Chapter 2

**"Chapter 2"** is the second episode of the first season of *Legion*, and second episode overall.

## Synopsis

David reflects on his past with the help of new friends

## Plot

When David arrives at Summerland he collapses into Cary Loudermilk's arms. The high concentration of powerful mutants in one place was making David sick and confining him to a bed, while hundreds of voices yelled and spoke in his head. Melanie sat next to him explaining that David's "symptoms" of schizophrenia were actually his mutant powers, specifically telepathy. She taught David how to use his telepathy allowing him to finally gain some peace from the voices. Syd was in the room while all of this occurred. After Melanie left Sydney went to David to see how he was doing.

The next day David and Syd go see Melanie and Ptonomy about beginning David's memory work. Ptonomy is a memory artist which allows him and whoever he chooses to go back through a person's memories. Using this ability Melanie, David and Ptonomy are able to look back through David's life and see that every instance of mental illness was just his powers and also gain a better understanding of what triggers them. Sydney waits in the room to give David comfort but does not go into the memories herself.

Ptonomy takes David back to his childhood. David is shocked by how real it is. Ptonomy coaches him saying the first time is about taking it in and accepting it’s real. He then tells David to think of this as a museum of himself. They can go wherever he wants. They explore his memories of planting with his mother and star gazing with his father. David reveals that his father died the year before and Clockworks wouldn't release him to attend the funeral. However things begin to go south as they observe Mr. Haller reading young David a bed time story. David is unable to see Mr. Haller's face and becomes frustrated. Ptonomy tells him to remember how it felt to be in his bed. David then takes the place of young David in the bed but is still unable to see his Dad’s face and instead listens to the horrifying bedtime story called The World's Angriest Boy in the World, a picture book about a boy who beheads his mother for trying to send him to bed. The room begins to shake and David panics waking up from the memory in a hysterical state. Syd tries to reassure him that it’s okay but David only becomes more agitated and he begins clawing at the windows demanding to leave. To calm him, Ptonomy puts him to sleep.

David then wakes up in another room of Summerland with Ptonomy sitting near by. Ptonomy comforts him by saying the first time was always the hardest and that Syd threw up. He then offers David some milk. Ptonomy then says that he needs to do talk work with Melanie to figure out what it all means and that Melanie thinks David is the key to winning the war. David expresses how impressive Ptonomy is. Ptonomy then tells David about his father as well as his memories of the womb before abruptly changing the subject to the book, The World’s Angriest Boy in the World. David says he doesn’t remember it but Ptonomy retorts that the memories seemed very clear. He then sympathizes with David that his parents read that to him. David says he doesn't want to talk about it. Miffed, Ptonomy says that he's just the memory guy and not the talk guy. He then stands to leave and tells David to take his time getting up as the first time is always the worst.

That evening Sydney finds David outside sitting on a swing and joins him. David then confides in Syd that he doesn't believe the memory work is helping. Syd tells him that she felt the same way when she began memory work.  All she wanted to do was find David but it did help and David should give it time.  Syd then changes the subject to her experience as being David.  She says that everything in the dayroom was extremely loud and something else was there.  She then apologizes for accidentally killing Lenny.  David tells her it wasn't her fault.  Syd continues saying that both Summerland and Division 3 heard it when she used his powers and Summerland took her thinking she was David.  David then expresses his desire to hug Syd and she replies that they can't.  Suggests they hold hands but Sydney reveals that it's extremely uncomfortable for her even with the gloves.  The closer she gets to someone the stronger an anxious feeling grows.  She described it as similar to being covered in ants.  David then scoots away from her and says they're having a romance of the mind to try and make her feel better.  Sydney likes this.

The next day Melanie, Ptonomy, and David continue with the memory work. Sydney sits in the same room as them to provide David comfort but does not go into his memory. They watch a memory of David attending a session with Dr. Poole, David's old therapist, where David re-accounts why Philly, David's ex-girlfriend, finally ended their relationship, while leaving out key details. During the conversation there is a glitch. Next they look at a memory of Lenny and David selling a kitchen range to the Greek for drugs. They then get high in his apartment and when David looks over at Lenny he instead sees the Devil with the Yellow Eyes. Ptonomy pauses the memory and Melanie asks David about what he sees. David is reluctance to say, excusing it as stuff you see when you're high or a symptom of schizophrenia however Melanie refuses to believe this.

