Sean Bean is back on TNT’s Legends on Nov. 2, and having had the opportunity to the watch preview screeners for the first 3 episodes, I’ll say this - this is the show that I wish had premiered last season. The show’s producers apparently took to heart criticism of what was often a disjointed, tonally uneven first season and gave it a complete reboot.
Gone are the case-of-the-week terrorism plots. Gone are the annoyingly too frequent midscene flashbacks. Gone is the FBI headquarters with the big screens and office politics. In fact, gone are almost all of the first-season cast, at least from what I’ve seen so far. All of these changes help to make this a much smoother, emotional storyline of a group of characters (with Bean’s character Martin Odum in the center, of course) tied together by events from 14 years prior. The common theme among their stories seems to be dealing with demons of the past.
Whereas last season the show’s tone often flipped wildly from episode to episode, this season feels much more even. This is a very character-driven season with an ensemble feel, as we jump among several interconnected storylines and slowly learn clues to the central question of the show, which is who is Martin Odum … really. The question of Odum’s identity was central to season one too, but whereas last season the emphasis was more on the plot twists, this season, the more compelling angle is the emotional weight the characters carry.
Odum, on the run in London after being framed for the murder of the FBI director, and learning he used to be British secret intelligence, is alone and searching the faces of every stranger, hoping that a face will trigger a memory. Helping him on his journey is Tony Rice (Morris Chestnut), a sympathetic friend from last season.
Running in tandem to the current day events is the storyline of events from 2001, when Odum was working a case for British MI6, during which he assumed the legend of a violent Russian criminal. Events of the past are interwoven with events of the present as we slowly learn more about all of the characters and the history they’ve struggled with for 14 years.
Last season I was critical of the lack of the depth in the writing for much of the cast. I have no worries of that being an issue this season. The characterization is much richer and evenly distributed among what is impressing me as a strong supporting cast. Joining Bean and Chestnut are Winter Ave Zoli (Sons of Anarchy), Steve Kazee (Shameless), Aisling Franciosi (The Fall), Kelly Overton (True Blood), Klara Issova (Crossing Lines) and Ralph Brown (Agent Carter).
Some people might find the pace a little slow. I don’t so far, but I like character-driven shows. With a well-written story, I find each episode pulls you in a little more.
I’m guessing the big question on the minds of many people who skipped or dropped last season is do they need to watch season one to follow along with this season. In my opinion, no. There are a few plot points that tie back to last season: Odum’s memory has been scrambled by an accident and too many legends, he’s on the run from the FBI, he left a family behind, and he’s led a very colorful past. But all of that is addressed in the first episode. I don’t expect anyone starting new would have a problem following along. In fact, I’d recommend not watching season one if you haven’t already, as it may give you the wrong idea of what you should expect in season two.
I will be writing either previews or reviews this season. Please come and chat about the show with me in the comments. I’d love to hear what you’re thinking!
