Legion Season 2 Episode 1-4 Reviews: Hold On To Your Brain

I've said it before but "Legion" is in a class all it's own. There is simply nothing like it on television. Yes, it is "technically" a superhero show but it's so much more. The imagery, music, and just plain weirdness are outta this world. And since David may be schizophrenic or may have thousands of entities inhabiting his brain, it's impossible to tell what is reality. And that's precisely why we love "Legion" so much. There is no lazy viewing here. You have to actively watch the show multiple times in order to remotely understand what is going on.

When we last saw David, he was trapped in some sort of orb. Amaul Farouk/ie the ShadowKing/ie the most powerful mutant to ever exist had jumped from David to Oliver's body and is off on a road trip. We're not sure what this means for Lenny but she is in tow.

Season 2 wastes no time in upping the crazy. There is no more Summerland-- only Division 3 (the tip of the spear in the fight against mutants). David has been gone almost a year (but to him it's only a few hours). He has no memory of what happened during that time. Also just to add another layer of confusion this season, we may be looking at multiple time lines (and/or the story may be told in a non linear fashion). That greatly ups the ante (and the confusion).

In the first four episodes, there's something for everyone. We get a dance-off (between David, Oliver and Lenny) and a wrestling match between Oliver and David. There's giant green levitating hands. A one armed Syd is stuck in the future and trying to communicate with David. She tells David he must help the Shadow King find his body. Uh, I'm not an expert on such things but that sounds like a really BAD idea to me. Farouk and David later meet in the astral plane. He tells David he wants his help finding his body. So I guess that's the main theme this season. Farouk also tries to screw with David's mind even more. Why not consider things from his perspective? What if David's actions kill Future Syd? It's impossible to know who to trust here.

We meet is a guy with basket on his head and identical androgynous androids (female looking with big black mustaches). Ok then. The baskethead is Admiral Fukyama (head of Division 3) and his three assistants are known as Vermilion. Also new this year are voiceovers by Jon Hamm. He talks of mazes, delusions, perception, and the madness of crowds. We also learn learn a few new terms such as nocebo and contagious conversion disorder. Look 'em up. Very interesting. Will Hamm eventually show up on screen? I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

The Mi-go monk Farouk is looking for is indeed at Division 3. He's responsible for the teeth chattering virus that has infected 300 people. We later learn it began when Farouk was buried somewhere near the monastery. It drove all the monks mad except for this guy. The monk tells David that if he helps Farouk, the world will end. This is a problem since David is already secretly in cahoots with his arch enemy.

Our team eventually succumbs to the chattering coma as well. Melanie is checked out on drugs (because hubby Oliver is now inhabited by Amaul). Ptonomy is in his own flower maze. David enters each person's mind and frees them by determining their one true desire.

The Cary/Kerry team are having trouble integrating. Kerry is in the outside world now and she's none too happy about it. Cary tries to teach her about eating, going to the bathroom etc. I love those too. I hope they get more air time.

The monk flings himself off a roof rather than reveal Farouk's location. Everyone under the chattering spell is released. That is except for Syd. David enters her mind (which replays the story of her birth and early life). After the sixth cycle, he figures out what she is trying to tell him.It is adversity that makes them strongest.

Grade: 4 3/4 Monsters (out of 5). After four episodes, I'm still loving "Legion". It's as trippy and addictive as ever. They have somehow managed to up the eye candy this year-- which is no small feat. No, I have no idea what's actually going on... and that's part of the fun. Will David become the "big bad" this season? Will the rest of the team have to save him from himself? That would be a fun twist. I'm also glad Lenny is back. She's a BIG part of why I enjoyed season 1 so much. I'm convinced Aubrey Plaza can do anything.