Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Episode 1.09: Axis Mundi

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters: Axis Mundi

In its penultimate episode, “Monarch” finally begins to provide some answers. In 2015, Kentaro is pulled out of the remains of the Kazakhstani power plant. He is told that Lee Shaw, Cate, and May all died in the collapse. This is not true. Instead, the trio have been transported to the Hollow Earth, the biosphere within our planet where the Titans dwell. Lee and May navigate the perilous world. He explains that he's been here before. In 1962, after Keiko's disappearance, Shaw was part of a team that attempted to enter the Hollow Earth. The mission would fail and most of the team was killed by a kaiju. Only Shaw survived, making it back to the surface... Twenty years later. It turns out time works differently within the Hollow Earth, which also explains when Cate is rescued by a very unexpected figure.

I suppose this shouldn't be surprising but “Monarch” was obviously saving most of its budget for the back half of the season. “Axis Mundi” features probably the most exciting sequence in the entire show, up to this point. That would be Project Hourglass, the shuttle exploration into the inner Earth led by Shaw. When the portal goes wild and the ship explodes in a blur of color, that's pretty cool. Even better is when Shaw recalls the crew being attacked by the same dragon-like Titan that was spotted in the Philippines. It's a frenziedly edited sequence but an exciting one, that reflects the scrambled mind of the man recollecting it. 

This episode also fills in gaps in the backstory and explains a few inconsistency. The idea that time flows different in the Hollow Earth explains why a ninety year old Lee Shaw is played by a still rather spry 73 year old Kurt Russell. That he was dragged, disoriented, into a version of Monarch he no longer recognized also explains a lot about his distrust of the organization and his desire to change it. These flashbacks also show how Hiroshi, having grown up without his Uncle Lee around, met the woman who would become the mother to his son.

“Axis Mundi” is probably among the better directed episodes of “Monarch” thus far. Andy Goddard, who has a lot of experience directing big budget streaming shows like this, nicely captures the fractured memories and mindset of Lee Shaw after he gets back to the surface. The moment where he takes a nurse hostage, in hopes of finally getting some answers, is very well done. The sense of confusion May and Lee feel upon arriving in the inner Earth is also nicely conveyed. This is a good looking hour of TV, with the shadowy but colorful Hollow Earth being an especially striking sight. 

Granted, the season is almost over and show is still extremely stingy with its giant monsters. The Ion Dragon has what amounts to a cameo in Lee's flashback. A giant boar with some tree branches growing out of its back shows up at the end. However, “Axis Mundi” is actually a solid hour of television. It answers some important questions and fills in a lot of gaps. Unlike the previous episodes, which simply seemed to be filling time, this one actually moves the story forward and keeps us fascinated. Only a single scene, of Kentaro being despondent around his mom, feels unnecessary. If only the rest of the series had been as good as this episode! One more left to go... [7/10]