Legion — the hottest debut of a comic book story on screens this year — is hurdling toward second-year preparations with the cast set to appear at San Diego Comic-Con Thursday, July 20.
The next steps for the FX series — which recreated X-Men fans’ expectations by building a universe around the unique cognition of its star, David Haller (Dan Stevens) — should be even bolder, with production moving to the Southern California industry center, as well as a 10-episode batch planned after the eight-hour first edition.
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UP NEXT: Flash Back: Dan Stevens Talks to ComicBook About Season One
Eyes are rightly fixing on the wildest card in hand for the show’s future: Lenny Busker, David’s chameleonic companion, given life by star Aubrey Plaza.
Lenny, the most potent form of a parasite with theoretical access to any power within David’s mind, isn’t limited by the narrow range of threats many villains offer thanks to Plaza — possibly the most versatile performer to take on a supervillain role recently.
Season One SPOILERS follow
X-Men fans officially learned through Cary Loudermilk (Bill Irwin) and Oliver Bird (Jemaine Clement) in the second-to-last chapter that Amahl Farouk, the Marvel Universe “mutant” branch’s infamous Shadow King, haunts David in guises of those closest to him.
Lenny, who David considers a best friend both in Clockworks Psychiatric Hospital and on the outside, has full access to his memories, drives and fears and used his twisted mindset to place him in a confusion that could return in terrifying fashion when the series hits the air again early next year.
Plaza’s earliest appearances, directed by series creator Noah Hawley (chapter one) and co-executive producer Michael Uppendahl (chapters two and three), formed the baseline for a rarity in David’s psyche — a friend he felt he could trust.
Though it’s no secret the pair displayed problems with addiction, Plaza’s background in playing misanthropes that the audience eagerly sides with made her the ideal choice to trick David and fans alike.
Lenny’s first line in the series living outside Clockworks — “All good in the head now?” — instantly displaces David from the therapy session he just completed with Dr. Poole. Right away, Lenny and David score their vapor and beeline to his beloved “frog vaporizer,” where David sees the then-named “Devil with the Yellow Eyes” in a brief flash of his friend’s hidden nature.
Lenny’s first appearance at the Summerland “safe haven” came unexpectedly in the following chapter, with David under “observation” in Cary’s lab. The apparition — visible to David but not those studying him — shakes his confidence in his new protectors, who are startled to see his capacity for destruction when the fear later leads him to break back to the D3 complex solo.
The pressing question fans are now asking — what danger will accompany Lenny’s next appearance?— may draw hotly from Plaza’s memorable metamorphosis in the season’s conclusion.
After turning bright lights on David’s nightmares in chapter six and showing down against Clockworks escapees in the penultimate chapter climax before finally riding along with Oliver as he ditches Summerland with the finale’s credits rolling, her whereabouts are currently up in the air.
But the most critical moment is easiest to forget, where life after the initial Clockworks incident first began for David: His sister Amy’s home in the pilot episode.
As the should-be-deceased Lenny (after a “day room” incident that’s still stumping D3 investigators), Plaza appears in the same place Amy chastised David moments earlier and reminds him of the government agents that his mind is unable to escape.
In his stress, David shatters the unforgettable star map lamp — a fixation he discusses with the same doctor whose therapy Lenny cast aside in the aforementioned chapter two appearance. With Amy returning instantly after David’s noisy furor, Legion was demonstrating earlier than anyone could understand how it rearranged David’s psyche constantly to keep the audience unaware of its true intentions. Even with the loaded Summerland cast on the side of Dan Stevens’ David, Plaza could prove to be the darkest star for Legion over other series aiming for its orbit.
What Shadow tricks did you catch on your second (or third or fourth) watch of the series? How do you see Lenny and David colliding when the saga returns with new episodes in 2018? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
LEGION STARS TALK TO COMICBOOK: Dan Stevens Talks Season One | Michael Uppendahl Discusses Season Finale | Jean Smart Owns The Screen As Dr. Bird | Bill Irwin Credits Hawley for Legion-Marvel Marriage
