‘Legion: 1×07’ Review
Stars: Dan Stevens, Rachel Keller, Aubrey Plaza, Jean Smart, Mackenzie Gray, Scott Lawrence, Katie Aselton, Tatyana Forrest, Jeremie Harris, Bill Irwin, Amber Midthunder | Created by Noah Hawley
Legion has been good at keeping its secrets, sometimes to an annoying level. Now though as we reach the end of the first season we come to the episode that provides most of the answers, setting us up for what appears to be an explosive finale.
With David (Dan Stevens) trapped deep in his mind, Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) is upping the stakes on taking over his body. With Lenny’s true identity finally revealed, Cary (Bill Irwin) and Oliver Bird (Jemaine Clement) discuss how to defeat the new enemy while Syd (Rachel Keller) works to free the rest of the group, including David before it is too late.
What we are given in this episode of Legion is the perfect episode. We are provided with the answers as to who David is, Lenny’s true identity, and most importantly hints as to who David’s father is. The way the confusing connections between them all is explained is also fun, with Stevens donning his own British accent to give himself (and the audience) a lesson.
After last week’s episode, which did border on annoying at times, it is nice to see Legion back to its full potential. Using different film styles, including going back to the silent film era is very fun. Aubrey Plaza is the true star of this episode, becoming the intimidating monster that she needs to be to make the episode work. Even at her most evil, she still manages to be effortlessly cool, making the character she is playing one of the most epic bad guys we’ve seen on-screen.
The different styles used in this episode really do feel like the episode takes it to the next level, especially resolving the problem with the bullets. It is one of the confrontations we’ve been waiting for, and when it finally happens the styling of the scenes are very well done.
The answer that we are given as to how the characters will survive the scene that has been frozen in “reality” is very impressive, though Jemaine Clement is another scene stealer as he works his magic on the bullets. Finally seeing him become more of a part of the show is a pay-off that was worth waiting for, and it’ll be interesting to see where his character goes from here.
If you’ve been reading my Legion reviews, you’ll know that I adore the relationship of Cary (Bill Irwin) and Kerry (Amber Midthunder) and I was not happy last week. When the two finally reunite this episode, there was a very nice payoff with Kerry letting Cary know that she was not happy that he deserted her and put her in danger. This actually pleased me a lot, as it gave closure to something I felt was a weakness last week. I was annoyed, and Kerry was just as annoyed. It shows that a trust has been broken by the two.
While many questions were answered this week, we still have an episode to go. No spoilers will be posted here, but I do feel that it will take a lot to top this week’s episode, but I do feel Legion will manage to do it. What could they be saving for next week? Could David’s father make an appearance? Anything is possible.
This week’s episode has cemented Legion as my favourite superhero show, which I know is something I say every week. This episode though shows Legion at its best, and shows a lot of promise as we move to the end of this season and move onto the second. Will Aubrey Plaza continue her reign of terror in the second season? I for one hope she does, as she is such a huge part of what made the show so good.
***** 5/5
Legion can be seen in the UK every Thursday on Fox at 9pm.
