Ryan Shoots First: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (S1 Eps1&2)

I really have no idea what this show is going to be about. All I know is I dig the Legendary Monsterverse stuff and they have done a good job creating a shared universe with the whole Monarch organization spanning multiple decades. So when the show was announced I figured it would be fun to dive deeper into that aspect of the story without needing to dominate all the time in the King of the Monsters show. 

And that has been one of the complaints I hear often in the Godzilla movies is that there is too much focus on the human characters. And while Godzilla is great really without a story to frame him in it’s just disaster porn. But Monarch: Legacy of Monsters gives them a little more slack to tell some stories and world build in a nice little safe space. 

The story crosses multiple eras with a very cool trick to handle Kurt Russell’s character Lee Shaw in both periods. No, they don’t use all that fancy new de-aging tech, they just cast his son! Yes, Wyatt Russell plays the young Shaw. The bouncing back and forth helps the pace of the show. There is always something happening and things stay fresh. The two episode premiere did a good job of setting the stage, introducing us to our protagonists, and setting them on the first leg of their journey to discovery. I admire the mechanism that brings them all together as well. It isn’t some grand conspiracy that they are looking to expose. It’s just people looking for answers to their absent father’s mysteries and boy will they get more than they bargained for. 

I enjoy world-building, I love seeing how humans and governments would react to a world where monsters routinely pop up now. The early detection systems and warning signs help ground us in this world. Godzilla has always existed as a reflection of society whether it be nuclear war back in the 50’s and 60’s or not with waste and rising climate. Godzilla doesn’t exist in a vacuum and the world around him is just as important as the big man himself. Add in Apple’s big-time budget and this show has some potential to be a fun hit. 

Observations

Episode 1 – “Aftermath”

• So Kurt Russell played by his actual son is playing John Goodman’s son? Got it. 
• I don’t remember how Goodman’s character went out in Kong 
• I love the way this universe has played with the idea of a real world where monster attacks happen. 
• How did that door shut in the taxi? 
• Woah rockets are ready to go! 
• I want to go to Tokyo so bad 
• Hahaha 1000% people would believe that. 
• Secret family! 
• I feel super invested in this show already and I’m not sure why. 
• Here he comes! 
• Dang blown MCL right there 
• Oh dang dem kids dead 
• That ladie’s a saint 
• Poor choice of words 
• See he loved his family! 
• Perfect explanation 
• He ain’t gonna do shit with that info 
• Connections! 
• Hahaha I love that “same as you just closer” 
• Dang those dudes smart already 
• Bye  grandma 

Episode 2 – “Departure” 

• That’s right he didn’t take no Wife in Nam 
• There is nothing worse than being awake when your alarm goes off. 
• Yea it’s not dude 
• I like the back and forth between eras. Helps the pace keep moving. 
• Maybe work on your people skills Tim 
• Lol good to see cops are useless no matter the country 
• DTA! Don’t Trust Anyone
• Haha like they needed to line up to see they were the same pattern. 
• So does Billy grow up to be the Bill Goodman character? 
• They found him easy 
• Haha really cool having father and son play the two generations of the same character 
• Bat beast!