Legion

This show will not appeal to everyone, however, if you go into it with an open mind and let go of your expectations, you may just enjoy it. A lot. Personally I had a hard time getting into it for the first 2 episodes and almost ditched it. I'm glad I didn't. What a wild ride it is. Imagine "Alice in Wonderland" crossed with "X-Men" crossed with a brilliant writer's acid-induced trip. It's wild and crazy but strangely enough it makes a lot of sense and it's not hard to follow. Brilliant, one of a kind show I will not forget anytime soon. May have to watch it again soon.

*** some mild spoilers ahead ***

"What is your name?" Jesus asked.

"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many." (Mark 5:9)

I hope you'll forgive me for starting this review by citing this (rather obvious) excerpt from the bible, but I just couldn't resist. Apart from these opening lines, I'll try to avoid any spoilers for the show, so you won't read anything specific about the storyline here. As with all my reviews, this is supposed to give you an overall impression of the show without giving away any details regarding the plot.

For those among you who, like me, love some of the slightly weirder superheroes out there (especially of the mutant kind and preferably in the X-Men universe) but feel most of those guys' screen outings so far were either constricted by the 2-hour format or held back by the need to appeal to mainstream audiences, I'm happy to report there is finally a full length TV-show that dares to fully embrace the craziness of its source material without taking any prisoners. The show's name is 'Legion' (and I'm already pretty sure its fans will be many), and compared to its central character David Haller, even Deadpool looks almost sane.

Following the storyline may seem a little difficult (at least at the beginning) for 'Legion' plunges us head first into the confused mind of its hero, and the narrative is - deliberately - often just as fractured as David Haller's personality. Right from the start this show makes it very clear how committed it is to convey its protagonist's unstable state of mind - and boy does it succeed: through David's eyes we experience an often terrifying (albeit colorful) world where we can never be sure what's real and what's imagined; nor can we get a grasp on where we are, when we are, or even WHO we are.

But this trip down the rabbit hole is well worth taking (even if it does turn into a horror trip at times) for it's a psychedelic ride that has been designed by very talented people. Creator Noah Hawley, who has already given us the excellent show 'Fargo', obviously knows what he's doing, and watching the show feels like listening to a perfectly composed concept album from a seventies rock band (btw, watch out for a cool Pink Floyd reference). The cast is terrific (especially Dan Stevens as David Haller); the visuals and the production design are a wonderfully weird mix of retro and modern elements which fits David's distorted perception of time and reality like a glove, and the mystery surrounding David as he desperately tries to cut through the haze and figure out what's going on will keep you glued to the screen throughout.

Insanity is a tricky subject to tackle, and the possible pitfalls are many; present it with too much levity and you risk the accusation that you're making fun of people with a terrible illness - yet if you portray it as tragic and bleak as it often is (I am saying that as someone who has a family member who suffers from schizophrenia) you will lose your audience. So to find the right tone here was not an easy thing to do, but I believe the show - just as Marvel did in the comic books - does an outstanding job at never coming across disrespectful while still offering fantastic entertainment.

So to sum up my first impression: 'Legion' represents a refreshingly different side of Marvel (compared to the films and shows based on Marvel Comics' more "grounded" creations that we've seen so far) and by fully embracing the source material's "weirdness" the show is a testament to just how insanely (in the true sense of the word) inventive and versatile Stan Lee and his band of brothers were/are. This show is wilder, more surreal and generally much, much crazier than your average superhero story and there are moments where you feel reminded of the works of David Fincher, Charlie Kaufman or even David Lynch. I'd highly recommend it especially to adult comic book fans and those among you who don't demand everything be explained within the first episode. Personally, I feel this is Marvel at its best and most complex: 9 stars out of 10.

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

Favorite films: IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-Known Masterpieces: imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

The show has been so well planned with ideas, plots, and themes, spread over such a wide breadth of time, it's taken me several re-watches to fully grasp the masterpiece it is. Adding to that is how brilliant it is, with deep insight. It's a show for creators of shows: a shows' show. Of the hundreds of series I've watched, this is one of my top 3.

No spoilers. No plot points. You do not need them in a review of this show. Watch it and feel the performances.

Dan Stevens is a force of nature, in this story he literally is & his screen presence is a growing maelstrom. I first knowingly crossed his path in The Guest & have not looked back since (comparable with Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe). The story is vague & intriguing from the beginning with growing enchantment as the episodes stack-up.

Sure. I'm a comic book geek from the 1980's, but Noah Hawley seems like he has more than his ducks in a row for this project. As SONY/Fox has often mis-stepped with the X- Men and its creative use of characters and story lines, LEGION seems to be avoiding the potholes, while creating a new amalgam of story from the past to forging ahead with a cohesive story.

Aubrey Plaza's performance is delightfully off-beat and maniacal.

I could list the positives for every actor and their character, literally the casting (and execution) seems perfect at this point (through episode seven).

Love it!

Season 1: 9 stars (3 viewings, 7/10/2024)

The differentest Marvel thing I've seen. So weird and awesome. Artsy but not fartsy. Visually mesmerizing. So many great shots. I also love that you have to figure stuff out on your own. You are rarely spoon-fed any info. Intelligent and unique. So many times I thought, "I've never seen anything like that."

Season 2: 5 stars (3 viewings, 7/22/2024)

A lot slower with a bit of a filler-y feel at times.

The first season was pretty scary, at times it felt like a horror movie, and I loved that aspect. This season, it's not so prevalent. The first season has lots of stuff that's not explained or difficult to understand, but I always felt like I had a grasp on what was really happening. This season I regularly felt like I didn't fully know what was going on. The first season WAS SO WEIRD AND DIFFERENT in a way I love, and I always felt like it's based in the real world, with the exception of some aspects like mutant abilities. This season seems to try to be weird for the sake of being weird, and I feel like the show now takes place in a fantasy world (submarine-looking doughnut vehicle, mustache ladies with auto-tune voices).

Having said all that, I still thought the season was pretty awesome and so stylish once again. The finale was good, and I look forward to seeing where season 3 goes.

EDIT: Rewatching the series, it was extremely difficult to get through this season. It's one of the worst examples of filler I have seen. Plot progression is minimal. There is a 3 episode run where we are in nearly the exact same place story-wise. Entire episodes of background or flash-sideways like the later seasons of Lost.

It makes it difficult to recommend this show when you have to stick it out through this season. It's unfortunate because you can feel the return to awesomeness IMMEDIATELY in season 3.

Season 3: 7 stars (2 viewings, 7/23/2024)

Really awesome, continues to be different and unique. Exciting and crazy. There are a few parts that are super creepy and freaky. But the finale was a let-down.