What I’m Watching: Legion

Legion: Season 2, Episode 10 “Chapter 18” (B+)

For a show where it’s often hard to figure out what’s really going on, there was no mistaking what happened at the end of this episode, with Farouk gazing out into the distance, back in his own body. Only we’re not sure he’s really the villain anymore, since he did manage to trick David into torturing Oliver while he was being put back into his body, but that said much more about David than anyone else. Melanie is definitely not acting like herself, but that doesn’t mean what she’s saying is illegitimate. Syd served as a very effective stand-in for the audience in this episode, slowly realizing with clip after clip of mostly things we’ve already seen that David has gone down a dark road. The enthusiasm with which he tortured Oliver was disturbing, and I think he knows that but is powerless to stop it. As usual, the presence of regenerating enemies that all look and act the same was creepy, and Kerry and Lenny rallied to save the day even though they have no clue what it is that they’re fighting. I’m far enough behind that the final episode of this season has already aired (I’ll get to it as soon as I finish the other outstanding episodes of other shows I need to watch), and it’s hard to imagine a more impactful and game-changing finale than this. I assume that David’s dark road might be solidified by an irreversible action, killing one of the good guys (aside from Syd, who is safe given that we met her future self) and showing that, much as he’d like to be the hero, he just can’t be because of how powerful he is. Where that leaves Farouk, I don’t know, since, if I’m following things correctly, Future Syd’s chat with David may have change the course of history since he wasn’t supposed to get his body back in the world that she knew.