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Legion 2.08 - 2.11.
And my verdict for the remaining second season is...mixed.
My biggest problem is this: when the show has the characters observing that for David, no one (other than Syd, and that's arguable) is real, I'm tempted to respond that the narrative takes that approach, too. The characters given the most emotional reality are the Loudermilks, Cary and Kerry, and not so coincidentally, they have the least scenes with David, but even so, when push comes to shove, their emotional reality gets sacrificed, along with everyone else's, for the sake of the plot (or the effect). Case in point: Farouk showing up free in the final showdown. I can buy everyone, including Cary and Kerry, coming around to the idea of David as a ticking timebomb and evil overlord to be quickly, both because they just got evidence he used his powers to alter Syd's memory and because Cary noticing that the David-containing device looks like it was constructed by himself in the future was actually set up early on in the season, and I can believe it's gnawing at him. What I can't believe is any of the characters considering leaving Farouk saunter about uncontained for a second is a good idea. I mean, never mind what David will or won't do in the future, all of them have ample experience with what Farouk has already done. And coming to the conclusion that David is about to turn evil is not the equivalent of letting the other supermutant with a horrendous killing and torture score free. So unless we're supposed to believe Farouk is controlling the lot of them in that scene, I don't buy it, but I don't think he does, becaus if he did, it would negate the emotional effect the show is clearly going for, i.e. massive intervention by everyone because they've realized what David could turn into.
Then there's the non-pay off for the entire Melanie and Oliver storylines. By which I mean: we never find out how much or how little Oliver was voluntarily cooporating with Farouk. True, there was that one episode with the promise "I will kill you", but nothing came out of that, either, and other than that, Oliver seemed to be on board with his evil host. As for Melanie, it's not that the season wasn't consistent with her mixture of pining and bitterness about being deserted leading to her becoming the new host for Farouk (and then immediately discarded once he has his body back, of course), but it's such a lousy storyline for the show's sole middle-aged female character.
Now, there were always flickers, small sketches of fleshing out other characters. Even Admiral Fukyiama got from being a visual pun to being a person in that flashback where we find out his backstory (and immunity to telepathic manipulation leading to basically cyberfication for the cause from childhood onwards is horrible and tragic). And when the last but one episode of the season revealed Amy is still around and needling Lenny in her headspace I was delighted, because that is interesting and could lead to some excellent character stuff, to narrative pay off for "Lenny gets Amy's body" beyond "pushes David into pursuing vengeance and thus going on a dark side path". But at this point, I'm just not sure we will get that follow-up.
As for the central storyline, here my problem isn't that it happens at all, but that I felt the show was unnecssarily dragging it out. That the sole reason why Future Syd would tell David not to kill Farouk and instead help him recover his body was Future David turning evil overlord in her timeline was pretty clear early on, and it was frustrating to have to wait for the characters to catch on. The big Sydney episode established she had a ruthless core, but then, again, not until the finale do we get the pay off of Present Day Syd turning against David. As for the two primary reasons that make her change her mind; Farouk setting up a situation where David tortures Oliver and then showing it to Syd as an example of David's dark side and thus evil overlord potential was all very well, though I thought that Farouk's zinger re: all the killing David did while possessed by Farouk ("you can force anyone to do anything, but there is no power in the world capable of making them enjoy it") was both more vicious and more efficient. Why? Because the torturing-Oliver-set up was something Syd, based on the past, could have excused to herself (since it happened when David thought her own life was on the line). Now, the second reason was infinitely more personal and very understandable - David altering her memory and then having sex with her was a big violation - but from an overall narrative pov, it would have been good to have some acknowledgment that Sydney herself is guilty of the same offense (having sex with her mother's boyfriend in her mother's body, thus committing double rape). Not that this makes David's actions okay. Two violations to do not cancel each other out. But I thought Syd concluding "yes, you are capable of going completely dark side, you do need an intervention, and I know this because I've been there myself" would have made for a better story than "I've just realised I'm the heroine and you're the villain".
