'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' Season 2: Episode-by-Episode Re-cap and Review
- Apr 3
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 7
By Elliot Lines - April 3, 2026
TV - Premium TV
Latest Episode
Episode 6 - "Requiem" 3/5
In 2017, just before the rescue from Axis Mundi, Hiroshi reveals to Kentaro that a 2014 mission sent him through a portal to Axis Mundi, where time distortion caused him to reappear a year later in Africa. Following Hiroshi’s funeral, tensions fracture the group—Kentaro blames Cate, while Keiko and Shaw team with Dr. Suzuki to investigate Titan X and plan to lure Godzilla. Cate is found to share a mysterious link with the Titan, while Kentaro, shaken by visions of destruction, accepts a job with Apex.
In 1958, a guilt-ridden Shaw considers leaving Monarch after Keiko’s discoveries secure more funding, but ultimately rejects his father’s influence and recommits to the organisation.
Episode six, "Requiem", takes a step back from the intensity of its predecessor, shifting into a more reflective and transitional chapter. Much of the focus lies in the aftermath of Hiroshi’s death, with the funeral providing a space for tensions to surface — particularly between Kentaro and Cate. These moments offer some welcome character exploration, though the pacing at times feels more measured than engaging.
There are still threads of intrigue running throughout, particularly in the expanding mythology. The revelations surrounding Axis Mundi, alongside the reintroduction of Dr. Suzuki and the potential return of Godzilla, hint at bigger developments on the horizon. Yet, while the groundwork is clearly being laid, the episode feels more like setup than payoff. It adds context and direction, but lacks the same sense of urgency, making it a quieter — if slightly less compelling — follow-up.
Episode 6 of 'Monarch: Legacy of Monsters' Season 2 is streaming now on Apple TV.
Episode 1 - "Cause and Effect" 3.5/5
In 2017, Kong attacks the Apex station on Skull Island, forcing an evacuation to Monarch’s Outpost 18. While Verdugo refuses to risk a rescue, Cate convinces Kentaro, Hiroshi and May to return to the island to save Shaw, with Keiko and the others following. Shaw survives in Axis Mundi and escapes using his old vehicle, but the resulting energy surge awakens a tentacled Titan and a swarm of Scarabs. The creature emerges, kills Verdugo, and is ultimately driven into the ocean by Kong.
In 1957, Keiko, Shaw and Bill investigate reports of a sea monster in a remote Chilean village, where they discover a Scarab and ancient cave art depicting the same tentacled Titan worshipped as a god.
Picking up directly from Kong’s destructive finale in Season 1, Cause and Effect wastes little time in exploring the fallout from the King of Skull Island’s rampage. The immediate aftermath feels suitably weighty, with the emotional and physical scars still fresh. Shaw remains stranded in Axis Mundi, his fate uncertain, yet it’s Kate’s unwavering determination that grounds the episode. Her refusal to abandon hope adds a welcome human anchor amid the chaos, reinforcing the personal stakes behind the spectacle.
The introduction of new creatures keeps the sense of discovery alive, and once again the design work impresses — imaginative without feeling excessive, and always serving the story rather than distracting from it. Shaw’s eventual return carries significant consequences, not just for the characters but for the wider mythology, offering long-awaited context behind Kong’s outburst.
Structurally, the episode continues to lean into its time-jump format, gradually layering past revelations with present-day tension. It’s a storytelling choice that deepens the intrigue, giving the narrative a reflective edge while steadily expanding our understanding of what’s really at play.
Episode 2 - "Resonance" 2.5/5
In 2017, Shaw and Keiko recognize the newly awakened Titan as survivors reach Outpost 18—unaware a Scarab has stowed away on their helicopter. As Tim tracks the creature moving across the Pacific toward the Strait of Malacca, Hiroshi’s attempt to redirect it with a sonar drone fails. When the Scarab attacks Cate, Kentaro and May intervene, but its call draws the Titan toward Outpost 18. Shaw lures the creature away by carrying the Scarab out to sea in a Zodiac and throwing it into the ocean.
In 1957, Bill uses cave art on Santa Soledad to trace a migratory route for the Titan. While Bill leaves to follow the map, Keiko and Shaw remain behind so she can continue studying the area. During a local nighttime festival, they discover the villagers worship the Titan—called “Co’cai.” The celebration turns to chaos when a swarm of Scarabs bursts from a nearby cave just as the Titan rises from the ocean.
With the group finally reunited, much of the present-day storyline in this episode settles into a mission to correct a past mistake. While the intention is clear, the execution can feel somewhat drawn out, with the chase-like structure struggling to maintain momentum. Where Resonance proves far more engaging, however, is in its exploration of the past — particularly the origins of the creature now unleashed upon the world.
These sequences carry a sense of intrigue that the present timeline occasionally lacks. The mysterious “tribe” tasked with protecting the Titan’s secret adds a compelling layer of mythology, their motives and history left just obscure enough to spark curiosity about the wider story still waiting to be uncovered.
Tension does rise when the scarab is discovered aboard the ship, signalling that danger is rapidly closing in. Yet the threat resolves rather quickly, undercutting some of the suspense the episode works to build. As a result, while Resonance introduces interesting lore and intriguing ideas, its pacing means the journey to those revelations can feel heavier than it perhaps needed to be.
