A Look at Legion- Series Finale: “Chapter 27”

The end is the end is the end. Is it? Time for the series finale of Legion.

Chapter 27- This is the end- Legion, FX

The episode begins a title card telling us that This is the end. The beginning. What it means is not for us to know, but for history to decide. All we can do is play the parts as written, and all we can know is ourselves.

Chapter 27- Lessons in Time Travel, Chapter Zero- Legion, FX

We revisit David’s childhood, adolescence, and eventual growth into Dan Stevens. You know how this story all unfolds. But it’s time for one last Lesson in Time Travel: Chapter Zero. This time, narrated by David. Who we were does not dictate who we’ll be, but often, it’s a pretty good indication.

Chapter 27- David and Charles prepare for battle- Legion, FX

Then, David, who is still with Charles, pulls a fish out of his right ear. Time travel, David continues, doesn’t give you the opportunity to change yourself, but rather, to eradicate yourself and allow something to form in the wake of what once was. In this is a sort of grace, or madness. David digs into his ear again and this time pulls out a ball of light that he forms into a mace.

Charles’ choice of weapon, though, is a gun. When he digs into his own ear, he pulls out a glowing bullet that he inserts into his firearm.

Chapter 27- David tells Switch that it will all be over soon- Legion, FX

Switch stirs in her sleep as she calls out for Papa. She wants to stay up later, but David tells her that this will all be over soon, once he fixes all of this. With that, father and son head off for their battle. But back to the lesson: if we don’t believe in change, then we don’t believe in time.

Chapter 27- Farouk and Farouk- Legion, FX

David tells his father that he likes this- the two of them working together. They confront Farouk, and David is surprised to see Farouk of the present-day with his younger self. Present-day Farouk simply can’t quit David, nor would David apparently want him to anyway. Farouk is glad to see Charles again, but Charles acknowledges that Farouk deceived him.

Chapter 27- Charles hates that Farouk deceived him- Legion, FX

Charles came in good faith, but Farouk broke his boy. But past Farouk counters that David has always been broken. He says that David plays up the victim card and always blames others for his problems. David then teleports behind past Farouk and whacks him with the mace, causing the two to vanish. Our Farouk tells Charles that this makes them dance partners, but Charles just raises his gun and fires.

Chapter 27- Syd, Gabrielle, Cary, and Kerry try to escape the mansion- Legion, FX

Back at Charles’ and Gabrielle’s home, Syd and Gabrielle make their way downstairs with young David in tow. Syd finds Cary and Kerry frozen in place, but time soon unfreezes. There are far too many Time Demons- or as Gabrielle calls them, the ‘sickness’- coming, so everyone rushes outside.

Chapter 27- Cary tells Kerry about his plan to slow down the Time Demons- Legion, FX

Before they can do so, everyone ends up in a lower chamber instead. Don’t you hate when that happens. As Syd loads a shotgun, Kerry asks Cary for advice on what to do, and he finally comes up with a theory: the Time Demons consume time, right? So if someone was to have twice the temporal identity, then that person would be twice as difficult to consume, like a loaf of bread with two times as much yeast.

So they aren’t making bread, but Cary has an idea. It won’t stop the Time Demons, but it will at least confuse them.  He offers Kerry one last time for them to join forces and become one again. Watching this all unfold, Gabrielle calls these strange people ‘gods.’ If only.

Chapter 27- Kerry battles the Time Demons- Legion, FX

With Kerry as the dominant player, she takes out her blade and rushes towards the Time Demons. She’s successfully able to cut her way through the horde of Demons, while Syd opens fire on other Demons rushing down the stairs. She then tells David that whatever he’s doing, he has to do it faster.

Chapter 27- Farouk casually destroys David's personalities- Legion, FX

Past Farouk winds up in David’s mind, with David telling him from the shadows that Farouk is mistaken. While Farouk thinks that this is a one on one battle, David isn’t alone. He is Legion, and they all share one thing: they hate Farouk.

