Serie - Legion : the new Marvel Series will arrive in France on the OCS channel on April 25th!

By Mulder, Los Angeles, 09 april 2017

Legion, the highly-anticipated new drama series from Noah Hawley, had been premiere on FX on Wednesday, February 8 at 10 PM ET/PT. Hawley serves as Executive Producer, along with Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Jeph Loeb, Jim Chory and John Cameron. Legion is the latest project from Hawley and Cameron, two of the executive producers of the Emmy® and Golden Globe®-winning FX limited series Fargo.

Legion, based on the Marvel Comics by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz, is the story of David Haller (Dan Stevens), a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic as a child, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years. Now in his early 30s and institutionalized once again, David loses himself in the rhythm of the structured regimen of life in the hospital: breakfast, lunch, dinner, therapy, medications, sleep. David spends the rest of his time in companionable silence alongside his chatterbox friend Lenny (Aubrey Plaza), a fellow patient whose life-long drug and alcohol addiction has done nothing to quell her boundless optimism that her luck is about to change. The pleasant numbness of David’s routine is completely upended with the arrival of a beautiful and troubled new patient named Syd (Rachel Keller). Inexplicably drawn to one another, David and Syd share a startling encounter, after which David must confront the shocking possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real.

A haunted man, David escapes from the hospital and seeks shelter with his sister Amy (Katie Aselton). But Amy’s concern for her brother is trumped by her desire to protect the picture-perfect suburban life she’s built for herself. Eventually, Syd guides David to Melanie Bird (Jean Smart), a nurturing but demanding therapist with a sharp mind and unconventional methods. She and her team of specialists – Ptonomy (Jeremie Harris), Kerry (Amber Midthunder) and Cary (Bill Irwin) – open David’s eyes to an extraordinary new world of possibilities.

DefiniteAwesome first season review :

Legion, the name alone should ring fear, defined it means an army or a mass number. If you realize that this entire TV show is focusing on one main character and they refer to him as him Legion, then you have to wonder at what this character alone will contain. Of course, being Marvel, and with the X logo, you know that mutants/super humans will be involved. Dan Stevens is Legion/David, which is wonderful because he has proved to have an amazing acting range. Downton Abbey, Beauty and the Beast and now Legion, all prove to be extremely different characters, which I feel helps him in this case. David is called a schizophrenic, but then it is also quoted somewhere that he’s treated like he has borderline personality disorder. This is not a commonly known disorder, if you have seen the movie or read the book “Girl, Interrupted”, the main character had this disorder. She didn’t think much of it at first, but then realized that her personalities were split, almost like a different option that she didn’t have the option to select. With David aka Legion, both of these are technically true. He does have schizophrenia, and technically he does have a borderline personality disorder, just the second disorder is an actual character who is in his mind. Whereas the personality disorder itself, this one itself is real.

All of these are built into a dark world, with flashes of memory, it’s an unusual storyline to track. It will only appeal to a certain kind of mind, or if someone is interested in seeing a world from a different point of view, whether real or fake. They start him off at what appears to be a mental institution or asylum, it makes sense, since he does have one mental disorder at least, that they know of. You see him with Aubrey Plaza aka Lenny, who is an unusual best friend, the constant talker, a little off, but once again, in an asylum. He had been seeing a therapist on the outside, had been medicated as a child all the way to adulthood. Something that maybe muted everything out, the voices and super powers. He has a semi normal life, sister, girlfriend that he lived with, until he started adding some kind of junkie drug that he and Lenny partook in, and stopped taking his doctor’s prescribed medications. It’s odd because sometimes you can relate to a lot of his reactions, or even twitches. The constant fear and control, if you say you have never felt that ever, then I would love to meet you, because you are either amazingly in control, or just have another disorder called alexithymia. Then the girl comes, as in a vision, Syd played by Rachel Keller, has an affliction for physical touch. They are close as can be to dating in a mental asylum, and being a girl who cannot be touched. This is enough for them though and they do fall in love.

