Noah Hawley received the opportunity to create the first television series connected to the “X- Men” film universe for FX after his stellar first season of “Fargo.” Just as he has done expanding the “Fargo” universe in a distinctive way, Hawley is putting that same energy into “Legion.”

David Haller (Dan Stevens, “Beauty & The Beast”) has always been looked down on for being “crazy.” He was diagnosed as schizophrenic as a child and had been in and out different psychiatric facilities all of his life. Giving in to the structured and routine lives they supply patients with at Clockwork Psychiatric Hospital alongside his alcoholic friend Lenny (Aubrey Plaza, “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”), David accepts his condition and his life for what they are. David’s perception on life really shakes up when he meets Syd (Rachel Keller, “Fargo”), a beautiful, and equally strange, new patient that shows David all of the voices he hears and visions he sees may not be in his head after all.

This series is based on the Marvel Comics character created by Chris Claremont and Bill Sienkiewicz during their “New Mutants” run. The duo, particularly Claremont, was able to introduce deeper and more complex themes into comic book narratives making the X- Men one of the most popular series Marvel offered at the time. It seems that Hawley is unconsciously applying this to the FX series.

“Legion” is not a traditional superhero show. Haller having to deal with mental illness roots this character more closely with reality. Combining schizophrenia with superpowers opens up so many doors to the unimaginable.

Simply put, there is nothing else like “Legion” on television. It is bonkers at all times.

Like “Fargo” was, “Legion” is a visual feast, incorporating a distinct 1960s look within modern-day settings and displaying the mutants’ abilities in stylized ways all while balancing David’s narrative. The visuals go hand-in-hand with the storytelling, Noah Hawley even said he does not want the viewer to fully believe David all of the time. He is schizophrenic and it is part of the journey to decipher his illusions from his reality.

Hawley deserves a lot of credit here, he had to take a character that the masses might not be familiar with and create a series that somewhat connects to the X- Men film universe, while being able to be its own standalone series. It is a hard task to do but just like how he was able to take the Coen Brothers’ “Fargo” and make it an exciting world to explore, he seemingly does it with ease for the X- Men.

The pilot for “Legion” set up a lot for this series, while also making a very wild first impression. It is extremely rare to watch something that is so weird and feels so fresh and it is even more rare when that first episode ends and the viewer has absolutely no clue what is going to happen next.

A superhero show that has blended elements from horror, the fashion palette of the 1960s, a dark sense of humor and brightly colored, visually celebrated action scenes may not be what anyone was asking for, but it is the outsider television needed.