a big departure from previous Marvel shows, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a half-hour legal comedy, which tells the story of lawyer Jennifer Walters/ She-Hulk (Tatiana Maslany), who attempts to balance her career with her ability to transform into a superhero. The show has been a hit with critics thus far but has proven more divisive with audiences due to its unique sense of humor and lighthearted tone.

She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is the 7th live-action Disney+ MCU series, with WandaVision kicking off the trend in January of last year. WandaVision, like She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, comprises 9 episodes in total, with all other live-action MCU shows, including The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, and Ms. Marvel only featuring 6. Although its episode count is in line with WandaVision's, it was originally announced that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law would feature a total of 10 episodes, making it the longest MCU show to be released thus far.

In a recent interview with The Direct, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law director Kat Coiro explains why the show ended up going from its 10 planned episodes to only 9. Coiro makes clear that episode 10 doesn't actually exist and wasn't filmed, explaining that it really just came down to 9 episodes being the optimal number to tell the story they envisioned. Check out Coiro's full comment below:

“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.”

Why She-Hulk Had The Perfect Episode Count

If She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had aired on regular network or cable TV, there are certain guidelines that would have had to be followed regarding episode length and the number of episodes per season. As Coiro suggests, the rise of streaming and platforms like Disney+ have allowed creators to explore new storytelling structures, taking only as much time as they need to tell a story. Due to its premise and its tone being closer to that of a sitcom, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was always going to be better suited to a slightly longer episode count, and 9 ultimately allows the show to take some fun detours while still moving the story along.

Like any sitcom, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law featured individual episode-to-episode stories while still maintaining a long-form, serialized narrative throughout. If She-Hulk: Attorney at Law had only run for 6 episodes instead of 9, it's likely that the show would have struggled to deliver the same comedic tone while still pushing the story forward. It remains to be seen if She-Hulk: Attorney at Law season 2 will happen, but Coiro's comment certainly suggests that another outing for Maslany's hero could see a smaller or larger episode count depending on the story they set out to tell.

Source: The Direct

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