Legion

:

Season 1
  • Network: FX
  • Series Premiere Date: Feb 8, 2017
Season #: 3, 2, 1
User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 578 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 495 out of 578
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 578
  3. Negative: 48 out of 578
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User Reviews

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  1. EludiumQ36
    Feb 10, 2017
    3
    This is a real person's review. All those 10s are incestuously review-promoting network shills. "Legion" starts as a study in mental illness and like time travel tropes, it's very confusing. This doesn't make for good tv or even basic storytelling. Because it's steeped in mental illness - paranoid schitz - the plot/storyline is VERY confusing. You're never sure what's reality and what'sThis is a real person's review. All those 10s are incestuously review-promoting network shills. "Legion" starts as a study in mental illness and like time travel tropes, it's very confusing. This doesn't make for good tv or even basic storytelling. Because it's steeped in mental illness - paranoid schitz - the plot/storyline is VERY confusing. You're never sure what's reality and what's fantasy, again, not good tv. You cannot be someone's favorite show when you confuse them at every turn. On the plus side, the visuals are stunning at times, but that's supposed to be "icing on the cake" but when the cake is made of mud then even the icing loses its appeal. And it doesn't help at all that the premiere episode was the length of a feature film at 90-mins! "Hey, everyone, let's get mind-twisted for almost 2 hrs!" The closing scene was straight out of "Sucker Punch" so while I found that familiar it just confirmed how bat sxit crazy "Legion" really is. Look, I'm a mainstream tv viewer, and if "Legion" doesn't make more sense by E02 then it'll sadly be a one and done series.… Expand
  2. NeoMod
    Mar 16, 2017
    3
    One can not deny the originality of the narration, but truth to be told this is the only speckle of light this show has to offer.
    The script is tragically fragmented, distorted and bent to the point where one seriously starts doubting if it has been written indeed under the influence of psychotropic substances.
    Whether or not this may be considered a “typical mark” for the show, abusing    One can not deny the originality of the narration, but truth to be told this is the only speckle of light this show has to offer.
    The script is tragically fragmented, distorted and bent to the point where one seriously starts doubting if it has been written indeed under the influence of psychotropic substances.
    Whether or not this may be considered a “typical mark” for the show, abusing this type of construct only lead to an overall sense of “dizziness” and dislike that overgrow the spectator after a few episodes.
    Characters could have been better portrayed and explored, but instead the overall approach - terribly resembling the one used for advertising psychiatric treatments in the 50’s - renders each character a mere mocking version of itself, trapped inside a story that is merely a “loop”.
    A loop in which the viewer is caught for a while, expecting at first and then desperately hoping in the end for a “gran finale” that could somehow justify the endless loop he is been watching: but this cathartic moment never arrives, and after six episodes of “nonsense” merely describing the hallucinations of a schizophrenic patient it is too late to save the whole story.
    The script stretches from a single idea, not even completely original, and then develops on a single plane exploring the mental illness of a group of patients with some of the most known – for the public – psychiatric pathologies. On this background, we can assist at sporadic “active” events when the show seems to find again a plot aside from the loop and the narration seems to be proceed.
    But in the end, nothing moves forward: each and every thread “loop back” to the initial contest of the story and the whole narration quickly becomes boring and futile.
    Some of the actors made an incredible effort to portrait the assigned character, but they all sadly appear to be “left alone”, without direction and with a script who has only one page: the beginning, inside a mental hospital.
    Photography follows closely this hackneyed and prosy script, conforming to all sorts of stereotypes already used (both on big and small screen) for describing psychiatric institutions between 1950 and 1960 with the sole exception of some horror influence.
    The horror sequences are by far the better part of this show: sadly, they were probably intended as “minor sequences” intended to strengthen the hype of the entire story but ended up being the sole interesting parts.
    “Legion” is a TV Show who can – and will be – appreciated only by the lovers of psycho-dramas tainted with a little bit of horror and wrapped with a thin veil of pseudo action.    … Expand
  3. SwarleyStinson
    Feb 17, 2017
    3
    OMG how did they manage to make X-Men so feckin boring? The show basically has no actual plot, it just wants to be psychedelic and confusing the whole time. Nothing actually happens, it's just painfully dull.
  4. JadeRegent
    Mar 4, 2017
    3
    Legion is a show that tries incredibly hard to be so different from other hero shows that it forgets unique does not mean interesting. The show goes from sort of interesting to incredibly dull as we're constantly left to guess about what's actually happening. One of the conversations between Ptonomy and Syd as they investigate the mystery of David's mysteriously missing memories I thinkLegion is a show that tries incredibly hard to be so different from other hero shows that it forgets unique does not mean interesting. The show goes from sort of interesting to incredibly dull as we're constantly left to guess about what's actually happening. One of the conversations between Ptonomy and Syd as they investigate the mystery of David's mysteriously missing memories I think sums up my problems with the plot. "Could we still be in David's mind? No. How do you know? ....I mean I'm pretty sure..." Essentially with this show we have no idea if what we're really watching is actually meaningful or whether it's just another dream or projection or simulation or whatever other plot device they've used so far. Some people like this but personally I feel that it cheapens the whole production, sort of like using the whole "It was all just a dream" ending but literally all the time.

