[Legion] on FX: Season 2 is finished - beware open spoilers

Captain Tragedy

Warning - Spoilers for both seasons are now open. Venture past the amazing, highly detailed OP at your own risk.

Open spoilers are only in regards to Season 1 and 2. Any story/character info from the comics should still be spoiler-tagged. Any info or news from future seasons should also be spoiler-tagged.

https://youtu.be/4SZ3rMMYBLY

Season 2 Trailer:

https://youtu.be/Ypdctnhssdw

I've never started a D&D thread before, so apologies in advance for the unimpressive OP; I'm more of an observer in the PA forums than a huge poster. But I'm curious to hear what others here are thinking about it (assuming others have checked it out).

Anyway, it's a Marvel TV show, and there's quite a few of those around these days, but this is from Noah Hawley, the guy who managed to create something amazing from the not too promising idea of a Fargo TV show. And so far, it's been a pretty great, weird start. After 2 episodes, I'm all in with it. Thoughts?

Handgimp

It's good.

Mazzyx

Ahh a thread.

We should start our list of who we think are real and who are not.

surrealitycheck

i enjoy this televisual experience it is like 1960s british film visually

Captain Tragedy

Aubrey Plaza is kinda blowing me away here - since Parks & Rec she's basically been stuck between a) April Ludgate-esque snarky deadpan, and b) slutty, drunk/high party girl in a series of not-great R-Rated comedies. This role seems to be breaking her out of that usual role. Interesting to see where her character goes (trying to skirt around Ep. 1 spoilers here...).

Feral

Cap'n Tragedy, this is a good thread about a good show. Thanks for making it.

Feral

Personally, I need to rewatch the first episode before I will really understand it, I think.

I love the 60s-but-not-too-60s aesthetic.

Lorek

Episode 1 left me very confused but after episode 2 I think I am on board this crazy train.

One thing that is still bugging me is trying to place the time period. Everything looks like retro 60-70-80s-ish? But (maybe this is just me) I am getting this weird uncanny valley effect where I see old things but my brain is insisting its all fake and we're in a modern setting.

KingofMadCows

Most of the things outside of the government stuff is very 60's. But the government agents clearly have modern technology like tablets and bluetooth earpieces.

However, you can see some flat screen TV's at the mental institution when they're leaving and their doors have electronic locks.

abotkin

I'm enjoying the series quite a bit so far. I'm also already looking forward to a rewatch of the season after only the first two episodes, and I'm not usually one for rewatching a show that I've seen that recently.

Captain Marcus

It's very good. I think it's set in the 60s with some futuristic technology (in a "advanced tech is always in a Marvel movie" kinda way), lady thinks it's set in the future where everyone decorates like it's the 60s. Or it could be a byproduct of the main character's mental instability. Either way I agree that it's a bit jarring.

Still, good show! Very much looking forward to next week.

Spaffy

I only caught the opening montage but it certainly looked interesting enough to watch the whole thing this weekend! I thought it was well done.

Does Legion have actual superpowers beyond having a bunch of personalities?

Handgimp

IIRC in the comics he's a god-tier telepath and telekinetic.

Shazkar Shadowstorm

this is cool

Quid

Handgimp wrote: »

IIRC in the comics he's a god-tier telepath and telekinetic.

What if God was one of us
Just a paranoid schizophrenic like one of us

The answer is he'd make for good television.

Irond Will

surrealitycheck wrote: »

i enjoy this televisual experience it is like 1960s british film visually

Yeah definitely has something of an Avengers vibe. Also lots of awesome Anderson-ish filming choices.

Show is great. It's nice to see someone breaking out of the superhero formulas.

King Riptor

Handgimp wrote: »

IIRC in the comics he's a god-tier telepath and telekinetic.

He literally has every power.

Some things

Given who his Dad is this isnt set any earlier than the 80s.
His sister was wearing a halloween costume in all of her appearances.
Shes also probably not his sister not biological anyway
All the weird TV tropes and shots of wolves reek of Mojo.

Thirith

I just checked out the first episode and liked it a lot. It also reminded me of the British series Utopia - it's not an exact match, but in terms of the overall look and the sense of paranoia, it's not dissimilar. Utopia had a brilliant first season and a good but disappointing second season, and its story didn't really come to a satisfying end, but if you dig Legion, Utopia might be worth checking out.

McFodder

I agree that I think the pilot will make a lot more sense (and probably be more enjoyable to watch) a second time through after it's complete.

I like it so far, but don't feel like we've been given enough accurate information so far to really know what is going on.

RT800

This show looks really interesting so far.

I don't suppose it's in any way considered a part of the MCU though, right?

Thirith

Nope. The MCU can't touch mutants (no in-joke intended).

This

Watched the first two episodes. I think this show is quite brilliant in a lot of ways - very stylish, fascinating subject matter, cool cinematography. The guy who played the interrogator in episode 1 was fantastic. Aubrey Plaza is interesting. Unfortunately, I'm not really buying the lead actor, or to a lesser extent the lead actress. I don't know, I just find that I'm watching a guy act - what should be a really amazing role is just falling flat for me.

themightypuck

First episode was awesome but I'm nervous since

it now looks like a team thing and I hate team things--superhero deus ex machina or young adult sex drama incoming

Pony

what a strange hot take

King Riptor

themightypuck wrote: »

First episode was awesome but I'm nervous since

it now looks like a team thing and I hate team things--superhero deus ex machina or young adult sex drama incoming

I mean its based on an x-men character . Those things are kind of integral to the brand

Doodmann

I have no idea what is happening, what is real, where this is going, when this takes place, and I love it.

