Legion - Masculinity and #MeToo
*Heavy spoilers for Legion Season 2 ahead*
The second season of Noah Hawley’s innovative FX series Legion recently came to a close, and the season finale did not disappoint. The episode revealed some major twists and plot points that, while not entirely shocking, will certainly rattle the show’s cast of characters for seasons to come.
If you’re not watching Legion, you really should be. It is truly what a comic book adaptation should be, taking slight inspiration from its mutant-heavy source material while changing it enough to make the story feel fresh and unprecedented. Legion truly shines in its ability to pay homage to the comics form, crafting episodes that are often mind-bending and disorienting, but that also do a great deal of philosophizing as a result. Because protagonist David Haller’s powers often manifest themselves in the form of schizophrenic episodes, the show is able to touch on issues of mental health, and did so for much of its first and second season.
But a surprising moment in the season two finale introduced a new topic for the show to tackle, albeit one the show does not handle quite as effectively. When David’s love interest Syd discovers that David will one day turn evil and destroy the world, she tries to stop him in the present. David wipes her mind, however, allowing them to remain in love. The pair then proceeds to have sex with one another. When Syd’s memory is eventually restored by the Shadow King— the main antagonist in the series— she confronts David rather plainly: “you drugged me and then you had sex with me,” she says.
And she is right. David did take away her agency and then proceed to have sex with her. What he did is despicable, and quite honestly, it is a surprising decision for the show to burden its main character with something as awful as rape. If a show is going to include sexual assault as one of its key plot points, it better know what it's doing. In some ways, Legion does. It is at this very point that David shifts from being the hero of the series to, at the least, an antihero, or perhaps more apropos, the villain. What is key, however, is that David becomes more Magneto than Wolverine, more Red Hood than Batman. If David’s arc is similar to that of Walter White or Tony Soprano, the show will lose all credibility. We could buy into those men’s misdeeds because they were approached with a balance of skepticism and motivation. David, well he still raped someone, and it’s hard to be anything but skeptical about that.
After being confronted by Syd, David repeats to himself “I am a good person. I deserve love.” over and over and over. This line is incredibly effective, and gives me hope for the direction the series may move in future seasons. David’s words can be mapped quite nicely onto the common “not all men” refrain that we see tossed around on Twitter and other social medias. If Legion does allow itself to treat David as its antagonist of sorts, the series can therefore explore toxic masculinity, particularly as it relates to issues of sexual assault. This focus is especially intriguing in the context of a comics-based show, since superheroes have long been notoriously associated with toxic masculinity, whether it be through in-universe trauma, or real-world fandoms just being general assholes.
David is not completely wrong. We have seen him do some bad things throughout the series, but we know his intentions are good. He wants to save the world after all! What David, and so many men in our contemporary moment, do not understand is that being a “good guy” does not excuse bad and abusive behavior. And of course, such behavior can come in many different forms. What David does to Syd does not seem like rape in the traditional sense. She does consent. However, he has utilized his power (literally) to take advantage of her. So what David does is wrong, whether it may seem like that on the surface or not.
David’s actions reveal a systemic problem, one in which males feel entitled to sex regardless of a woman’s agency in such situations. David is no different than Oliver Stone, whose comments towards Patricia Arquette may not have seemed outright evil, but still revealed a clear power dynamic. David is Louis CK, who utilized his power and status to derive pleasure at several women’s expense. He is Aziz Ansari, who truly went about a date like any other man would, but still benefitted from a system that favors his satisfaction and comfort over that of a woman.
These men, and so many others (myself included) believe they are good. But to be good in a world that empowers you and limits so many others is not enough anymore. I’ve often grown frustrated, however, with Hollywood’s insistence upon erasing men outed by the #MeToo movement. Some (most?) are likely just as disrespectful and ignorant as their actions suggest, but change can only come from within. If men want to restore a healthy form of masculinity, it is men who must make it happen. That means men must critique their own behavior and that of other men. To expel a man altogether for what he has done wrong is to falsely rid yourself of any wrongdoing, any complicity in such actions. Instead, we must work to reform ourselves and our institutions. Most importantly, we must listen to women, sharing and empowering their stories along the way.
And it is here that I hope Legion can use its new narrative ground to truly make a statement. Legion has not expelled David for his actions. He is still at the core of this show, allowing him the opportunity to reflect and grow, and hopefully come to understand Syd more along the way. This responsibility is not solely David’s however. It is Noah Hawley’s, and even ours as viewers. Rachel Keller kills it as Syd in Legion, but her character can often be relegated to experiencing trauma solely for David’s own growth. The show must develop her further, empowering her own story and her own experiences, and we as viewers must consider her perspective as we continue along what will likely still be David’s journey.
It may be difficult for characters or viewers to forgive David for what he has done, but what are we if we cannot consider the human capacity for change and remorse? Legion now finds itself in dangerous territory, but with the right psychedelic rock songs, nondiegetic interludes, and well-written characters, it just might emerge as a key part of our current moment.
Until next time,
Cory Reid