Long story short, Syd gets released, David cannot control himself and kisses her, causing a body switch. Syd is a mutant, not surprising, since the “mental asylum” is actually possibly a government body called the Division or something similar to government. The people who seem insane, but often have mutant powers, and they are sometimes just dealing with them, they are hunted by Division itself. The more powerful the mutant, the more Division wanted them, the reason why is unknown, it doesn’t state if they are killed or trained in anyway. Since they have switched bodies, David is able to leave the facility because his physical appearance is Syd, and it remains that way for a few hours. Unfortunately this is when you see the second flash of David’s powers, the divinity of Legion. Syd is unable to control them while in his body, she was not aware of what he could do. You look around the hospital and there are no doors anymore, there is only walls, there are even bodies stuck in the walls, people who are now obviously dead, including Lenny. His power combined with her panic sealed literally everything and all you hear is screaming. When they finally return to their original bodies, David is gone and Syd is released and has been picked up by 3 unusual characters in a black vehicle and David attempts to locate her but cannot. Unfortunately when David goes looking for her, he is found by Division, but he does not know it is Division, he thinks it’s an extension of the mental asylum. He’s being questioned by a “Doctor”, and they are trying to measure his powers, and if he cannot be controlled then they mention killing him. When David moves too quickly and they react to it, he realizes they fear him, and in a moment of anger, he has a flash and implodes everything in the room, Division reacts by using knock out gas.

While knocked out he is placed in a pool with electric power lines, and he wakes up surrounded by men in armor with guns and the same “Doctor”, stating if he acts out then he will obviously be shocked and killed. When asked what happened to Syd, he has a memory flashback of trying to find her, and in his memory she appears, tells him how to escape, just asking him to trust her as he comes back to reality. Talk about a flash of violence, he follows her instructions and hides in the water, and all you see is charred skeletons surrounding the pool and in the pool, he appears out of the water and she is there physically there now with two of the unusual characters that he had seen in the black vehicle outside of the asylum. He escapes with them, and there are more outside with even more military gunmen being taken out as they fight their way down to a boat on a body of water. Apparently, everyone has been looking for him, and the group is a team of mutants.

They find peace and solace in a location that has been created by Dr. Melanie Byrd played by the beautiful Jean Smart and her husband Oliver played by Jemaine Clement. The 2 characters with Syd are Ptonomy played by Jeremie Harris, and the female Kerry, played by Amber Midthunder. Ptonomy was an unusual choice of mutant characters, he has the ability to put himself and others in past memories, just like viewing your past like you were back in it. Unfortunately, while David has been saved, they flashed into a memory where David’s sister is looking for him at the asylum, David flashes in the image at the asylum from panic for her, and the hunter (the Eye) from Division has seen him, as a result his sister is taken. When I say female Kerry, it is because there is a male Kerry, they merge together into the same body, and the female Kerry only ages when she emerges. The male version of Kerry has been working with Dr. Melanie and her husband to create the area they live in.

Long story short, they run too many tests on David at this area that is supposed to be safe, they see flashes and gaps in his memory with Ptonomy. Something is missing, while trying to find it David goes catatonic and the rest of the group tries to fill in the gaps from his past with outside information and hunting. David gets stuck in a realm, where he ends up meeting Melanie’s husband Oliver, who apparently has been catatonic and cryogenically frozen for 20 years, also stuck in the realm. Is it so odd that this could be true? They don’t list how or why this has happened, or why he won’t wake up, he also seems to be losing gaps of his own memory. While the female Kerry hunts with the others for outside info, we will think of her as more like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, because the only time she comes out of the male Kerry’s body (two people in one living form, remember?) is to train, to fight, and hunt, she has an amazing short temper and violent tendencies. Unfortunately, her physical aspects will affect male Kerry, they both feel the same pain. While trying to find info about David, they are caught by Division, until Syd has the ability to switch bodies with the Eye. Easy fix? Wouldn’t that be lovely, but at least the mutants are safe because it looks like the Eye has them, when it is really Syd in his body.

