Folks, we have finally reached the end of the line. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 1 finale has just concluded a hell of a ride that uncovered new revelations, ginormous Titans, and other details unknown to even the most ardent MonsterVerse fans.
While Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2 is not confirmed yet, I feel the MonsterVerse has a montage of secrets still left to uncover.
Without any further ado, let’s dissect the secrets uncovered in a finale that felt like a blend of two finales in one but concluded with Godzilla locking horns with a supermassive kaiju. Now that’s what I was waiting for!
1. Keiko Randa is still Alive in the Hollow Earth
In Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Finale, Cate discovers her grandmother, Keiko Randa. Keiko is alive and hasn’t aged a day since she disappeared from that expedition all those years ago.
Keiko’s fate seemed sealed when giant bugs attacked her, and she plummeted into a Hollow Earth portal in Kazakhstan in 1959.
However, she passed through the Hollow Earth rift and landed in the underground world. To Keiko, only two months have passed since that fateful day in Kazakhstan (On Earth, it’s been over fifty years)! It is due to ‘gravitational distortion’ and anomalies in the space-time continuum that she’s not experienced any aging at all.
We also witness the satisfying reunion of Keiko and Lee Shaw. Lee reveals that Bill Randa has passed away, but Hiroshi is still alive, and Cate is her granddaughter, i.e., the future of the Randa bloodline.
When the group prepares to reach home, we realize that she wants to stay behind. Bill’s death and Hiroshi’s transformation into an adult have left her with nothing to live for.
It is truly a scene worth reflecting on. If we try putting ourselves in Keiko’s shoes, we can fathom the titanic void that’s suddenly developed inside her heart. It’s like snatching away someone’s mortal possessions and expecting them to be normal.
2. The MonsterVerse’s New ‘Underground World’ Explained
The place explored in the last two episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the Underground World. Keiko describes it as ‘a place between places’, and it serves as the bridge between the surface and the Hollow Earth. It is also referred to as Axis Mundi.
The Underground World is also seen in Godzilla vs. Kong when Kong and the HEAV briefly pass through it.
Moreover, Axis Mundi follows different space-time rules. This is because there was no indication of time working differently inside the Hollow Earth when humans went inside it in Godzilla vs. Kong.
3. Godzilla Didn’t Kill The Ion Dragon
We finally get the climactic Godzilla fight in the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters finale.
Godzilla is pitted against the Ion Dragon, the monster that ruined the USS Lawton. Godzilla initially struggles to cope with its venomous spit, but the Ion Dragon doesn’t stand a chance against the brute force of Godzilla. The G-Man tears off its wing and tosses the Titan into a blue portal. However, he doesn’t kill the monster.
However, it is possible that the Ion Dragon will die of its injuries later on. Nevertheless, even if it’s alive, a one-winged, flightless monster won’t be a problem for the G-Man in the future.
4. Did Lee Shaw Die?
Lee Shaw’s death is never confirmed in the finale. He is sucked into the rift when it opens after Godzilla defeats the Ion Dragon. He sacrifices himself to help the vessel get out of the underground world.
It is possible that Lee could’ve been sucked into the Hollow Earth along with the Ion Dragon. If so, we can see more of him in season 2.
5. APEX Saves the Heroes, not Monarch
May, Shaw, Keiko, and Cate are saved by APEX and not Monarch. APEX assists Kentaro and Tim in rescuing the characters after they escape the underground world.
Monarch doesn’t budge after Tim and Kentaro approach the organization for help. This is when Tim hints to Hiroshi that there is another option. It sets up the shocking reveal when APEX saves the day at the end.
It’s not hard to guess why APEX helps the group. Brenda Holland has already said that studying Titan’s nerves is crucial for their project (i.e., making Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong).
By helping the heroes, APEX paves the way to getting ample information to help the organization build Mechagodzilla.
6. The 2-Year Time Jump and Kong’s Cameo Sets Up Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2
May, Shaw, Keiko, and Cate exit the underground world through Skull Island. They realize that two years have passed (it is 2017), and we also get a glimpse of Kong traversing in the jungle.
This reveal is a perfect segue to Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 2.
Kong is the key to season 2, thanks to this end sequence. We never expected to see Kong in season 1, but it’s going to change in season 2 now that we are back in Skull Island.
Just like Godzilla loomed over season 1 and had an epic fight in the end, Kong will pop up now and then in season 2 as the characters get deeper into the complex strategies of APEX Cybernetics.
7. Parting Thoughts
Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters season 1 not only elaborated on the human connection and the history of the namesake organization but also made us realize that MonsterVerse films are more connected than we previously thought.
Finally, there are numerous plots that the season 2 can focus on. Did Lee actually die, or is he still inside Hollow Earth?
Why are Kentaro, Hiroshi, and Tim working for Apex Cybernetics?
Season 1 gave us ample fodder for thought and numerous unanswered questions. Hopefully, makers will start working on season 2 soon so that we can declassify some more Monarch files!
What do you think about season 1 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters? Pen down your thoughts below!
8. About Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is an American monster television series created by Chris Black and developed by Black and Matt Fraction for the streaming service Apple TV+ based on Godzilla by Toho Co., Ltd. It is the sixth installment and the second television series in the MonsterVerse franchise.
The series follows members of the organization Monarch as they encounter Godzilla and other monsters, known as “Titans,” over a half-century, following the events of Godzilla (2014). Black serves as a showrunner.
The series stars Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski, alongside Wyatt Russell and Kurt Russell in the shared role of Lee Shaw. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters premiered on Apple TV+ on November 17, 2023, to positive reviews from critics.
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