Legion (FX's Marvel tv series) [SPOILERS]

[Rhom]

Loved everything about that episode.  I also caught the X shaped wheel in big sis's flashback.  Also really liked the chalkboard animations.

With the previews for the finale, does it look like David is going to try to tap into the Shadow King to get his power against Division 3?  It certainly looked like they had flipped the switch and the interrogator guy with the burned face is now being interrogated.

Wonder if the Rational David and some form of Lenny will be returning personalities in his head when the show returns?

I also noticed that the Shadow King appeared to be searching for something as well.  He and Amy were in a room that looked like the inside of a globe and there were multiple other globes around.

[Astromech]

20 minutes ago, Rhom said:

 

I also noticed that the Shadow King appeared to be searching for something as well.  He and Amy were in a room that looked like the inside of a globe and there were multiple other globes around.

That seemed like his own version of Cerebro to me. I'm assuming he's looking for Professor X.

[The BlackBear]

I assumed he was looking for his body.

[HexMachina]

That wouldn't really make sense though in the context of what she was saying, would it? Wasn't the line "What did he do with it?" That seems a bit clunky if it's supposed to mean "where is his body?"

 

eta: oh wait you mean Shadow King's body don't you. My mistake, that would make sense

[Rhom]

Since most of my X-men knowledge admittedly comes from the 90's animated series and a couple of collected books (I think it was Fatal Attractions?  It was where Magneto ripped the adamantium out of Wolverine's body), I am admittedly behind on the characters in this show.

You say Shadow King may be looking for his body.  So is he a regular mutant?  I guess from prior discussion in this topic I thought he was some sort of astral plane entity.

[HexMachina]

I also know nothing aside from what has been shown in this series. But my assumption was that Shadow King had a physical form, that was defeated by Professor X (see the Chalk Board sequence), but his non-physical form(?) survived, maybe hiding in the astral plain, then he tracked down David and lived off of him as a parasite. Possibly. 

That could be at odds with him deciding to take over David's body but I think that would work as a means for him to enter the physical world and search for his own body.

[The BlackBear]

Shadow King and Farouk have kind of a Pheonix Jean Grey thing. The way Carey seemed to know Shadow King as Farouk makes me wonder if they haven't just streamlined it to make Farouk the source of Shadow King rather than the collective human consciousness. If as we saw in Davids hypothesising, Farouks power was driven out of his body, I figured he'd probably like to know where it is. Although Davids body is much more powerful so he may just want to reside there.

Arghgh I love this show. I really wanted a psychic focused X-Men film, taking place entirely on the astral plane, Shadow King would be the perfect villain for it. So that we've got this on TV with considerably more minutes devoted to it is great.

[red snow]

48 minutes ago, The BlackBear said:

I assumed he was looking for his body.

Good point. It could well be that Xavier hid the body away and Shadow King can't return until he knows where his body is. I can imagine Xavier wouldn't "kill" him due to moral codes. And we know from Jamaine Clement's character that the physical body can be stored while the mind/spirit is in the astral plane.

 

24 minutes ago, HelenaExMachina said:

I also know nothing aside from what has been shown in this series. But my assumption was that Shadow King had a physical form, that was defeated by Professor X (see the Chalk Board sequence), but his non-physical form(?) survived, maybe hiding in the astral plain, then he tracked down David and lived off of him as a parasite. Possibly. 

That could be at odds with him deciding to take over David's body but I think that would work as a means for him to enter the physical world and search for his own body.

That's a great synopsis of what's going on. The comic has had various iterations of the story but it usually boils down to Shadow King existing primarily as a being of psychic energy and requiring his own body or a hosts for regular stuff. Not sure why he needs a physical body really as his power is astral plane based.

[Corvinus85]

Amy mentioned e-mails, so I think we can safely put this show in late 90s or even 2000s.

[polishgenius]

I wonder if the Shadow King hasn't been partly amalgamated with Casandra Nova and the 'where has he hidden it' is leading up to a next-season plotline adapted from Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run involving her and her body, something that would definitely fit in with the tone and themes of this show.



Anyway, that episode was fantastic. The breakout sequence alone was worth the time of the whole season.

[williamjm]

7 hours ago, HelenaExMachina said:

That wouldn't really make sense though in the context of what she was saying, would it? Wasn't the line "What did he do with it?" That seems a bit clunky if it's supposed to mean "where is his body?"

eta: oh wait you mean Shadow King's body don't you. My mistake, that would make sense

It seems a bit odd that "Lenny" would ask David's sister about that, since I'd assume that the Shadow King's body would have been taken care over before David was sent to his foster family, unless Lenny was really talking to herself there and not expecting an answer.

