Legion is back for Season 2 with ‘Chapter 9’

Season 2 / Episode 1 / FX “Welcome to madness.” And we’re back with another season of one of the wildest rides on television. Chapter 9 of Legion, like the rest Noah Hawley’s hybrid genre-f*** of a show, is a trip. The show is effective at weaving science fiction, adventure, creepy atmosphere, and mystery all together in a way that feels distinctive and sincere — something many shows can’t accomplish. “Chapter 9” opens with Lenny (Aubrey Plaza) aka Amahl Farouk aka The Shadow King sitting on a vivid yellow raft alongside Oliver Bird (Jemaine Clement). The Shadow King is attached to Oliver and they are sitting in a pool, in complimentary swimwear. They talk about time and what day it is, which prompts Lenny to start laughing. “Is something funny?” Oliver asks. Lenny responds, “We’re trapped.” She begins to laugh, perhaps manically, and Oliver joins in the laughter, perhaps sad. The camera zooms out and the two appear to be inside someone’s eye, then inside another someone’s eye who is Oliver again sitting at what appears to be a nightclub table. And the scene cuts away.

It’s a strange opening but one that is fitting for Legion. Like The Shadow King and Oliver, the other characters are trapped in a new situation. We, the audience, are trapped too, whisked along a complex timeline and through questionable realities, unsure of what will unfold. Reset We left Season 1 with David Haller captured in a mysterious metallic orb. Remember, David is the most powerful mutant their world …