Legion finally brings Melanie back into the loop in ‘Chapter 17’

“Chapter 17” of Legion finally shows the viewers where Melanie’s been all season.

As much interesting as season two of Legion has been, there’s been a clear disconnect between each episode. Each hour has really only focused on a couple of the characters, which weakens some of the emotional aspects. This episode is no different, with the sudden reintroduction of Melanie after the show has spent such little time with her all season.

In “Chapter 16” it was revealed that Melanie has been following a different agenda than Division 3’s. My first assumption was that she was helping out David, considering he also helped Lenny escape. Unfortunately, this hour dispels that theory by having her assist Oliver.

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It’s certainly sad to see Melanie go from a grieving drug addict to someone who desperately chooses to help Farouk. At this point, her goal of saving her husband has failed and she just decides to give in. However, like Amy’s death, it would have been a bit more impactful to see Bird’s struggles more throughout this season.

What does work well in “Chapter 17” is the bender Lenny decides to go on. A large part of why the storyline is so enjoyable is how well Aubrey Plaza plays her character. Lenny is finally free to destroy her life as she sees fit. Just because she’s been through a traumatic experience, it doesn’t turn her into an overnight hero.

In fact, Lenny probably would have lived out her days partying if it weren’t for her new conscious. Legion allows Amy Haller to live on as the angel on Lenny’s shoulder. At first, she’s just an annoying hallucination trying to ruin Lenny’s fun. By the end of “Chapter 17”, she instead convinces Lenny to go help David defeat Farouk. Is this really Amy? Or is Lenny just looking for an excuse to help her friend?

From the looks of it, Legion might also be introducing a love triangle. Lenny reveals she’s in love with David (is she though?) and it’s been made clear where his heart lies. Undoubtedly, this will come into play during their final showdown with the Shadow King.

One of the best ongoing storylines is Kerry’s and Cary’s attempts to function separately. Cary is suddenly realizing that when he dies, Kerry won’t understand how to fend for herself. Meanwhile, she has the emotional maturity of a child because Cary has always been the one to deal with the real issues.

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However, it seems like Legion is entering the endgame for this season. Lenny is hot on David’s trail, while Cary and Kerry try to understand the meaning of their visions. Finally, Oliver will have to make his move against Farouk soon in order to fulfill his promise of defeating the villain. Could Melanie be the key to his plan? Hopefully, we’ll find out tonight.

Be sure to watch Legion tonight at 10 PM on FX.