Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 1 review

❘ Published: 2023-10-13T16:08:10

Anna Sawai as Cate, looking at Godzilla in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

Apple TV+

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is a new series set in the Godzilla universe, and while this first episode jumps back-and-forth in time so frequently it’s likely to give you whiplash, the show also sets up a series of intriguing mysteries.

While Godzilla is a very Japanese property – created by the Toho studio back in 1954 – America has been getting in on the act over the last decade, thanks to Legendary’s so-called ‘MonsterVerse’ movies.

That franchise kicked off with Godzilla in 2014, followed by Kong: Skull Island in 2017, Godzilla: King of the Monsters in 2019, and Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021. With Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire releasing in 2024.

A secretive organisation called Monarch have been pulling the strings throughout this ongoing narrative, and now the shady operation is getting its own series on Apple TV, with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters serving as both prequel and sequel to the movies.

What is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters about?

The first episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – titled ‘Aftermath’ – lasts for less than an hour. But manages to play out over five different time periods in three different decades. This means audiences will really have to pay attention to keep up.

The series kicks off with a high-energy prologue that takes place in the Kong: Skull Island period. John Goodman cameos as Bill Randa, and proceedings commence with him being chased by a monster (which we won’t reveal here to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible). This then does battle with another monster (ditto).

Bill is a man on a mission however. He’s carrying a Monarch satchel – with secrets inside – and when he makes it to shore, Bill completes that mission by hurling the package into the sea. Meaning the show has its first “maguffin,” which is found by Japanese sailors in 2013. And plays into the show’s 2015 plot, where Legacy of Monsters becomes about understanding what’s in that bag.

The 2015 storyline

This most contemporary storyline takes place soon after Godzilla attacked San Francisco in the 2014 movie, with the world still traumatised by those events. Anna Sawai plays Cate, who lost her father soon after that incident, and is now travelling to Tokyo to settle his affairs.

This isn’t as simple as she’d hoped, as Cate quickly discovers that Dad had another family in Japan. And appeared to be investigating Monarch. Or potentially even working for them.

That’s a lot of exposition to get across in these early scenes, and some of the dialogue is a bit clumsy. But it’s fun watching Cate team up with the half-brother she never knew she had; the pair working together while at the same time resenting each other. These efforts see the mismatched collaborate with freelance coder May (Kiersey Clemons), and their investigation finds them opening files that date back more than 50 years…

The 1959 storyline

These 2015 sequences cut back-and-forth to 1959 scenes that chart the early days of Monarch. Which is being run by a pair of “eggheads” who have a connection to our present-day protagonists.

This storyline plays out in Kazakhstan, where the married couple in question are entering a restricted zone, accompanied by soldier Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell).

While there they find a distinct lack of the radiation they were expecting. But instead discover a new species of MUTO, in scenes that are visually reminiscent of early moments in Alien. And precipitate an exciting climax where lives are on the line.

Is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 1 good?

That’s it in terms of plot. This feels fair as this is the first episode of the series – characters need to be established, mysteries have to be introduced, and the show needs to be placed into celluloid context.

It’s cool seeing Godzilla on the small-screen, though he makes only the briefest cameo in this episode. While we’re still waiting for one of the show’s most intriguing selling points, with Kurt Russell yet to show up as the older version of his son’s character.

But the protagonists that we do meet are interesting and likeable. Meaning it should be fun seeing them battle with more monsters as proceedings progress.