History Series / Legends

''Legends'' is a 2014 ConspiracyThriller TV series [[FilmOfTheBook based on Robert Littell's novel of the same title]], developed by the showrunner of ''Series/{{Homeland}}'' developer Howard Gordon. Martin Odum (Creator/SeanBean) is an undercover FBI operative with several well-developed aliases (the titular legends) and uncanny ability to stay in character under pressure. However, the stress of his work causes him to assault a random hobo... who tells him, in very specific terms, that "Martin Odum" is another alias, and that he shouldn't trust anyone.

** CommutingOnABus: Morris Chestnut, who plays Tony Rice, is credited as a special guest star in three season 2 episodes.

The show's second season saw a complete revision of the series format despite retaining its original continuity, as the episodes now focus on Martin laying low in London trying to delve deeper into solving the mystery of his true identity, interspersed with several other storylines centered around a legend that he once personified back in 2001, and a few people that he interacted with while undercover, as well as some occasional flashbacks to his youth.

* AnachronicOrder: The stories in season 2 alternate between the present day and 14 years ago, during the time of the Dmitry Petrovich legend, as well as flashbacks centered on a particular character. A prime example is that we see [[spoiler:Curtis Ballard kill himself in 2015 ''before'' the incident which cost him his left leg]].

* AnachronicOrder: The stories in season 2 alternate between the present day and during the time of the Dmitry Petrovich legend, as well as flashbacks centered on a particular character.

* FourLinesAllWaiting: Every new scene in Season 2 includes a shift in either location, time period, central character, or any combination of the three.

** CommutingOnABus: Morris Chestnut, who plays Tony Rice, is credited as a special guest star in several season 2 episodes.

* AmnesiacHero: Martin has a whole lot of gaps in his memory which somehow never hinder his abilities as an FBI undercover agent.

* BaldBlackLeaderGuy: Nelson Gates, DaChief of the Division of Covert Operations.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler: Curtis Ballard]] shoots himself after Martin is snatched right out of his grasp when he'd finally caught him after fourteen years.

* FakeMemories: Gates claims that the Iraq photo Odum found has been doctored, and that Odum was in a car accident stateside when the photo was taken. [[spoiler: He's lying to protect Odum after Operation Raining Fire]].
** LaserGuidedAmnesia: Odum can't remember anything that happened before 2004.

** Line A follows Martin as he tries to uncover his own mystery, with a little help from Tony.

* LostInCharacter: Martin's main problem as an undercover agent is how easily he slips into a legend, and how progressively difficult it becomes for him to return to being Martin Odum, FBI agent. Then, to further complicate matters, he learns that even Martin Odum is a legend...
* MsFanservice: Season 1 has Crystal [=McGuire=], Martin's handler, played by Ali Larter.

* WigDressAccent: With the exception of the "wig" part, Odum relies on the other two, slipping into his "legend" personas during an expository monologue for his team.

** Line B centers on Kate Crawford, a teenage girl in London who is struggling with an identity crisis after learning of her true heritage.
** Line C is focused on Curtis Ballard, an FBI agent who was previously involved in investigating Dmitry Petrovich.

The show's second season saw a complete revision of the series format despite retaining its original continuity, as the episodes now focus on Martin laying low in London trying to dive deeper into the mystery of his true identity, interspersed with several other storylines centered around a legend that he once personified back in 2001, and a few people that he interacted with while undercover, as well as some occasional flashbacks to his youth.

* AmnesiacHero: Martin has a whole lot of gaps in his memory, which somehow never hinders his abilities as an FBI undercover agent.

* FakeMemories: Gates claims that the Iraq photo Odum found has been doctored, and that Odum was in a car accident stateside when the photo was taken. [[spoiler: He's lying to protect Odum after Operation Raining Fire.]]

* WigDressAccent: With the exception of the "wig" part, Odum relies on the other two, slipping into his "legend" personas during an expository monologue for his team.

''Legends'' is a 2014 ConspiracyThriller TV series [[FilmOfTheBook based on Robert Littell's novel of the same title]], developed by the showrunner of ''Series/{{Homeland}}'' Howard Gordon. Martin Odum (Creator/SeanBean) is an undercover FBI operative with several well-developed aliases (the titular legends) and uncanny ability to stay in character under pressure. However, the stress of his work causes him to assault a random hobo... who tells him, in very specific terms, that "Martin Odum" is another alias, and that he shouldn't trust anyone.

* FakeAmerican: ZigZaggedTrope in regard to Odum.

* MythArc: from episode 5 onwards, the series focus on Odum's amnesia and what led to it.

* WigDressAccent: with the exception of the "wig" part, Odum relies on the other two, slipping into his "legend" personas during an expository monologue for his team.

* ShoutOut: In the "Identity" episode, Martin discovers that he has an infrared tattoo on his arm reading 02TH-X11-38C3, a reference to ''Film/{{THX 1138}}''.

* ShoutOut: In the "Identity" episode, Martin discovers that he has an infrared tattoo on his arm reading 02TH-X11-38C3 a reference to ''Film/{{THX 1138}}''.