‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ season 2 premiere brings a new Titan and other Kong
Tom’s Guide verdict: ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ season 2 premiere
- Rating: 3/5 Stars
- Decision: Season 2 of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” picks up where we left off in season 1. There’s so much to talk about and so many moments that you wonder if you don’t need an encyclopedia to understand it all, and one story is starting to separate itself from the pack in terms of quality. But we also get Kong chasing a Titan, so I can’t complain too much.
- Start date/time: It is currently available for streaming
- Where to watch: Stream season 2 premiere on Apple TV
Season 2 of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” recently premiered on Apple TV, and my first reaction after finishing the episode was that we’re going to get a lot more Kong this season. My second reaction is that I’m only starting to care about one story in this show, and that might be a Titan-sized problem.
It’s not just the current where the Titan X is a problem, either. One of the characteristics of this sci-fi series is that it is divided between two timelines: one in the past Wyatt Russell who plays as Col. Lee Shaw, and one currently no Kurt Russell playing as Col. Lee Shaw. In Season 2, the two are on the hunt for Titan X, and it remains to be seen if it goes well with either version of Shaw.
This show has a hopping problem
The officially separated timelines are my favorite and least favorite thing about this show. I think it’s great to fill out the story and fill out the world. But I’m starting to find myself really wanting to see a certain timeline, and losing interest in another.
This mainly comes down to two things: chemistry and writing. I love Anna Sawai, who plays Cate Randa; his performance “Shogun” is an example. But this show is not “Shogun,” and his character’s dialogue is nowhere near as well written. I find little compelling about him or his half-brother Kentaro (Ren Watabe), and his ex, May/Corah (Kiersey Clemons), only pique my interest from time to time. I’m not sure the team has chemistry with each other, and it drags the story down.
Their story takes place in the present day timeline, where the highlight is Kurt Russell as an older version of Col. Shaw. But the previous timeline is much higher, and it gets bigger with every episode.
Again, this mainly comes down to chemistry and writing. The younger version of Shaw, played by Kurt’s son Wyatt, is better written in terms of character development and dialogue, to the point where the performance runs alongside his father, who I would still argue is the better actor.
But the most interesting thing about the previous story is the tension between Shaw, Dr. Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto) and Bill Randa (Anders Holm). Not only are their professional differences — Keiko and science-minded Bill versus military man Shaw — a compelling framework for the watch, but their personal differences as well. Keiko and Bill end up together, but it’s clear that she had eyes for Shaw first, and it’s clear that he’s left a hole in her heart that she’s struggling to fill. Despite this, the three remain united and friendly, adding another layer to a strong team.
Despite the flawed debut, season 2 of ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ looks set to deliver an epic story.
Watch it open
It’s a real problem when your monster-heave-heavy storyline makes me less engaged than a love triangle that sinks into never-never-wouldn’t and settles down to protect itself from hurt and unrequited love. The main draw of the show is about giant monsters it should become giant monsters.
The good news is that at the end of season 2, Monarch brought me together with giant monsters. We finally see the legendary Titan X, who we know from the trailer and what the characters have said in interviews, is the big bad of the season. We also get a satisfying amount of Kong in this episode, including when he chases Titan X into the ocean when the latter comes through a rift from Axis Mundi to Skull Island.
One monster we don’t get? Godzilla. Based on the trailer, that will be fixed before the end of season 2, which looks likely to feature a showdown between Kong, Titan X and Godzilla. If so, I’ll be happy to suffer through a lot of unrelated issues to get that titanic round.
Follow up Tom’s Guide to Google News again add us as a favorite resource to get our latest news, analysis, and reviews in your feed.
