Legion - S1E3 - Chapter Three

Previously on Legion, “Chapter Two”

Legion’s third chapter went straight up horror movie as another trip through David’s memories got even darker. With Amy in the hands of Division 3, Melanie doesn’t have the time for David to put in the usual memory work. They need to jump right to focusing on the big events and memories that scare David the most. Another visit to the kitchen incident finally reveals to Melanie and Ptonomy just how powerful David is, and it uncovers his past as a drug addict.

Kerry’s next attempt to study David’s brain doesn’t end with equipment crashing through walls, but it does teleport David and Syd to where Amy is being held -  at least a holographic image of them, which The Eye sees.

When Syd insists on joining the next memory session, David warns she won’t like what she sees of his past. With a child version of David as their guide, they begin with what got David sent to Clockworks: stealing from his therapist’s office. The Yellow-Eyed Demon makes another appearance, but this time only little David and Syd can see him. As they’re being chased, they’re separated from Ptonomy and Melanie, and Syd awakens before everyone else. Ptonomy and Melanie soon follow, but David is still stuck inside his memories with his demons.

The Good

This episode was legit scarier than every horror film I’ve watched in the past two years. The life-sized boy from the spooky book chasing Syd and little David gave me nightmares.

Amy’s interrogation was interesting because Division 3 isn’t trying to convince her that David is mentally ill; they’re telling her the truth about what he is and what he can do. In doing so, they force her to confront the fact that she’s always known her brother was special, yet didn’t step up when he was being committed. This is the part of the interrogation David and Syd witnessed. I’m curious if this will ever come up should the siblings be reunited.

How sweet was it when Syd was able to hug young David? She doesn’t get to touch anyone, ever. Inside the memories, her power doesn’t work so she’s able to touch him. We’ll ignore, for now, that the only version of her boyfriend she can touch is the pre-teen one. It’s still sweet.

Also sweet and sad: Melanie sitting through the coffee machine making two cups of coffee so she can hear it (as her dead husband’s voice) tell the same story while she waits.

This show is stunningly beautiful.

The Bad

Small quibble, but I may be a tad over the romance between David and Syd - at least until they’re in different circumstances. I can only take but so many scenes that begin with him staring into the distance and Syd interrupting his thoughts so they can chat and flirt.

X Files

Was this the first time they confirmed that the Kerrys are the same person?

I can’t quite put my finger on the how, but I am so convinced Lenny and David are the same person. Yes, even though people can see her. Something about the way David’s girlfriend walked in on them getting high felt weird. She responded to Lenny in a way that felt like she could have also been responding to David: first as he’s on the floor, then to his face when he gets up and snatches the cake, and there’s no conversation between the three of them as she and Lenny fight over it.

It appears that David stole his session tapes from the therapist office. Wonder if he had time to listen to them before getting sent away.