Chapter 27- David's personalities dogpile onto Farouk- Legion, FX

But one after another, as David’s personalities rush out to confront the Shadow King, Farouk dispatches of them with ease. Soon, Farouk finds himself outnumbered, so the horde of David soon piles on top of him.

Chapter 27- Farouk wants to have a drink with Charles- Legion, FX

As for our Farouk, he collapses onto the astral plane ground with the bullet inside of his abdomen, but instead of bleeding, he instead pulls out a bunch of red handkerchiefs. As Charles arms himself with a blade, Farouk expresses his disappointment: they can do anything they fantasize in this arena, and this is what Charles has created? Weapons of war? How upsetting. Farouk thought that Charles would be more imaginative.

So Farouk seizes the blade and instead presents two brews. How fun.

Chapter 27- Kerry slowly aging- Legion, FX

Kerry continues cutting her way through the Time Demons, but there’s a growing problem that she’s ignoring: she’s rapidly aging.

Chapter 27- David in a straitjacket- Legion, FX

Back in David’s mind, past Farouk finally forces all of the Davids off of him. David is thrown back and finds himself in a straitjacket. Farouk tells David that he’s failed. Under all that anger is a scared, small baby who was given away by his parents. A baby who is unloved and knows that he’s unloved. David again tells himself that he’s a good person and deserves love, but Farouk disagrees.

Chapter 27- David and Gabrielle sing Pink Floyd's 'Mother'- Legion, FX

David rages, but he soon calms down and starts singing Pink Floyd’s “Mother.” As David sings, we revisit Gabrielle watching over young David as a mother would. Then Gabrielle herself joins in, turning this into a duet. Mama’s gonna make all of his nightmares come true. She won’t let him fly, but she might let him sing. She’ll definitely keep him cozy and warm. Of course Mama will help build the wall.

Chapter 27- David's personalities run wild- Legion, FX

As Kerry continues to fight, all of David’s personalities roam wild in his mind, even trying to bring him down. But Mama will keep Baby healthy and clean. But Mother, did it need to be so high?

Chapter 27- David tells young Farouk that it's time to die- Legion, FX

As David watches his mother care for his younger self, he frees himself of the straitjacket that unfolds into the younger Farouk. David approaches the Shadow King, telling him that it’s time to die. With that, he presses his head hard against the ground.

Chapter 27- Switch takes herself to the Time Hallway- Legion, FX

Back in reality-land, the room around Switch begins to violently rattle, forcing her awake. Before it can crumble around her, she creates a door that leads her back into the safety of the Time Hallway. Switch is even more ragged before, with bloodshot eyes and losing a number of her teeth.

Chapter 27- Switch surrenders- Legion, FX

She’s also not alone. The Time Demons approach, with Switch surrendering herself to them. As far as she’s concerned, bedtime is now. With that, she places on her headphones and rests.

Chapter 27- Switch's father joins her in the Time Hallway- Legion, FX

At last, her father reaches out and caresses her face, telling her that she’s at last discovered the true meaning of time: it’s an ocean, not a river. A force more powerful than one being can control. Switch must awaken and see what she’s become.

Chapter 27- Switch hugs her father- Legion, FX

The light in the Time Hallway changes from blue to orange. Switch awakens as her father congratulates her for losing her baby teeth. Now, though, she’s grown her wisdom teeth. It’s time for her to rise from her slumber, as bedtime is finally over. Father and daughter hug as we fade to black.

Chapter 27- Farouk talks with Charles about being in David's mind- Legion, FX

Charles and present-day Farouk have a drink, with Farouk telling Charles that he lived inside David’s mind for 32 years. He saw, thought, and felt what David did. What was once a prison became a person. Charles admits that it’s hard to hate someone that you understand, with Farouk again saying that he loves Charles. He considers David a son, despite not being his father. Plus, being a father isn’t in his nature.

