Legion Went Full Horror Movie in its Most Reality-Bending Episode Yet – Geek

Legion has changed genres so many times over the course of its short first season. Its been a superhero action show, a romantic drama, a mystery and a surreal work of art. After last night, we can add psychological horror to that list. After Davids return from the astral plane last week, he seems much more in control of his powers. His new confidence is unsettling right away. Its such an abrupt turn that we know Lenny/The Devil with Yellow Eyes has something to do with it.

Syd is unwilling to notice the change right away, as David uses his powers to give her something shes always wanted: A place inside their minds where she can be touched without consequence. For a woman who, we learn, once surreptitiously switched places with her mother to experience sex, thats a big deal. Melanie tries to convince Syd to help her get through to David. Syd reminds her that shes not part of Davids therapy. Hes her man.

The episode really gets going when Lenny convinces David to go after Amy himself. Now its clear whos calling the shots in Davids mind. Cary, now reunited with and taking on the injuries of Kerry, studies the scans he took of Davids brain and figures out whats going on. There is a psychic parasite living in Davids mind.David wasnt blocking Ptonomy and crew during memory work. It was the parasite hiding its existence.

Jean Smart as Melanie Bird (Photo via FX)

Instead of following David, the episode shows Syd, Melanie, Ptonomy and Rudy following Davids trail. What they find is pretty disturbing. David has torn through the Division 3 guards, dismembering some and trapping others in the concrete.We get to see what happened through security monitors they find at the facility. David walks through the halls, excitedly killing every guard who gets in his way. When he crosses into the night-vision cameras feed, his appearance changes. No longer is it David walking through the halls, but the Devil with Yellow Eyes.

Throughout the episode, theres a question of whether or not the group is in the real world or in a projection of Davids. That line is blurred even furtherthe closer they get to David and the now-rescued Amy. After Cary contacts the group and tells them about the parasite in Davids brain, Sydney is suddenly inside a projection where David is playing banjo and singing an unsettling, emotional rendition of The Rainbow Connection. Syd looks around, closes the door on that creepy Angriest Boy and realizes that David has taken his sister to his childhood home.

Dan Stevens as David Haller, Katie Aselton as Amy Haller (Photo via FX)

This is where things get really creepy. At their old house, David demands to know Amys secret. Lenny comes out of the mirror to torment Amy a bit. She reveals that she was Davids imaginary childhood dog King, Benny, Lenny and the Angriest Boy. David appears to be paralyzed while all this is going on. Amy finally admits that David was adopted. His family never told him for fear of making (what they perceived as) his illness worse. So now we know Davids adopted. Is this the show paving the way for his father to be revealed as Professor X? Its looking likely.

Asthe Summerland team approaches Davids childhood home, all sound disappears. They cant speak to each other or make any noise. Cary shows up with a device that will paralyze the Devil, allowing them to speak with David freely. That will be a harder task than it sounds. The Eye, disguised as Rudy, is right behind them. Syd meanwhile has followed the Angriest Boy upstairs to find David and Amy unresponsive. Shes ambushed by Lenny, whos angry at the Summerland people for putting ideas in Davids head. The sound design is spectacular in this scene, as Lennys distorted, old-radio-sounding voice slowly fills out and grows demonic.

The rest of the Summerland team bursts into the room and Lenny disappears. The Eye, as Rudy, jumps into the room and fires a gun at David. Syd moves quickly and takes David to the astral plane, but that turns out to be a mistake. The Devil with Yellow Eyes has full control over Davids mind now. It appears in the room and chases Syd down, in the most terrifying scene this show has had yet. Just as its about to attack her, David screams, and everyone is suddenly back at Clockworks. David, Syd, Melanie, Ptomeny, Cary, Kerry and The Eye all sit around a group therapy circle. Lenny is their doctor.

Aubrey Plaza as Lenny Cornflakes Busker. (Photo via FX)

Legion has consistently raised the bar with every episode the past few weeks. Chapter 5 had all the surreal, artistic visuals weve come to expect from the show, but the sound design really stood out. From the entire silent sequence to the methodical ping pong sounds that played over the end credits. It was the perfect unsettling ending to a truly scary episode. The Devil with Yellow Eyes and the Angriest Boy have always been creepy, but now weve seen them in their full nightmare-inducing glory. This is one of the many things that makesLegion so great. It can switch genres at any moment, and it does each one better than most other shows accomplish with one. Its not over either. Now, the team is trapped in a psychic construction of a mental hospital run by the Lenny/Devil with Yellow Eyes. Is it next Wednesday yet?

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Legion Went Full Horror Movie in its Most Reality-Bending Episode Yet - Geek