[HexMachina]

53 minutes ago, williamjm said:

It seems a bit odd that "Lenny" would ask David's sister about that, since I'd assume that the Shadow King's body would have been taken care over before David was sent to his foster family, unless Lenny was really talking to herself there and not expecting an answer.

I think "what did he do with it?" Was Shadow King talking to himself. He wanted Amy to recall that night and what she had seen of X, I think

[Astromech]

Could the "he" the Shadow King was referring to have been the psychiatrist from the Clockworks she was locked away with in D3?

[PetyrPunkinhead]

I binged the first seven episodes this weekend and wow! I mean, talk about a fucking terrific show. I binged Iron Fist the week prior and LEGION is just the complete opposite in every possible way--and that's such a good thing. Aubrey Plaza and Dan Stevens are phenomenal. As is the whole cast, really. This show is what I've wanted the X-Men to be like in live action since the first Bryan Singer film nearly 20 years ago. I'm so glad Noah Hawley got ahold of the X-Men franchise with this show. In fact, the only real complaint I have is that it's NOT the real X-Men and in a different dimension/reality.

[Mexal]

I've been thinking about this more and more and I don't think Legion would be half as good if not for Aubrey Plaza. From episode 4 onwards, she's carried the show at times. What inspired casting.

[red snow]

47 minutes ago, Mexal said:

I've been thinking about this more and more and I don't think Legion would be half as good if not for Aubrey Plaza. From episode 4 onwards, she's carried the show at times. What inspired casting.

I thought that from the start but appreciation seems to depend on how familiar you are with her work. A few detractors say it's the same old routine with her. I've only seen her from Harmon Quest so have found her performance electric. She jumps out at the screen which really works for the character she's playing - especially when she's imaginary in a world she essentially controls.

The fun thing I read was that the character was originally male. When Plaza got the part they considered changing the dialogue but they decided it was more effective keeping it as is which works really well with the sleazy comments the character makes.

Like I said upthread it's a "joker" like performance in that the character is completely off-kilter yet fascinating to watch.

[Channel4s-JonSnow]

54 minutes ago, Mexal said:

I've been thinking about this more and more and I don't think Legion would be half as good if not for Aubrey Plaza. From episode 4 onwards, she's carried the show at times. What inspired casting.

Absolutely hated her at first, because she just didn't seem to fit in with the show, and her 'act' was so 'drama school crazy person'. 

The later episodes have brought it all together a bit more now and the art direction and tone of the show matches her performance a lot more. I'm still not totally convinced on her,  I found her Parks and Rec act got old very quickly in that show and I don't think I'll ever love her stuff.

[Mexal]

12 minutes ago, Channel4s-JonSnow said:

Absolutely hated her at first, because she just didn't seem to fit in with the show, and her 'act' was so 'drama school crazy person'. 

The later episodes have brought it all together a bit more now and the art direction and tone of the show matches her performance a lot more. I'm still not totally convinced on her,  I found her Parks and Rec act got old very quickly in that show and I don't think I'll ever love her stuff.

You're not convinced of what? 

17 minutes ago, red snow said:

I thought that from the start but appreciation seems to depend on how familiar you are with her work. A few detractors say it's the same old routine with her. I've only seen her from Harmon Quest so have found her performance electric. She jumps out at the screen which really works for the character she's playing - especially when she's imaginary in a world she essentially controls.

The fun thing I read was that the character was originally male. When Plaza got the part they considered changing the dialogue but they decided it was more effective keeping it as is which works really well with the sleazy comments the character makes.

Like I said upthread it's a "joker" like performance in that the character is completely off-kilter yet fascinating to watch.

It was the same old routine with her. She was typecast a lot as the emotionally dead character with a monotone and dry delivery. There is nothing similar with her previous performances and this.

[Channel4s-JonSnow]

1 minute ago, Mexal said:

You're not convinced of what? 

That shes actually any good. I've liked bits and pieces of her performance, but often she's hamming it up so badly I can't look past it. Her dance number was really great, and there are occasional flashes of brilliance. But often I'm left thinking she's just over doing it, and being crazy and threatening in the most obvious expected fashion.

[Mexal]

2 minutes ago, Channel4s-JonSnow said:

That shes actually any good. I've liked bits and pieces of her performance, but often she's hamming it up so badly I can't look past it. Her dance number was really great, and there are occasional flashes of brilliance. But often I'm left thinking she's just over doing it, and being crazy and threatening in the most obvious expected fashion.

Gotcha. I completely disagree with this. I don't think anything she is doing is obvious and I think she makes a compelling, scene stealing villain that allows the show to be inventive in how it tells its story.