Monarch: Legacy of Monsters graduates to greatness in its sixth episode

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has been telling two stories since it began; one of which is set in the past, and the other in the future. This week's sixth episode, "Terrifying Miracles", brought them together.

In 1955, Lee and Keiko struggle with the complicated reality of attempting to keep Monarch being what they aspire it and their own personal desires.

And in 2015, Kate and Kentaro continue to struggle to fight against what Monarch has become, but inch ever closer to finding their father regardless.

The Past

To put it bluntly, this series went from good to pretty fantastic within the span of one episode due to one simple fact. The past storyline finally feels like it is parallel to the 2015 storyline. For the first half of this series, it begged the question of, “What is the point of there being a storyline set in the 1950s?” As cool as it is to have Wyatt and Kurt Russell play the same character, there really hadn’t felt like a story justification for it up until this point. But now? Now, there’s justification. Justification that also expands and adds more commentary on this universe as a whole.

That justification? Godzilla. Godzilla makes his triumphant return, revealing himself to Keiko and Lee after they share a kiss with one another (which is an entirely separate storyline that adds so much as to why Lee cares about trying to make Kate and Kentaro care about his obsession). But this is the first time that Godzilla has been seen in this universe since he was bombed at Bikini Atoll, making the vague 9/11 feelings that this show (and universe) has portrayed regarding the United States’ knowledge of Titans very, very explicit. They knew about the existence of the King of Monsters for six decades and did nothing until after he made himself public. That feels like it’s a cynical reading of what the show is saying until the final scene in 1955 where it’s revealed that Lee has lost command of Monarch, leaving it in the hands of power-hungry snakes.

The care that once was there is gone, now power and control is now the only thing in place.

The Present

In the present though, how does this tie back to the 1950s storyline? Well, thematically it ties back by showcasing the dichotomy between the Monarch of the past and the Monarch of the present. They both want the same thing, but instead of for care and curiosity like those of the past, it’s all about the consolidation of power and secrecy in the present. The more and more this show continues, especially in regards to how it handles Monarch itself, the more the post-9/11 allegory for the United  States becomes apparent.

But there’s one more thing connecting the past and the present in this episode than just pure thematic choices. And that thing? Godzilla, of course. As Kate, Kentaro, Lee, and the rest find Kate and Kentaro’s father, it’s revealed that he’s using the same exact device that drew Godzilla out of hiding back in the 1950s. But they’re in the middle of the desert, so it can’t be Godzilla that he’s trying to lure. But, as it turns out, that’s exactly what is happening when the mountain that they are standing on turns out to be none other than the King of Kaiju himself, more than likely just healing from his wounds from the events of the fight in San Francisco, given how much dirt had settled onto him.

This was a genuinely fantastic reveal as well because the episode leads you into thinking exactly what’s gonna happen. They find their dad. He tries to scare them away. He gets killed by a new kaiju. It would’ve been pretty unsatisfying if it happened like this. However, the fact that it plays this sequence up in your head then subverts those expectations and reveals Godzilla for the second time in the episode, it’s really fantastic and surprising storytelling.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has been a good show up until this point, but with this episode, it takes the step from a good show to a great show.