Ty Thinks He Just Watched the Season 2 Premier of "Legion"
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Brillant Television. I have No idea what is going on.
Last night my wife and I sat down and watched the season 2 premiere of "Legion". I have been looking forward to this since the first season ended over a year ago. I loved the first season of this show. I've said and written as much multiple times. It was like no other show that I have ever watched on TV. FX is doing some great, new and innovative things with TV, and "Legion" is right at the front of that charge.
So, as we tuned in, I was very excited and intrigued. Now, I very much liked the season 2 premiere. The show is still as stylish and cool and different from anything else out there right now. I love the actors on the show. To see where they are now, 1 year after the first season finale, was a very good idea. To see David, the main character, think it has only been a day, was very cool. Seeing Aubrey Plaza and Jermaine Clement together, just how the first season ended, made me very happy. There were some very cool scenes in this premiere. The dance sequence, while bizarre, I found it very entertaining. I needed to say all this before I got into the meat of my piece today. I need people to know that I really enjoyed what I watched, that I will continue to watch, and that I will continue to be amazed by what I'm seeing. That needs to be known.
Now, what I have to say, which is most important to me, I have absolutely no idea what is going on on that show. I was intrigued and I was giving the show my full attention, but I was thoroughly confused at the end. I will give them credit, the writers did set up a lot of things, and they even explained some things that were confusing from last season and from the season 2 premiere. But, this 1 hour plus episode was one of the most confusing things that I have ever witnessed. I think that was supposed to be on purpose, but still, it was confounding. I assume, or I should say hope, that they will explain some of these things, they did that throughout the first season. But still, my wife and I were dumbfounded. We sat in our living room in silence for a good 10 minutes after watching the show. We then tried to give each other our own theories, and neither of us could put much together. My wife was even more confused than I was, and she is much, much smarter than me.
I realize Legion the character is a very niche subject as far as comic book stuff goes, but man did this premiere go in some odd directions. There was a ton of effects used in Tuesday night's episode, and at times, it made me a little dizzy. I even said at one point, the camera needs to stop moving for a minute. They also packed in multiple story lines in this episode, and at times, it felt like almost too much. I felt like they could have taken a couple of the stories they used from the premiere, and spread them out over the season. I liked the use of a narrator, but some of the stuff he narrated felt like it didn't have to be in this episode. I thought the whole thing with the baby chick and the shadow king was cool. But, the thing with the butterfly and the Asian guy felt tacked on. I mentioned the dance sequence earlier, and while I said enjoyed it, and I very much did, it seemed like Jermaine Clement, Dan Stevens and Aubrey Plaza just wanted to do something like this, and the writers and directors said okay. And the stuff with the guy wearing a wicker basket on his head and the ladies with mustaches that talked like robots was so god damn weird. I know, at least I assume, they will play a bigger role as the season goes on, and this was a fine way to introduce these new characters, but it was so god damn strange. I'd say, almost needlessly strange.
I know it seems like I am ripping the premiere, but I promise I am not. I am a fan of this show through and through, but sometimes I feel like they want to be weird just for the sake of being weird. And no, this has nothing to do with me revisiting trashy reality shows that I used to love. My brain has not melted because I have been watching "I Love Money" and watched all of "Flavor of Love". I watch those because it is like candy. It is a fun way to escape. I watch a show like "Legion" because I like to be challenged. I'm still poring over the premiere today, and that makes me happy. I'm very excited to see where they go from here. The show looks like it is going to take big time chances this year. But, I was just so confused by the premiere.
As I stated at the top, and many other times throughout this piece, I enjoyed it, but I wish it wasn't so dense. I want them to ease us into the story. Noah Hawley does a great job of that on "Fargo". But, I feel like with "Legion", he takes way more chances, most of which hit, but I feel like the premiere should have been a bit easier to digest. I love this show, I was just very confused by Tuesday night's premiere. No matter what though, "Legion" is an amazing show and everyone should watch it. Just be prepared to be challenged and confused.
Ty
Ty
Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. He has not been this confused by a show since the "Saved By the Bell" episode with the Zack Attack. I mean why in the hell would "Friends Forever" be a popular song. That makes no damn sense.
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