RT800

It all actually seems pretty straight forward to me. He thought he was crazy all his life. Turns out he's not. Has weird psychic powers. Now he's trying to adjust.

I mean, with the exception of

Aubrey Plaza's ghost

I don't see any reason to question the reality of anything so far.

Goumindong

Captain Marcus wrote: »

It's very good. I think it's set in the 60s with some futuristic technology (in a "advanced tech is always in a Marvel movie" kinda way), lady thinks it's set in the future where everyone decorates like it's the 60s. Or it could be a byproduct of the main character's mental instability. Either way I agree that it's a bit jarring.

Still, good show! Very much looking forward to next week.

Its most likely a byproduct of the main characters instability. Much of the show is in the main characters head. The way that people appear may not be so much a function of how they are, but how he envisions them.

RhalloTonny

themightypuck wrote: »

First episode was awesome but I'm nervous since

it now looks like a team thing and I hate team things--superhero deus ex machina or young adult sex drama incoming

I agree, and also the first episode had waaay more flourishes and some out-there stuff, not just in content, but in direction and style choices.

First episode felt like Fargo + Wes Anderson's X-Men + Beyond the Black Rainbow.
Second episode felt like none of those outside "oh here's some CRT monitors," and even those weren't shown in a way that could emphasize the strangeness of it all. All the aesthetic decisions just stopped.


fake edit: ahh, first episode was directed by Hawley, second wasn't. Makes sense.

I'll still keep watching because Dan Stevens is continuing his "oh that's the Downton Abbey guy?" but I have to admit I'm a bit disappointed in that style fall-off.

Captain Tragedy

RhalloTonny wrote: »

I'll still keep watching because Dan Stevens is continuing his "oh that's the Downton Abbey guy?"

Have you seen The Guest? That's the first place I noticed him (I saw the 1st season of Downton Abbey, but I can't remember anything about him from that).

abotkin

Captain Tragedy wrote: »

RhalloTonny wrote: »

I'll still keep watching because Dan Stevens is continuing his "oh that's the Downton Abbey guy?"

Have you seen The Guest? That's the first place I noticed him (I saw the 1st season of Downton Abbey, but I can't remember anything about him from that).

Holy crap, you're right, he's the guy from The Guest. That's fantastic. And now I'm definitely picturing both characters being just variations of the same person.

Captain Marcus

Second episode- also good! Don't approve of that vest, though

Handgimp

Captain Marcus wrote: »

Second episode- also good! Don't approve of that vest, though

I paused the dvr so I could find a screen cap of that vest and show it to people.

Captain Marcus

Third episode- still good, ever-so-slowly getting more backstory. Definitely the kind of show where you're sad when the hour's up. It's so hard to find good tv shows with superpowers; everything's either "costumed heroes ahoy" or god-awful.

Hey, just noticed that no one in Legion wears a costume. Good on the writers.

Handgimp

Yeah I just caught ep3 and WOW that was some good damn tv.

abotkin

Heh, I definitely enjoyed that. Line of the ep that sums up the show pretty succinctly so far, spoilered just in case.

"Everyone keeps telling me I'm sane. What if they're wrong?"

Straygatsby

This show is worth watching for the production design alone. I mean, really, if you could not understand the language it was broadcast in, it would still be worth watching for the visuals.

That said, for me, the narrative itself has felt boring, but I'm going to chalk that up to being utterly fatigued by superhero entertainment, and the fact that they have to lay a LOT of groundwork to get people on board. They have not done a very good job filling out Syd "I'm not Rogue" Barret and Evil April from Parks and Rec yet, but Jean Smart is pretty baller thus far, so I have hope that it's not just that they suck at writing supporting characters.

Solar

Episode 3:

I think that the whole narrative that David is not insane, it's just his powers that head him to think the telepathic whispers are hallucinations etc, is going to be turned on its head in this show

Summerland believes that he is sane, because that's what they want to believe, and that's what their own bias tells him

I think it's going to turn out that they are right in that he does have incredible powers that have screwed with his head, but also that he's pretty unhinged as well

Whether that's something he always had, or the strain of incredible psychic abilities, I dunno

Handgimp

Solar wrote: »

Episode 3:

I think that the whole narrative that David is not insane, it's just his powers that head him to think the telepathic whispers are hallucinations etc, is going to be turned on its head in this show

Summerland believes that he is sane, because that's what they want to believe, and that's what their own bias tells him

I think it's going to turn out that they are right in that he does have incredible powers that have screwed with his head, but also that he's pretty unhinged as well

Whether that's something he always had, or the strain of incredible psychic abilities, I dunno

I think you're correct and that at least the fat thing is a personality, and I think it sinking into his eyes means it's now in control.

I think his sister may be another personality.

Captain Tragedy

Damn, this episode...

KingofMadCows

Interesting that they've actually introduced

the astral realm. That's some Dr. Strange level stuff.

And there are so many little details in the show. The sign in front of the tree they crashed into said "slow down uncertainty ahead." That seems to suggest they're still in David's head. And Oliver even said that David could create a whole kingdom in the astral plane and he wouldn't necessarily know it's not real.