So we watched the first season of this a while back and only now made time for the second season. There’s a third and final season already out but I think we’re done with it. As Marvel Comics fans will know, Legion refers to David Haller, the super powerful son of Charles Xavier and who appears most often as a villain. I’m amazed that so esoteric a show was allowed to be made. I’m even more amazed that it amounts to an exercise on how to present psychosis in a visually interesting way.
David Haller, diagnosed with schizophrenia as a child, was institutionalized after a failed suicide attempt. In the hospital he meets and falls in love with fellow patient Syd who refuses to be touched. Of course both are mutants with David being mainly a telepath in addition to all manner of exotic reality warping powers while Syd can switch bodies with anyone she touches. The government organization known as Division 3 becomes aware of David’s existence and tries to capture him. Opposing them is a group of mutants based out of a facility called Summerland who attempt to help David with his mental issues. They soon discover that David is host to a powerful psychic entity known as the Shadow King who has been corrupting his mind.
Comics readers will know of David Haller and the Shadow King but most of the other characters who appear here are original creations. This is, in my opinion, a good thing as it allows the show to explore more options without being too predictable or too tied to the comics. Similarly, the storyline has echoes of various stories from the comics and isn’t actually that complicated. However understanding what happens is made difficult by the many narrative tricks and presentation styles that the series loves to experiment with. Indeed this is the show’s signature appeal. Each episode usually has a special gimmick or deliberate misdirection that throws the viewer for a loop but really only wants to impart a relatively simple plot point. The confusion is further heightened by the profusion of characters with psychic abilities so that it’s hard to tell what’s real and what’s not and the show’s esthetic of putting retro visuals in a modern context.
The result is a show that feels so out of the mainstream that it feels like experimental cinema. I’m absolutely delighted that the market for television has expanded to such an extent that a show like this could be funded and made. It’s especially impressive when they try so hard to come up with ways to visually depict different types of psychosis. As a result I loved the first season of the show. However by the second season, the limits of this approach becomes evident. Since the show actually does have a plot, the focus on weird presentation becomes grating as it actively impedes the audience understanding what is going on. It also makes it impossible to develop any real attachment for the characters. I also note that while the show is wildly creative in terms of visual form and regularly uses mental illnesses as material, it is not particularly insightful or intelligent in dissecting psychological profiles of its characters. In short, one shouldn’t try to read too much substance underneath this very stylized show.
That’s why we’re bailing out without watching the final season. The plot honestly isn’t that interesting and there’s only so much playing around with visual tricks and quirky presentation styles before you get tired of it. Still, I’d recommend at least the first season to anyone who is interested just to see how far television production has now come.