Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series) Legion (2003) User Reviews

Marcus Aurelius, The Pied Piper

[ccthemovieman-1 · 9/10 · 29 December 2006]

This is a pretty dramatic opening as a father goes looking for his kid, confronts some older kids over the whereabouts of his boy and then has his throat slashed in front of his kid! He is then dumped into a freshly-dug grave. His little boy also has his throat slashed and is dumped on top of his father (that is tastefully not shown). The man, who is not dead, digs his way out (not seen either) and then staggers out in the street and is run over by a motorist.

Goren quickly deduces the man was buried alive and escaped. What is this twin-killing all about?

Goren and Eames have a hard time tracking down leads as the wife/mother isn't talking, obviously too scared of someone. Nobody in the Hispanic neighborhood, from the kid's friends to adults, are talking, either.

It looks like someone named "Jo-Jo" has some spell over the neighborhood kids. It also appears he's using the kids to steal $15,000 bicycles all over the city. What's the hold he has on these kids and the rest of the neighborhood and how can he be proved guilty?

Paul Calderon gives a creepy performance as "Jo-Jo." This was another solid show and should be a warning to parents to keep a closer eye on their kids.

To Be True

[pepper_f · 9/10 · 22 March 2022]

Legion is one of the better episodes in this season and it nearly comes close to being the best. The theme and overall villain is one that's pretty interesting and could've been easily over-the-top (thankfully, it was not like that). The plot is pretty good and I did like the fact that they had a hard time trying to get information in this episode which made it all the more interesting. I do feel that perhaps maybe the ending was a tad overdone but it does feel realistic and not contrived.

Overall, "Legion" is a pretty good episode that nearly comes close to being the best.

Deadly legion

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 30 April 2020]

"Legion" is another one of those episodes for any show with a subject that could have gone either way in execution. It could either have been a very creepy and twisty episode that makes one be put off even further by legions and cult followings and one even more freaked out by brainwashing. Or it could have been a weird, over-the-top and unintentionally silly one with beggaring belief dialogue and cartoonish villainy. Was really hoping it would be the former, but knew that it could easily fall into the latter.

On the most part, "Legion's" execution of this subject leans towards the former thankfully. It is not one of the best of 'Law and Order: Criminal Intent'. It isn't even one of the best of the second season. It is an interesting episode though that does most things right, while also flawed in other areas with it not completely escaping any problems it would have had if going more the problematic latter route as mentioned earlier.

As said, not everything works. The plotting later on could have done with more clarity, which would have been the case if the episode tried to do a little bit less.

Was not crazy either about the more stoic dialogue, which was even more over the top than thought (a character comparing themselves to Marco Aurelius, really?). It was rambling, unintentionally bizarre, self-indulgent (even for the character in question) and not always easy to take seriously in my humble view.

Mostly though, the portrayal of the legion is quite freaky and Jojo is a character one doesn't want to mess with. "Legion" started off brilliantly and quite brutal and the ending also satisfies immensely with an outcome that one roots for from the start. With anything being wrapped up too neatly of course. The story is not perfect but compels, has a creepy atmosphere and has enough non-obvious twists and turns to keep one on their toes. The script is great outside of the stoic dialogue, everything with the investigation is constantly intriguing and at times quirky to balance out the seriousness.

Goren and Eames work so well together (they always did, even in episodes where there could have been a more equal balance between the two), by far to me the show's best pairing, and Goren is one of the franchise's most interesting lead characters (just love his edge and unpredictable neuroses, that can be very entertaining). Have no fault with Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe, while Paul Calderon makes the skin crawl, in a good way, as Jojo. The episode looks good and is appropriately scored, with sometimes deliberate but never dreary direction.

In conclusion, very solid episode despite reservations with some of the dialogue and the odd story imperfection later on. 8/10