Track 8: Legion
A trippy and potentially triggering series that levels up your typical comic book character.
This track is going to be a little different from others in the playlist to date, because though this series has ended, I still am on Season 2 of 3. For a lot of reasons—some of which I am sure I’ll touch on in the track deconstruction—Legion is a hard watch for me. That’s not to say that I don’t enjoy it; I’ve been an X-Men lover since my time in elementary school devouring my X-Men Marvel Encyclopedia (Vol. 1, circa 2003, obviously). Noah Hawley’s take on Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz’s creation marries cinematic mastery with mind bending plot and three-dimensional characters. No, it’s simply the fact that as someone who has lived experience of depression, anxiety, and mania as a result of my OCD diagnosis, David Haller’s relatability and reasoning can feel a little too unnerving. It’s because of this that I still, to this day, can only watch the show in shifts. However, it’s a favorite, and if I wait until I finish the series in order to add it to the playlist, well….you know the rest.
THE TRACK SYNOPSIS
I can’t very well summarize a complex series such as this one, especially when I don’t have the full experience of half of season 2, and all of season 3. So, here is an incredibly high-level summary of the show.
Legion follows schizophrenic mutant David Haller, who discovers his reality may not be what it seems. During a stay in a psychiatric facility, he meets a captivating young woman, leading him to a team with extraordinary abilities. Together, they help him to unlock hidden powers, all while revealing a darker entity at play in their world. This series is less of your typical Marvel punch-for-punch fanfare, and more of a transcendental, trippy mental long game, punctuated with a deep look at the minds of mutants, and how nature/nurture elements play into the “people” they grow up to be. The series premiered in 2017 and ran through 2019.
THE KEY PLAYERS
David Haller: Our main character is David, a psychic mutant with schizophrenia. David is haunted by another powerful psychic, a parasite using David as a host, named the Shadow King. While in Clockworks Psychiatric Hospital, he is recruited to join Summerland (a safe haven and training ground for mutants) in the war between mutants and Division 3, a tactical arm of the U.S. military tasked with studying, identifying, and eliminating mutant-related threats. We see David coming to grips with his abilities and the dark forces at work around and inside of him. He is masterfully played by Dan Stevens.
Sydney Barrett: Portrayed by Rachel Keller, Syd is a mutant with the ability to temporarily switch bodies with other people. She initially meets David at Clockworks when she is admitted for anti-social personality disorder. Syd also joins Division 3 and becomes a major player as the seasons progress.
Lenny Busker: Lenny, played by Aubrey Plaza, is human and a fellow patient of Clockworks alongside David and Rachel. In an unfortunate incident involving body-switching between David and Rachel, Lenny dies, but her consciousness is soon absorbed by the Shadow King after living inside of David’s mind. The Shadow King continues to make use of her to communicate to David and influence him from the outside.
Cary/Kerry Loudermilk: Cary/Kerry are mutants that share one body; Cary is a mid-aged man, while Kerry is a younger woman. Cary is a scientist who co-founded Summerland with Melanie and Oliver. Kerry is the muscle of the two, with astounding hand-to-hand combat skills. Bill Irwin embodies older Cary in the series, while the younger Kerry is portrayed by Amber Midthunder.
Melanie Bird: Melanie is the human wife of Oliver Bird and fellow co-founder of Summerland along with Oliver and Cary. Despite being human, she helps mutants learn how to harness their abilities, while also working to keep them safe from Division 3. She is portrayed by none other than Jean Smart.
Oliver Bird: The husband of Melanie Bird, Oliver is a mutant with telepathy and astral and illusion manipulation. He co-founded Summerland with his wife and Cary. Due to his abilities, Oliver had access to the Astral Plane, where he was eventually entrapped for twenty years. He eventually becomes possessed by the Shadow King, as well. The always wonderful Jemaine Clement brings Oliver to life.
Amahl Farouk: A thing of many names—Farouk, the Shadow King, the Devil with the Yellow Eyes—this tremendously powerful psychic mutant has been around for centuries. His mind and body were separated from one another when he was defeated by Charles Xavier, David’s father, and to survive, he embedded himself into David’s mind. While jumping from body to body, Farouk also searches for his original form so he can fully reclaim the original source of his powers.
FAVORITE EPISODES (SO FAR)
Season 1, Episode 5: Chapter 5 - My favorite quote ever comes from this episode; it’s tattooed on my right thigh for a reason!
Season 2, Episode 2: Chapter 10
FAVORITE CHARACTER
I’d originally selected David as my favorite character, but upon further reflection, I think Syd is actually the winner here. Though she was created by Hawley for this series, her character is one that I believe some may find a kinship with. She can be indifferent and cruel at the expense of self-gratification. She can also be distant and haphephobic due to her abilities. Despite all of these traits, she is also a fierce protector of those she loves, and though she struggles with her own powers, she encourages other mutants to embrace their gifts—David in particular.
I share a lot of similar mannerisms with this character, especially a penchant to be distant and callous. Seeing her on-screen, I had an “oh, that’s me” feeling pop up time and time again. Due to past traumas I, too, shy away from physical touch if I can—another thing that felt nice to see, even if it was under the guise of mutant power.
There’s one quote from Syd in season one that has always stuck with me, so much so that I have it tattooed on my right thigh: “Who teaches us to be normal when we’re one of a kind?” To me, it’s such a Sydney thing to say, and an excellent adage to have in times of stress or inner turmoil.
DECONSTRUCTING THE TRACK
When Legion debuted in early 2017, I was in a transitory stage of my life—I’d only been out of undergrad for a year and a half, I’d just moved into the first place of my own away from my parents, and I was thinking about going back for my Masters. I was also in a bad place, mentally. I had been off anti-depressants for almost 3 years, out of therapy for about the same time, and my OCD and anxiety were rampant. In short, everything felt chaotic. My head was an absolute mess.
So, when I put on Legion for a little escape into the X-Men universe, you can imagine my surprise to find that the main character? Also a hot mess, and even more so than I was. Here was a character labelled insane and hospitalized for his mental illness, fully unhinged and yet completely familiar. I wasn’t super knowledgeable of the Legion comic character ahead of tuning into the series, so it was totally unexpected and honestly, if I had known beforehand, I don’t know that I would have started watching it back then.
Watching the first season was equally enjoyable and challenging, kind of like putting ice on a wound—a satisfying sting. I found though, that with each passing episode, I started to feel a bit of that darkness lingering with me, following me into my daily life. I admittedly struggle with pushing myself towards lightness, often opting to dwell in the murky gloom of doubt and negativity (though, luckily, that tide has turned a bit since having my son). Come season 2, I needed a break. My husband, with whom I’ve watched the show since the start, is always remarking that we need to finish the show. I’ve told him that it’s sometimes hard for me to watch, but I’ve never fully delved into the why of it. Perhaps this will break that ice (Jacob, if you’re reading this…it’s about time!).
I can’t say that in watching Legion, I’ve come away with clear lessons or useful pieces to improve my life or really inform me in any positive way. This one more-so underscores lingering issues that I need to work on personally, and underscores shortcomings in my mental health journey. Still I persist, slowly but surely.
All this to say, heed my warning: if you suffer with your mental health, this may be a difficult or triggering watch. If you want to watch, maybe have a pal with you, or check in with a friend afterward. Conveniently schedule your watch right before a therapy session? I don’t know. Perhaps I’m simply a sensitive old gal. Alas, the caution has been shared.
From the halfway point of the series, I can confidently say that it is wonderfully crafted by Hawley and team, exceptionally carried out by an all-star cast, and sensationally weird in the best way.
Thank you for listening.