Meanwhile, David reacting to Syd turning against him (and the reveal re: Future Syd's motivations) went about as well as I thought it would. (And again, the scene with Farouk where Farouk draws an equivalent to his emotions and actions re: David to David's relationship with Syd was a masterfully vicious psychological blow.) But if this really is supposed to be his big turn to supervillaindom - as opposed to him still being shades of grey -, I think it would have been dramatically far more efficient and devastating if the show had allowed him to form some emotional relationships with the other mutants (and Clark, for that matter). Which would also have allowed the audience to invest more emotionally in David as a person. (Yours truly can think of a few example of beloved characters turning to the dark side, and it really works best when they're endeared to the audience first, not least because then you want them to turn back.) But it's not that kind of show.
The visual brilliance and dark humor remains as strong as ever. And I'm somewhat interested to see where we go from here. But I do hope the creative team realises it's been meandering and self indulgent this season, if there's a third one.
My biggest problem is this: when the show has the characters observing that for David, no one (other than Syd, and that's arguable) is real, I'm tempted to respond that the narrative takes that approach, too. The characters given the most emotional reality are the Loudermilks, Cary and Kerry, and not so coincidentally, they have the least scenes with David, but even so, when push comes to shove, their emotional reality gets sacrificed, along with everyone else's, for the sake of the plot (or the effect). Case in point: Farouk showing up free in the final showdown. I can buy everyone, including Cary and Kerry, coming around to the idea of David as a ticking timebomb and evil overlord to be quickly, both because they just got evidence he used his powers to alter Syd's memory and because Cary noticing that the David-containing device looks like it was constructed by himself in the future was actually set up early on in the season, and I can believe it's gnawing at him. What I can't believe is any of the characters considering leaving Farouk saunter about uncontained for a second is a good idea. I mean, never mind what David will or won't do in the future, all of them have ample experience with what Farouk has already done. And coming to the conclusion that David is about to turn evil is not the equivalent of letting the other supermutant with a horrendous killing and torture score free. So unless we're supposed to believe Farouk is controlling the lot of them in that scene, I don't buy it, but I don't think he does, becaus if he did, it would negate the emotional effect the show is clearly going for, i.e. massive intervention by everyone because they've realized what David could turn into.
Then there's the non-pay off for the entire Melanie and Oliver storylines. By which I mean: we never find out how much or how little Oliver was voluntarily cooporating with Farouk. True, there was that one episode with the promise "I will kill you", but nothing came out of that, either, and other than that, Oliver seemed to be on board with his evil host. As for Melanie, it's not that the season wasn't consistent with her mixture of pining and bitterness about being deserted leading to her becoming the new host for Farouk (and then immediately discarded once he has his body back, of course), but it's such a lousy storyline for the show's sole middle-aged female character.
Now, there were always flickers, small sketches of fleshing out other characters. Even Admiral Fukyiama got from being a visual pun to being a person in that flashback where we find out his backstory (and immunity to telepathic manipulation leading to basically cyberfication for the cause from childhood onwards is horrible and tragic). And when the last but one episode of the season revealed Amy is still around and needling Lenny in her headspace I was delighted, because that is interesting and could lead to some excellent character stuff, to narrative pay off for "Lenny gets Amy's body" beyond "pushes David into pursuing vengeance and thus going on a dark side path". But at this point, I'm just not sure we will get that follow-up.