    As a side note, I'm not sure if they blew their whole budget on the pilot but the episodes feel as though they've been getting progressively more dreary and drab. The first episode was full of bright and vibrant color but now most of what we're seeing is a lot more dark and subdued.    … Expand
  5. ozymandias79
    Jun 3, 2017
    2
    Apparently you only need to say mutant in a TV series and it automatically gets a 10. Legion is repetitive and boring. Almost nothing has happened in 5 episodes. Apart from the lead, there's minimal character development, leading to very dull characters. I think the quirkiness is supposed to make Legion interesting, but it doesn't, it makes it stupid.
  6. gxm143
    Mar 29, 2017
    1
    God awful. Don't be fooled by the artsy critics. I like plenty of critically acclaimed TV - The Wire, Mad Men, The Americans - that may not attract a wide audience. My wife and I sat through 5 episodes waiting for this show to leave the mental asylum and dream sequences, but no luck. My wife often likes syfy series that I pass on, and she hated it. Other than some impressive specialGod awful. Don't be fooled by the artsy critics. I like plenty of critically acclaimed TV - The Wire, Mad Men, The Americans - that may not attract a wide audience. My wife and I sat through 5 episodes waiting for this show to leave the mental asylum and dream sequences, but no luck. My wife often likes syfy series that I pass on, and she hated it. Other than some impressive special effects, Legion was easily the worst TV show I have seen in some time. IMO, unwatchable.… Expand
  7. wantedtolikebut
    Mar 13, 2017
    3
    Most appear to be gushing about this show so I tried again. And again. In the three episodes I watched I found the same pretentious tone throughout. I found overwrought acting, uneven direction, sophomoric writing, and all about as subtle as a train wreck. Everything's so on-the-nose. It's so full of itself. Not smart. Not funny. Not visionary. It's a mess. It's pretty, I'll give it that.Most appear to be gushing about this show so I tried again. And again. In the three episodes I watched I found the same pretentious tone throughout. I found overwrought acting, uneven direction, sophomoric writing, and all about as subtle as a train wreck. Everything's so on-the-nose. It's so full of itself. Not smart. Not funny. Not visionary. It's a mess. It's pretty, I'll give it that. But there's a far prettier show on the same network called "Taboo." That's the show I'll stick with; it has a core of something much more authentic. "Legion" has the heart of a rock video.… Expand
  8. GodOne
    Mar 7, 2017
    0
    Unwatchable. i thought only the pilot was about the schizofrenia of the main character . delirium, contentious flashbacks, a nonsense story. Ok it's was only the pilot? no the same problem for the second the same and the third and...
  9. OlivierPiel
    Feb 17, 2017
    2
    a very entertaining and well directed Ep01 up to the final and grotesque fighting scene, where (as usual) SEAL snipers literally can't hit a grandmother walking slowly across a forest area. Ep02 is such a disappointment because the typical and excruciatingly boring superhero tropes reemerge amid a very thin plot. That and the terrible acting of the lead character and the one-dimensionala very entertaining and well directed Ep01 up to the final and grotesque fighting scene, where (as usual) SEAL snipers literally can't hit a grandmother walking slowly across a forest area. Ep02 is such a disappointment because the typical and excruciatingly boring superhero tropes reemerge amid a very thin plot. That and the terrible acting of the lead character and the one-dimensional Aubrey-Look I'm kuku-Plaza...I stopped watching 2 minutes in.
    Bye.... sadly    … Expand
  10. jatinmamoria
    Apr 18, 2017
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great Show. Worth giving it a shot. But you need to deal with few confusing plot holes. One I feel unanswered is:
    At the end of the season, David’s evil mutant entity left him to house itself in Oliver Bird. But what next?    … Expand
  11. computurn
    May 13, 2018
    3
    The first season of Legion was, I thought, pretty good. The second season is dreadfully boring. Be prepared to suffer through several episodes with minimum dialogue or action. It is as if the writer is trying to convince us how clever he is. Please, writer, pick up the pace!
  12. Dermorat
    May 16, 2018
    0
    While the show is one of the most uniquely bizarre that I have ever seen, I must say that season 2 is simply too complex for me to enjoy. I find myself struggling to follow its surreal and disconnected story line. The characters, while often wildly emotional, are ultimately emotionally flat. Their outbursts serve no dramatic purpose. It feels like I'm peeking into the minds of a group ofWhile the show is one of the most uniquely bizarre that I have ever seen, I must say that season 2 is simply too complex for me to enjoy. I find myself struggling to follow its surreal and disconnected story line. The characters, while often wildly emotional, are ultimately emotionally flat. Their outbursts serve no dramatic purpose. It feels like I'm peeking into the minds of a group of raging schizophrenics. I keep wondering, what's the point?… Expand
  13. joaofarinha
    Jun 7, 2018
    2
    I just created an account to comment this.
    I really don't get how this show has such a high rating...
    I barely endured through the first episode (couldn't finish...) So, apart from visuals, like everyone says, it's cringingly awful. Oh my god the dialogues... for the love of god! That was the worst, so painful. Who writes something like this in this day and age!? All the characters    I just created an account to comment this.
    I really don't get how this show has such a high rating...
    I barely endured through the first episode (couldn't finish...)