Chapter 27- Charles has a proposition for Farouk- Legion, FX

Farouk gets candid with Charles: the man who Farouk was, who brought Charles to Morocco with the intention of dominating and punishing, he did it because he was weak, not strong. Now, Farouk is older and weary of this discord. Farouk didn’t come here to defeat David, but to aid him in his quest. In essence, Farouk has changed. As Charles takes a careful swig of his drink, he finally presents a proposition to the Shadow King.

Chapter 27- Kerry still battling the Time Demons- Legion, FX

Kerry’s battle continues, with Cary noting that he doesn’t feel so good right now. As far as Kerry is concerned, there’s no glory like the glory of one last battle.

Chapter 27- Switch's father talks about the taming the Time Demons- Legion, FX

Back in the Time Hallway, Switch’s father tells her not to be afraid of the Time Demons. They merely guard the tributaries of time against intruders, but they’re well trailed. He blows a whistle and orders the Time Demons to sit, stay and, ultimately, vanish. Switch asks where her father’s screen is, but turns out his earthly carapace allows him to diminish into a simpler form. But this is their native home.

Chapter 27- Switch asks her father what they really are- Legion, FX

Switch doesn’t understand, but her father assures her that she will. After all, she’s shed her screen as well. Switch turns around and sees her body still resting on the bed. She takes her father’s hand and asks what they really are. He says there are many names for four-dimensional beings like them, but he would prefer to call her Daughter. Switch thought that her father never cared for her, but he says that they both just needed time.

Chapter 27- Switch's father wants to show her a new existence- Legion, FX

He beckons her to join him so he can introduce her to existence, untethered. Switch switches to English, saying that before she goes, there’s one more thing for her to do.

Chapter 27- Charles explains his plan to David- Legion, FX

David’s rage intensifies as he continues strangling Farouk. Charles and present-day Farouk arrive, with Charles ordering his son to stop. David tries to use his powers, but Charles is, of course, more powerful than him, as he forces him elsewhere in the astral plane.

David rages at his father for not letting him finish, but Charles explains: he sees his son as someone trapped in a war that they didn’t start. Charles did that. David never had a chance because of him. War isn’t the answer, but the problem. They don’t need Farouk’s barbarism. He then tells David that he made a deal with Farouk: they respect each other’s right to exist. After all, doesn’t David want to be free?

Chapter 27- David and Charles hug- Legion, FX

But David doesn’t believe that Farouk would go for that. How can they take Farouk at his word? But Charles rightly reminds David that they’re telepaths. They never have to take anyone at their word. Good point. Charles tells his son that he wasn’t there for him when he needed him and his mother. Charles can’t imagine doing that, but he adores his son and that will never change.

He could only have done it to protect him, even if David was a baby. Charles won’t know what it’s like to be abandoned, but he’s here right now and wants to make things right. So he pleads with his darling boy to let him be his father. Charles embraces his crying son as the two leave.

Chapter 27- Young Farouk ridicules older Farouk for his plan- Legion, FX

What about Farouk, though? The younger version ridicules the older one for this insane plan, but present-day Farouk wonders if he really had this much bitterness in his heart. Farouk wants to show his younger self what he’s learned, which he does by giving him a pair of sunglasses. The younger Farouk puts them on and he’s taken through the life of David Haller. Farouk asks his younger self if he sees it.

Chapter 27- Young Farouk sees David Haller's life- Legion, FX

Young Farouk finally removes the shades and is brought to tears. He thanks his older self and apologizes.

Chapter 27- Syd prepared to hold off the Time Demons- Legion, FX

Old age Kerry is finally worn out from fighting, so it’s up to Syd to continue keeping the Time Demons at bay. However, help has arrived.

Chapter 27- Switch tells Syd and Gabrielle that their existence is important- Legion, FX

Switch descends on the scene and blows the whistle that her father used. The Time Demons instantly retreat. She tells Syd, Gabrielle, and Xavier that the universe acknowledges that they exist and that their existence is important. Switch can see how they and the people they love have suffered, but their suffering did mean something. Nothing of value is ever lost.

