So, if I ever had to choose my favorite superhero ever, I would say that it was Batman. However, I would definitely give the X-Men a very well-deserved second place. Throughout the years, those comicbooks have given me chills and have continued to come up with great new stories to tell. Chris Claremont and John Byrne are two of my favorite comicbook duos of all time, largely due to their amazing work with the X-Men characters. Those characters have also managed to make a huge impact on the big screen, having appeared in multiple great films under 20th Century Fox, as well as some that were not so good. And now, they are making their debut on the television screen with "Legion," based on David Haller, a character created by Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz. This character is not that well known to basic comicbook fans, not even with the fact that he is offspring of Prof. Charles Xavier himself. However, this show should definitely get some fans hooked to learn more, because this is one of the best premiere episodes to any show I have ever seen.
Noah Hawley is currently killing in on television with his hit series "Fargo" currently in development of its fourth season, so I always thought that the show would be different. I would have never imagined how different, and if this episode is any indication, this is going to be a show that will consistent of smart and surprising writing. The decision to start out in a mental hospital was a great idea, because it approaches the idea of being a mutant in a completely new way. Are these characters really in possession of new powers, or are they just crazy. That was such a smart move made by Hawley, and I comment him for doing something that wasn't conventional.
The show also has a very distinctive visual style. It is very trippy at times, and follows a nonlinear structure. I love the fact that Hawley decided to go with this element instead of making it a straightforward show. It enables "Legion" to stand out from all the other superhero shows on television right now, and there are a lot of them. It also created a smart narrative that constantly kept me guessing what was going to happen next, and I was always surprised and never able to predict the exact outcome.
The characters are really well-written, especially David Haller. It becomes very clear early on that he is not a functional human, as he believes himself to be very schizophrenic. That is a very interesting way to go when introducing the audience to David's powers, and by doing that, we go on a journey with David, because as he learns of his powers, so do we. It was portrayed so well in this premiere, that I even doubted that he actually had superpowers, and I know the character. That is what strong writing is able to do and Hawley proves that he knows the right direction to take his characters in. And Dan Stevens gives a great performance as Haller. He plays the character with a lot of nerve, and he is constantly panicking because he don't understand the situation. I thought he was beautifully played and visualized by Stevens.
The ending also does the job that every premiere should, which is set up the future and make the audience want me. For me, it worked. I am very excited to see where David's story goes next, and I think that we still have a lot of setup to go through before we reach the true meat of the season. This premiere gave a lot of questions, and I think the next episode will give us even more, if that is even remotely possible.
Noah Hawley is currently killing in on television with his hit series "Fargo" currently in development of its fourth season, so I always thought that the show would be different. I would have never imagined how different, and if this episode is any indication, this is going to be a show that will consistent of smart and surprising writing. The decision to start out in a mental hospital was a great idea, because it approaches the idea of being a mutant in a completely new way. Are these characters really in possession of new powers, or are they just crazy. That was such a smart move made by Hawley, and I comment him for doing something that wasn't conventional.
The show also has a very distinctive visual style. It is very trippy at times, and follows a nonlinear structure. I love the fact that Hawley decided to go with this element instead of making it a straightforward show. It enables "Legion" to stand out from all the other superhero shows on television right now, and there are a lot of them. It also created a smart narrative that constantly kept me guessing what was going to happen next, and I was always surprised and never able to predict the exact outcome.
The characters are really well-written, especially David Haller. It becomes very clear early on that he is not a functional human, as he believes himself to be very schizophrenic. That is a very interesting way to go when introducing the audience to David's powers, and by doing that, we go on a journey with David, because as he learns of his powers, so do we. It was portrayed so well in this premiere, that I even doubted that he actually had superpowers, and I know the character. That is what strong writing is able to do and Hawley proves that he knows the right direction to take his characters in. And Dan Stevens gives a great performance as Haller. He plays the character with a lot of nerve, and he is constantly panicking because he don't understand the situation. I thought he was beautifully played and visualized by Stevens.
The ending also does the job that every premiere should, which is set up the future and make the audience want me. For me, it worked. I am very excited to see where David's story goes next, and I think that we still have a lot of setup to go through before we reach the true meat of the season. This premiere gave a lot of questions, and I think the next episode will give us even more, if that is even remotely possible.