Legion: Season 1/ Episode 3 “Chapter 3” – Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

Overview/ Review (with Spoilers)

I had serious intentions of dropping this show. Between my usual Thursday movies, The Quad, anime, and soon to be Greenleaf, Thursday was packed and spilling over into Friday, sometimes Saturday. Yet, while The Quad I’m still uneasy about, this show keeps getting better and better. So it may be time to reevaluate either what I’m keeping up or how I’m reviewing things.

So, let’s try changing up the review format first because now I can’t imagine dropping this program.

The Gist

In order for Melanie to help David become healthy, happy, and control his powers, she needs to help him recover and understand his memories. She needs him to know what are his triggers and how he can use them to activate, if not amplify his powers. Of which, we know he is telepathic, he can teleport now, astral project, and can move objects with his mind. But with him locking out Melanie and Ptonomy from aspects of his mind, well the blob thing anyway, Dr. Melanie is becoming unsure what she can really do. Heck, she is wondering if she is only making things worse. Which, considering Amy is in the hands of Walter, one of the mutants Dr. Melanie counseled only to learn he didn’t want to help but hurt people, time is of the essence.

Commentary

What I liked about this episode is it felt like the part of the X-Men films we often skip over. In this episode, we see the actual work needed to make someone who can be a soldier. We get to see what happens when a mutant has spent their life oppressing their powers and now they are completely out of their control.

But you know what else was nice? Dr. Melanie Bird admitting that she possibly only made things worse. To me, one of the things I love about modern comic book adaptations is the sense of realness, the exploration of the human side of these superheroes, and not just having them be like Goku on Dragon Ball Z. I need to see more than a loss, training, and then a big win. I need to get to know this person, I need to understand what is mentally holding them back. For that is the issue with all heroes, isn’t it? Their mental state, be it ego, trauma, or what have you, keeping them from their full potential either as a solo star or as part of a group.

With that said, I’m liking the group David has surrounded himself with. Granted, I had to look up what Ptonomy’s name was, since it hasn’t stuck yet, but I am very much looking forward to when the foundation is fully done with David and we can learn about his peers. We kind of do with Sydney this episode, and the bonding between her and David was necessary, but I do need something deeper.

Especially since, as of now, the monsters in David’s head, and the villains who hold Amy, just aren’t cutting it. So with that said, I’m cool with them building up our heroes so that when the war becomes real, we care about whether they live or die. Though, even with saying that, I’d like them to build up these villains more. For while the blob and angriest boy are kind of creepy, they don’t get any real reaction out of me. Much less, Walter and the Division I think need to be beefed up too. As of now, they are as bad as the villains on Humans.

Things To Note | Question(s) Left Unanswered

Oliver, Melanie’s husband, and Cary created this mutant sanctuary from a horse ranch they owned.

The moment in which Syd hugged the young David, and Melanie sort of encouraged it, I feel was an important moment. If only because, while adult David was sedated, baby David was still very aware of what was happening and I feel that child who was, or is, so traumatized needed that hug and reassurance throughout the episode. Also, while Syd has adjusted to the idea of her body not really being hers, that it is but a vessel for her soul, I do think she misses human touch. And what is more pure than a hug from a kid who solely is looking for affection?