Chapter 27- Syd likes Switch's jumper- Legion, FX

Syd asks Switch if David did it, but Switch says that the David that Syd knew is almost gone. His past has changed, as will Switch’s. The life she lived, her memories, everything will be born anew. So essentially, this Syd right now will die. But the Syd that she will become shall be glorious. As for how Switch knows this, she’s time. She sees all. Syd at least likes Switch’s jumper. Syd won’t die now.

Chapter 27- Syd and Switch hug- Legion, FX

She has time for one last thing. Switch embraces Syd and thanks her for helping her when she was human. With that, Switch vanishes. Kerry is as confused as Gabrielle, but Syd tells her that they may have indeed saved the world.

Chapter 27- David, Charles, and the two Farouks come to an understanding- Legion, FX

David and Charles meet with the two Farouks as they look forward to the dawn of a new beginning. As for what David will do, he’ll be a baby, then a boy, then a man. When David grows up, young Farouk wants him to visit so they can rule the world. David won’t be doing that. The two join hands and a bright light begins to emanate.

Chapter 27- Switch prepares to join her father- Legion, FX

Switch, back in the Time Hallway with her father, tells him that she is now ready. She again places on her headphones and heads into the untethered existence with her father.

Chapter 27- Syd thinks that Kerry looks sophisticated- Legion, FX

Back at the Xavier home, Switch joins Kerry- still old- who feels that she looks sophisticated. Syd calls her wise, though. Why not both, really?

Chapter 27- Cary and older Kerry- Legion, FX

But then she looks across the room and sees Cary looking back at her. We revisit their childhoods as Kerry settles on calling him ‘Brother’ instead of ‘Old man.’ That much Cary can agree with as the two join hands.

Chapter 27- Charles reunites with Gabrielle- Legion, FX

Charles finally returns home and joins Gabrielle, who tells him that this world makes no sense when he’s not in it. He feels the same. David, meanwhile, is upstairs with his friends. Gabrielle asks if Charles ever considered just letting her sleep in the hospital. But he never did. Gabrielle saw demons, but Charles saw a monkey with a king in his head, and their son as an adult with so much anger.

Chapter 27- Gabrielle and Charles kiss- Legion, FX

Together, they fought a mad tyrant, so Gabrielle probably got off light just seeing demons. Gabrielle tells Charles that she can’t do this without him, saying that David needs them both. Charles agrees- he won’t be traveling anymore or bloodshed. In fact, he always thought about becoming a teacher. The two then kiss.

Chapter 27- David and Syd look over baby David Haller- Legion, FX

Upstairs, Syd watches over baby David when present-day David joins her. He’s surprised that Syd isn’t surprised to see him, but Switch already filled her in on the details. Syd gets to do life all over again, and David knows that she’ll turn out extraordinary without him around. He apologizes, but Syd tells David that she likes his mother. David’s looking forward to getting to know her.

Chapter 27- David and Syd fade into the ether- Legion, FX

As for now, the two just fade away int the ether. David admits that he never thought Syd would help him, but then, she didn’t. She helped him, as in baby David. With her parting words, Syd tells adult David to be a good boy. With that, the two fade together into the ether, leaving baby David Haller in his crib as Legion comes to a close.

“Most people think time is like a river that flows swift and sure in one direction. But I have seen the face of time, and I can tell you: they are wrong. Time is an ocean in a storm.”

I refer to the first and last line of the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time trilogy because they hit the point at what this final season of Legion has been about: changing one’s fate. With David becoming the series’ villain at the last season, he carved out a nice following for himself and Lenny. By roping in Switch, he sought to change the past by literally any means necessary.

Chapter 27- Syd tells David that she didn't help him- Legion, FX

By the end, through the help of his father and the never-ending resilience of Syd, David chooses another path: acceptance. He accepts his flaws rather than seeing himself just as someone who deserves love. He accepts that he’s harmed others and that while one version of him will vanish, another can live on and become the person that he was not. Is this playing by the rules or are we attempting to bend reality to our will?

