Legion 2.05
May. 5th, 2018 04:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakWherin we get a particular type of body horror, and answers to some questions... of a sort.
That was one of the best episodes of the season so far, imo. And horribly effective in its simple format; on the one hand, re-embodied Lenny in the same room being interrogated first by Clark, then by Ptonemy and then at last by David, on the other hand, the flashbacks to what Faroukh and Oliver were doing before. That these are flashbacks and not contemporary to the interrogation scenes is the first of many revelations pertaining to the questions Lenny is asked; is she (still) the Shadow King, if she's a distinct-from-him entity now, then whose body is she in?
One thing the show hadn't revealed ever since the Shadow King ended up in Oliver's body was how Oliver felt about this, how much or little he's agreeing with Faroukh's actions and this episode does address this somewhat. At first, his answer to Faroukh's question as to whether he's morally bothered by their actions (and the prospect of wiping out mankind) seems to be yet another "nothing is real" speech and a declaration of not caring, but then when Faroukh gets into the "homo superior" speech that in any incarnation of the X-Men related corner of the Marvelverse is a sure sign of the doomed-to-failure supervillain of evil (obvious exception: Magneto, who does give these speeches but mostly gets to stay ambiguous and enjoys the occasional success), we see Oliver flashes back to Melanie and then quietly, casually announces he'll kill Faroukh. (Now I had assumed Faroukh would be defeated with the help of one of his personae, but I thought it would be Lenny.) Faroukh, pointing out their power differential, doubts this. Which makes me assume it will happen. Or at least that Oliver will play a significant part in Faroukh's demise. Incidentally, I can't recall: what was Oliver's particular mutant gift?
Given the Shadow King was mostly in Lenny's shape when making everyone miserable and killing people last season, Clark taking extra precautions and not believing Lenny's spiel about being harmless and good is more than understandable. And he's the first to ask the key "Whose body is this?" question. You know, when we ended up with re-embodied Lenny in last episode's tag scene, I did wonder because if Faroukh were able to create bodies, it wasn't understandable why he needed his own original one so much, or why the whole possession thing was his modus operandi (other than his innate sadism). I should have thought of the obvious reply - he can't create bodies, but he can transfer one consciousness into an already existing body.
The question is why, other than screw with David. (Which begs for a double "why?" considering that due to Future Syd, David had been helpful - or at least not-harmful - to Team Shadow King these last few episodes.) Or maybe that's already the answer, because supervillains never take being defeated well, maybe it's just about payback, plus the Shadow King has been mental playing cat and mouse with David and fed of David's miseries ever since David was a toddler, maybe he's addicted. But be that as it may, the final reveal that he dumped Lenny's consciousness into the body of David's sister (complete with some reshaping and presumably the destruction of the original mind) was gut wrenching. I had been afraid for her last season and was v. v. relieved when she made it out of the season alive, but this - triple ouch.
regarding Lenny: her sincerely not knowing Faroukh's plans makes sense (given that Faroukh knew she' be facing David, and you don't tell your main plan if a telepath is around), but I'm really curious as to how the show will use her now, narratively speaking. Her "I was a hostage" declaration is less than convincing (she thoroughly enjoyed herself last season and at the start of this one before Faroukh abandoned using her as his primary speaker), but I can buy her as an amoral creature of chaos with no other end game than endless hedonism in mind rather than a world domination schemer. And of course she'd rather not die again.
The three interrogation scenes and the three very different dynamics were top notch acting by all participants, too. It's what made this episode feel like what we call Kammerspiel in German, "chamber play", to me.
But oh, the big reveal in its true horror. At first I thought she somehow ended up in Syd's body. But this is way worse, because I do suspect it's irrevocable. Evilly played, show. Evilly played.
That was one of the best episodes of the season so far, imo. And horribly effective in its simple format; on the one hand, re-embodied Lenny in the same room being interrogated first by Clark, then by Ptonemy and then at last by David, on the other hand, the flashbacks to what Faroukh and Oliver were doing before. That these are flashbacks and not contemporary to the interrogation scenes is the first of many revelations pertaining to the questions Lenny is asked; is she (still) the Shadow King, if she's a distinct-from-him entity now, then whose body is she in?
