Chapter 10 (Legion)
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Episode 2
- Noah Hawley
- Nathaniel Halpern
| "Chapter 10" | |
|---|---|
| Legion episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Ana Lily Amirpour |
| Written by |
|
| Featured music | Jeff Russo |
| Cinematography by | Polly Morgan |
| Editing by | Todd Desrosiers |
| Production code | XLN02002 |
| Original air date | April 10, 2018 |
| Running time | 53 minutes |
"Chapter 10" is the second episode of the second season of the American surrealist superhero thriller television series Legion, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It was written by series creator Noah Hawley and co-executive producer Nathaniel Halpern and directed by Ana Lily Amirpour. It originally aired on FX on April 10, 2018.
The series follows David Haller, a "mutant" diagnosed with schizophrenia at a young age, as he tries to control his psychic powers and combat the sinister forces trying to control him. Eventually, he joins the government agency Division 3 to prevent his nemesis, fellow psychic mutant Amahl Farouk, from finding his original body. In the episode, David agrees to helping Farouk find his original body, although it still unleashes unfortunate events.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.439 million household viewers and gained a 0.2 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received mostly positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, character development, cinematography, and Amirpour's directing.
Talking with Lenny and Oliver inside his mind, David informs Farouk that he will help him find his body as long as he doesn't hurt anyone.
At night, David leads some of his team into the desert to meet with Farouk inside Oliver's body. However, this is part of Farouk's plan, who infiltrates Division 3 with minimal security and kills many soldiers. He traps Cary in a room where he is haunted by Lenny, while he incapacitates Kerry. When the team returns, they find that Farouk trapped Cary inside Kerry's body. The team concludes that Farouk was looking for a monk member of the Mi-Go order, whom he believes is responsible for hiding his original body. Admiral Fukyama's bodyguards, the Vermillion, suspect that David may be responsible for leading Farouk into Division 3, which is rebuffed by Syd and Melanie.
Disturbed by the deaths, David asks Cary and Kerry for help in trying to meet with the future version of Syd again. Using the amplification chamber, David meets with Syd, who tells him that he will kill Farouk within a week, but then a plague will kill all the humans on the planet, which can be prevented if Farouk recovers his body. David then confronts Farouk in his original form, and both engage in a wrestling match, which evolves into a mind battle. Farouk then promises to stop killing, as long as David continues helping him in finding his body. David leaves the desert, while Lenny fails to convince Farouk from letting her go.
Cary manages to exit Kerry, although the process is not complete, with both noting that Kerry is now aging. David talks with Melanie, who tells him that he must "save himself". Based on this, David tells Syd about meeting her future self and working to help Farouk. Syd understands his position, and tells him they must do what the future Syd said by finding the monk. The monk is revealed to be in the room guarding people infected with the Catalyst, although he is not infected.
Throughout the episode, the Narrator explains the concept of umwelt, creatures' perception of the world. He also states how humans can change the meaning behind their ideas. As an example, a boy is taught by Oliver that "red" is green colored and "green" is red colored, with "green" symbolizing "go". As a result, the kid walks into a red light, causing him to get hit by a car.
Production
Development
In March 2018, it was reported that the second episode of the season would be titled "Chapter 10", and was to be directed by Ana Lily Amirpour and written by series creator Noah Hawley and co-executive producer Nathaniel Halpern. This was Hawley's fifth writing credit, Halpern's fourth writing credit, and Amirpour's first directing credit.[1]
Filming
The episode was Amirpour's first directorial credit for a scripted series. She was concerned that she would have to abandon her trademarks and style for the conventional television landscape, but Hawley assured her that she would keep her style.[2] Amirpour said, "I want to make sure that I have Noah's back and the writers' backs and the show’s needs met. It was a true collaboration. The show is so psychedelic and non-linear that you just trust in each moment in a way."[3]
The original opening scene involved David, Lenny and Oliver in an "infinity elevator", but it was changed as the production didn't have enough time to build the set. Amirpour then suggested using a carousel, deeming it "the perfect personification of going around and around in your mind and trying to look for answers."[3]