Chapter 27- Gabrielle tells Charles that she can't do this without him- Legion, FX

Does this mean that Legion gets to wipe its slate clean? In a way sure, even though other characters don’t get any closure in this finale. I held out hope that we’d see Lenny one last time, but seems like she found solace in rejecting David’s methods after literally spending an entire lifetime with the child she never had. Same goes with Oliver and Melanie. Would have loved to see them, but the two of them are happy where they are.

At the same time, would things become even more bloated in this finale? Noah Hawley, pulling double duty behind the camera with John Cameron, has to wrap up the series, but not necessarily in a nice, little bow because Legion is anything but straightforward. It would be easy to say that everyone gets a happy ending, but that comes at a cost. With that, it’s interesting to think about how we got here, all based on David’s actions.

Chapter 27- Charles and David on the astral plane- Legion, FX

If David hadn’t gone rogue at the end of last season, perhaps he never would have met Switch. There’d be no resolution between him and his parents. People like Clark and Lenny might still be alive. Kerry might still have her youth. Hell, Syd wouldn’t have even met and had a touching conversation with her younger self or gone to the astral plane to learn a lesson from Melanie and Oliver.

Chapter 27- David makes a pact with Farouk- Legion, FX

But most importantly, David doesn’t exactly win in the end. He accepts Charles’ proposal that results in his younger self having a better chance, but this would mean that the  the David we know must cease to exist. Legion may play with time travel, but chances are it abides by some rules such as not allowing two versions of yourself to exist in the same timeline.

Hell, even with Days of Future Past, we don’t have a second Wolverine out there at the same time that Logan in the future goes back in time. But then, Kitty Pryde sending Logan into his younger self is a bit simpler, I feel, than David and Switch entering a time hallway. At least with Logan, he’s not in danger of stirring the wrath of any time demons.

My point is that David takes a huge risk in accepting his father’s decision, and he does this at the cost of his life as well. It might be the only truly selfless thing he’s done all season. The Shadow King doesn’t win in the end, but in a way, neither does David. He won’t get to see what becomes of his younger self and if he’ll truly walk a better path.

Chapter 15- Farouk and Future Syd discuss David- Legion FX Marvel

In a way, David, Syd, and everyone else are leaving things up to chance. If things don’t turn out right, does this mean that David will get yet another do-over? At the very least, we don’t get the bleak future that we saw one-armed Syd in last season. The actions taken here will prevent the eventual apocalypse.

X-Men Apocalypse

No, not that one. I actually liked that one, but back on-topic.

Chapter 25- Syd tells Melanie that she's not going to the real world- Legion, FX

The constant theme I took from this finale is one of empathy. It continued from the story that Melanie told Syd while on the astral plane. Many of the characters in the finale go through or complete a journey that culminates in them fully understanding or grasping the feeling of another. It’s a logical progression for David in particular, who only sought to barrel headfirst into a situation and do things just for himself.

Chapter 27- David hits Farouk with the mace- Legion, FX

Before getting into the meat of the characters and their motivations, I will say that I like how things are scaled back in this finale compared to the end of last season. While there, we had David and Farouk’s battle on the astral plane, we don’t get as imaginative and crazy this time. Here, it’s more intimate and personable because the stakes are much higher than last season.

Chapter 19- David invites Lenny to join him- Legion FX Marvel

Back then, David had convinced himself that he was in the right and everyone except for Lenny was out to get him. Here, he’s still convinced himself that he deserves love, but his father and the older Farouk manage to rein in his recklessness before he hurts someone else. More on that in a moment.

Chapter 27- David creates a mace- Legion, FX

But back to the episode itself, I’m fine with this not being as batshit crazy as Legion has been from week to week. We still get some impressive sequences here. David and Charles forming their weapons was a nice bonding moment for them. Young Farouk easily dispatching of the personalities was a great way that the Shadow King is still, despite his calm demeanor, a formidable mutant.

