Kyle’s Thoughts

I could echo Legion’s positives from weeks past. It’s visually stunning, handles this issue of mental illness with class, and the character’s journey is an interesting one. “Chapter 5” dropped a couple bomb shells. We’re entering spoiler territory, so consider this your spoiler warning. David’s multiple personalities are confirmed and he was adopted.

Neither of these developments would be surprises if you’ve read the comics or past reviews on JK Geekly. What is surprising is that Legion pulled the trigger on these two things by “Chapter 5.” I expected the show to take its time committing to these story threads, but I’m glad it didn’t. As you could probably guess from his origin, David and the other personalities inhabiting his mind are his own worst enemy. “Chapter 5” makes that clear.

David is one of those X-Men characters Jim doesn’t like: he’s too powerful. Having David struggle with himself makes him relatable and powers him down a bit. Legion has shown David on the astral plane during a couple of episodes. It’s a defense mechanism. It’s a similar tact Melinda’s husband Oliver Bird used. I’m sure viewers haven’t seen the last of Oliver and that’s a good thing. You could even see a switch turn for Melinda after she discovered David could escape the astral plane, where her husband has been trapped for decades. That was a wonderful character moment.

District 3 may or may not be a threat anymore. The Eye is still on the loose but overpowered David killed the rest of their garrison. Legion hinted that there were more members of the government agency out there but do they pose much of a threat to David? I have a similar issue with District 3 that I have with Supergirl and Cadmus. David wiped out an entire garrison by the fifth episode. Is there enough ground left to cover in terms of external conflict? Legion was always going to focus on David’s internal struggles, but a good external threat can ground viewers in the real world. I’m staying cautiously optimistic that Legion can maintain that balance.

“Chapter 5” is another great episode for a show that’s become appointment television. Anything can happen. My biggest worry, besides balance, is that Legion only has three episodes left this season and then I have to wait a year for new episodes.

Season’s Take

I say this every week but I love Legion. The story gets more interesting with each chapter and “Chapter 5” was no exception.

I like David showing trust in Syd. He dropped hints as to his whereabouts when he communicated to her telepathically. That can be both a good and a bad thing. If David were to lose control and hurt (or kill) Syd, he’d probably let his emotions get the better of him and go on a rampage. He’d be unstoppable.

David has learned to somewhat control his powers in “Chapter 5” when he goes to District 3 to save his sister Amy. His cockiness as he destroys everyone in District 3 shows that he thinks he’s capable of anything and that he can get away with taking lives because he’s all-powerful. He saw infiltrating District 3 as a game. If he continues to use his power to demolish his enemies, I can’t see him having a long-lasting external conflict.

Once again, Marvel Studios has outdone themselves with Legion “Chapter 5.” I hope they continue to do so in future episodes.

Thanks for reading.