Ptonomy changes the subject to the glitch in the previous memory and asks David what occurred there. Melanie tells him it's important that he remembers and shows them everything. David protests that he's trying to remember everything and not inhibiting his therapy. He even suggests that he was distracted but Ptonomy retorts that even if David was distracted the surrounding memory would have been intact. Melanie reassures David that they'll find the truth together before having Ptonomy fix the glitch. In the completed scene the trio to sees a brief image of David in a kitchen with millions of objects floating around him. Ptonomy asks David if he saw the image but David says he didn't see anything. Ptonomy asks David to concentrate and try but David only apologizes and says he doesn't know. Melanie reassures David and Ptonomy asks him to make his mind blank in order to get them to the memory. However Ptonomy isn't able to bring the group to the kitchen scene but back to David's childhood bedroom. Ptonomy is unsure of why this happened and tries to bring the group back to the kitchen but is unable to change the memory. Ptonomy, becoming increasingly frustrated, says David's too strong. David continues to say it isn't him and Melanie replies by saying that he needs to trust them. The door then slams as the room begins the shake violently causing The World's Angriest Boy in the World book to fall off the shelf and David to become terrified again.

After the session Syd tries to learn from Melanie about what occurred in the memory work but is unable to.  She then talks to David admitting she spoke with Melanie but she wouldn't tell Syd what happened. David brushes it off as kid stuff. Syd expresses her concern that David isn't happy at Summerland but David reassures her it is as long as they're safe. He then reads Syd's thoughts that she'd protect him if they weren't.

Later, in an attempt to discover where David's memories are stored, Cary Loudermilk places him into an MRI machine, while at the same time conversing with Kerry Loudermilk, who David was not aware of at the time. Before starting, Cary stated that David had an extremely large amygdala, and that he should think about someone he loves. During the scan David hears a woman calling his name but Cary and Kerry say that no one was calling his name. David realizes it's his sister he can hear and it isn't a memory. David then watches as Amy attempts to ask a Clockwork employee for her brother however the employee replies that David Haller was never a patient there nor was Dr. Kissinger a doctor at Clockworks. David sees Walter and Division 3 coming up behind his sister and calls out to her right before she's taken.

Back in the lab during this experience, David's brain lights up due to neural activity. Cary asks what happened as he had never seen anything like this before. David tells him he heard his sister and Cary tells David not to move and exits the room in a hurry. Now alone, David begins to panic and The Devil with the Yellow eyes appears terrifying David who is trapped in the MRI machine. As his fear builds to a climax he is suddenly laying on the floor of the lab the MRI machine no where in sight. As it turns out, he teleported it outside. Melanie discovers the teleported machine giving proof to her theory that he's the key to winning the war.

David prepared to leave the others and rescue Amy, but Syd persuades him to stay and further develop his powers through the memory work. David is concerned that Division 3 will kill his sister, but Sydney assures him they won't because she is the bait.

## Cast

* Rachel Keller as Sydney Barrett
* Aubrey Plaza as Lenny Busker
* Bill Irwin as Cary Loudermilk
* Jeremie Harris as Ptonomy Wallace
* Amber Midthunder as Kerry Loudermilk
* Katie Aselton as Amy Haller
* Jean Smart as Melanie Bird

Guest Starring* Scott Lawrence as Henry Poole
* Eddie Jamison as The Greek
* Camille Mitchell as Dr. Bates
* Quinton Boisclair as Devil With The Yellow Eyes
* Ellie Araiza as Philly
* Daniel Kailin as Asian Teenager
* Lillian Lim as The Monk
* Tatyana Forrest as David's Mother
* Dario Giordani as David's Father
* Edie Hennessy as Amy (8-10 yrs)
* Christian Convery as David (4 yrs)
* Luke Roessler as David (8-10 yrs)
* Kirby Morrow as Large Man Karl

## Gallery

### Videos

Legion 1x02 Promo 2 "Chapter 2" (HD)Legion 1x02 Promo "Chapter 2" (HD) This Season On Legion Trailer
## References

1. ↑ Legion - Episode 1.02 - Chapter 2 - Promos & Press Release