Legion recap: 'Chapter 14'

“Chapter 14” is one of Legion‘s most ambitious episodes to date.

Last week ended on a low note with David losing his only remaining family member. “Chapter 14,” has him try to deal with his guilt by sending his conscious to alternate universes. It’s one of the show’s most challenging and intriguing sequences yet, but an extremely effective way to portray how David feels. Is there one thing in his life he could have done differently where things would have ended perfectly? Taking a look at all these different versions of him, the short answer is no.

Almost every reality David tries out ends with him suffering in some way or another. The one that gets a lot of focus is his time as a disgruntled homeless man. He isn’t reserved with his powers, instead of destroying a group of men who would attack him. Yet, for the most part, he craves death rather than spending his days listening to other people’s thoughts. “Chapter 14” makes it one of the bleakest universes, with David ultimately dying at the hands of Kerry after he throws Division Three agents across the city.

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However, the other options aren’t great either. In another reality, he has given into Farouk and allowed the Shadow King to rule his life. What starts off as an innocent use of his powers to try to help his boss turns David from a coffee boy to the wealthiest man in the world. But his relationship with his sister has been destroyed, and Farouk rules things with the only intention of gaining more power.

In an equally disturbing universe, David has never stopped taking his medication. It’s incredibly deflating to see in “Chapter 14,” when he shuffles through life barely registering anything. Yet Amy is still there with all of her support and optimism. For a while, it seems like a change David could get on board with if it means keeping his sister around. Unfortunately, when the Shadow King rears his ugly yellow form after work, David loses it. A couple of police officers try to arrest him before Amy can pick him up which leads to a violent confrontation.

The cops shove Amy to the side, which leads David to quickly killing the two. When he’s shot by their backup, he ends up zapping all of them out of existence. This reality has him forever medicated and taken care of by his sister, so she never gets a life of her own. Seriously, does “Chapter 14,” offer up one happy alternative for the Haller family?

Which takes us back to the reality in which David actually lived. “Chapter 14,” provides some of the most emotional flashbacks of the actual timeline with the Haller siblings. However, the most effective scene is when Amy drops off David at Clockworks and promises it will only be for a few weeks. It’s heartbreaking knowing how much she wanted to hold onto to her brother but that this was the best scenario for him. Based on what we know of the present events, this was really was the best decision she could have made.

There’s only one future which was presented as perfect but was rarely seen. In it, David is happily married in the suburbs with kids. Amy is never seen in them, and it’s interesting to think this could have been his reality if he was never adopted. If Professor X had taught him to control his powers from a young age, could things have been different? It certainly appears so, and hopefully, it’s something the show addresses.

Next: Legion season 2 is getting an extra episode

Nevertheless, “Chapter 14” is a much more effective episode than last week. It’s a better sendoff for Katie Aselton, who the show never quite figured out how to use. While it’s doubtful viewers have seen the last of her, this works as an emotional goodbye.

What did you think of “Chapter 14”? Sound off in the comments on the different realities David jumped to and be sure to watch the show on FX.

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Legion recap: ‘Chapter 14’

By Kelly Shanaphy | May 9, 2018

“Chapter 14” is one of Legion‘s most ambitious episodes to date.

More from FX