Somewhere along the line, we realize that all the friends or gaps in David’s memory, the part with Lenny, the storybook character, even his childhood dog. They are all a manifestation….what could be viewed as the borderline personality, it is not quite David, but yet there has always been someone there with him. Always a darkness that seems controllable, and it takes over as David’s rage from his friends being hunted and his sister being stolen. This ends up with David leaving on his own, to go to Division and get his sister himself, when the team follows….it is just general horror. There are body parts everywhere, no one has been left alive, and there is video footage from the security cameras. Upon looking at the footage, as David rips everyone apart, there is one camera feed that shows a yellow eyed large demon where David stands in all the other cameras. Male Kerry back at the lab realizes that it’s not a borderline personality, that it is an actual parasite mutant living inside David and using his amazing power. Dr. Byrd, and another mutant are now seeing that on a security camera, as the demon is in control of what David is doing.

If possible, this is where it gets even darker, instead of returning with his sister to the safe haven, he takes her to his childhood home. The parasite has basically taken over at this point because it’s just too much fun for him to ignore. The Division hunter finds them, and in a moment when he sprays a machine gun at them, David and the “parasite” freeze time, and place them in a realm that is not real. It takes them back to the land of the hospital, what David remembers of it, except this time “Lenny” is the doctor, and Dr. Byrd, female Kerry, David, Syd, Ptonomy and the mutant who was with Dr. Byrd with security cameras are all stuck in there, believing it’s real. Lenny the yellow eyed demon has full control of David at this point, because he’s the one who built the world they think they are, while in the physical world they are just frozen in a moment.

We won’t go into details on each ones’ psychologist appointment in this made up world, it breaks them all down, makes them focus on their weak spots and tells them it’s not real and neither are their powers. The only person who seems to realize it’s not right is Syd, and somehow magically (a little bothersome), she is saved by Oliver, in his cryogenic suit, he brings her to his world. Gives her glasses that will help her see what is real, and extra copies for the others, after he saves her he gets male Kerry out of there, not realizing that female Kerry is being followed by the Eye. She has never been without him and panics, even when she realizes the world is fake, she views it as abandonment.

Eventually as each one is saved, the demon realizes items are getting out of control, it kills the Division hunter, and then locks David in a mental coffin, after screaming at him WHERE IS IT, he is looking for something that David does not have. As David is in this mental coffin, another version of him emerges, borderline personality? No, apparently, this is rationality coming into control, telling him to realize if it’s not a physical body, that there is no coffin, and tells him to focus on facts. To learn and write down everything that he has put into action, which focuses him into a mental large classroom with several chalkboards.

Let’s list out the things that he has learned and gives some backstory, and will actually show you the connection to the Marvel series, in such a beautiful subtle light. He learned that he’s adopted, his sister just finally told him, Lenny, who we know is the yellow eyed parasite told him that he knew David’s real father. Oooh, curiousity on that. He has learned that the Lenny/yellow eyed demon/childhood dog is a mutant, infecting him and often causing the havoc he cannot remember in his life. They talk about the father, and you see the flash of the X on a wheelchair, do you know where that is

from? Who in the Marvel world is in a wheelchair that has a solid X on the wheels itself. Someone with similar powers perhaps? Who may have battled with this demon parasite in a mental world/astral plane and won, not realizing that the villain’s mind wasn’t destroyed, it just needed a new home. He has his child adopted, thinking he was possibly saving it, but instead it found the child, without the father knowing. Male Kerry has realized what it is at that point, after the demon said that it wanted to be a God or King, he was an ancient mutant, named Farouk the Shadow King. He has created a sort of collar, for David to wear around the top of his head to try and contain Farouk and leave David in control of his own body.

The buildup of the story is amazing at this point, the gaps in the memory were all Farouk, which makes sense, since David could not control it and didn’t understand why. The shocking power David aka Legion’s abilities at this point makes sense why someone would want to control him. And the reason Farouk wanted him was for revenge from the father that took something from him, and the world which he just hates in general. Whomp. Somehow Oliver is able to manifest himself in the physical world, and you have to wonder what is up with this man? Why is he frozen? How can he save everyone from the fake world? How does he all of a sudden manifest in real life? Nothing is explained about all of these mysteries about Dr. Byrd’s husband, he has all these gaps and abilities to just create things, is he similar to David? It’s a pretty annoying gap of info at this point.

