Apple TV+

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Set in the American Kaiju-verse, (Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla vs Kong (2021), the series by use of a split timeline narrative, explores both the founding of the Kaiju hunting organization Monarch and the bureaucracy that had become ossified over the decades.

The founding storyline centers on Keiko, a Japanese scientist, Bill, an American Cryptozoologist, and Lee Shaw, an American Army officer assigned as security to Keiko. Together that discover the threat of the Kaiju, which the series names ‘Titans’ and battling the headwinds of racism and national security driven paranoia establish Monarch.

The ‘current’ storyline follows Cate, a traumatized survivor of Godzilla’s battle in San Francisco and granddaughter of Bill and Keiko, Kentaro, an artist from Tokyo and another grandchild of the founders of Monarch, May, a computer scientist on the run with a mysterious past. The siblings, along with May, search for their missing father with the aid of an elderly, but with an unexplained vigor, Lee.

To bridge the twin timelines with the character Lee, the producers cast actual father and son actors Kurt Russell as the elder Lee and Wyatt Russell as the younger version of the character.

The series does a decent job of balancing the doubled plot threads, though the choice to tell the historical timeline out of narrative order can lead to some confusion as that cotemporary timeline, aside from a flashback or two, is presented in a standard linear fashion. The characters and performances in both threads are decent and engaging with more Kaiju action presented that what might be expected from a television series. The big man himself, Godzilla, is not held back for a guest appearance in the series’ finale but is utilized, sparingly, as needed throughout the first season. The show has enough mystery and character to carrying interest without ever forgetting that this is set in a world where gigantic monsters exist. If you are looking for non-stop Kaiju wrestling then the series is likely to disappoint but I found it fun, entertaining, and with just enough character to make it worth the watch.

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters streams on Apple TV+