No matter what role she’s in, Aubrey Plaza has had a knack for stealing the show with her dry, witty humor that has spanned various mediums. From her early days on Parks and Recreation to her energetic debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Agatha All Along, Plaza has proved that she’s more than a side character; she’s the reason to tune in.
Where everyone loves her role as Rio Vidal in Agatha All Along, many may not know she was the highlight of an equally strange and beloved Marvel show titled Legion. Created by Noah Hawley and airing on FX, Legion followed the life of David Haller, aka Legion, the powerful son of Professor Charles Xavier, leader of the X-Men. While he was the focus, he didn’t act alone, as the three-season series had Aubrey Plaza’s Lenny Busker by his side in some capacity.
Lenny Busker was a tragic character who dealt with drug addiction, prostitution, and committing various criminal acts before finding solace in her friend, David, where they shared a strong, yet toxic, friendship. Sadly, their bond didn’t save her from a particularly gruesome death of being trapped in a wall after a Mutant event caused her bloody demise. From there, her consciousness lived on with the show’s villain, the Shadow King, who used her to manipulate David before she was given a new body, thanks to the unwilling sacrifice of David’s sister.
The first two seasons of Legion had Lenny play the victim, hero and villain in many ways. But what made her the best character of the series was her decisions in Season 3 that finally saw her be in control of her own decisions. That ending helped showcase Plaza’s range over three seasons as she embraced the Alice in Wonderland-like whimsy of the show. But this was all a mask to hide how her character was in constant pain due to her lack of autonomy.
Compared to Agatha All Along, there’s still much that is unknown about her ties to Agatha, but much like Lenny and David, she was clearly a huge part of Agatha’s life at some point. More importantly, there’s an air of mystery to her that is similar to Lenny as both characters appear in a series with a more well-known name yet play a key role in the events without the audiences realizing. Though much of that can be owed to how well Plaza handles as scene and has audiences hanging on her every word.
Both Rio and Lenny are characters that, even if they’re inspired by other established characters, are still wholly original and allow Plaza’s personality to breathe life into the role and become one of the biggest talking points of both shows. When factoring in other shows and movies about superheroes, an original character stealing the show is almost unheard of.
That said, Legion isn’t as well-known to the average fan of Marvel shows but the series is still a standout that is incredibly rewatchable. While it may not make the most sense during an initial watch, Plaza’s Lenny Busker is the perfect character to cling to, as she’s fun and energetic and makes the overall weirdness of the show palatable. Then, when her character reaches her end, it represents her growth and also how much things have changed since Season 1. With that in mind, Lenny’s character perfectly balances the structure of Legion the same way that her character in Agatha All Along does because, ultimately, nothing makes sense until the end.
Make sure to catch Aubrey Plaza in Agatha All Along on Disney+.