They get the collar on Legion, and Farouk is now controlled in the same coffin he put David in. As they return to the safe haven, they are surrounded by Division. Are you surprised? You take out every human in a building and of course you are going to get followed as you leave. The burned “Doctor” who was originally questioning David appears with an army, as David takes out the army, he asks the Doctor for a meeting, between two sides. The collar on him isn’t strong enough, and they need to get him to the lab. Division has a second army on backup, but they don’t describe it, they just maybe hint enough to show it would be mutants or something else entirely. The doctor is in the room with them to start the discussion, but unfortunately David mentally succumbs and passes out. While this happens, Farouk taps into Syd’s mind, using a small door access that was created since she was so connected and in love with David. Farouk explains that if he is expelled, that he’s taking David down with him, unless he gets another option to leave. All this time Oliver is still alive? How? Why? He’s running all the machines to help try to get Farouk expunged from his mind, he also doesn’t remember that he created that place, or that Melanie Byrd is his wife.

David starts to die, Farouk was not lying, he had attached himself to every piece of him, and Syd takes it into her own hands, literally. She runs into the room and kisses him, and when she opens her eyes, you see she has yellow eyes, Farouk has found a new home, but he doesn’t stop there. When Syd turns around female Kerry is there to try to stop her, but is ignoring the physical contact mutant power, instead Syd passes Farouk the yellow eyed demon to female Kerry. We all know she can fight her way out of the place, and as she takes out Ptonomy and her other half (male Kerry), and even Dr. Melanie Byrd, and the Division Doctor, you think she won’t be stopped. But David appears, but let’s call him Legion at this point, because he has already proved that multiple times, and he does what his father did. He charges Farouk, who runs right back at him and you can see they are using a mental armor, who will win? Farouk cannot die, why has anyone not focused on that yet? There is a mental explosion, with both David and female Kerry hurtled backwards, was it enough? This is the sad part, and also the confusing part, it was enough, but where did Farouk go?

Spoilers: Who was the only person that Farouk has not taken down yet while rotating bodies? The mystery man who also has been living in an astral plane. The man who is now in their world, but was frozen. The man who fixes the machines and doesn’t remember his past. Farouk has taken over Oliver, the husband of Dr Byrd, the man who created the safe haven, the man that we don’t know his powers, but he was able to break into Legion’s psychic world, so this cannot be good. And instead of sticking around, Oliver just gets in the car and takes off, which is not noticed until everyone is coherent and awake.

David has asked Division to team up with them, because now they both have a bigger problem, they agree but is it a trusted agreement? Something that wants revenge on the world, and wants his ability to be a King again, without sharing the host body, just wanting their power as well, but we still don’t know Divisions intent.

Will we see the any of the Marvel team appear? They are not as much tied in the books, since Legion was in fact adopted, but at some point will there be a crossover? The borderline personality is gone, but he still has the schizophrenia, will that play a major role in the future? The credits role, other than Oliver, you think everyone is at peace. Then a small droid comes up, scans Legion and takes him away. Was this the backup part that Division spoke of, the item at the end when they state “Send the Equinox”? Or is this something else entirely?

I am absolutely hooked by the series, even though the physical appearance of Legion is massively different, there are Easter eggs of the Marvel world everywhere, and I won’t mention them, other than the adopted father item. This series is a twisted beautiful symphony, this review does not even do it justice, it could not be made into a movie. I’m not sure if it could have the same impact with more episodes, they have just enough to draw you in, and everything about how they do it is impressive. FX has done an amazing job, unlike other networks, they built up the storyline like an amazing soufflé, with just enough gaps, filler and no deflating moments. It doesn’t hold the twisted ability of say… American Horror Story, but it’s not a light and fluffy ending, and it’s also not a light and fluffy character. I hope the cast and crew stay exactly the same, because they did an amazing job together. For anyone who enjoys a good dark story, a lot of action, a view into mental problems, questioning some kind of government power, isn’t there something listed for everyone? If you’re a cheerful sunny person who only wants that unrealistic light side of the world to show, this is not for you, but I don’t think there are that many out there.

Legion
A serie created by Noah Hawley
8 episods 60mns
With Dan Stevens (David Haller), Rachel Keller (Syd Barrett), Aubrey Plaza (Lenny Busker), Bill Irwin (Cary Loudermilk), Jeremie Harris (Ptonomy Wallace), Amber Midthunder (Kerry Loudermilk), Katie Aselton (Amy Haller), Jean Smart (Melanie Bird)