Legion Review: Chapter 23 (Season 3 Episode 4)
For a show with some weird avenues, Legion can, at times, feel like it doesn’t have the chance to go weirder. But Legion Season 3 Episode 4, “Chapter 23,” does just that, while perfectly reflecting on each character and delivering moments of deep realization.
“Chapter 23” is an incredibly spirited episode, taking the snapping of time to fascinating arenas, and giving surprising layers to characters who have been differently portrayed before. It also helps to catch up on others through quieter circumstances, where their character growth has been stalled somewhat for the sake of moving the plot.
It’s been a while for a complete check-in on Syd, and so her experiencing a time ripple of her younger self (which is really a time demon) helps really hone in on her current state of mind. Relating her younger trauma to David’s current one is a compelling and nuanced way to reflect what’s been done to her.
It’s about the power of it, the feeling of being taken advantage of when in a moment of weakness. In one, when younger, she is aware of what’s happening during the power shift; in David’s, though, it’s withheld from her and damaging her trust.
The most impactful piece of the episode comes from a surprising source: Lenny. The time ramp for her comes at the loss of her lover and child, two sped up lifetimes lost before her in a matter of moments. For a character whose personality has been full of sarcasm and anarchy, that she feels the most devastation over the battle with time is especially affecting.
Aubrey Plaza sells the horror so well, touching through each moment, and holding herself tight in broken sorrow by the end. Lenny’s been great as a foil and source of comedy, but here is allowed some welcome growth, and allowing Plaza to play some excellent scenes with care.
The episode goes a long way in placing the act of war into David’s hands. He’s reached that breaking point now, and with Switch now in the hands of Division 3 and his ex-friends, his one source of fixing everything, this will likely not end well. The season is building to a final confrontation between the team and David, but Switch being the reason is an interesting twist.
What’s also interesting is what contribution time will have in what comes next. With the time demons now fearful of David, will Switch be able to time travel without concern? Or has time travel been altered in some way with David’s warning? We won’t know until Switch tries to travel again, but I’m guessing there will be a wrinkle to it all now.
The playfulness of the episode goes a long way. Legion is sometimes at its best when playing with format or pretty much becoming experimental filmmaking, and here is no exception. Some of the best imagery comes in snapshots of Farouk, Kerry, and Clark traveling through a barren wasteland, using the snaps to tell events purely through what’s on screen.
The editing goes a long way, using repetition to show the time glitches and the ticking of the demons to ramp time to their liking. There’s a precision to using time on the episode that feels like an endlessly complicated process to get it exactly right on some of these sequences. Kudos goes out to the team for pulling it off and making it look so effortless.
The moment that I enjoyed the most, though, is its simplest. Coming back from break, you’re expecting more Legion. But what you’re treated to instead is FX’s The Shield, mid-episode. Vic Mackey is doing his best to get a confession, and it’s like the channel messed up. It’s not until it glitches out and the time demon giggles that we realize it’s all a trick. An easy trick, but one of the best the show’s done before.
Well played.
Legion Season 3 Episode 4, “Chapter 23,” uses the side threat of time demons to strike the ultimate blow to David’s plans. It’s through a lot of style, but provides the substance through a surprising turn for Aubrey Plaza’s Lenny, and through David now having to face Division 3 in full force. This is a fun and effective episode.
What did you think of this episode of Legion? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Legion airs Mondays at 10/9c on FX.
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Kevin Lever
Kevin Lever has been following television closely for most of his life, but in starting to cover it, he has grown a further appreciation. He strives to give the blockbusters their due, and give the lesser known shows a spotlight to find more fans.