Chapter 24 (Legion)
David seeks Switch, killing to save her.
"Chapter 24" is the fifth episode of Legion's third season, a surrealist superhero thriller series on FX. It aired on July 15, 2019, and was written by co-executive producer Olivia Dufault and producer Ben H. Winters, with direction by Arkasha Stevenson. In this installment, David Haller pursues Switch to rescue her from Division 3, willing to kill anyone who stands in his way.
The plot begins with Daniel Debussy traveling in a van under Vermillion protection. David intercepts them, kills the Vermillion, and erases Daniel's memories to locate Switch, learning she is on an airship. David then returns to his cult, where Lenny—affected by time demons—blames him for her own misfortunes and the death of her child, refusing his plans to change the past and fatally stabbing herself in the abdomen. On the airship, Division 3 places Switch in a hibernation chamber and, over Farouk's objections, elevates the ship into space to prevent David's teleportation. Farouk telepathically provokes David, who infiltrates the ship with his cultists, killing most soldiers and throwing Clark out of an airlock. David finds Syd, who swaps bodies with him after acknowledging Farouk's manipulation. In David's body, Syd distracts cultists for Kerry, but David's alternate versions—calling themselves "Legion"—take control, wipe Syd's memories, and restore David. He reaches Switch, but Farouk stops him; Switch wakes and sends Farouk through a doorway to the 1970s. Disturbed by David's killings, Switch nonetheless agrees to join his new plan to undo everything.
For production, the episode was announced in June 2019 as the season's fifth, directed by Arkasha Stevenson and written by Olivia Dufault and Ben H. Winters. This marked Dufault's third writing credit, Winters' first, and Stevenson's first directing credit.
In its original U.S. broadcast, Nielsen Media Research reported 0.288 million household viewers and a 0.1 ratings share among adults 18–49, a slight increase from the prior episode's 0.277 million viewers.
Critics praised the episode highly. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 100% approval rating, averaging 8/10 from five reviews. Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club awarded a "B," noting Switch's allegiance as fascinating. Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave four stars, expressing trust in Noah Hawley's handling of time travel. Kevin Lever of Tell Tale TV gave 4.5 stars, calling the episode a bol
- Series
- Legion
- Season
- 3
- Episode
- 5
- Title
- Chapter 24
- Air date
- July 15, 2019
- Network
- FX
- Writers
- Olivia Dufault, Ben H. Winters
- Director
- Arkasha Stevenson
Lore & Background
In the episode, Daniel Debussy is traveling in a van protected by Vermillion. David intercepts the van, kills the Vermillion, and erases Daniel's memories to find the location of Switch, learning she is on the airship. David returns to his cult, killing many when he cannot find Lenny. Lenny, affected by time demons, blames David for her own misfortunes and the death of her child, then stabs herself in the abdomen and dies. On the airship, Division 3 places Switch in a hibernation chamber and decides to send the airship to outer space to prevent David from reaching her. Farouk telepathically provokes David into finding their location. David and his cultists infiltrate the airship, killing most soldiers, and David throws Clark out of an airlock. David finds Syd, who claims she still loves him and swaps bodies with him. Syd, in David's body, distracts cult
Reader's Guide
"Chapter 24" is a pivotal episode in Legion's third season, advancing the central conflict between David Haller and Division 3. The episode was directed by Arkasha Stevenson in her first directing credit and written by Olivia Dufault and Ben H. Winters. According to Nielsen Media Research, it was seen by an estimated 0.288 million household viewers and gained a 0.1 ratings share among adults 18–49, a slight increase from the previous episode. The episode received critical acclaim, with a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on five reviews. Critics praised the performances, pacing, narrative, and conflicting nature of the characters. Alex McLevy of The A.V. Club gave it a "B" grade, noting Switch's allegiance as fascinating. Nick Harley of Den of Geek gave it 4 out of 5 stars, expressing concern about time travel but crediting the show's complexity. Kevin Lever of Tell Tale TV gave it 4.5 out of 5 stars, calling it a bold move that leaves the sky as the limit for what comes next.
Did You Know?
- The episode was written by co-executive producer Olivia Dufault and producer Ben H. Winters.
- It was directed by Arkasha Stevenson, her first directing credit.
- The episode was seen by an estimated 0.288 million household viewers.
- Rotten Tomatoes reported a 100% approval rating for the episode based on 5 reviews.
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