David continues to struggle with the idea of helping the Shadow King, and developments at Division Three do not make things any easier.

Bonkers. If there is one word that one could playfully use to sum up Legion it would be that. But it’s not madness that is either random or impenetrable. Legion is smart TV that breaks down its deep themes and philosophical conundrums into easily digestible pieces, and serves them up in a dense dish – everything is laid out for you, if you only have the patience and the consistency of attention to drink it all in.

This week, the show skirts closer than it has done to date to the politics of the real world, the opening monologue positing questions about the reality created by the mind and what is and is not a ‘condition’ and accompanied by imagery including a recent and popular hashtag. It’s the nearest I’ve seen Legion so far to commenting on actual contemporary political events, and like a lot of the content, you have to be paying attention to spot it, and be thinking on the themes deeply to appreciate it.

At any rate, David is struggling with the concept of helping Farooq, and another conversation with the man doesn’t necessarily make that struggle any easier. Farooq raises intelligent and considered points, though his manner is as ever patronising. Lenny is also clearly increasingly unhappy with her current situation, but the Shadow King shows no signs of releasing her or being all that bothered by her discomfort. His main goal is the retrieval of his body, and it’s difficult to know – given who he is and what he has done to date – which parts of what he says are truthful and which are lies.

But it’s when David returns from this latest exchange where things get really odd. Division 3 is a mess, there is not a soul to be seen, and things have obviously gone south really badly. How bad only becomes apparent as he moves through and finds others. The question is whether he can do anything about it, and the conclusion of one of his friends as to what needs to be done conflicts obviously with what he wants to do, leaving once again more questions than answers.

If there’s one thing that always strikes me about Legion, aside from the intelligence of its scripting and the dazzling visuals, it’s the sound design, and this week’s instalment is a real aural treat. Perfectly picked out sounds emphasise the events around them, and the subtle use of certain different effects really helps. The sound of teeth chattering en masse which signifies the onset of the virus is as creepy as something so blandly banal can be, and it’s used to great effect here alongside many others.

Verdict: As ever, it’s a heady mix of psychological drama, philosophy and science-thriller, played out on a beautifully dark canvass and with a delicious soundtrack to accompany it. Bonkers it may be, but in the best possible way. 9/10

Greg D. Smith