As for the central storyline, here my problem isn't that it happens at all, but that I felt the show was unnecssarily dragging it out. That the sole reason why Future Syd would tell David not to kill Farouk and instead help him recover his body was Future David turning evil overlord in her timeline was pretty clear early on, and it was frustrating to have to wait for the characters to catch on. The big Sydney episode established she had a ruthless core, but then, again, not until the finale do we get the pay off of Present Day Syd turning against David. As for the two primary reasons that make her change her mind; Farouk setting up a situation where David tortures Oliver and then showing it to Syd as an example of David's dark side and thus evil overlord potential was all very well, though I thought that Farouk's zinger re: all the killing David did while possessed by Farouk ("you can force anyone to do anything, but there is no power in the world capable of making them enjoy it") was both more vicious and more efficient. Why? Because the torturing-Oliver-set up was something Syd, based on the past, could have excused to herself (since it happened when David thought her own life was on the line). Now, the second reason was infinitely more personal and very understandable - David altering her memory and then having sex with her was a big violation - but from an overall narrative pov, it would have been good to have some acknowledgment that Sydney herself is guilty of the same offense (having sex with her mother's boyfriend in her mother's body, thus committing double rape). Not that this makes David's actions okay. Two violations to do not cancel each other out. But I thought Syd concluding "yes, you are capable of going completely dark side, you do need an intervention, and I know this because I've been there myself" would have made for a better story than "I've just realised I'm the heroine and you're the villain".
Meanwhile, David reacting to Syd turning against him (and the reveal re: Future Syd's motivations) went about as well as I thought it would. (And again, the scene with Farouk where Farouk draws an equivalent to his emotions and actions re: David to David's relationship with Syd was a masterfully vicious psychological blow.) But if this really is supposed to be his big turn to supervillaindom - as opposed to him still being shades of grey -, I think it would have been dramatically far more efficient and devastating if the show had allowed him to form some emotional relationships with the other mutants (and Clark, for that matter). Which would also have allowed the audience to invest more emotionally in David as a person. (Yours truly can think of a few example of beloved characters turning to the dark side, and it really works best when they're endeared to the audience first, not least because then you want them to turn back.) But it's not that kind of show.
The visual brilliance and dark humor remains as strong as ever. And I'm somewhat interested to see where we go from here. But I do hope the creative team realises it's been meandering and self indulgent this season, if there's a third one.
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I didn't understand how Syd didn't realize she was being led, that Melanie was laying it on too thick, and then that Farouk was simply interpreting what her future-self had said and repeating it back to her. Sure the visuals of David's face from the first season raid on Division 3's other building were horrifying, but she knew that at the time he was under Lenny/Farouk's thrall. And so far as I knew, David's torturing Oliver was done on the astral plane rather than in physical reality. I haven't re-watched any of the scenes to make sure, though.
I hope the third season (Legion has been renewed) recovers from this sophomore slump.
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Sure the visuals of David's face from the first season raid on Division 3's other building were horrifying, but she knew that at the time he was under Lenny/Farouk's thrall.
See, that was one part I did not have a problem with because Farouk very cleverly defused this argument - when Syd herself raised it - with his "yes, you can force people to kill, but there is no power in the world able to force them to enjoy it" reply. Now whether or not David enjoyed it is up to debate - personally, I had the impression he didn't and was horrified post fact - but he certainly looked like he was enjoying it, plus this is coupled with him simultanously torturing Oliver with smiles and sneers and confessing he's scared of how much he enjoys imagining the various ways to kill Farouk.
Incidentally, I thought the earlier episode showing us various different versions of David depending on different choices made the point that he has it in him both to destroy himself rather than harm people and to become an evil overlord who cares about no one. The big mistake Sydney makes in this finale, imo, is to assume it's already decided which way he'll go, and that there are only two alternatives (i.e. Evil Overlord David, or Dead Or At Best Imprisoned David).
And so far as I knew, David's torturing Oliver was done on the astral plane rather than in physical reality.
No, I think it was physical, because when Cary arrives he sees Oliver's bloody face and David says Oliver should be dead but isn't. Now whether David hit Oliver in physical reality or whether he tortured him on the astral plane with the pain producing physical results on the real world plane, I don't know. But Oliver is definitely physically in a bruised and comatose state due to David's earlier actions.
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