Legion Season 2 Finale Review: Epic David Vs Farouk Battle Is Long Time Coming

I'm afraid "Legion" lost a number of viewers this season. Visually it's beautiful. The aesthetics continue to be like nothing else on television. The problem is the story doesnt really go anywhere. We knew there would be a big fight between David and Farouk. It just took eleven episodes to get there. I might have been able to overlook this if I had binged it instead of watching the show weekly. Season 1 was an acquired taste for me after all. See my reviews here

Much of season 2 is spent trying to decide if David is a good guy or a bad guy. That would be a bummer. You think you're the hero but end up actually being the opposite. One armed Future Syd tries to communicate with David and tells him to help Farouk find his body. She eventually also says David is going to destroy the world and Farouk is trying to stop him. Can the Shadow King be trusted? Can Future Syd be trusted? Can anyone on this show be trusted?

New characters this year include a mysterious guy with a basket on his head (Admiral Fukyama). He is followed around by three identical mustached androgynous robots called the Vermillion. Very strange. Melanie doesnt get much to do this season. She spends much of the time in her room smoking some good drugs. The same with Ptonomy. He eventually ends up stuck in a computer system. Who knows if we'll see either again. Clark has the least to do of anyone. I'm not sure what his purpose is on the show.

What's up with the teeth chattering epidemic? Was it just filler? It never went anywhere. We see a little of what life is like for girl Kerry outside of boy Cary. Cary tells Kerry he will die at some point and she must learn to survive on her own. The Loudermilks are a delight to watch. We get a standalone episode about Syd that explains some of her current behavior.

In the finale, Lenny saves the day by shooting a bullet at the choke (a giant tuning fork). This inhibits both David and Farouk from using their psychic powers. Next she stops a bullet from Syd that was aimed for David.

Both mutants survive their mind battle. Faroud ends up back at Division 3 wearing a crowning device to control his powers. We think he's about to be executed but surprise! Farouk is set free and David is on trial for "future crimes". The Admiral, Syd and boy Kerry are in attendance. David doesnt take the trial well. He says they're had their chance. He hightails it out of the facility with Lenny in tow. Syd asks Clark "What do we do now"? He replies with "Now we pray".

There is a three year time jump. Melanie and Oliver are cozy in the astral plane. From their description David did exactly what Syd said he would do-- and destroyed the world. Uh oh.

My season 2 favorites include:

The Vermillion- They are super weird robots but I love them.
Education Segments- Does Jon Hamm know how to do a voiceover or what? Not sure if this is all by several of the topics he discussed are listed here They include: The Salem Witch trials, McCarthy hearings, Hindu Milk Miracle, Dancing Plague, Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic, Teenage Tic Epidemic, etc. What do they have to do with the story though. Are they meant to help us question reality?
Battle between David and Farouk- The fight, accompanying song "Behind Blue Eyes" and CGI (shark vs helicopter anyone?) were great fun. They knock it out of the park when it comes to visually depicting what's happening inside David's head.
Lenny (Aubrey Plaza)- She was the breakout star of season 1 and we desperately need more of her!! Just a reminder that Lenny has David's sister Amy's body now (and some crazy blue eyes).
Farouk (Navid Neganhban)- The Shadow King was a great addition this season. Much more of him as well please!! One of my favorite lines is "You cant make someone love you. Remember I've tried for 30 years with you since you were a baby".
Moral Ambiguity- Yes David did some seriously bad things this season. Two big ones are: 1. He tortured Oliver (after Farouk had already left his body); and 2. He drugs Syd and has sex with her. David's response is "I'm a good guy and I deserve love". No, that means you're a bad guy dude. Can we still root for David? Let's just say its considerably harder than it was this time last year. Can David still be redeemed? I'm hoping so.
The Minotaur- I dont understand it but its super freaky.

Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). I would have given the show a 3/12 but it gets bonus points for creativity. "Legion" continues to be the most visually innovative series on TV. Unfortunately I cant say the same about the story. The finale helped the season end on a high note. But many of the earlier episodes were a slog to get through. "Legion" has been renewed for a season 3 so I'm hoping this problem is remedied the next time around. I would also suggest fewer episodes to keep viewers engaged as well. This season originally had 10 but FX ordered one more. It could have benefited from maybe 7-8 instead. "Legion" still has tons of potential so I'm willing to hang in there and see where it goes next.