One thing the show hadn't revealed ever since the Shadow King ended up in Oliver's body was how Oliver felt about this, how much or little he's agreeing with Faroukh's actions and this episode does address this somewhat. At first, his answer to Faroukh's question as to whether he's morally bothered by their actions (and the prospect of wiping out mankind) seems to be yet another "nothing is real" speech and a declaration of not caring, but then when Faroukh gets into the "homo superior" speech that in any incarnation of the X-Men related corner of the Marvelverse is a sure sign of the doomed-to-failure supervillain of evil (obvious exception: Magneto, who does give these speeches but mostly gets to stay ambiguous and enjoys the occasional success), we see Oliver flashes back to Melanie and then quietly, casually announces he'll kill Faroukh. (Now I had assumed Faroukh would be defeated with the help of one of his personae, but I thought it would be Lenny.) Faroukh, pointing out their power differential, doubts this. Which makes me assume it will happen. Or at least that Oliver will play a significant part in Faroukh's demise. Incidentally, I can't recall: what was Oliver's particular mutant gift?
Given the Shadow King was mostly in Lenny's shape when making everyone miserable and killing people last season, Clark taking extra precautions and not believing Lenny's spiel about being harmless and good is more than understandable. And he's the first to ask the key "Whose body is this?" question. You know, when we ended up with re-embodied Lenny in last episode's tag scene, I did wonder because if Faroukh were able to create bodies, it wasn't understandable why he needed his own original one so much, or why the whole possession thing was his modus operandi (other than his innate sadism). I should have thought of the obvious reply - he can't create bodies, but he can transfer one consciousness into an already existing body.
The question is why, other than screw with David. (Which begs for a double "why?" considering that due to Future Syd, David had been helpful - or at least not-harmful - to Team Shadow King these last few episodes.) Or maybe that's already the answer, because supervillains never take being defeated well, maybe it's just about payback, plus the Shadow King has been mental playing cat and mouse with David and fed of David's miseries ever since David was a toddler, maybe he's addicted. But be that as it may, the final reveal that he dumped Lenny's consciousness into the body of David's sister (complete with some reshaping and presumably the destruction of the original mind) was gut wrenching. I had been afraid for her last season and was v. v. relieved when she made it out of the season alive, but this - triple ouch.
regarding Lenny: her sincerely not knowing Faroukh's plans makes sense (given that Faroukh knew she' be facing David, and you don't tell your main plan if a telepath is around), but I'm really curious as to how the show will use her now, narratively speaking. Her "I was a hostage" declaration is less than convincing (she thoroughly enjoyed herself last season and at the start of this one before Faroukh abandoned using her as his primary speaker), but I can buy her as an amoral creature of chaos with no other end game than endless hedonism in mind rather than a world domination schemer. And of course she'd rather not die again.
The three interrogation scenes and the three very different dynamics were top notch acting by all participants, too. It's what made this episode feel like what we call Kammerspiel in German, "chamber play", to me.
But oh, the big reveal in its true horror. At first I thought she somehow ended up in Syd's body. But this is way worse, because I do suspect it's irrevocable. Evilly played, show. Evilly played.
no subject
Date: 2018-05-06 02:54 pm (UTC)I'm awfully glad to get Lenny again, out for herself, and hope she'll be used as well in the latter half of this season as in the first, because I've missed her quite a bit.
I believe Oliver is a strong telepath, adept on the astral plane. I don't think he had anything else.
no subject
Date: 2018-05-06 05:10 pm (UTC)Right, telepathy, and that was why Melanie originally thought David could find him and bring him back. Which makes me wonder: given both David and Oliver are telepaths, is that a pre-condition for someone being possessed by Faroukh? If so, it would mean that Lenny has to be a telepath as well (on her own, I mean, without the Shadow King's powers). But we haven't yet had a hint of it, so maybe it's not necessary. Otoh Lenny hasn't been Faroukh-less before this episode, so it's perhaps too early to tell whether she's a mutant as well.