Originally published December 15, 2023. Updated December 22, 2023.
Chris Connor reviews the sixth episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters…
After a couple of episodes entirely centred around the 2015 timeline of the show, episode sixgives us a sizable chunk of the mid 1950s and our younger versions of Lee Shaw, Bill Randa and Keiko Miura. The trio continue to investigate the Titans and radiation readings leading to another appearance of Godzilla in this timeframe, unaffected by the attempts to kill him with nuclear weapons several episodes earlier. This shows how ineffective many tools at Monarch’s disposal are against the titans and really gives a sense of their invulnerability save maybe against each other as found in films like Godzilla vs Kong.
The narrative interweaves between our present-day crew close to finding Hiroshi Randa with Lee broken out of captivity to help track what Monarch fears might be an even bigger event than G day. Lee leads our heroes to North Africa, adding more of a globetrotting feel to proceedings and really showing its sizable budget.
We get arguably the shows strongest Titan sequences in this episode at its denouement shifting seamlessly between Godzilla in 2015 and the 1950s, showing the fear he is able to instil in humans in both timeframes.
Leopold Ross’s score has been a constant highlight throughout, with the standout title theme but the balance between Titan action and more introspective human moments is hit perfectly here, grandiose, and intimate within moments.
There is an added sense of urgency here, perhaps reflecting how strong its 1950s segments are and that there isn’t quite enough to carry a sole timeframe for a whole episode. The intercutting between the two holds things together and adds a sense of mystery, as we begin to see why Shaw has become disillusioned with Monarch placing both Kurt and Wyatt Russell at the forefront of this episode only makes it more watchable as we chart the characters evolution 60 years apart.
After a couple of more sedately paced episodes the return to the split timeframe, reinjects focus and pace into the show giving it a renewed sense of purpose for its second half. The greater emphasis on Kurt and Wyatt Russell makes it more captivating as we begin to unravel some of its mysteries while being presented with a heap more for the show to answer in its final four episodes. After six episodes it remains a winning blend of brief Kaiju action and human responses to the Titans.
Chris Connor
