Legion - Season 2 Premiere Review
This review of the season premiere of Legion is spoiler-free!
Legion was always going to be a show that made the viewer think of their feet. Coming under the direction of Noah Hawley, this show is something different than what we're used to seeing from superhero television as a whole. In Season 1 we were introduced to the character of David Haller, otherwise known as Legion. At a young age, David was believed to have some sort of schizophrenia and was drugged almost constantly. Eventually, though, he's found to be an extremely powerful mutant and his world is changed. The show's first season showcases a storytelling style that focused quite often on getting into the mind of David. Legion is a character that focuses almost entirely on his mental abilities, and seeing his struggles reflecting on screen was incredible. Through the 8-episode run, we were forced to question whether what we were seeing was truth, lies, or simply what David wanted to see. Forced to deal with a parasitic villain inside his head by the name of the Shadow King, David had to find a way to regain control of his body and force the Shadow King out of hiding. (From here forward, spoilers for season 1 of Legion will be used.)
In the premiere of Legion's second season, we are greeted by the narrator talents of Jon Hamm, as he begins to explain the idea of a maze inside our minds. From what we can gather from this opening episode, it appears this second season of Legion is going to focus more on David's psyche and his mental capacity. David is awoken by the same group who he had found himself with at last season's end, believing that he's only been asleep for one day since the metallic orb gathered him at the end of last season. It turns out though, nearly a year has passed and he states he cannot remember anything that occurred over that period of time and believes only a day has passed. For many working around him, they question his honesty and force the question into our minds of whether David is once again lying. But this time though, he isn't lying to the viewers, he's lying to himself about what he truly knows. I know it's impossible to truly talk about an episode of Legion because we're constantly left confused and lost, but that's the beauty of this show as a whole. The fact that we can be so far in the dark and still want to come back just shows the storytelling abilities Hawley and his team have.
Another aspect of Legion that continues to impress in the premiere of Season 2 is without question Dan Stevens' portrayal of David Haller. Throughout the first season, he was the standout performance and the most memorable member of the cast. He was challenged to use every aspect of his acting capabilities to portray this character, and while we don't see that large range here, we feel like we are finally seeing Legion being himself. It's unique that after a season of questionable actions, that we finally see this character calm and relaxed, but still questioning things. For the premiere, there really isn't anyone that stood out other than David, but I will say that I can see a strong arc coming for Jean Smart's Melanie Bird. She has taken the loss of her lover, Oliver, terribly and has resorted to terrible measures to simply get by. Legion has a means to tell so many different stories because of the way it goes about each episode, that I can't complain whatsoever whenever a new arc is introduced.
Talking about Legion can often be exhausting because it really requires myself to stretch my mental capacity in ways I don't often do when watching television. Outside of the usual stellar storytelling mechanics presented throughout this premiere, another aspect that stands out is the visual fidelity of Legion. The use of color and light is outstanding and seeing the shadows used as a means to provide confusion for audience members is absolutely fantastic. There's really so much done well with Legion that it's hard to nail down just one that I could talk about. For this, I say shout out to Hawley once again, as even though Legion is one of TV's most complicated shows, it manages to be inclusive for almost all audiences in some way, shape, or form.
I realize that after everything I have written, some of you may be left confused as to my overall simplified thoughts on the premiere of Legion. To put it in a few sentences: Legion's premiere was electric and manages to throw the viewer directly into a mess of psychological confusion almost immediately. While I was wary of using the Shadow King as a multi-season villain, where it appears the season is going with him has made me once again excited to see more of the character and learn who this mysterious mutant is. For those who haven't taken the leap that is Legion, I highly encourage you to get into the first season on FX. But for those of us who have gone down the rabbit hole, we're surely in for a treat as we dive even deeper into the mind of David.
