Monarch: Legacy of Monster Season 2 Episode 1 Review: A smooth opening that sets the stage for a dramatic showdown

The first episode encapsulates the chaos brought upon the world by the Randa family reunion, reminding us that human emotions can unleash monsters of all sorts.

I bet anyone who has watched any Monsterverse film has wondered about the deal with Monarch. This highly classified organisation has not only studied or tracked the titans but also contained them in high-tech facilities around the world. Well, 3 years ago, Legendary Studios decided to reveal its secrets, which led to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a show that blends the insanity of monsters with twisted human dynamics. The first season left us shocked, gagged and mesmerised all at once, thanks to the Randa Family and their genetic obsession with titans. After watching Episode 1 of season 2, I can assure you, the obsession remains, but the stakes are higher than ever.

The first frame of the first episode picks up right from where it ended. Kate Randa and her grandmother, Keiko Randa, are back from Axis Mundi, along with May, all thanks to the father-son duo, Hiroshi and Kentaro Randa, while Lee Shaw is left behind. But hardly a minute in, and King Kong is already on a rampage. The episode doesn't waste a second to remind us that this isn't our world, it's the Titans' world, we only live in it, and right now, the king is mad. 

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What makes Monarch special is its balance between monsters brawling and human complexities. The show can give us the highs from monsters, but also dive into emotions as Kate finally questions her father. Just after such a high-stakes sequence, we are left with Keiko grasping the magnitude of the organisation she built decades ago, while processing how she lost 57 years while being away for only 57 days. We can feel her pain and confusion without her voicing it, proving that not just the story, but also the acting is so back this season.

Talking about the story, the flashbacks have returned, combined with the shenanigans in the present, and you're left with a plot that keeps you on the edge the entire time. Within just an hour, they introduced us to the cast, Titan X and the premise of the show while still leaving us with a gazillion questions. And don't get me started on the visuals! When it comes to an Apple TV project, I know the visuals are going to be insane, but Monarch went a step beyond and became a movie itself. From the iconic opening credits to the jump scares to the cinematic framing, this one episode had it all. 

We're only an episode in, so it can go anywhere, but with the number of questions stuck in my head, I can bet again that it would be a monstrous ride. After all, we have hardly seen what Titan X looks like, but what, where, why and how are still in question.

Monarch Legacy of Monsters is streaming on Apple TV with new episodes dropping every Friday.

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