Legion, based on the Marvel character created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz, continues its exploration of the main character David Haller (played by Dan Stevens) in an episode that dives further into the mystery of David’s powers while a greater threat looms.

Like the previous episode this one is focused on the method of looking into David’s past to figure out the moment his powers manifested in hopes of better understanding them. That focus is interesting as we saw in last episode and this one his new friends don’t even know his true strength and power.

We the viewers are left in the dark and discover exactly what’s going on as David and his friends discover it as well. The show has moved past the concept that David is schizophrenic, instead chalking up his issues as a side affect of his mutant powers. It’s an interesting decision as it makes this version of David/Legion similar to the comic book version and in ways downplays the schizophrenia.

A lot of the episode bounces around his head and it’s very similar to the previous one. While we learn a bit more about what’s going on with the opposing force, but not much, and given more hints that David is more powerful than anyone imagined, I can’t say there’s much as far else in the series. It’s David getting to know his new friends and himself.

The visuals of the series continue to be stunning and the best thing about it. This is a show you need to watch and watch intently as many of the hints and plot points are driven not by the dialogue, but by the visual clues that are thrown on the screen in quick flashes. We see that here with some of what is triggering David and the visuals are giving the best hint as to what’s really going on in his head. The series begs to be watched multiple times to catalog all of the quick flashes and coloring to decipher what it all means.

Legion builds and shows the “X” world can be presented with a more adult focus without all of the spandex. The end of the episode in particular had me take notice wondering what it all means and if what we’re shown on screen reflects what comic fans may already know. This is a new depiction of Legion, but it’s one that’s building off of an obscure, but classic character. It’s also becoming one of the best “comic” shows on television.

Overall Rating: 9.15

Legion, based on the Marvel character created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz, continues its exploration of the main character David Haller (played by Dan Stevens) in an episode that gives us a lot, but never lays things out simply.

Reflecting on his past with the help of his new friends, David is forced to experience moments in his life as the episode’s stunning visuals continue to give the best idea as to what is exactly going on.

David may be schizophrenic or it might all be due to his mutant powers, we’re not quite sure exactly.

This episode is a bit straight forward compared to the debut with the set up of a war and two rival factions who are trying to use mutants for good, bad, or to exterminate them. That’s about as clear as things get.

Much of the episode bounces around David’s past as we get to see various stages of his life and where he was at the time in either his mental breakdown or manifestation of is power. With the help of another mutant he watches the experiences as though he’s there. But is he impacting them? With hints of the power of time, matter, telepathic, telekinetic, the world is open for what he’s accomplishing. And for fans of the X-Men comic series and who know the character, you know this is par for the course. Legion, David, is the most powerful mutant to ever exist and can do near anything.

The visuals of the series continue to be stunning and the best thing about it. This is a show you need to watch and watch intently as many of the hints and plot points are driven not my the dialogue, but by the visual clues that are thrown on the screen in quick flashes. The series begs to be watched multiple times to catalog all of the quick flashes and coloring to decipher what it all means.

Legion continues to build and shows the “X” world can be presented with a more adult focus without all of the spandex. Mutants are the next leap forward in humanity and Legion is the next leap forward in the world of live action X-men.

Overall Rating: 9.15

Legion, based on the Marvel character created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz, is the story of David Haller (Dan Stevens), a troubled young man who may be more than human. Diagnosed as schizophrenic as a child, David has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals for years.

Now in his early 30s and institutionalized once again, David loses himself in the rhythm of the structured regimen of life in the hospital: breakfast, lunch, dinner, therapy, medications, sleep. David spends the rest of his time in companionable silence alongside his chatterbox friend Lenny (Aubrey Plaza), a fellow patient whose life-long drug and alcohol addiction has done nothing to quell her boundless optimism that her luck is about to change.

In the first episode, the pleasant numbness of David’s routine is completely upended with the arrival of a beautiful and troubled new patient named Syd (Rachel Keller). Inexplicably drawn to one another, David and Syd share a startling encounter, after which David must confront the shocking possibility that the voices he hears and the visions he sees may actually be real.

With an extended first episode with a minimal amount of ads, the debut episode of this new series feels more like a mini-movie with stunning visuals and a mind trip spin worth of Christopher Nolan. For almost an hour and a half viewers are treated to a what’s real and what’s not visual feast keeping viewers on their toes as to what exactly is going on.

And beyond the visuals, that’s the greatest strength of the series. The madness extends through the screen as we’re dragged into the world of David Haller. His schizophrenia is the center of the show and we’re taught to question everything. Is that character real? Are they in David’s head? Is what he’s seeing real? Is what we’re seeing real? This is a show that begs to be dissected and viewed multiple times for visual clues as to what is real and what is not.

The story itself jumps between two situations. The first being David in a hospital where an incident took place and the second is another hospital that wants to figure out what David did… or is it a hospital? The series dives into a bigger conspiracy far into the debut episode where it’s revealed David is not just a mutant, but possibly the most powerful one out there. He’s a threat because of what he can do and how unstable he is. But, is he unstable? Did what we witness occur in his head? Things are left open to interpretation and nothing is definitively answered.

And what’s left open is a visual treat challenging big screen adaptations of Marvel’s “X” universe. Objects fly around, colors pop off the screen. Scenes are set not just by their locations, but clothing, and colors, each evoking a mood and giving hints as to what’s real and what’s not. The visuals, the story, the style, it’s all mixed in a Big Lebowski sort of way.

The story itself becomes clearer as the episode moves along, but much of the first hour is jumbled, eventually becoming more orderly and focused, much like David is experience it himself. And that’s what’s impressive for the series. This debut isn’t a story being told to us, it’s something we’re supposed to experience ourselves right along its hero.

Overall Rating: 9.35