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Legion: Chapter 11

Review by An Honest Fangirl

"Keep your eyes out for a cow."
"Cow?"

Yes, Cary. A cow. I don't understand it either.

So, I know that we had some kind of forward momentum this episode and that we got some more information, but it still feels like not a lot happened. The hour ended and my initial reaction was "That's it?"

So let's recap. One of the most important things that happened is that the last Monk of Mi-Go is dead. I was genuinely not expecting that. He was very weird and very creepy, but killing him was probably a good move. He would have gotten tiring if they continued to stretch him out over the course of the season.

What exactly was Miser Sunday? When it was referenced as the thing that killed off all the monks, I assumed that it was a person. But we saw all the monks dying, or, flashes of it, at least. Was it the constant booming that drove them insane? That wouldn't explain why the valley became a desert, unless we're dealing with non-aging monks. Or why the last remaining Monk spread the teeth-chattering disease.

When Farouk said that he wasn't the cause of it, I had naturally assumed that he was lying. But that wasn't the case. It was the Monk, someone who I had assumed would be a Good Guy who was doing it, who was completely cold and unfeeling towards the idea of people getting hurt. He wasn't a hero or a good guy. Not in the traditional sense. But I did get a "needs of the many outweighs the needs of the few" sense from him. Why care about some people when Farouk will kill everyone when he's reunited with his body?

Except Farouk doesn't want that. According to him, he wants women, money, and power. I fact-checked the origin of "villain:" Farouk was right. It does come from a Latin word synonymous to "villager." And Farouk is certainly not a villager. He's a king, and he wants to rule. King seems like a step down from his claims of godhood last episode, but I suppose there is a tradition of god-kings. Just look at the Pharaohs, among other civilizations.

I'm not sure what to make of Farouk's recounting his confrontation with David's father. He told a very compelling story. Does it matter that David's father was a white man? That he came into a culture and a language that he wasn't native to and made an ethical judgement? In most situations, yes. It does matter. A lot. There's a whole history of colonization and the "white man's burden" that points to that. But, and this is important, there are still some ethical and moral atrocities that cross cultural lines, at least in my opinion. We only have Farouk's word that he was a good king. What if he wasn't? What if Farouk was a terrible king who committed horrors? Did David's father still have the right to go in and kill him?

I don't have an answer to this, but I like the questions that Legion is making me think about. It's a muddying of the waters. Are the expected Good Guys really good? Are the expected villains really all that villainous? Or is it a matter of perspective? Farouk has obviously done some terrible things. He's killed people, he's treating Lenny like a pet, he's been a parasitic force in David's life since he was a baby. But maybe things aren't so black and white.

Sometimes, it feels like shows read my reviews and give me exactly what I want. I said that we haven't really seen a lot of Ptonomy, and what happens? We get more Ptonomy! His maze was a lot more interesting to me than Melanie's, whose went on for a bit too long for my tastes. It made so much sense that he would want to forget something.

Melanie's wish to be omnipotent also made sense, although I'm not sure why it took the form of an old-fashioned text adventure. Or why there was a minotaur. Who or what is the threat that Melanie/the players of her game must always move from? The Shadow King? Some kind of vague, metaphysical threat that's just always looming? Does it really matter? I'm hoping that this marks a shift for Melanie away from the drugged out haze that she's been in and towards the self that she was last season.

What is going on with Cary and Kerry? Kerry's learning how to eat was a light, humorous note, but it was also quite sad. Some things, like eating, are just so intrinsically tied to being alive, to being a fully functional individual. Kerry doesn't really have that skill. She's missing this core experience, and now she might not have Cary to help guide her.

Cary faded away. I do not like that Cary faded away. Why did he fade away? It didn't look like he entered Kerry's body. I hope that he hasn't disappeared or anything else that could be permanent. I really like him, and I don't want to see what emotional state Kerry will be in if she wakes up without Cary being there. Also, did Kerry still have her white streak? I didn't notice it in her hair.

I think the only thing left is the brief flashes that we got from the future. Hurry. That's what Future Syd told David. Hurry. I presume that means to hurry and find Farouk's body. We apparently got less than ten days until David bashes Farouk's head in. Farouk did bring up an interesting point, though. If David does what Future Syd tells him, he is essentially killing her. Is it still murder if you're stopping someone from ever existing in the first place? The question does seem to poke a hole in my "Future Syd is a delusion" theory. Why give serious consideration to it if she isn't even real in the first place?

Random Thoughts

There was a cow?

Did David call Ptonomy "Paul?"

Have I mentioned yet how weird it is that Division Three uses child soldiers?

Syd's cat is such a beautiful cat. Every time I see it, I want to go "Ooh! Pretty kitty."

Creepy Ink Bird of Delusion! This time, it was in Ptonomy's ear. Was the maze his delusion? Or is there something more to that?

I like David's ET-esque finger.

I'm not sure what to say about the opening monologue about contagion and our minds making real things that don't exist. It just casts more doubt over what's real and what's not on this show.

Quotes:

Syd: Did I look the same?
David: Not quite.
Syd: Am I prettier now or then?
David: I feel like that's a trick question.

Lenny: I'm Lenny! She of the great escape! Says every girl I've ever banged.

Farouk: For decades I rule over my country. I'm a good king. Strong, but just. My people, they prosper. And then your father, a white man, which is, you tell me, important? He comes. Does he speak our language? Does he know our customs? And he decides what? That my people should have better. That he knows better. Who is he to make such choices?


I'm excited to delve into Syd's head next week. That should be a fun time.
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An Honest Fangirl loves superheroes, science fiction, fantasy, and really bad horror movies. 

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