Legion Season 1 Review

 

Since the very first scene of the very first episode, I was totally enthralled. From the mind behind the critically acclaimed FX series Fargo, Noah Hawley, Legion immediately establishes itself as a creative powerhouse which stands head and shoulders above any and all completion. From the special (trippy and mind-bending) special effects to the writing to the INCREDIBLE performances from the diverse and, honestly, rather impressive cast, Legion is everything a fan of superheroes, the X-Men, and good television is looking for in terms of an hour-long escape from reality.

 

‘Legion’ tells the story of David Haller (Dan Stevens) and his tragic story of growing up as a telepathic mutant living in a world with mental disabilities is stigmatized and shunned by society.

 

 

It sheds a light and creates an outlet for those suffering from these diseases to feel represented and accepted in mainstream, pop culture. David is a hero with his demons (literally) and ‘Legion’ tells the story of a man with God-like abilities and the struggle of trying to hone, contain, and, eventually, control them. Dan Stevens, who recently became a household name with his captivating performance as Beast in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” holds his audience in the palm of his hands and creates an environment where fans of X-Men can call back to their love for mutant abilities and see them adapted in exciting and dramatic ways on the small screen. FX took a risk in even creating this show but, one can imagine, when they discovered Stevens and saw what he would do with this character, all doubts and worries were cleansed.

 

Every hero needs a comparable villain and David found his adversary in the form of The Shadow King, played by a mix of a haunting and grotesque mass of a blob-man and the beautiful and eloquent Aubrey Plaza.

 

 

She turns the perception of what acting genre she could excel in on its head with her role as Lenny AKA the voice inside David’s head. She is cunning and calculating and methodical. She forces fans to sit on the edge of their seats throughout the entire series and see (or hear) what she will do or say next. From a woman who made herself famous by being sarcastic, hilarious, and downright sweet and loving at times, Aubrey Plaza pulls a complete 360 and performs to the best of her ability as one of the most memorable and unstoppable TV villains in recent memory. In a world where superheroes usually do away with their bad guy within the span of 1 to a few episodes, she is portrayed as a force to be reckoned with and as an all-hands-on-deck type of big bad.

 

Every episode is laced with trippy special effects that allows viewers to peer into the mind of David Haller and experience the world as he does. From scenes done in complete silence to shots turned upside down do the cooler schemes chosen for each and every room the character enter, it all comes together in a nice package that is unlike any other TV viewing experience out there right now. Dealing with one of the most powerful telepaths in the world and his struggle to contain the power within while being pumped full of psych medication and treated as a schizophrenic as the protagonist and main catalyst of the show is a daunting task, but the men and women behind the scenes were up to the task and created one of the most unique experiences in the history of Marvel Television and can very well serve as the blueprint for hours weekly episodic comic book adaptations are done from here on out.

 

 

There is no story too big nor too small. There is no character too tragic or too haunted to be a hero. ‘Legion’ tells the tale of mutants living in a society in which mutants are feared, hated, and experimented on. It places a mirror up to the real life world and forces people to realize that regardless of the differences each individual is born with, they all deserve equal rights and the opportunity to grow and learn and be accepted. After the AMAZING and downright confusing cliffhanger of the last episode and the announcement of a second season on the way, fans all around the world are rejoicing by the rousing success of Legion and all eyes will be on the 2017-2018 awards season as Legion looks to be nominated and recognized for its innovative and next level storytelling.

 

 

 

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