    So, apart from visuals, like everyone says, it's cringingly awful.
    Oh my god the dialogues... for the love of god! That was the worst, so painful. Who writes something like this in this day and age!?
    All the characters are way too cliché, even for a "superhero" show.

    There's nothing here, I'm sorry. I'm giving it a 2 because of the visuals.    … Expand
  14. usuallee
    May 15, 2019
    1
    Love Dan Stevens. Show looked GREAT. But man I got bogged down around episode 6. Legion is stuck in its own head...literally! It goes into the characters head which is in the character's head which is in the character's head....Oh. My. Gawd. Just stop. Show lost all forward momentum as it got bogged down in psycho-babble minutia. Convoluted would be an understatement. Huge disappointment.

Awards & Rankings

24
#24 Best TV Season of 2017
10
#10 Most Discussed TV Season of 2017
21
#21 Most Shared TV Season of 2017

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Universal acclaim - based on 40 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 40
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 40
  3. Negative: 0 out of 40
  1. Newark Star-Ledger
    Reviewed by: Vicki Hyman
    Feb 9, 2017
    100
    [Legion is] produced like a cerebral art house version of a superhero series, thrumming with precision and emotion where the genre usually calls for shock and awe, and assembled with an entrancing period aesthetic (it seems to be set in the early 1970s, but that could just be a side-effect of David's fragile mental state) and stunning, occasionally horrifying visual effects.
    Read full review
  2. Slate
    Reviewed by: Sam Adams
    Feb 8, 2017
    60
    It’s handsomely shot, and smartly acted, and ingeniously constructed enough to suggest there’s something mind-blowing lurking at its center. But as Hawley pushes from jazzed-up origin story to psychodrama, it starts to feel like a show with a Rubik’s cube where its heart should be.
    Read full review
  3. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Meredith Blake
    Feb 8, 2017
    70
    A disorienting labyrinth of a show that's as seductive and visually arresting as it is frustrating.
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