Legion S1E5 “Chapter 5”

*Spoilers Ahead*

As we hurtle into the second half of Legion’s first season, David begins to understand his powers just as the Devil in his mind unleashes itself on those around him.

The first half of this week’s episode finds David very confident in how far he’s grown in his abilities and it’s clear to all of us that he’s setting himself up for a mighty fall but I don’t know how many of us expected the fall to happen in the same episode.

David’s confidence leads him to create a space where he and Syd can finally touch one another in safety. The White Room, as Syd refers to it, becomes a safe haven for the both of them even if it leads into a foreboding red room where we find David conversing with Lenny.

Lenny’s whole persona shifted at the end of last week when we saw that glint of yellow in their eye and discovered just what they were up to. Lenny continues to torment David and even begins to torment the outside world as the Devil with Yellow Eyes gains more and more control of David.

Things take a grim turn when Melanie and the others arrive at the Division 3 facility where David’s sister was being held. They find what’s left of the many soliders there, some melded into the pavement, others with only limbs left, the other parts of them being disintegrated. Then, in perhaps to creepiest part of the episode, Melanie looks at the security camera footage and see Yellow Eyes attacking the guards in place of David.

While earlier in the show’s run I posited that Yellow Eyes was another persona of David’s this week the suggestion is made that it is another being entirely, one that has been living and feeding off of David’s fears since he was a child. Suddenly, all those Shadow King theories don’t seem as out there. While I still doubt that this is the work of the X-Men baddie, I do believe that Yellow Eyes is bad news and nothing proves that more than when Lenny meets with David’s sister.

Aubrey Plaza has done a tremendous job playing the fun-loving, slightly off-kilter, Lenny but this is a different layer entirely. Now, Lenny is sadistic, twisted and completely terrifying as they taunt David’s sister with the secret that David is adopted. It’s a secret that really doesn’t mean much to David in the moment but it’s something Lenny can use to build onto David’s fears.

The final act this week cuts out the audio for almost the entire time and it’s not only a fun trick, one that the characters are actually experiencing, but it is an amazing way of building tension that has yet to be utilized by the show. I’ve remarked before about this show’s way with making you fear what is coming next but this week takes it to new heights.

The lack of audio throughout most of the scene in David’s house builds a sense of foreboding the is only heighten by the glimpses of David we see and the knowledge that The Eye has followed them to the house. Yet, it isn’t in the house itself where all that tension comes to a head, it’s in David’s mind, in the White Room, in that safe haven that David built for Syd. The Devil with Yellow Eyes appears and stalks Syd through the room and things look grim but it’s only an illusion, unlike the Eye who is real and who is ready to open fire on everyone in the room.

Before anything more can happen though David finds himself and everyone in the room with him at the time, back in Clockworks. The last safe place David has and given that Lenny is there doling out therapy it doesn’t look to be safe for much longer.

Bits ‘n Pieces

  • My apologies for not getting a review up last week, it’s a shame too as “Chapter 4” was incredible.
  • I don’t think I’ll ever be able to look at “The Rainbow Connection” the same way now, thanks Legion.
  • ”I’m the magic man.”

Jesse Swanson is a would-be writer, podcaster and funny guy who covers TV shows of all shapes and sizes. You can find him on Twitter @JesseSwanson