Eye-opening sci-fi thriller has intrigue, scary visuals.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
The secret war David's involved in has high stakes -- he might be suddenly killed by evil agents. He tries to commit suicide by hanging himself with a lamp cord. Soldiers carry machine guns while trying to rout out mutants; characters are injured by objects moved by telekenesis: a pen flies up and sticks deep into a man's jaw. Many visions involve violence and creepy images: criminals through burning trash cans through a glass window, a woman is knocked to the floor, a man hides in a bush and peers out menacingly. A dead character returns in ghostly visions. Dead bodies are shown onscreen.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.
A teen drinks a beer; it's implied that he's trying to deal with the voices he hears in his head. David refers several times to psychiatric medications, which don't seem to help him.
Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.
This story is connected to a larger comic book mythology -- expect characters from other comics adaptations to show up.
Positive Role Models
a little
David tries to be noble, but he's a confused man -- he doesn't understand his powers or what he's wrapped up in. Syd is courageous but disabled due to her particular superpower. Both of them try to do the right thing, they're just not always sure what that is.
Positive Messages
very little
Positive messages are few and far between: viewers may come away thinking medical professionals and government agents are not to be trusted. Much of the series takes place in a mental hospital, which looks frightening and ghoulish. Women are given strong roles; but characters of color are sparse to nonexistent.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Legion is a gripping sci-fi series about a young man who believes he's mentally ill but actually has super powers. Much of the series takes place in a mental hospital, which has creepy medical professionals and drooling patients. Doctors and nurses loom, push pills, hold patients down and deliver shots, all of which could scare young kids. Shadowy agents talk casually about killing the show's main character, David, and at one point he attempts suicide himself, hanging himself from an appliance cord. Soldiers with machine guns hunt down mutants; objects fly around when a character with telekinesis gets angry, and injure people (one bad guy gets an ink pen stuck through his cheek). Dead bodies are shown onscreen. Characters kiss, and there are vulgar words for body parts and bodily functions, as well as occasional cursing: "Holy s--t!" A teen drinks beer to deal with his stress; many patients talk about and take psychiatric medications.
Unique Creative Story, but Surprise Scenes of Gratuitous Vioence, Nudity, Sex & Horror
Beware of the other reviews going around about how much sex this show has. There are many scenes that play more than once throughout the show. There's many suggestive scenes that show the female lead character in lingerie, and in a white room where the male and female lead character go to have sex throughout the show. It does not always show this, but is suggested and sometimes you'll flashes of both male and female buttocks and other skin areas. Another scene, there's extended view of female buttocks and also a female showering showing suggestive body parts in slow motion. There's a sex scene that plays more than once throughout the show.
The overall story is gripping and exciting, however frightening imagery is interwoven throughout the show including jump scares and horror build ups. This show should be for those 18 and up.
Drug scenes are also interwoven throughout the show.
If anyone has issues with mental health, psychiatric disabilities or any kind of mental disorder, or suicidal tendencies, then avoid watching this show.
Within some episodes, lenny is very sexually seductive. There is a scene where David and Synday finish having sex and Sydneys bare naked and shows her butt. Lenny's butt and shown. There is a scene in season 2 where lenny and another girl are having sex with each other. There is another scene where David is shown having sex in bed with thrusting. There are many sexually provocative things within the show. Also, Lenny and some are characters are druggies so it shows them getting high and many scenes.
What's the Story?
In the sci-fi drama LEGION, David Haller (Dan Stevens) is a young man who's spent most of his life in a mental institution, told that the voices he hears in his head are schizophrenia. But no matter what the doctors say, Haller can't shake the feeling there's more going on than just hallucinations. When he gets angry, objects fly through the air and people get hurt. What's more, he suspects he's not the only one with a little more than normal human abilities -- fellow patient Syd Barrett (Rachel Keller) also has a special talent, one that has to do with her hatred of being touched. When the two pair up and begin to realize just what they are -- and that there are people out there that mean to do them harm -- they're launched into a terrifying new reality.
Cinematic, creepy, beautiful, and bizarre, this hallucinatory series may be both the best superhero show on the air and the best X-Men iteration yet. Beset by visions and (true?) delusions, Stevens is a bewildering, yet sympathetic character who makes it easy to imagine: What if it were me caught in an elaborate plot designed to rout out those who are different? As he attempts to ferret out the truth through dreams, confused memories, and communiques from ghosts and fellow mutants, we're just happy to be along for the ride.
Trippy visuals are just part of the pleasure here -- the costume designer is clearly having a wonderful time coming up with off-kilter 1960s outfits, and everything's lit in bloody red or eerie yellow. When David has a telekinetic fit, every tool in an office flies through the air to the dreamy strains of Jane's Addiction. Of course, if you've ever watched an X-Men movie you're one up on David, and know why he's being persecuted and just what he's up against -- but mesmerized viewers won't be able to stop themselves from binging on one more episode of Legion to find out what happens next.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how often fantasy and science fiction are ways to talk about tough real-world issues. Does the acceptance of the unreal make it easier to discuss the real? What real-world evils are represented by the agents who are hunting David and his fellow mutants in Legion?
What time period is the show set in? How can you tell? How does a show communicate its setting in costumes, styling, stage dressing?
What's the difference between science-fiction series and movies? What types of stories can be told in a movie vs. episodically on television? Which do you prefer?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
