Legion Review: Chapter 25 (Season 3 Episode 6)

The astral plane, it turns out, is a place for solitude, happy endings (for some), and the biggest eye-openers, as shown on Legion Season 3 Episode 6, “Chapter 25.”

An episode going completely out of the norm, so close to the end, would usually leave a bitter taste. Lost, in particular, has an episode late in the game that muddied the flow to the finale doing something similar; here, though, Legion makes it a personal journey of discovery and finding purpose. Syd is our protagonist now, and there are lessons for her to learn.

Syd being protected by Melanie and Oliver is the structure she always sought in the real world. This second world is what she always needed, and so now, armed with the protection of stability, she’s more capable than before. Even Cary takes note at the end, saying that there is something different about her. It’s perhaps that he sees her as whole again, no longer missing the drive she needed.

Jason Mantzoukas as The Wolf is easily some of the best casting Legion has done. Much like Aubrey Plaza as Lenny, the personality matches the part in such a way that it’s impossible for anyone else to play it. Mantzoukas is always captivating, able to balance the darker edges while still being bonkers.

The Wolf appears to be like an embodiment of temptation and sin, urging anyone he can into the darkness and using their weaknesses against them.

The big confrontation turning into a rap battle is such a Legion thing to do. But when you have Jemaine Clement for one last episode, you don’t waste him. The back and forth between Oliver and The Wolf, making pot shots and their personalities their weapons, is an effective way of showing how one person’s power is another person’s weakness.

The astral plane looks to rip innocence away at every turn, as the preservation of goodness is protected by Oliver and Melanie. The darkness looms at the edges, even in the teenager Syd’s timeline. There’s this strange green flame that dances far in the distance of the street, as though it’s the edge of existence. From afar, it looks like this flickering danger, always present, and best to stay away from.

Syd learning the power of saving someone and how some are beyond saving is a massive indicator of what the final two episodes will become. Her love for Cynthia turns out to be not enough, even if it is enough for Syd. It’s all a test to see how Syd will deal with David.

With Cary and Kerry now back at her side, and time hopping becoming the final move for both Syd’s team and David’s team, there’s going to be a dangerous final push to close the show out.

The show’s absence of Jean Smart and Jemaine Clement is satiated greatly by their return, two fantastic actors whose characters bring a warmth and a sense of comfort. They are like coming home for the show, and it’s fitting for them to be the ones to bring enlightenment to Syd and to return her home herself.

The production and set design is wonderful throughout, this dream land and Victorian style settings gorgeous to exist in. Everything is so incredibly detailed, and paired with the show’s beautiful and melodic editing, it makes for a visual treat that heightens the narrative.

Legion Season 3 Episode 6, “Chapter 25,” provides Syd the answer she’s been seeking this whole time. It does so with a fantastic hour of self-discovery told with returning characters long missed.

Some are unable to be saved. But it’s the attempt that makes it all worthwhile. Whether David is beyond saving is certainly a question that may be answered already, but with Syd now with conviction in her heart, there’s always the possibility of a happy ending.

 

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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