#I basically spent several hours of hyperfocus on this...whoops

[air--so--sweet]

Legion and the TUA of it all

I didn't want to become a Legion recap blog, especially when no one is reading these (except @soshadysoquiet despite knowing nothing about the show outside of these posts 😂) so I had planned to combine my thoughts on the last three episodes of season 2 into one post. AND THEN SO MUCH HAPPENED...so there's going to be multiple posts after all.

This post is about the parallels with The Umbrella Academy because I thought the shows were vaguely similar in regards themes and some minor character details...and then I watched season 2.

Also, just to be clear, I am not accusing one show of copying the other or anything of the sort, I think a lot of this stuff is down to coincidence and I'm pointing it out for fun. I'm also discussing the plots of both shows in pretty broad strokes here, once you start digging into the specifics of both, they diverge a lot more.

Initially, when watching season 1, David reminded me of Klaus - he's an addict, plagued by voices no one else can hear and seeing things no one else can see. I've also read several fics where Klaus' powers are mistaken for schizophrenia so I also connected that aspect of David's character to Klaus as well, missing the glaringly obvious parallel to the actual character within TUA canon who spends most of his life unaware of his powers and believing he's mentally ill - Viktor. Also, like Viktor, when David loses control, his powers have the ability to be highly destructive.

So, based on season one, David's got similarities to both Klaus and Viktor. The general themes of the show are similar, though the larger plot isn't . There's also this shot of David which is actually from season 2 but I had to include it because in the original TUA pilot script, in which Klaus still has his telekinesis powers of the comic, this is how he is introduced -

GIF via @tvshowfeels

I know neither show created the floating in lotus pose thing, but I still thought it was a fun coincidence for two already somewhat similar characters.

Then we get to season 2, and David is warned that the apocalypse is coming by a time travelling version of Syd, who is trying to stop it. Syd doesn't say the exact cause of the apocalypse, just talks of a darkness that comes after David defeats Amal Farouk and says they need Farouk alive so that they prevent the apocalypse. So, we have an impending apocalypse due in the next week or so (we're not given an exact time frame but Syd says David killed Farouk in her timeline a week from now) with the main characters learning about from a time traveler, very much like TUA season 1.

We then find out the exact cause of the apocalypse in Future Syd's timeline, and that cause is David. So now you've got a main character being the cause of the apocalypse your characters are trying to stop, like Viktor in TUA.

Then, David's loved ones finding out how dangerous he truly can be, try to stop him - with Syd almost shooting him and then with Division 3 trapping him in an energy forcefield he supposedly can't escape...but he's more powerful than they think and he breaks free. By trying to lock him up to prevent him causing the apocalypse...they may have caused the apocalypse. If you switch the order of the escape and almost shooting and swap out the forcefield for a sound proof cell you've got Viktor's arc in the season 1 finale.

And lastly, before leaving Division 3 David teleports into Lenny's sell to free her and take her with him and I couldn't help but notice the number on the wall behind them.

Number Seven, just like Viktor. This being in Lenny's cell, I believe any symbolism about the number actually relates to her, not David, but it's still a wild coincidence. Also, David who has up until now always dressed in colour, is wearing all white. Viktor, in becoming the White Violin has his clothes turn white.

Maybe this why I found Legion on a list of shows to watch if you like TUA...

Also speaking of Lenny - this is the first time in the show we've spent significant time with her where she is actually herself and not a mask for Farouk and she, not David, is the Klaus Hargreeves of the show. There are actual character similarities between the two - both are queer addicts who are seen by many fans as genderfluid. Klaus is immortal and can speak to the dead and, while Lenny doesn't have powers she is resurrected after dying and she sees the ghost of Amy (or something akin to a ghost, it's not super clear). But aside from that, there's just an energy to the character that feels very Klaus to me? I don't know how to nail it down beyond that, she just has big Klaus energy.

Also, the outfit she wears in the desert is a Klaus Hargreeves ensemble if I ever saw one.

No one can play Klaus as well as Robert Sheehan does but I think Aubrey Plaza could come close if she were to try (honestly her performance in Legion makes me feel like she's wasted in so many deadpan roles).

Also as if I wrote this many words about similarities and parallels and somehow didn't mention the dance numbers.

Specifically, the dance battles...

Oh my God I cannot believe how long this post is. Even by my standards, this is wild...I don't know if even @soshadysoquiet will make it this far...

It's also just occurred to me maybe I should have waited until I watched season 3 before talking about all the parallels...too late now! 🙃