Episode 3 - "Secrets" 3/5
In 2017, Monarch loses control of the Titan hunt when Apex Cybernetics seizes command of Outpost 18 and takes over the operation to track Titan X. Refusing to follow orders, Shaw, Keiko, Hiroshi and Kentaro go rogue in Tokyo to retrieve a sound-based device capable of luring the Titan away from populated areas. Meanwhile, May infiltrates Apex as a mole to monitor the company’s plans, while Cate—still overwhelmed by guilt for helping unleash the Titan—returns to San Francisco, where her trauma culminates in an emotional breakdown on the beach where G-Day once devastated the city.
In 1957, Keiko and Lee Shaw struggle to escape a remote island village that worships the Titan known as “Co’cai” after they photograph the creature and its swarm of smaller Scarabs. As they flee hostile villagers and recover from the encounter, the pair confront their long-suppressed feelings for one another despite Keiko’s marriage to Bill. Their brief relationship becomes a secret that shapes the future of the Randa family, ultimately leading them to go their separate ways when Bill returns.
Episode three, “Secrets,” moves the story away from Outpost 18 rather quickly, sending its characters off on separate paths that begin to widen the scope of the narrative. The shift brings a more introspective focus, though it does give the episode a slight “filler” feel, particularly with the complete absence of Titan action.
Instead, the emphasis falls squarely on the characters and the complications beginning to surface between them. Kate continues to wrestle with lingering guilt, May’s role as a potential mole adds an undercurrent of distrust, while the past timeline digs further into the complicated relationship between Keiko and Shaw. These threads introduce plenty of intrigue, even if they raise more questions than they answer.
For viewers hoping for monster mayhem, there’s little to satisfy that itch here. Yet “Secrets” seems more interested in peeling back the emotional layers of its characters, exploring the human psyche behind the chaos — a quieter approach that still nudges the broader story forward.
Episode 4 - "Trespass" 3/5
In 2017, Titan X awakens a deadly swarm of Scarabs in American Samoa before heading toward San Francisco, prompting a mass evacuation. As Monarch scrambles to track the creature, a team led by Shaw and Kentaro infiltrates Apex’s Pensacola base to recover a Titan lure, uncovering illegal experiments and evidence of creatures smuggled from Skull Island. When Apex fakes Titan X’s location, the team instead discovers its true path to Santa Soledad, escaping with vital intel—though May chooses to remain with Apex, and Hiroshi uncovers a personal letter tied to their past.
In the 1960s, Bill continues his Monarch research while documenting his time with Keiko and Shaw. After his death in 1973, his files are archived—until Apex steals key documents in 2015, including a letter that resurfaces decades later.
Episode four "Trespass" raises the stakes from a human perspective, with the team attempting to infiltrate Apex’s Pensacola base in a bid to help lure the Titan away from San Francisco. It leans heavily into the idea of discovery, with each step peeling back another layer of Apex’s true intentions. There’s a steady sense that something larger is at play, even if the full picture remains just out of reach.
That said, the episode once again feels the absence of meaningful Titan action. The pursuit itself ultimately proves to be something of a ruse, which undercuts the tension it initially works to build. While there are moments of spectacle — particularly involving the scarabs and the sinking of a Monarch ship — these set pieces come and go in a hurry without leaving a lasting impact, quickly overshadowed by the ongoing investigation.
With no sign of Godzilla and Kong still side-lined on Skull Island, the series continues to feel as though it’s circling its destination rather than moving directly toward it. There’s intrigue in the ideas being introduced, but the lack of forward momentum makes it harder to see exactly where it’s all heading.
Episode 5 - "Furusato" 4/5
In 1990, Hiroshi comforts young Cate in hospital as Kentaro is born and named after his grandfather.
Across 2017, tensions erupt as Hiroshi discovers Keiko and Shaw’s affair, while multiple groups converge on Santa Soledad. Apex attempts to control a powerful Titan, but the plan backfires, unleashing chaos. The creature devastates the island, fatally wounding Hiroshi as he saves Cate, dying after reconciling with Keiko. Meanwhile, in 2014, Hiroshi is pulled back into Monarch business when lost files resurface near Japan.
Episode five, "Furusato", proves to be one of the season’s more emotionally charged entries, balancing large-scale spectacle with meaningful character development. Splitting its focus between past and present, the episode deepens the Randa family dynamic, with Hiroshi’s story taking centre stage in a way that adds real weight to the unfolding narrative. His reconciliation with Keiko, paired with the quieter moments of reflection, gives the episode a grounded emotional core that complements the escalating threat.
That threat comes to the forefront with the arrival of Titan X, delivering one of the season’s more memorable sequences. The hypnotic pull it exerts — particularly on Cate — adds an unsettling edge, while the chaos unleashed by the Scarabs injects a welcome sense of danger. The episode builds effectively toward a tragic climax, with Hiroshi’s final moments landing with genuine impact. It’s a strong blend of character and spectacle, pushing the story forward while giving its emotional beats room to resonate.
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