Like most episodes of Legion, we start off with some fairly interesting imagery. (It’s funny to think that the shower scene was perhaps the most peculiar of all the images we saw.) When we last left our ragtag group of mutants, David had discovered that his sister Amy has more than likely been kidnapped by Division Three in the hopes of finding the highly powerful mutant. Rather than recklessly going on the offensive however, David agrees with Syd to stay and uncover more of his past.
At the beginning of “Chapter 3,” we retread a bit of old ground as Melanie and Ptonomy once again enter David’s memories using Ptonomy’s memory. It’s at this point that you would think that Legion is beginning to become repetitive. That is until a key piece of information is revealed. While telepathy and telekinesis were powers we knew David had, Melanie and Ptonomy (as well as the audience) learn that the schizophrenic mutant can also teleport himself and others of distances of at least six hundred feet. We’re beginning to learn that David’s powers are far more intricate and powerful and with every dip into his past or experiment conducted, a new ability is uncovered much to the surprise to everyone involved.
Even More Powers
A flashback to David as a child is the next big insight into the mutant’s psyche. Proceedings are cut with lines from the mysterious book introduced in episode two, “The World’s Angriest Boy In The World.” Lenny makes a return to bring up the fact that his sister is more than likely being tortured for information while he’s still trying to understand his powers. The revelation unlocks yet another side of David’s powers as he spies in on his sister’s interrogation using his psychic abilities. When his psychic link is interrupted by the milky eyed Division Three agent we’re growing to fear, David naturally teleports himself and Syd into the lake outside of Melanie’s facility.
It’s pretty interesting to note that Lenny has essentially become another side of David’s personality. While she could easily be described as his subconscious, her influence is proving to be a driving force behind many of David’s decisions. Legion does a great job of given you just enough to question everything, but offers up enough answers so that you’re not left scratching your head too hard by the end of the episode.
A Nightmare of a Mind
The sequence when we once again enter David’s memories is pretty telling for a number of reasons. While initially he didn’t want Syd along for the ride, it appears that she’s the one person who can see exactly what’s going on inside David’s head. Syd gets a glimpse of David as a child, in the middle of carnal relations, and eventually, one of the individuals within his mind that he fears. There’s no other way to slice it. Seeing a creepy giant doll probably has to be one of the scariest things a person could experience.
By the end, we learn that David’s memories can be a very dangerous terrain to traverse as Melanie learns when her hand is crushed. In a way, it seems as if Melanie being attacked is a metaphor for biting off more than she can chew. She wants to help David control his powers in hopes of being able to harness that power for her own benefit.
While the others free themselves from David’s memories, our hero is left trapped within his own mind. We can only guess what happens next, but from the looks of the next episode, it appears as if things are about to start heating up.
Legion Season 1 airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX. Want more news? Like the BuddyTV
Facebook page.
(Image courtesy of FX)
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV
