Round Two: Legion

Legion: Season 1, Episode 2 “Chapter 2” (B+)

I’m completely astounded by this show, and I think it’s going to require a much higher level of concentration than I’m used to giving to even my top shows at the moment. It’s most comparable to “Mr. Robot,” a show that, through its main character, told a narrative that we weren’t sure we could trust but was nonetheless totally captivating and compelling. To see the world through David Haller’s eyes is incredible, and it’s doubly fascinating since we’re looking back at the memories with Ptonomy trying to navigate David back through them with Melanie, and he’s resisting them by keeping some of his darker and more disturbing recollections hidden. It’s extremely enlightening to see events that David considers formative to his diagnosis of schizophrenia analyzed again as him hearing real voices rather than hallucinating them. Hearing someone call out while he was being examined by Kerry and Cary – quite a confusing duo, I’ll admit – showed the strength of his telepathy, since it was Amy going in to visit her brother as usual and being told, quite suspiciously, that he was never there. We didn’t know much about who the Eye was in episode one since our attention was much more focused on Hamish Linklater’s dogged interrogator, and even his name is enough to make him seem evil. Amy being captured – and potentially tortured – makes those who work against whatever Melanie’s operation is all the more nefarious, and though I can’t imagine we’ll have definitive answers anytime soon, I am very interested to find out what they’re up to.