Awesome / Legion (2017)

• The way Ptonomy and Syd make initial contact with David before the rescue. They contact him by manipulating and appearing in a past memory, to engineer his escape in the present. Very cool.
• David mind-stabbing Clark with a pen before destroying the Division III interrogation room in the pilot is nothing short of awesome. A fist-pump worthy moment that all but confirms that David is actually an extremely powerful mutant, instead of a delusional schizophrenic. All set to a triumphant piece by Jane's Addiction.
• The escape sequence later that episode was incredible and far better than most cinematic action sequences in recent memory. A near one-take sequence demonstrating the entire Summerland team working together to haul David's behind away from Division III captivity. Especially awe-inspiring was the telekinetic display by Rudy, who threw some very large objects very quickly with little effort. No sold a rifle gunshot wound to boot. One of the only times in the entire season that the Shadow King looks nervous.
• In Chapter 3, the image of David levitating off the ground with his arms outstretched while bathed in that hellish red light is incessantly cool.
• The entirety of the action sequence in Chapter 4. An editing masterpiece, complete with slow-mo fighting and a jubilant Oliver dancing in his ice cube. Set to, of all things, a Feist song. It works wonderfully.
• The Summerland gang stumbling upon the aftermath of David's attack on the Division III outpost, all set to an operatic song by Radiohead.
• In the same episode, the climactic scene at David's childhood home happens completely without sound. Bravura technical and acting display.
  • Really, the set design in Chapter 5 was phenomenal. The pristine white of the Astral Plane bedroom. Serene blue after the consummation of the relationship. The menacing red light as the Devil with the Yellow Eyes approaches. Whole thing is gorgeous.
• Chapter 6 functions as a CMOA for Aubrey Plaza's performance as Lenny, culminating in an insane celebratory dance.
  • Plus, the reveal that Charles Xavier is David's real father in this universe.
• The Chapter 7 reveal that the parasite infecting David's mind is none other than Amahl Farouk, the Shadow King.
• David's subconscious leading him to the Astral Plane classroom and sending him down the path to reclaiming his life. Inventive, charming, and powerful.
• David's facial expressions and hand gestures as he wills himself out of his mental prison are incredible. He really seems to be channeling the Legion of the comics. Dan Stevens clearly did his homework.
• David unleashing his full powers and seizing control of his body from the Shadow King in episode 7. Followed immediately after by a Bullet Catch to save himself and Syd the instant they return to the real world from the Astral Plane.
• Though Syd might seem the weakest fighter of the Summerlanders, she gets quite a couple badass moments, too.
  • After the Eye ambushes and incapacitates the Summerland crew, including Ptonomy, with his variety of Psychic Powers, he menacingly moves on to Syd. Instead of cowering, she immediately switches bodies with him, knocks him out, and takes custody of her captured friends. If David had not been convinced to attack Syd in the Eye's body, she would have single-handedly saved the Summerlanders and captured the scariest member of Division 3.
  • Episode 8: In an OOC moment, she also willingly kisses a possessed David, after spending most of the season without ''any'' physical intimacy in her relationship with him, in order to exorcise the Shadow King.
• Clark's Badass Boast in response to being assigned desk duty:
  "Here's the deal. I have burns over 40 per cent of my body and I spent six weeks with a tube jammed into the head of my dick while my husband cried himself to sleep every night. We were ambushed at the pool. Men died. And I am going to finish what I started. So if you want me behind a desk, you better find a portable one. Because the second I walk out of this room, I'm going to war."
• A parasite-free David incapacitates the entire Division III squad with a wave of his hand.
• The montage of the Shadow King being erased from David's memories, set to Pink Floyd's "Breathe".
• The way Kerry casually drops Melanie with a "click-click-boom!" gun motion while inhabited by Farouk.
• The entirety of Chapter 9 was a stunning and incredible episode of television, and a massive flex on every other show out there. To wit:
  • The entire moody, Twin-Peaks vibe of the episode immediately broadcasts both cool and terror.
  • The entire situation involving Sydney and the cat. Flabbergasting beyond words.
  • YMMV here, but anything involving Admiral Fukyama and the Vermillion. So delightfully weird and awesome as to make one giddy.
