Monarch: Legacy of Monsters hits Apple TV+ next month, but we’ve had the chance to check out a few episodes and can tell you it rules a ridiculous amount.
The Monsterverse expands onto the small screen this November with the debut of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. During NYCC 2023, fans were treated to a special screening of the premiere episode, which also means I can finally tell you I’ve been able to watch the first half of the season already and am absolutely in love with it.
There are so many ways this series could have gone. From the outset, it could have easily been a simple “monster of the week” format with Godzilla battling different Titans. What we get instead, is far more subtle/nuanced, but opens up the Monsterverse in some expected ways while still providing gripping television.
In fact, I’d caution people to avoid thinking of this purely as a “Godzilla” show. While he’s a big presence (in both sense) and serves as a major influence on the story/character motivations…the show isn’t really about him. As the title implies, the focus is on the inner workings of the secretive Monarch agency itself and how Godzilla’s existence brought about its formation and what they’ve been doing ever since.
As such, Legacy of Monsters isn’t packed with rampaging monsters battling it out episode after episode. Something that my monster-loving self would have totally been down with. Instead, the show actually comes off as more of a Cloak-and-Dagger style mystery thriller. On the surface, that may not sound as engaging, nor what fans may have wanted. The reality is it makes for a far more impressive series that significantly alters how I look at the Monsterverse films.
Set in the year following the events of Godzilla (2014), Legacy of Monsters puts the focus on Cate (Anna Sawai) and Kentaro (Ren Watabe) Randa. Cate is a survivor from the San Francisco attacks known as G-Day (and clearly suffers some PTSD from it), while Kentaro lives in Japan. The two have nothing to do with each other, but find themselves thrust into each other’s lives upon discovering they share a father who’s been leading a double life with two families.
The man (played by Takehiro Hira) has been missing, and presumed dead, so Cate and Kentaro reluctantly come together to learn more about their father’s secret life. In the process of trying to figure out what he was doing when he disappeared, the siblings find themselves entangled with a secret organization (Monarch) and a mystery that dates all the way back to the 50s.
This is where the other part of the show comes into play. While the main focus is on the “modern” story, Legacy of Monsters also dives into the past via flashbacks. These flashbacks (which go back and forth through various decades as the series progresses) put the focus on Lee Shaw (played by Wyatt Russell in the past) and a pair of scientists as they explore some ‘monstrous’ findings in Kazakhstan.
Considering the connection between these two sets of characters isn’t made clear until near the end of the first episode (and I’m avoiding spoilers), I won’t say much more about who they are. Suffice it to say, they are the original founders of Monarch and how their stories intersect only furthers the mystery, while setting the stage for some cool stuff down the road.
I love how the show manages to balance the two time periods and storylines. Especially because even the flashbacks manage to convey its own unique story and poignant character moments, while providing crucial insight to events unfolding in the modern time period. Even as it bounces around from different decades, I never once felt confused over it. More importantly, the points where the filmmakers decided to intersect them between the modern story worked in sync with the overall flow/pacing of episodes.
It’s just…a damn good series. The acting is on point from all involved, the story is engaging with characters that are easy to connect to, and the way information is doled out (for both plot and individual characters) feels expertly placed. Combine that with stunning production quality (I’m not sure if the VFX was 100% done on the screeners I received, but they were still impressive), and Legacy of Monsters hits all the right notes.
I haven’t spoken much about the monsters themselves yet. Don’t worry, there are a few monsters that pop up in the show, but they don’t necessarily dominate the screen time either. They’re used more sparingly, and in conjunction with natural points in the story. The result is that when they do show up, the impact is more drastically felt. The show manages to recapture that sense of awe and “holy shit” upon seeing these creatures for the first time (even if it isn’t).
The pilot alone is super impressive and will leave you hooked. Somehow, the season only continues to get better as it goes. Not only does it feature a gripping story on its own, but even half-way through, it feels like it’s enhancing the films as well (specifically Godzilla and King of the Monsters). The new insights into Monarch itself and its history adds a layer of depth to the films (including Skull Island here); making it so watching the films again afterwards felt like a fresh experience.
It’s a special kind of show that can manage to work on its own, while enhancing the existing franchise surrounding it. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters makes it look easy and should serve as a lesson to others in expanding a ‘universe’ onto the small screen.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premieres on November 17th exclusively on Apple TV+. Don’t miss it.
