The past and the future collide as the hunt for Farouk’s body continues. Whose side are you on?
Legion – “Chapter 10”, Season 2, Episode 02
Airdate: April 3rd, 2018
Director: Ana Lily Amipour
Writer: Noah Hawley (creator)
Based on the Marvel Comics Created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz
What You Should Know:
Last episode, it was revealed that the orb that abducted David at the end of season 1 was sent by a version of Syd from the future. Future Syd then instructed David to help Farouk find his body in order to save the future, pitting David at odds with his present friends at Division 3.
What You’ll Find Out:
As Division 3 and David attempt to hunt down Farouk/Oliver, Oliver and Lemmy raid Division 3. A central question at the heart of this episode, as elucidated by Clark later, is whether David intentionally created a diversion or if Farouk merely took advantage of the situation. At this point in the series, it is nearly impossible to tell which is true, leaving open the possibility that both or neither are also options. And thus, is the nature of Legion.
The raid resulted in many Division 3 red-shirt deaths much to David’s dismay, having had requested that, in exchange for his aid in finding Farouk’s body for him, nobody would be hurt in the process. In addition to the numerous deaths (and two humorous transformations), Oliver and Lemmy confronted Cary/Kerry and somehow reversed their power dynamic, making Kerry the host body rather than Cary. The ramifications of this move will certainly be a major plot point moving forward. Already we have seen that Kerry’s hair is turning white. Pure speculation, but perhaps her body is beginning to catch up with the time that has clearly passed for her brother and not for her?
The motivation behind the raid is the attempt to locate a mysterious Mi-Go monk that Farouk believes to be hiding at Division 3. Although Admiral Fukuyama states that all of the Mi-Go monks—the order responsible for hiding Farouk’s body—were annihilated by somebody or something named “Miser Sunday”, eagle-eyed viewers will no doubt have noticed that this episode is the second time we’ve seen said monk lurking (the first being in the club last episode for the epic dance battle). Fukuyama, the Vermillions, and Clark are all beginning to have serious trust issues with David, but in their defense, David seems to have trust issues with David.
With the help of Kerry/Cary, David takes another dip in the isolation pool, only this time, the trip is of the multidimensional variety, thrusting Astral David into the future to continue his conversation with Future Syd. It is in this conversation that Syd vaguely informs David that something is coming that will have cataclysmic/apocalyptic results, and reuniting Farouk with his body may be the best chance of stopping it. David is, in this offshoot timeline, one week away from killing Farouk, and it is heavily implied that, in doing so, David will damn humanity. David tells all of this to present Syd (who, by the way, is just about the most ride or die gal ever), and the two agree to trust future Syd and each other.
What Just Happened?
If the above recap seems hectic and out of order, all apologies. To try and rein a series like this one into any sense of linear chronology is akin to trying to change the flow of a river. It feels unnatural, and in that lies the aesthetic beauty of Legion. There were a few moments that I excluded from the recap because I felt like they needed more room to breath outside of a linear sequence.
The first of these moments is of the most-offhanded nature. As Kerry sits in his lab examining the future orb, he casually notes that it is not of Shi’ar origin. For the non-comics-reading viewership, this line was probably easily forgettable, however for the comics fanbase, it carries incredible significance. The Shi’ar are/were among of one of the most powerful of intergalactic empires in the Marvel Universe, with numerous direct ties to the X-Men line of titles. In particular, the Shi’ar played a vital role in the classic Phoenix and Dark Phoenix Sagas.
Also, of note, the Shi’ar have ties to the powerful and ancient M’krann Crystal, an artifact often described as the “Nexus of Realities.” Given the nature of the John Hamm narrated segments of this episode, and the attempts to define and deconstruct definitions of reality, to suspect a potential reference in the future to the crystal does not seem too farfetched. Also, in reference to the nature of reality, David has his first on-screen encounter with Farouk as Farouk (not a monster or Lemmy or Oliver, but with Farouk’s own face). From the sequence, it seems clear that this meeting is the not the first between the two, but it does mark a first for the viewers. In said meeting, David once again demands a lack of violence necessary for his cooperation, which Farouk begrudgingly grants. The conversation also raised the notion that Farouk believes himself and David to be Gods. While this idea could be simply cast aside as the ravings of a powerful and narcissistic mutant, it could also be a glimpse into the nature of the powers held by both characters. In the comics, Farouk is an extremely powerful telepath, but that is his only power. In the world of Legion, however, we see that, among other powers, he has the ability to transmute matter, as seen in the Division 3 raid. Also, in the comics, the power set of David reaches far beyond simple telepathy, into what could be casually classified as reality-altering powers. The notion of Gods in the Marvel Comics universe is always a tricky terrain to navigate, spanning from celestial beings to characters out of pagan mythology, but it isn’t a stretch to state that, if both of these characters have reality-warping powers, to call them gods seems apt.
Speaking of the gods of the Marvel Universe, I’d like to venture an educated guess as to the perpetrator of the future “plague”. “It started as an idea. An egg” stated future Syd. It would appear that the plague is psionic in nature. We have references to gods and the Shi’ar. Either I am being intentionally misled (a distinct possibility), or we may be preparing for a Phoenix Entity reveal. Either way, season 2 of Legion is off to a hot start, and I can’t wait to see what I didn’t even consider expecting next week. Stay tuned, Watchers!
Rating: 8/10
Final Thought: In a world tilting ever closer to Idiocracy, Legion feels like it provides a funnel for intellectual thought. This episode slowed down the narration to swim in the details of reality, whatever that may be.
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