  • Kerry having the mojo to force an entire squad of armed soldiers to retreat with just a smile and a threat.
  • The entire metaphor revolving around Albert A's delusion. A tour-de-force sequence of jaw-dropping visuals and excellent short-form storytelling.
  • Clark's veiled threats to David in case he is lying. He recounts an anecdote from his childhood about how he and his mom would eat ice cream every time they caught someone lying on their favorite soaps. He then, no joke, has a bowl of ice cream brought out in front of him, spoon at the ready, and straight up asks the most powerful mutant ever again if he is lying. AND HE NEVER EATS A BITE OF IT!!! What a legend.
  • The exhilarating and triumphant dance sequence in the club.
  • The stunning reveal that Syd sent the orb to capture David from the future, all so she could warn him that he needs to HELP Farouk find his body.
• Farouk, working through Oliver and Lenny, strolling through Division III, turning soldiers into dust and animals and tormenting Cary and Kerry without a hint of effort.
• Clark living up to his name as the Interrogator. For all his powers, David is a terrible liar and Clark exposes him ruthlessly in a simple conversation.
• David and Farouk's literal wrestling match on the Astral Plane. More of a friendly jostle than a serious fight, but still creative and excellently realized.
• The rescue of both Ptonomy and Melanie from being trapped in their minds. David uses very different methods for each, demonstrating his continued growth as a person and mutant. For the former, he merely blows up the spot. For the latter, in a touching scene, he expertly navigates a text game to remind her of her love story.
• From one perspective, Syd swapping bodies with a high-school stalker and putting the beat-down on her bullies with a lacrosse stick. It's problematic in many ways, but it is nice, on one level, to see her stand up for herself.
• The brief scene in Chapter 13 where Oliver snaps out of his funk and threatens to kill Farouk to his face after seeing a vision of a smiling Melanie.
• The entire sequence of Farouk as Oliver stalking and killing Amy so she can be Lenny's new vessel, set to a heartbreaking cover of Tom Petty's "Don't Come Around Here No More."
• David in the alternate timeline where he's a corporate peon having the courage to clue his boss in on a corrupt business deal, eventually leading to riches and fame for him.
• David dealing with his attackers in the reality where he's a homeless man. He literally goes supernova, and reduces them to an ash smear on the pavement.
• Followed by the same David casually tossing some Division III soldiers Rudy-style, with a triumphant snort. He about goes nova again before his head is turned into pulp by Kerry's katana
• Perhaps most impressive is the dairy worker David defending Amy from the police. He crumples one into a bloody mess, akin to what happened to the Eye, and reduces the rest to ashes.
• David taking out the Insanity bug.
  • Especially cool how he steps in to save Fukyama. He turns Ptonomy's gun into a mop and freezes Clark in his tracks.
• Chapter 16: The action montage of David and his squad implementing his mysterious plan in the desert, set to the Black Angels' epic "Comanche Moon."
• Chapter 17: Kerry resisting the awful sound weapon and beating some mook stuffing with a bo staff. Set to yet another Jane's Addiction song.
• The spine-tingling scene of Farouk watching the sun rise with newly corporeal arms outstretched, before hearing the World's Angriest Boy story and turning around to see David, ready to take his revenge.
• David and Farouk's Battle in the Center of the Mind is absolutely worth the two seasons of build-up, with stunning Visual Effects of Awesome to show their mental projections both constantly shapeshifting to gain the upper hand. And then it's revealed that even Farouk getting rid of the tuning fork was part of David's plan, with Lenny set up to shoot it with the sniper rifle.
  • At one point, David turns into a Cthulhu-type creature that chokes astral-Farouk with its tentacles. Farouk then pretends to be Syd, before lunging at David as the Devil with the Yellow Eyes, who then grows spider legs and takes bites out of him.
• It happened off-screen, but Kerry and Syd definitely slayed and beheaded that Minotaur.
• Switch effortlessly escapes from the Astral Plane when Farouk tries to recruit her into Division 3.This legitimately angers him.
• I am Legion
  • When Syd manages to switch with David following his slaughter of Division 3, she's shocked to meet the two David personalities who begin to chant the above Madness Mantra. Then she turns around to find dozens of more personalities all chant the same thing as they swarm her.