Hello fellow Monarch: Legacy of Monsters fans,
After waiting three long years, season 2 has finally arrived, starting with an excellent first episode. I was first introduced to Monarch by my sister. As someone who loves Godzilla, monster movies, and similar shows—I’ve been a Godzilla fan for my entire life—this show has become one I truly cherish. It now ranks among my favorite science fiction and monster series.
I also appreciate that Toho Studios remains involved in this series. The monsters are more like secondary characters, taking a backseat to the human characters, who are central to the story. While the monsters are still terrifying and play a significant role, they appear less frequently. That’s a positive aspect because, when they do appear, they are truly terrifying, amazing, and captivating.
Season 2 picks up right where Season 1 left off. I don’t want to spoil too much about Season 1, so experience it for yourself, because this series is one I love and hope you will too. These kinds of series are rare, and it’s great that we get to enjoy them. Classic monsters in their natural, terrifying form. Season 1 introduced us to extraordinary, complicated characters and the science and mystery behind the Titans or MUTO’s (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms). The dynamics of the Randa family and the mystery surrounding Monarch all unfold during Season 1, between flashbacks and modern-day 2014.
The cast is fantastic, and I enjoy seeing everyone from Season 1 return. I appreciate how the series creators and writers use flashbacks to show the evolution of modern times. I also like the series’ mix of genres, with influences from movies like Jurassic Park, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Pacific Rim, all of which inspire it greatly. A highlight for me is in Season 2, Episode 1, titled “Cause and Effect,” written by Chris Black and directed by Lawrence Trilling, where they find Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) in the Axis Mundi.
Keiko believes only 57 days have passed, but it has been 57 years—a clear nod to Aliens, in which Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) also thought only a brief time had passed, unaware that many years had gone by. Axis Mundi is the buffer between Earth’s surface and the hollow Earth’s massive gravitational well, which causes relativistic time dilation. That’s why Keiko thinks only 57 days have passed. She experienced a 1:365 ratio, where each day she experienced was equivalent to a full year passing in the outside world.
I really enjoy watching the reunion of mother Keiko (Mari Yamamoto), son Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira), grandson Kentaro (Ren Watabe), and granddaughter Cate (Anna Sawai). Although brief, I believe we will see more of it. This is one of the reasons I love this genre. I appreciate Godzilla and many monster movies, especially those that focus on human characters as central figures. My interest lies in stories that explore relationships, mystery, adventure, romance, and similar themes.
Human relationships are a key part of this series; it’s not just about monsters but also about the effects of nuclear war. Human issues like technology and climate change drive these disasters, serving as metaphors for human life and humanity. Watching King Kong in all his glory is utterly amazing, and I value that the series still includes Japanese elements, since Godzilla originated there.
The Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series superbly reflects its roots from the original 1954 Godzilla movie and the 1956 American version starring the same excellent Japanese actors featuring Raymond Burr of Perry Mason fame who went on to reprise his character as a star in the 1977 and 1985 Godzilla films.
I love that most of the main actors in the series are Japanese and that it continues to use Japanese and English languages. I also appreciate the diversity of nationalities involved in the television series making it enjoyable for people for all ethnic types and countries that have enjoyed the Godzilla series of films and movies for the past seventy plus years!
I also love that this series is multi-generational. Meaning, having Kurt Russell‘s son, Wyatt Russell, play him as a younger man instead of using CGI to de-age Kurt Russell; they got his son, who is also a wonderful actor, to play him. It’s interesting because it freaks me out to see him playing his father at such a young age. After all, he looks exactly like him. I like him quite a lot, in my opinion. I mean, yes, Goldie Hawn is his mother, but you don’t see much of Goldie in him. It’s very much Kurt. I also love that they still use flashbacks.
For example, the story flashes back to 1954 when younger Bill Randa (Anders Holm), Keiko, and younger Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) arrive on a remote, secretive island in Chile. They are searching for something unknown, emphasizing the mystery and adventure. The island’s remoteness and secrecy add to the intrigue. Watching this series evokes a sense of 1950s adventure and science fiction, blending genres in a way that feels like an amalgam of different styles. It captures the adventurous spirit, like Indiana Jones or Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold.
I love that family and friendships are crucial to storytelling. How Cate is determined to return to the Axis Mundi to find Lee. The relationship between a father and daughter. It’s interesting because Cate confronts her father Hiroshi about “How can you love two people at the same time?” referring to the two families he had. In my mind, I think: ask your grandmother, since she loves Bill and probably Lee the same way. Her father responds, saying, “It’s not something you choose”, just like Keiko, his mother.
I also enjoy seeing Keiko’s awe at modern technology. Having been away for 57 years, she noted how much has advanced. She was particularly fascinated by the satellites monitoring the island and recalled Sputnik, which was very prominent and controversial in the 1950s. She realized that everything she, Bill, and Lee had worked for had come true. She is a monarch; this is her work, her legacy. It’s impressive that Tim (Joe Tippett) calls her Dr. Randa. She said, “You know, I was waiting my whole life to hear that.”
This makes sense because back in the fifties, being an educated woman, a woman of color, and a Japanese woman all at once made it exponentially harder for someone like Keiko to exist in a very male-dominated white world. And especially considering what she was studying—was it normal? It wasn’t widely accepted. It was controversial, of course. I’m sure that, at the time Keiko collaborated with Bill and Lee, there was still a lot of resentment from World War II.
I don’t want to reveal too much about the rest of the episode because it’s such a wonderful episode and a great series, and I want you to experience it for yourself. That’s the goal of all these posts I make when reviewing specific series or movies: I want you to feel excited and eager to watch them yourself and discover these amazing series. That will keep you on the edge of your seat but also opens you up to a whole new world of monsters, technology, love, culture, myth, and mythology.
I’m so happy that Apple TV has a series like Monarch available for us to stream. With the lack of science fiction shows, only a limited number are accessible. It’s nice to see something other than Star Trek and Star Wars. I also appreciate having a good old-fashioned monster story to enjoy. I love that these monsters stay within the realm of Toho’s creations. They’re not some complicated, bizarre creatures that are outside the normal concept of monsters.
I’m excited for the next episode of Monarch and hope there might be a panel at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2026. I’m very thankful to my sister for introducing me to this fantastic series; I wouldn’t have known about it otherwise. In closing for now, hope you will check out this wonderful series.
Thanks to Kenn for video and image embedding for my feature article and thank you for visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. We will be back in the future with additional analysis about the marvelous Monarch: Legacy of Monsters series we are covering before the next Team WHR adventures at San Diego Comic-Con 2026!
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Until next time,
Regards,