Jeri Jacquin
Coming to Bluray from creator Noah Hawley from the Marvel
Comics and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment comes an intense series on the search for what is truly real when part
of the LEGION.
David Haller (Dan Stevens) has had problems most of his
life. Hearing things and feeling out of control has landed him in the
psychiatric ward. The problem is, Haller also has psychic abilities yet no one
believes him. Haller also has a friend in another patient Lenny (Aubrey Plaza)
and tries to help him stay together. Keeping him sane is when he falls for
another patient Sydney Barrett (Rachel Keller). The difficulty in their
relationship is that Sydney
doesn't like to be touched. When it does happen, she has the ability to change
places with that person.
When Sydney
is discharged from the hospital, Haller kisses her and that's when things get
even more out of control. The minds of Haller and Sydney change places and no
one believes them. That becomes even more problematic when Syd can't control
Haller's reactions and hospital staff are hurt and his only recourse is to
escape. The switch between the two is only temporary and Haller wants Sydney back.
Going to his sister Amy (Katie Aselton) for help it actually
sets her up to be hurt by those who want Haller for themselves. Quickly enough
Ptonomy Wallace (Jeremie Harris) and Kerry Loudermilk (Amber Midthunder) help
Haller escape with the help of Melanie Bird (Jean Smart). He is taken to Summerland and discovers
there are more people who have abilities. Bird explains that Haller isn't ill
at all and that they need to go into his past to understand where he is now.
While in an MRI, he sees that the group called Division III has taken Amy and
his anger does something that shocks everyone at Summerland. Wanting to save
her, Amy tells him that he has to control his power first before he can help
anyone.
Working with Ptonomy on memories of a time when he did
drugs, Haller is still plagued by the figure called the World's Angriest Boy in
the World from a childhood book. Unable to control his powers again, Haller and
Sydney end up at Division III where he sees someone called the Eye (Mackenzie
Gray). Bird has to explain that his name is Walter who was one of the founders
of Summerland. Everything gets so out of control that Haller has to be sedated
enough so that Bird, Ptonomy and Sydney
can get a better look inside his head but he is too strong for them.
When Haller doesn't wake up, Bird has to find out what
happened to him before he ended up in the hospital and the only person that
might have a clue is his ex-girlfriend Philly. Ptonomy gets a chance to see
inside Philly's memory and learns that Haller attacked his previous therapist
named Poole. Haller is on a journey of his own
but Lenny comes to him to escape.
As Haller is dealing with problems in the astral plane, Cary believes that
Haller's brain has been infected by something he calls the gruesome Devil with
Yellow Eyes. The creature isn't at all done with Haller when it attacks Sydney but worst of all;
the entire group at Summerland is now at Clockworks with Lenny as their
caregiver!
Now under her control, Lenny takes on each of them and their
issues but it is Sydney
that notices something is different which costs her. Lenny isn't about to let any
of them get the upper hand, especially when she knows things about Haller and
has no problem demonstrating her control over his mind. Cary Loudermilk (Bill
Irwin) thinks they've had it all wrong and that it is actually the powerful
mutant Shadow King Amahl Farouk who is messing with Haller.
Haller believes that Farouk and his real father might have
had issues that led to an altercation and that was the reason he was put up for
adoption. Finding Haller as a kid, Farouk managed to place a device in his mind
which is what has caused all the havoc. Trying to get back to Summerland, the group is intercepted
by Division III!
In the finale, Haller manages to break free of Division III
but it should have been seen as all too easy. Clark (Hamish Linklater), his
interrogator, wants to get in on the action and goes with the soldiers to
Summerland. Haller believes that Clark is
their hostage but what they don't know is that Division III can see and hear
everything happening. It’s a chance for some serious body exchanging to happen,
Clark changes sides and Haller becomes doesn't
see something little coming his way.
Stevens as Haller is truly doing some serious acting! This
is a role that keeps the viewer guessing as to where Haller actually is in the
grand scheme of things. What is trippy about this whole thing is that I like
it! Stevens first caught my attention in the role of Matthew Crawley in the amazing series Downton Abbey followed by Sir Lancelot in NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:
SECRET OF THE TOMB and more recently the role of Charles Dickens in THE MAN WHO
INVENTED CHRISTMAS. The role of Haller is so complex and original that LEGION
is the perfect place for Stevens to just let loose and explore all the avenues.
Keller as Sydney
is a girl with her own set of powers that is equally as frightening as
Haller's. He learns quickly that touching her can transform and change their
situations. This also means that she is detached out of fear and can not allow
her emotions to get any deeper for Haller. Smart as Bird is a woman who
seemingly wants to help those with powers at Summerland. Jumping into the
memories of the group has her unraveling the mysteries and Haller is proving to
be her most difficult case.
Plaza as Lenny is just out and out creepy and I love it. You
can never tell from one appearance to the next whether she is going to be on
Haller's side or just messing with his memories. Aselton as Amy thought Haller
was just dealing with serious mental issues, imagine her surprise to discover
that those mental issues were nothing like she was raised to believe.
Harris and Midthunder still have their roles to play knowing
that there are mysteries about Haller that are going to take digging and it
seems it is harder than they have ever explored before. Gray as the Eye is another
character that creeped me out because I was never quite sure what he was up to
or what is place was in it all. Linklater still has a part to play but will it
be for the good of those in Summerland? We shall see, we shall definitely see.
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment brings
award-winning global product and new entertainment to DVD, Bluray, and Digital
HD. There amazing collection offers fans an opportunity to expand their own
home libraries with the best films. To discover what other titles they have
please visit
www.fox.com.
The Bluray includes the Special Features of Fractured Reality: A Different Kind of Hero,
Uncanny Romance, Production Design, Powers, Make-Up (Making The Devil with the
Yellow Eyes), Visual Effects, Costume Design, Locations and Deleted Scenes. Also included in the
2-disc Set are Episodes Chapters One
Through Eight.
LEGION has definitely been on the radar with nominations for
awards and wins like TVLine's Performer of the Week going to Aubrey Plaza, Best
Sound Editing given by the Golden Trailer Awards, and tied for Runner Up for
Best Action Series by the IGN's Best of 2017 Awards and the People's Choice for
Best New Series.
If you want to watch the most interesting and twisted trip
you'll every take, then LEGION is exactly the show you want to watch. From
twists and turns in the story line to singing and dancing trips, this series
isn't about to give you one little hint about the direction it plans to go.
I am going to be thrilled when Season Two begins but let's
be clear, I had to watch Season One of LEGION twice because there is so much to
take in I wanted to be prepared for what is to come. This is definitely a
series that needs to continue to think out of the box and go places no one
expects the story to go and don't ever put on the brakes!
In the end - there is no door to this rubber room!
