Legion (TV Series) Chapter 1 (2017) User Reviews

An entertaining puzzle, but will they be able to keep it up?

[TouchTheGarlicProduction · 10/10 · 9 February 2017]

After watching the pilot of Legion, I don't feel the need to see more. In fact, I almost don't want to. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, (I enjoyed it VERY MUCH), it's just that the ending left me fully satisfied. I also don't think that the rest of the series will be able to recapture the magic of this episode. After all, Noah Hawley can't direct every episode.

The thing that I loved so much about this episode is that it kept me guessing the whole time while also giving me answers the whole time. It's not uncommon for a show to be enticingly cryptic and hard to follow. But what I had never seen before this is a show that throws you answers nearly as quickly as the questions. I spent most of the episode frowning at the screen with a complete lack of understanding, and yet I knew that answers were just along the corner, along with mysteries even more tantalizing than the last. Only at the end did I truly understand it all. The catharsis that accompanied this final understanding was truly incredible. And yet it comes at a price; the show's true nature has been revealed. It has laid out all of its cards. There is no way that future episodes will be able to make me question everything in the way the pilot did, which makes me wonder; will the rest be any good? I feel like everything that made this episode so special was resolved by the end. What can they do to make future episodes as fresh and interesting as this one? I don't think that there is anything they can do, but we'll see.

One final note; the director, Noah Hawley, deserves major props for this episode. Without him, this would not be as special as it is. Also, Dan Stevens is fantastic as David Haller. His American accent is almost as good as Hugh Laurie's in house.

Ambitious with a certain style

[siegal-jonathan · 9/10 · 9 April 2018]

It's difficult for me to find flaw with a show like this. There's so much work put into the music, editing, composition, and writing. It is absolutely just nitpicking for me to say I'd much prefer a more realistic style of acting or characters, something more akin to Logan, but that's my personal taste and I don't think that should detract from the series. It seems to be much more of a comic book style from the first episode with cariacatures of people rather than something relatable, but that's fine. I'm looking forward to the next episode, and that's a bigger success than most television can do with the pilot of their creations.

how to make a good series pilot

[ayamisr · 9/10 · 9 February 2017]

First live action E-Men based TV series ever, an extremely powerful and interesting lead characters and a lot of good things to work with.yes I was already bumped for this one. now to the real talk, the human mind is a very weird and messy place for people who don't have super powers or mental and emotional issues or even jobs that require that more than an average level of creativity, in this episode we get a glimpse of the mind of possibly the most powerful mutant ever, and one of the most emotional unhealthy comic book characters ever, and I loved it, I still not quit sure how much of the episode actually happened and how much happened inside David's head but generally I am happy. I know it's way to early to say weather the show is gonna be a TV wonder or a complete disaster but as a nerd I am happy and hopeful.

No one expected that..

[akshatdave · 4 May 2017]

Our understanding of the world is unavoidably shaped by our limited perspective. Time and again, scientists tell us that our eyes are unreliable, that our memory is terrible, and we constantly reshape events and ideas to fit them into our preconceived notions of who we are and how the world works. In short, we make for rotten recording devices. Humans are like a camcorder with a mic that haphazardly cuts in and out and a lens continually distorting and even blotting out physical objects altogether, as though someone were digitally altering the film stock with the impetuous whimsy of a child. For a species that bases its claim to dominance on self-awareness and higher communication functions, we're remarkably shitty at both.

This episode starts in an asylum where David is held because of his suicidal tendencies. Th the voices, the constant lapses into memory, and the conversing with the dead, it's easy to see how he ended up in the care of a mental institution. As far as unreliable narrators go, David may take the cake. Between having enormous telepathy and telekinetic abilities and simultaneously being convinced that he's insane and unwell, David surely has developed personality issues. I'm worried for him, but also worried about whether we can trust what we're seeing through David's point of view.And then The optical bombardment continues throughout the proceedings;the chronology of the scenes, between the asylum and David's interrogation, the purposely retro-styled clothing, contrasted with the space mod interiors which make it all seem like this could be taking place in any era, it's all meant to keep the viewer as disoriented as David.some scenes were bizarre throughout the episode as the end approaches there are some action scenes that makes you want for more..

