This was a messy episode of Legion by virtue of it spending a lot of time on style over substance, but that style paid off in some really major ways. I can’t wait to talk about it, so let’s go:
1. Even a Mutant Can Be Horny
The major emotional throughline in 5 episodes of Legion thus far has been the genuinely sweet relationship between Syd and David, and “Chapter 5” pays off on a lot of the work that has been done in that area. David returns from his metatextual journey to Jemaine Clement’s funky funky ice palace with something of a self-realization: he is now able to create a “safe space” with his mind where he and Syd can interact with one another on a level that feels physical to the both of them, without the dangers of Syd’s mutant powers getting in the way. So what does that mean for our intrepid star-crossed lovers? Why, it means they get down to bone almost immediately. And while this is true, and filmed in a humorous and fairly innocent fashion, it’s also incredibly sweet, which has been par for the course for the two of them.
But “Chapter 5” takes care to show us that it’s more than just a physical longing between Syd and David that finally gets advanced, but a deeper personal understanding of one another. Syd confides in David the story of her first sexual experience, which ends up being appropriately strange for someone with her mutant abilities. It’s the type of thing Noah Hawley shows do so well – relay the history of a character through a very understandable situation, while layering on an element of the extraordinary or, in this case, kinda creepy. But these are situations and feelings that only two mutants could share with one another and truly understand. David, too, has certainly felt like an outcast in his life, but it’s been because of a mental barrier rather than a physical one. Watching this relationship deepen has been so rewarding.
2. In a White Room…
The “white room” is where the mind magic happens between David and Syd and I just wanted to pay special attention to how beautiful this show is from a visual standpoint. The romantic hotel getaway veneer of the white room is quite striking, but especially in a show that uses all sorts of clashing color schemes so liberally. I’ve mentioned the set dressing and costuming in “Legion” in previous columns, but the cinematography, lighting, and stylistic flourishes are really top-notch when it comes to cable television standards. The Legion team created a space that captures the clinical yet romantic ambiance that matches the mental states of our main characters, and contrasts it nicely with the doom what’s creeping around in David’s own mind by the time the episode ends.
3. …or the Black Lodge
Which brings me to my next point about the episode: good god, was it frightening. Without jump scares or any singular moment of terror, there was a roughly 10 minute sequence near the end of the episode that took place at David’s childhood home that was unnerving the entire way through. First, the sound dropped out entirely for a long stretch. Then it came back, only to drop out again a time or two more. When we could hear sounds, they were often otherworldly – at yet another appearance of the Angry Boy there was an inhuman screech, for example. Characters would talk and their voices would become distorted or muffled. Characters walked past mirrors, leaving the viewer unsure whether they were seeing the reflection or the real thing. One character would visually flash and blend in with another. Legion may not have the budget of a feature length X-Men film, but they’re using every trick in the book to achieve the desired effect in their audience.
4. “You’re Tearing Me Apart, Lenny!”
We more or less get confirmation of what we’ve already been suspecting about “Lenny” – that she is the “Shadow King” who has been poisoning David Haller’s mind throughout the duration of the show. We get this confirmation through a not-so-subtle sequence where she transforms into her various forms one by one; all except for the bulbous Devil with Yellow Eyes. We see her as Lenny, then Benny, then “King” the beagle, and finally as the Angriest Boy in the World. This is confirmation that this entity has been infecting David’s mind since he was a child, which we also learn through a lengthy bit of overly manic exposition from Cary. David is very much a mutant – his power is the only thing keeping him together while the Devil with Yellow Eyes infects his mind. But he’s also suffering from a form of schizophrenia – except it’s not a natural disease state, but literally the work of this infection as well. It’s why David sees these personalities that others cannot.
Continued below5. Keep on Playin’ Those Mind Games
Just when we thought we had Legion all pieced together – David’s past, the nature of his mind demons and the agency coming after him, and his grasp on reality – the show throws two major obstacles in our way. For one, we learn that the David Haller of the Legion television series was adopted, meaning that the door is wide open for him to be the son of Charles Xavier yet. I know some of you have been dying for that. And second, the show ends with an inexplicable scene of fantasy, all the principal characters seated in a circle in a therapy session hosted by Aubrey Plaza’s Lenny, with the familiar ping-pong ball sound from the series premiere ringing in the background. This occurs after the Devil With Yellow Eyes infiltrates the white room and gets Syd in his gruesome clutches. This is, if I’m not mistaken, the first time another character apart from David acknowledges the actual physical form of the Devil with Yellow Eyes.
Before we go, let’s pick apart the final moments: Syd is currently the subject of questioning in the group therapy circle and Lenny is asking her about her father. Since Lenny is the “therapist” in this scenario, I can only imagine that this symbolizes the Devil with Yellow Eyes having gotten to Syd. The quiet calm of the therapy session is a facade for what is really an attempt of the Shadow King to take over the minds of David and all of his companions. It’s also worth wondering whether this is a defense mechanism on David’s part, seeing as he’s there too and everything is calm and serene. I prefer to think that this is all the Devil’s doing, because he/she is the one in control. The episode ends with silence over the de stijl green and purple credits sequence, another eerie aspect that has me thinking that right now the Shadow King has the upper hand. We’ll find out next week!
