Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.08: Birthright

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Birthright

After the events of the previous episode, Cate, Kentaro, and May have been officially recruited into Monarch, at Tom's insistence. They got right to work trying to figure out where Lee Shaw and his splinter group might be headed next. Monarch is fearful that Shaw's plan – of setting off explosions at emergence points – might lead to another G-Day. It's quickly deduced that he is heading towards the abandoned nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan, where Keiko disappeared sixty years ago. That is exactly right, those faithful to Monarch as it exist now confronting Shaw and his loyalists. Just as Shaw and Cate have a heart-to-heart, the Endopede re-emerge and the entire building collapses. In 1955, the young Shaw attempts to protect Monarch from a government eager to defund it, Keiko's past comes to light, and Billy begins to formulate a theory that the Titans come from within the Earth.

After seven goddamn episodes, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” reaches the point a decently paced television series would have approached in its second or third installment. Our heroes are finally working for the titular organization. The grandchildren of the founders of Monarch are now part of the same group, hunting Titans around the globe. Instead of getting right to the pursuit and study of kaiju, “Legacy of Monsters” has wasted nearly the entire first season on arranging its various subplots and cast members. This is a great example of what can be called “Surf Dracula” pacing, when a show dedicates so much time to merely setting up the things that we, the viewer, are actually interested in. 

General gripes about the structure of this show – and how TV is written in this day and age – aside, there's another evident flaw with “Monarch.” I feel like this show would have been a lot more exciting if it had come out before “Godzilla Vs. Kong.” This episode is the first time Lee Shaw, or anyone on this show really, have mentioned the Hollow Earth. From the theatrical MonsterVerse films, we already know that this underground alternate universe is where the Titans originate. Moreover, as depicted in “Godzilla Vs. Kong,” we know the competing gravitational fields create portal-like entrances between the surface world and this inner realm. Yet “Monarch” really feels like it's built around this information being a big surprise. I have no idea if the show was intended to debut before that movie, and COVID delays reshuffled the schedule, but it definitely feels that way. 

Then again, that's far from the only testament to how wrong-headed this show's structure is. Much of “Birthright” seems based around the idea that Lee Shaw might be unhinged. That his plans will doom the world, instead of saving it. That's what Verdugo believes. By returning to the power plant where Keiko was swallowed up by a hole in the ground, and the flashbacks further emphasizing his romantic connection to her, the conclusion we are meant to draw is obvious: The loss of Keiko drove Shaw mad and now he's pursuing his goal without concerns for the world's safety. 

However, it's hard to buy this for a number of reason. Namely, because we already know the Hollow Earth is real in this universe. Secondly, because Kurt Russell is awesome and we, the viewer, are just always going to be on his side. Mostly, however, it's because “Monarch” hasn't done a very good job of building up the connection between Shaw and Keiko in the flashbacks. Honestly, it's only been in the last two episodes that this idea has been floated at all. Before that point, their relationship seemed entirely platonic. Especially since we already know she ends up marrying and raising a child with Bill Randa. A reveal in this episode, concerning Hiroshi's origins, suggest that Keiko and Bill's relationship may have been more practical in nature than this implies... Yet the fact of the matter is we're not invested enough in whatever romantic bond between these two existed to believe that her loss would be enough to push Lee Shaw to this point.

Again, if all of this was happening in the early part of “Monarch's” season, instead of two installments away from the end, there would be a lot more potential here. “Birthright” continues “Legacy of Monsters'” habit of ending episodes with some kaiju action, sticking all the special effects mayhem into the final seconds to insure we come back for the next part. After Cate and Shaw have their heart-to-heart in Kazakhstan, an enormous Hercules Beetle-like monster called an Endopede appears. And then the credits roll. It's a cool sequence. If “Monarch” was pulling this shit early on, it would probably be an acceptable teaser. Knowing this is just what the show is like kind of sullies the entire enterprise. Still, at least “Birthright” signals the show reaching a point where it might actually have some forward momentum now. [6/10]