Overall-Legion is visually stunning, easily the best-looking superhero show ever made.Legion makes it hard to discern what's real and what's imagined. That's what makes it brilliant.There are many questions unanswered so we will see how this series progress..

The first series in a long time where the unexpected is expected!!!

[kamraheesh · 9/10 · 24 March 2017]

The last series that I watched so fresh was Broadchurch's first season. I mean wow what a pilot! Transitions were perfect acting was perfect and I can't comment on the story yet, just seen the first episode. But, with this solid beginning, I am sure this series is going to be great. For those who haven't watched it yet.

I would like to say if you are tired of predictable, daily series and want to see something that 'literally' makes you doubt every assumption you make of the story, this is it. Along with that story, the brilliance is in its cinematography.

What an Interesting Plot !!

[ahmad_nadal · 9/10 · 13 February 2017]

Just to be clear about it, all of us have wished a live-action t.v. show about X-men and here it comes finally. It's a show about David Haller, who was diagnosed as schizophrenic as a child, is he really ill ?! thats what we go through during this episode. The main character in this episode is definitely the director, he made us live what David had suffered, I was so annoyed and tired with the confusing music and the camera rounding but that what he meant to do exactly.

I have two problems with this episode, the first one is that it is too long with no much events, I thinks it would have been better if it was only 40-45 minutes. The second problem is that the visual effects at the last scene was terrible for me, it would have been much better, otherwise every thing was great.

My rating is 9/10

What a Beginning!

[lassegalsgaard-45284 · 10/10 · 11 February 2018]

So, if I ever had to choose my favorite superhero ever, I would say that it was Batman. However, I would definitely give the X-Men a very well-deserved second place. Throughout the years, those comicbooks have given me chills and have continued to come up with great new stories to tell. Chris Claremont and John Byrne are two of my favorite comicbook duos of all time, largely due to their amazing work with the X-Men characters. Those characters have also managed to make a huge impact on the big screen, having appeared in multiple great films under 20th Century Fox, as well as some that were not so good. And now, they are making their debut on the television screen with "Legion," based on David Haller, a character created by Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz. This character is not that well known to basic comicbook fans, not even with the fact that he is offspring of Prof. Charles Xavier himself. However, this show should definitely get some fans hooked to learn more, because this is one of the best premiere episodes to any show I have ever seen.

Noah Hawley is currently killing in on television with his hit series "Fargo" currently in development of its fourth season, so I always thought that the show would be different. I would have never imagined how different, and if this episode is any indication, this is going to be a show that will consistent of smart and surprising writing. The decision to start out in a mental hospital was a great idea, because it approaches the idea of being a mutant in a completely new way. Are these characters really in possession of new powers, or are they just crazy. That was such a smart move made by Hawley, and I comment him for doing something that wasn't conventional.

The show also has a very distinctive visual style. It is very trippy at times, and follows a nonlinear structure. I love the fact that Hawley decided to go with this element instead of making it a straightforward show. It enables "Legion" to stand out from all the other superhero shows on television right now, and there are a lot of them. It also created a smart narrative that constantly kept me guessing what was going to happen next, and I was always surprised and never able to predict the exact outcome.

The characters are really well-written, especially David Haller. It becomes very clear early on that he is not a functional human, as he believes himself to be very schizophrenic. That is a very interesting way to go when introducing the audience to David's powers, and by doing that, we go on a journey with David, because as he learns of his powers, so do we. It was portrayed so well in this premiere, that I even doubted that he actually had superpowers, and I know the character. That is what strong writing is able to do and Hawley proves that he knows the right direction to take his characters in. And Dan Stevens gives a great performance as Haller. He plays the character with a lot of nerve, and he is constantly panicking because he don't understand the situation. I thought he was beautifully played and visualized by Stevens.