Chapter 27- Kerry prepares for one last battle- Legion, FX

Kerry slowly aging as she fought against the Time Demons gave her one last battle against the inevitable while she also had to literally face the inevitable. The effect used to slowly age her was real unsettling to watch because at first because of how slowly it happened.

To make a stretch, it reminded me of the Darkwing Duck episode “Going Nowhere Fast” where, after gaining super speed, it’s not until near the halfway point that Drake Mallard starts to rapidly age.

Chapter 26- Kerry and Syd debate whether to kill baby David- Legion, FX

May as well start with Kerry since, compared to the others, there’s not as much to dig into. Like David, Kerry remained resolute. Her end goal was to kill David by any means, even if it meant killing him as a baby in his crib. She was willing to go along with Syd’s plan, but even then, I doubt that bloodlust went away altogether.

Chapter 27- Cary has a plan to confuse the Time Demons- Legion, FX

Despite being the tougher of the two, it’s those moments of vulnerability where I feel that we see another side to Kerry. She’s the warrior, but she can’t punch or kick her way out of everything. When she asks Cary for help, it’s both out of fear, but also from knowing that he’ll have a solution, which he did.

Chapter 17- Kerry will stab Death to keep it from getting Cary- Legion FX Marvel

Both have been willing to put their lines on the line for one another. It hearkens back to the conversation the two had last season where Cary told Kerry that he would eventually die. Kerry’s response? She would stab death twice in the heart before he got to Cary. Well, she stabbed death more than two times, but the impact remains the same. She put her life on the line in order to protect her now ‘brother.’

Chapter 27- Syd shoots at Time Demons- Legion, FX

At the end of the day, Syd from start to finish was never a damsel in distress. She even tells David that she didn’t help him, but his younger self instead. Unlike David, Syd was never a selfish person. Or, at the very least, she wasn’t out for herself. She learned the hard way what happened if she tried that when she switched places with her mother.

Chapter 21- Syd tells David that he need to turn himself in- Legion, FX

But for as long as we’ve known her in the present, she’s sought to help better people, David in particular. When David was too far gone, Syd became resolute in her plan to stop him. Like Kerry, she would have been perfectly fine with killing David, but there was a better way. Her time with Melanie and Oliver solidified the fact that not everyone can be saved.

There’s no harm in trying, but it’s an uphill climb trying to save someone from themselves. It’s good that Syd didn’t have some last-ditch effort to try and save present-day David. She found another outlet not just in saving baby David, but also in convincing Gabrielle to love David with all of her heart. In a way, Syd became baby David’s guardian angel.

Chapter 9- Future Syd draws a heart- Legion, FX

In the end, Syd’s goal was not about saving present-day David or trying her damnedest to win the man back. It was never about that. But at the very least she could save the world by eliminating the man she once loved, but who now could not be brought back from his destructive path. Plus, she didn’t lose an arm this time.

Syd might not ultimately been the one to seal the deal in saving the world. That was down to David, Farouk, and Charles. But without her presence and encouragement to Gabrielle, the David in the crib could end up like his present-self.

Chapter 26- Syd tells Gabrielle to keep the monsters out of David's life- Legion, FX

Syd empathized with Gabrielle, but it also seems that she makes peace with David. He can’t erase what he did, but at least the two of them will get a do-over. They spend their last parting moment together and on amicable terms. Syd at least wants David to promise that he’ll be a good by, so you know she wants him to be a better person. Here’s hoping he does.

Chapter 27- Syd after Switch vanishes- Legion, FX

Also, let’s get Rachel Keller in more stuff. What do you say?

Chapter 27- Switch with her father in the time hallway- Legion, FX

Switch may have ended up as nothing more than a pawn in David’s game, but even she gets some resolution of her own when she meets her father. Sadly, this comes at the cost of losing her life, but now she’s destined for another, greater existence. She accepts that she and her father just needed more time to know each other better. Now, they’ll literally have all the time in the world.

