Monarch Offers A Perspective On The Monster-Verse The Movies Never Could
Warning: this article discusses kaiju-sized spoilers from the premiere of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters."
From the moment that Gareth Edwards' criminally underrated "Godzilla" (2014) first lumbered onto the scene, a series further expanding on the mythos and lore established in the movie and the sequels that followed was probably inevitable. "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" (you can read Chris Evangelista's review for /Film here) pays off on that implicit promise, picking up in the years following the climactic action sequence in San Francisco (along with parallel timelines taking place decades in the past) and grounding the monster-mashing spectacle in a more personal, street-level perspective. Thanks to the extra time allotted to the medium of streaming television and its very premise as an origin story (of sorts) for the mysterious organization seen in the films known as Monarch, the Apple TV+ series has the added benefit of doing what all the big-screen blockbusters simply could not.
In a refreshing change of pace from either of the "Godzilla" films, "Kong: Skull Island," or the mind-numbing crossover extravaganza "Godzilla vs. Kong," "Monarch" spends its first two episodes taking the events of the first "Godzilla" film to their logical conclusion. By fleshing out the world-building of a planet now awakened to the reality of monsters living among us and adding all sorts of fascinating details about how this knowledge would undoubtedly affect entire populations and governments across the globe, "Monarch" makes itself feel like a vital addition to the franchise. Nothing would be the same after the 2014 film, and this spin-off/sequel series doesn't forget it.
Here's how "Monarch" provides a never-before-seen perspective on the Monster-verse.
Take shelter
The premiere deftly introduces viewers to the stark realities of this world through Anna Sawai's Cate, who has traveled to Japan in order to confirm some disturbing suspicions about her late father. Although all seems perfectly normal as everyone calmly goes about their business, our first indication that things are somewhat amiss comes when she lands and, before deplaning, individuals in hazmat suits stroll through the plane for what's apparently a typical decontamination procedure after international flights — despite one obviously frequent flyer's derision that spraying for "parasites" would make any difference in a world full of Titans. There's also the startling presence of missile defense systems set up right in the middle of Tokyo, ready to ward off the next Godzilla attack at a moment's notice. Not only does this mean that "monster prep" is now a booming business for (presumably) weapons dealers and other war profiteers, but a taxi driver hilariously channels real-world conspiracy theories when he opines that the entire San Francisco disaster, which Cate lived through firsthand, was somehow staged with "CGI." Classic!
Most harrowingly of all, however, Cate once again relives her trauma from that attack (now collectively known to the public as "G-Day," fittingly enough) when the city undergoes a sudden drill. In the chaos of everyone scrambling to the nearest shelter, Cate finds herself swept along with the crowd to a subway station, not knowing whether or not an actual attack is imminent or if this is merely a test. Her PTSD triggers memories of that day on the Golden Gate Bridge when a rampaging Godzilla came this close to killing her.
All told, "Monarch" gets off to a good start by cleverly building atop the foundation laid down by "Godzilla." The first two episodes are now streaming on Apple TV+.