The ending also does the job that every premiere should, which is set up the future and make the audience want me. For me, it worked. I am very excited to see where David's story goes next, and I think that we still have a lot of setup to go through before we reach the true meat of the season. This premiere gave a lot of questions, and I think the next episode will give us even more, if that is even remotely possible.

Marvel yes, but Superhero?

[kokkiekok75 · 8/10 · 9 February 2017]

Hmmm... OK: That was surprisingly different from what I was expecting!

For the most part, this 1st episode reminded me more of shows like "Fringe", or "Heroes", than any of the current Marvel/DC series. Apart from a couple of scenes at the very end, there's little in the way of action/violence, but a lot of substance in the way of building up of mostly the main character in in this 1st episode, helped by solid acting, cinematography, and, at certain moments more than other, the soundtrack. Yes, the main character might very well be the most powerful mutant on the planet, but he's far from being any kind of hero, like the main characters on any of those other shows... Going by what I saw in the last few scenes I could be wrong, but it seems unlikely this show will turn into one of those shows where they save a damsel in distress, the city, or planet earth every episode. Based on the 1st 45 minutes of this episode, it looks like this show has going to have quite a bit more depth to it. I sincerely hope this keeps up!

Trippy, Twisted, and Cerebral

[ThomasDrufke · 7/10 · 11 February 2017]

It's always very difficult to review the first episode of a series. TV shows are meant to be seen in its entirety, so I take issue with critics praising or detesting something when it's merely the first in many chapters of a story. So all I'll say for now is that Legion has me intrigued.

Written, directed, and created by Noah Hawley of Fargo fame, Legion is unlike any other comic book adaptation I have seen. It's a dark, twisted, cerebral, and sometimes frightening take on the unique mutant son of Charles Xavier, David Haller. Whether the show ever crosses over with the X-Men films or not is irrelevant, because Legion stands on its own in tone. Just by taking a glance at the way this show is shot you can tell that it is very separate from the way the X-Men films are approached. Although Haller shares some characteristics with his father, Legion is more along the lines of a psychological thriller than it is a superhero mystery.

The show deals a lot with the concept of reality and just how abstract Haller's mind can become. I'm not sure how well this can hold up for 8 episodes, but hopefully solving the mystery within Haller's brain will have the payoff worthy of all this time spent with the show. Hawley put together a solid cast which includes a great lead turn from Dan Stevens, and Fargo alums, Rachel Keller and Jean Smart. We only got a brief glimpse of the ladder, but I have a feeling she will likely hold the MacGuffin (or answers) for Haller and us as an audience.

Overall, Hawley has sold me on creepy imagery, psychological action, and one mysterious plot. I'll give the pilot a break because it has to set the tone properly, but let's hope for faster paced follow up episode.

+Stevens & rest of cast

+Hawley's direction

+Unique comic-book adaptation

-It is a bit slow

7.8/10.

It's a typical marvel fantasy thing, but with extra Psycho music. Time waster.

[feministofthemonth · 1/10 · 12 April 2018]

A lot of extra plots to keep you on suspense while their trying to figure out where the series will go. I've seen season one and season two episode one and two and it's just getting worse. I think they could have made this a two hour movie if they kept it real instead of going off-script all the time. Each episode could be a five to ten minute instead of fifty if they didn't fill it up with all this Psychedelic nonsense. I want my time back, or at least just stop the Psychedelic stuff you fill it with.

Over rated!

[umarpakbaz · 2/10 · 15 August 2018]

Last night I got the opportunity to watch the pilot and to be honest I didn't like it. It was too predictable despite I haven't read the comics. The acting was decent, the effects were good but the screenplay was miserable. I will definetly give it a try to couple of more episodes. Hopefully the screenplay will improve. 2 Stars for the Pilot.