Legion 1.02 Review
If you sat down to watch FX’s Legion because you thought it was another superhero show, you probably switched the channel halfway through, because it certainly is not. At the very least, Legion is an incredibly different take on the mutant condition, and on the X-Men universe as a whole. And if not for the fact that we already knew from the start that David (Dan Stevens) was meant to be a mutant, he would seem to all the world to be a very mentally ill person. However, the show tells us very early on that David Haller is not a normal human being — in fact, not a human being at all. A mutant.
Chapter 2 starts with David being rescued by others that he’s learned are not unlike himself. They take him to a place called Summerland — a safe haven for mutants like him. But of course, the government is not letting up, and we are led to believe that eventually, they will find David and his friends. But once they start delving into his memories, strangely, it becomes quite more understandable and easier to follow than the pilot episode was.
Once he gets settled into Summerland, the real work begins. Dr. Bird (Jean Smart), Dr. Poole (Scott Lawrence) and Cary (Bill Irwin) work with David to find out what triggers his powers, in order to help control them. We know that Division 3 believes David to be dangerous and powerful, both of which we’ve witnessed — but secrets are being kept on both sides. And now that Division 3 has a hold of his sister, Amy (Katie Aselton), the stakes are even higher for David personally.
That brings us to Syd, David’s Rogue-like girlfriend. So, we know she isn’t Rogue, but that was definitely my own first impression. The girl who wears gloves, who is so careful about never being touched. We know from when David kissed her that unlike Rogue, her ability is more about transference, although to what capacity and what end we’re not entirely sure yet. However, their romance is sort of sweet and almost innocent. She’s shy and yet entirely sure of herself, which is a good match for someone like David, who has believed he was mentally ill since he was about ten or eleven years old — and therefore, very insecure himself.
So what does this mean?
We can’t be sure of anything yet, but it is certainly shaping up to become a sort of superhero show, despite the intended adult audience. It isn’t entirely dissimilar to Daredevil or Jessica Jones in that way. It’s scary, it’s dark, but still enjoyable, and once David gets a handle on his powers, we will see him kicking some butt alongside the other residents of Summerland.
As for theories, thus far…
And doesn’t Summerland seem a little familiar, maybe a different sort of institute, run by someone other than Charles Xavier (who happens to be David’s biological father, if that’s the way the show wants to tell it)? The Xavier Mansion does get broken into and blown up quite a few times, and with the way Division 3 is searching for David, I can certainly see Summerland going up in smoke.
Only time will tell.
Let us know what you think!
Legion airs Wednesdays at 10 pm PT/ET on FX.