Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2

Last Friday, the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 finale released on Apple TV. The show follows Monarch, a government group working to protect people from Titan attacks. I enjoyed season one and the Monsterverse movie, so I was interested in this season.

I found this season to be a bit more engaging than season 1. This season has more titans, more drama, and a stronger story. While the first season was about these siblings trying to find their dad, this season has a stronger sense of urgency, as it is about Monarch trying to stop a new Titan from wreaking havoc. This creates a much stronger sense of urgency as the whole goal is to prevent another Godzilla-like attack. This also helps each episode become more purposeful as they are all working towards the same end result. This season features Godzilla, Kong, and a new titan called Titan X, and even delivers on several large-scale titan battles. It is just so impressive that a TV show would have this level of scale, though, considering this is Apple, it should not be that surprising. This season also packs more emotional weight into the story; the team experiences several losses, and the reunion of Lee and Keiko adds a new dynamic. I also liked how they added this secondary conflict with the rival organization, Apex. Finally, much like the first season, I like how this show gives us characters with actual details and arcs rather than just being POVs for the monster action, as in the movies. It makes for a much more compelling story.

However, the show has flaws that keep it from being top-tier. My main critique is the unresolved Apex subplot: Apex is relevant until suddenly dropped near the end, replaced by another rival group. This abrupt shift weakens the narrative focus and leaves conflict unresolved. Another major issue is how season 2's first episode undoes Lee's sacrifice from season 1's finale, which lessens the dramatic impact for the sake of retaining Kurt Russell. Additionally, Kentaro's character becomes even less likable this season—he is selfish, hot-headed, and his actions often disrupt the group dynamics.

Overall, this was a solid continuation of this show, but it did have a few plot beats that I wasn't a big fan of. Regardless of the negatives, I am looking forward to a third season.

Score: 8/10 Grade: B+ Recommendation: Check it out