Chapter 27- Switch hugs Syd- Legion, FX

Despite not being the main player of the season, Switch was integral in moving the plot forward through her time travel. The lessons, like Jon Hamm’s narrations last season, tied into David’s actions and she herself had repeatedly warned David about the risks of time travel. Despite this, David kept on pushing at the expense of Switch’s well-being and the two don’t even have a parting scene together.

Chapter 27- Switch watches David with Farouk- Legion, FX

It makes me wonder if Switch holds any resentment towards David for what he did. He didn’t exactly apologize to her- he just promised that things would be better soon once he fixed everything. Hell, he never even thanked her for bringing him to the point where he could meet his mother and father. Perhaps that’s the point- David barreling ahead shows how inconsiderate he was of Switch. He saw her more as a tool than a friend.

Chapter 27- Switch is ready to go- Legion, FX

And Lauren Tsai was great to watch from start to finish that I’m very much looking forward to what she does next.

Chapter 26- Gabrielle talks about her mother having the sickness- Legion, FX

Talking about Gabrielle, she got the bulk of her development in the prior episodes, so a lot of what she gets to do here is mostly react to what’s happening. She refers to the mutants as gods, which isn’t too far off, and she casually mentions to Charles that she faced demons. By the time mutants are more prevalent in the world, it will just be another day for Gabrielle.

Chapter 27- Gabrielle and David sing Pink Floyd's 'Mother'- Legion, FX

Her duet with David was another great instance for Hawley to bring some Pink Floyd love to Legion, but the use of “Mother” is…interesting. Consider some of the lyrics: “Mama’s gonna make all of your Nightmares come true, Mama’s gonna put all of her fears into you, Mama’s gonna keep you right here Under her wing.”

It’s a mother’s love for her son in that Gabrielle will keep David under her wing, but putting the nightmares into her son, making the nightmares come true, it’s basically what happened to David when the Shadow King inhabited his mind. But dig deeper to some of the other lyrics: “Mama’s gonna check out all your girl friends for you, Mama won’t let anyone dirty get through.”

Chapter 26- Syd tells Gabrielle that they need to leave- Legion, FX

Gabrielle has met Syd, and she knows all about what happens to David if she doesn’t love him. So you can be damn sure she’ll be extra vigilant in not just sheltering him, but she’s going to be more guarded than she was before.

It helps that she and Charles are on the same wavelength. Gabrielle realizes how hard it is to raise David without Charles around, while Charles realizes that his absence alienates him from his wife and son. It leads to the resentment that David will have for him, but now he’s going to have a more active role in his son’s life, as well as the lives he’ll change as a teacher.

Chapter 27- Charles tells Gabrielle that he won't travel anymore- Legion, FX

It’s interesting how this, in a way, sets Charles on the path towards creating the school where the X-Men will be formed. The mansion where he and Gabrielle live could easily double as the X-Mansion, so long as Gabrielle got to play an active role and wasn’t sidelined by Charles’ ambitions and missions again.

Chapter 27- Charles tells Gabrielle that she got off light- Legion, FX

The scene where Charles makes up to David for not being there for him was a great acting showcase from Harry Lloyd. You feel the regret in Charles’ voice as he wasn’t there to protect his son from the dangers he’d face.

Chapter 27- Charles shares his idea with Farouk- Legion, FX

This truly is Lloyd making Charles his own, but he retains the same warmth seen in previous portrayals by Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy. If time permitted, I would love to see more of him, but we know, that won’t be the case. Still, we got a great performance while it lasted.

Chapter 27- Farouk tells Charles that he did not come to defeat David- Legion, FX

Sticking with performances for a moment, Navid Negahban was stellar from start to finish as Farouk, and he excelled here playing two versions of the Shadow King. We see the fire and ferocity in his younger self, but also the exhaustion in his older self. He was great to watch from start to finish and while I am curious about how Saïd Taghmaoui would have fared had he stayed in the role, I love what we got here.

Chapter 27- Farouk talks with Charles about being in David's mind- Legion, FX

Charles and Farouk bring wisdom and experience to the table when it comes to hashing out a solution. While their younger selves are more focused on wanton destruction, it’s strange that other versions of Professor X and the Shadow King would find a solution through peace. Despite me thinking that Farouk had an ulterior motive up his sleeve, he just wanted the madness to stop.

