With season 2 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters in the books, I admit, it took me a few days to digest. I even had to go back and watch a few episodes. I can honestly say. this is one of the best shows out there and Apple TV proves yet again why they are the king of fantastic science fiction stories. I love how in the first season this show easily connected to all the Godzilla movie and how John Goodman’s character of Bill Randa in Kong: Skull Island is the same character that we see in the show but a younger version. The brilliance of the show is how it connects to previous stories we’ve already seen, but at the same time very much has an X-Files / Supernatural feel to. We have two story lines going on at the same time, one with characters in the present and then the backstory of the first Monarch team to investigate these monsters and how they exist outside a prehistoric world. We get time riffs add parallel versions of characters…everything that makes for great science fiction. But the true heart of this show is family…the family connections in multi-generational characters who have worked for this organization to investigate monsters and learn how to coexist together. Now I’m not going to go into spoilers regarding season 2, but I want to talk about why this is a show is worthy of your time.
If you are a fan of the Godzilla movies, no matter how hokey they may be at times then this is a show you absolutely want to watch because we get better character development, we get more story behind the organizations that monitor everything and at the same time get great villains. At the end of season 1, we have one of the main characters who had been lost to a time rift and gets to come back while reuniting with her family. In season 2 we dive more into the science behind the time riffs and why these monsters still exist. Like I said the main theme of this show really is family and that’s never been more seen than the fact that we have Kurt Russell and his son Wyatt Russell playing the same character in the show. I’ve been a big fan of Kurt Russell ever since The Thing and Escape from New York And to get to be in a show with his actual son, Wyatt who the more you watch the show you see how much they are alike is fantastic. It may not be a true father-son duo since they play the same character, but they certainly bring their own flair to that character especially since Kurt Russell plays the older version. You also have a great cast. A mixture of American and Japanese actors. Anna Sawai from Shogun, Mari Yamamoto and Takehiro Hira Who were both great in the Brendan Fraser movie, Rental Family. Great movies and great shows are always made with a great cast…no matter how good the story may be, if you don’t have a good cast, it’s not going to work. And they all have a chance to shine in season 2.
For the second season we dive more into the dueling organizations monitoring and trying to control the monsters, therefore getting a very clear picture of the villain or who you think is the villain depending on their motives. Like any government entity, everybody has their own selfish motives. But more importantly we dive into more and more of the characters backstories and how they connect to the overall story of Monarch and the monitoring of these monsters. It’s Cate’s story and her connection to everything that really takes center stage, here story is my favorite as she is the typical lost character who finds purpose. If I say any more than I’m spoiling it and I don’t want to do that because you should enjoy the show. Of course we also get to see Kurt Russell still be a badass…hey, he can still be a great action star. It’s like watching Snake Plissken battle monsters. I hope if you’re reading this, you’re not too young to understand that reference. I think that’s one of my favorite parts. But another reason to show is so great is that there’s so much going on, there’s so much lore that never fully gets explored unlike the movies. It’s almost like the show is the appendix to all the movies but with really great character development. And while there are some plot points that maybe unnecessary, it doesn’t take away from you overall story.
If you are a science fiction fan then you should be watching this show. Sometimes it’s campy, sometimes it feels like an old B-Serial that you used to see on TV, but that’s part of the fun. I make comparisons to the X-Files because some of the best X-Files episodes were the monster of the week episodes and the monarch team feels like the X-Files department at the FBI. You can very easily say that when it comes to these prehistoric monsters, the “truth is out there!” As a science fiction fans, this is a must-see show on Apple TV. I’m not going to say that it’s the best show they have…for me it’s Silo, and I’ll talk more about that in my season 3 review, But Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is just a fun old-fashioned science fiction monster show then not only gives you great action, but a great mystery box that won’t bore you. If you’re a science fiction fan, the mystery within the story is always the best part and as long as it doesn’t disappoint because the writers can’t figure out what to do Just like in the TV show Lost then the mystery is what keeps bringing you back. This show has a good one and there’s a lot of story left to tell. In my opinion season 2 is a lot better than season 1, but season 1 sets up a fantastic story and easily connects you to the characters. With the two different story lines going on in two different time periods, there’s a lot to digest, but it’s worth it and it will keep you entertained. And this show answers a lot more questions than the movies ever did. So that’s certainly one thing it has going for it. I would honestly say that this is one of the top five shows on Apple TV especially if you’re a nerd and if you haven’t gotten into it yet, well, you have 20 great episodes that are worth binging. Add it to your list…you won’t regret it This show is great, and it is nerd approved!
Season 1 and 2 Final Grade
