The last time we saw the Randa siblings in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, things were looking a bit grim. After meeting with Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell), they fled Japan for Alaska in search of their missing father. While there, they discovered proof that he was still alive but unfortunately ran into a dangerous Ice-breathing MUTO with their fates unknown. Meanwhile, in the past storyline, we found Lee Shaw’s (Wyatt Russell) deeper connection to Monarch. As it turns out, Shaw is one of its original founders, and we learned (from a guest appearance by Godzilla himself) how he helped secure government funding for expansion.
The mysteries are beginning to unravel, and we’re finally learning more about Monarch as a whole. We’re still a long way off from the militant force they are in the MonsterVerse films, so there’s still plenty to uncover, but I’m enjoying the monster-filled ride for now. Same deal as last time: Past and Present (2015, I know) are in their own respective sections. Let’s see what secrets we can uncover this week, shall we?
The Present:
The episode opens up in Utah, of all places, where we see a woman named Barnes (Jess Salgueiro) in a trailer out in the desert. It turns out she’s a researcher at “Outpost 47,” where a piece of equipment begins receiving a strange signal. She makes a call to an unknown party about her findings.
Back in Alaska, The Randa siblings (Anna Sawai and Ren Watabe), Lee Shaw, and May (Kiersey Clemons) come face to face with the ice-breathing Titan that killed their pilot, Du-Ho (Bruce Baek). When Kentaro comes within dangerous proximity of the Titan, he fires off a flare gun, distracting the monster just long enough for the group to take refuge inside nearby ice caverns. While there, May falls through some thin ice into the water below but has to stay quiet until the monster leaves.
The group heads out on foot, hoping to find food and shelter while avoiding the Titan. Lee suggests they head toward the coast, where they have a better chance of running into civilization, but then Kentaro brings up seeing a building as they were landing. While in the Alaskan hills, Cate notices a light in the distance. Lee, Cate, and May head for the light, but Kentaro is convinced that the structure he saw is closer. The group splits uu, agreeing to find help at their respective destinations.
Barnes contacts Monarch and reports her findings to them. She reveals massive radiation readings similar to a supermassive black hole. Monarch notes this, but Dr. Barnes quickly points out that they haven’t seen readings like this since right before G-Day. Something huge is looming on the horizon, and Monarch begins preparing for another potential disaster.
Cate, Lee, and May begin descending the hills when they realize they are back at Hiroshi’s abandoned tent. Unsure of how they ended up there, Lee explains that some Titans can affect and influence how humans perceive their environment, leading to confusion and misdirection. In the tent, Cate attempts to warm May with a fire when May asks Cate to contact her sister if anything happens to her. Lee and Cate burn Hiroshi’s files to stoke the fire when the Titan suddenly returns to consume the flames. Lee suggests making a trap that’ll cause a massive explosion.
Elsewhere, Kentaro begins to collapse from the cold and starts having hallucinations about May, his father, and his art gallery opening. Momentarily snapping himself out of these visions, he makes his way to an abandoned outpost where he confronts a vision of Hiroshi and the disappointment he feels as an artist and a son. As the visions disappear, he discovers evidence that suggests his father was using the outpost –—including a working radio.
After setting the trap for the Titan, Cate spots a helicopter. Trying to get its attention, she accidentally draws the Titan to them before Lee can ignite the trap. As they run for the landed helicopter, Lee sets off the explosion, which the Titan fully consumes instead of being destroyed. As Cate and May board the helicopter, they’re greeted by Kentaro, who reveals that he used the radio to call for help and learned that their father is still alive. Lee rushes to the helicopter, and they escape Alaska, leaving the Titan and outpost behind. When Lee picks up May’s laptop bag, he learns it has been destroyed, leaving them without a copy of the original Monarch files they threw into the ocean.
As the helicopter lands, the group is greeted by Tim and the rest of Monarch, much to their surprise.
The Past:
We flash back one year to Kentaro at his empty art gallery opening. His mother comes to offer words of encouragement and to inform him that his father is coming for a visit. He heads outside to take a photo of an advertisement for the show and accidentally snaps a photo of May as she walks by, resulting in a chance meeting. Immediately showing interest, he invites her out for a drink and abandons his art gallery. Kentaro gets her into an exclusive whiskey bar where he helped design the lighting. They sit at the bar and learn more about each other, though May wants to judge Kentaro based on his art and not the pretentious image he puts on. Taking her back to his personal gallery, she encourages him to be more authentic to himself, and they kiss, sparking a romance.
There is a lot less focus on the past in this episode. This one was setting up a lot of personal stakes rather than unveiling new secrets. We knew Kentaro and May had a romance, but we never knew how they met or about the relationship he had with his father. We also see Cate and Kentaro rely on each other, a far cry from their hostile interactions of the first few episodes. But now that Monarch has the group, what will come of them being together in one place, and what disaster is Monarch anticipating? I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.
Recommended Kaiju Film of the Week: Monster Hunter (2020)
From director Paul W.S. Anderson comes this underseen gem based on the wildly popular video game. Now hear me out: Monster Hunter is an absolute blast, and this week’s episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters somewhat reminded me of it. In Monster Hunter, Army Ranger Natalie Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her platoon get sucked into a storm that transports them into a world of massive monsters. Realizing their human weapons do little against them, they’re forced to adapt their methods in hopes of survival. In Monster Hunter and this week’s episode of Monarch, you get to see humans go toe to toe with massive monsters, which isn’t all that common. Monster Hunter is a grand ol’ time, even if it is a little unconventional.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is now streaming on Apple TV with new episodes every Friday. With Godzilla Minus One roaring into theaters this weekend and Godzilla x Kong on the way, it's a wonderful time to be a kaiju fan. Catch up on previous recaps right here and tune in next week for episode 5.