Chapter 27- Farouk brought to tears after seeing older David's life- Legion, FX

We see empathy play out here as well when he gives his younger self the shades that allow him to see the harm that will be brought upon David Haller’s life. After witnessing this, despite his lust for destruction, the younger Farouk is moved to tears and is willing to compromise, with both sides respecting one another’s right to exist.

Chapter 27- David sings Pink Floyd- Legion, FX

Then there’s the magic man himself, David Haller. He continued down a destructive path, alienated the one true friend he had in Lenny, and dispatched of anyone who stood in his path. How do you sympathize with someone who does that? Well, you can’t, especially when David doesn’t express much, if any remorse, for his actions. Except for what he did to Syd, anyway.

Chapter 27- David doesn't like Charles' plan- Legion, FX

He’s adamant that violence is the right answer. He initially brushes off Charles’ idea of a compromise because he thinks that Farouk won’t go for it. He has every reason in the world to be cautious based on past encounters with the Shadow King, but still, his impulsiveness just creates more problems. It’s great to watch him literally grapple with himself as he struggles to put an end to everything.

He’s assured himself that this can only work out one way. Again, going back to the line about time being like a river that flows in one direction, David only saw one solution. His father, much wiser and more seasoned, may see it like Switch’s father does: time is an ocean in a storm. After all, Charles rightly pointed out that as a telepath, David doesn’t have to take anyone at their word.

Chapter 27- Charles and David hug- Legion, FX

So he should at least be open to Charles’ suggestion, which he eventually is. He may leave this world, but hopefully in his place will be a better version of him, free of any Shadow King influences. Plus, he’ll be surrounded by the loving care of his mother and father. Like the ending lyrics to The Who’s “Happy Jack:” They couldn’t prevent Jack from feeling happy.

David may have gone through hell, but his younger self has the opportunity to live the life that his older self never had.

Does this mean that David never goes to Summerland? In this timeline, could this prevent him from ever meeting the likes of Lenny, Syd, or any of the others?

So much to ponder, but that’s not why I’m here. I’m here to try and make sense of this crazy X-Men series from the mind of Noah Hawley. We’re nearing the end of an era here. With The Gifted already axed, Legion is the last of the X-Men television series we’ll probably get from Fox now that it’s all under the House of Mouse.

Legion dared to be something different. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen, comic adaptation or otherwise, and it didn’t apologize for thinking outside the box. In fact, it’s doubled down on its weirdness and went full-on psychedelic this season. It’s a challenge to think about, but what I love about this show is that it takes its audience seriously. It doesn’t hold your hand and spell things out, which I like.

Chapter 19- David is free- Legion FX Marvel

It’s all open to interpretation, and what I interpret is that Noah Hawley has created, by and large, my favorite comic book adaptation period. While Batman Begins remains my favorite comic book film of all time, Legion transcends any adaptation I’ve seen on film or television due to its structure, visuals, storytelling approach, and the amazing performances Hawley got out of these actors.

Chapter 19- David and Farouk face off- Legion FX Marvel

I say this all to say that it’s quite sad that this is where we say our goodbyes to Legion. It will have a special place in my heart and I’ll happily revisit any and every episode to try and uncover something new. That or if I just want to challenge myself with a series as complex as this one.

As far as Hawley is concerned, we’ve always got the fourth season of Fargo to look forward to, which will no doubt be as great as the first three. But for Legion, right here, it’s time to say farewell. You’ll never see this, Mr. Hawley, but thank you for creating the best damn comic book series I’ve ever seen and one of the best new shows on television these past few years.

For you all, the readers, I want to thank you all for following along as we tried to make sense of this. My brain still hurts just thinking about it, but that’s part of the fun when it comes to Legion. Just what is real?

With that said, thank you all for following along, keep on watching plenty of television, and take care.

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