Legion (TV Series) Chapter 2 (2017) User Reviews

Summerland

[ThomasDrufke · 8/10 · 16 February 2017]

I think the one thing we can count on with Noah Hawley at the center of the show is strange, unique, but effective imagery. Legion's second chapter added to what was already an intriguing premise with an introduction to a device that enables David to access his past through memories, with the help of Ptonomy.

I'm still a little bit confused about the timeline and when exactly this is taking place. But I think it's also important to remember just how well Westworld did with multiple timelines and several interwoven narratives. Legion is a bit more focused, and this episode definitely helped solidify that feeling. The thing that's most compelling to me is why exactly Melanie (Jean Smart) wants David, and specifically why she needs to uncover secrets about his past. Ptonomy mentioned he was going to "help them win the war", but we all know that usually there's more behind that type of reasoning than initially is let on. For now, we can continue to enjoy those ventures into David's memories.

I can't stress enough how weirdly appealing the visuals are in this show. Much like Westworld, I'm not entirely sure I understand what I'm watching yet, but I'm definitely on board for trippy visuals once a week. At the very least, Legion is the most unique comic- book show out there, so I'll give it credit for that and keeping my interest thus far.

The plot thickened this week as David's sister has apparently been kidnapped by a man known as "the eye", or more simply, the people who were originally holding David captive. Again, because of the rules this show has put into place, how much stock can we even put into the fact that she's kidnapped? Could this all be in David's head anyway? I guess what I mean is, I want this show to have an end game and something these characters are striving toward. I don't necessarily want every scene to merely a flashback or "in" David's mind. Being cerebral is just fine, but make sure the narrative has something going for it as well. This episode moved at a better place than last week, but it's still very hard to trust an unreliable lead character like David.

+Imagery

+Memory device

+Faster paced

-Where is this all going?

8.0/10

Summerland is Cool!

[lassegalsgaard-45284 · 9/10 · 11 February 2018]

I have always been interested in seeing superheroes on the small screen. I think it's the perfect way of giving these characters the long storylines that they truly deserve, and even though superheroes have been the strongest in film, I will always prefer the medium of television when it comes to storytelling. In 2017, multiple writers had proven that superheroes could work on the small screen, and while there are a lot of good ones out at the moment, they never seem to have anything that makes them unique in style. The visual style of "Arrow," is very much the same as the visual style of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." However, Noah Hawley proved with the premiere episode that a superhero show could have a different stylistic approach and still be very entertaining. And he manages to do that again with the second episode, that is very different than the premiere in many ways, but still carry the things that made the premiere ever so special and engaging.

Hawley has a great grip around these characters. He is slowly moving into a new territory in this episode, because in the premiere, he used a lot of focus on the realistic argument for David's condition. However, in this episode, he puts a lot of weight on David understanding that he actually has mutant abilities. That is great development, and I love the way he explores the inner workings of David's mind. It's done by litterally using characters on the show to explore his memory. This is a smart way to get some insight into David's character, and it gives the audience a better reason to care for David.

I also love what Hawley is doing with Summerland. He is basically creating a new version of Xavier's school, but without the school aspect. It's a facility that helps young mutants understand the full capacity of their powers. I bought into Dr. Bird's desire to help David, because helping him to understand his powers could also give them a better understanding of it.

David has some great development in this episode, as we learn that he has had a past with drugs, as well as a former girlfriend who left him. These are things that were teased in the premiere episode, but never specified. The episode also helped me appreciate David's sister even more, because it becomes clear in this episode that she truly loves David, and wants to help him. Because we get a deeper appreciation of David and Amy's relationship, it gives a bigger punch when she is taken by Division 3 at the end.

I am also digging the nonlinear structure that the show is going with. It was very present in the premiere, and in this episode they scaled down on it a bit, but for the good of the episode. It wasn't the episode's job to introduce us to the show's trippy visuals or structure, but more to introduce us to the characters and what is to come in the future. That said, I still liked the inclusion of that aspect, because it was such a refreshing part of the premiere, so it would have been missed had it been absent.

I would have liked a bit more connections to the premiere. There was very little material for me that kept these two episodes connected and this episode could in many ways have been a premiere in itself. It doesn't mean this episode was bad, but that it could have used a bit more connective tissue.