Going into the first episode of the new season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, I fully expected another clumsy attempt at Hollywood’s favorite theme: women saving the world while lecturing every man in sight. Season 1 was already close to a therapy session for every character with daddy issues, so my expectations were low. But I have to admit, this new chapter still earned my attention for one simple reason… giant monsters and two Russells sharing the same genes and screen time. Kurt and Wyatt Russell continue to carry this entire franchise like it’s a 200-foot kaiju on their backs.
Right out of the gate, the episode wastes no time rewriting its own history. Now we’re told Monarch was founded in the 1950s by a Chinese woman, because every secret government project needs to be rewritten with a diversity consultant. What follows is a parade of women leading every department: deputy directors dressing down spineless men, daughters blaming their fathers for life choices, and scientists explaining the mysteries of the universe while barely keeping their emotions contained. It’s meant to feel inspiring, but half the time it plays like a support group punch list; hurt feelings, workplace power struggles, and a lot of shouting about responsibility.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — Season 2 Official Trailer | Apple TV
Every male onscreen seems to exist for a single purpose: reassure the women that they’re indispensable. That might be noble, but it makes for dull television when the dialogue sounds like it was written by a corporate HR memo. By the sixteen-minute mark, I found myself fast-forwarding through the long “women in conversation” segments just to get back to the monsters. These scenes are heavy with tension but light on actual character growth. The show keeps insisting every female lead is extraordinary while mostly showing them being miserable or bossy. When the talented hacker gets told how amazing she is and that she’s capable of great things, the audience has already watched her spend more time crying than actually coding.
The constant time jumping doesn’t help either. Just when a potentially interesting male subplot starts cooking, the story flips to another timeline where everyone is scolding someone else. It’s like the writers are afraid too much testosterone might scare the audience. But credit where it’s due, once the beasts show up, Monarch still roars.
The monster effects remain first-rate and the final sequence delivers enough spectacle to make the earlier slog worthwhile. For all its eye-rolling feminist tropes and uneven pacing, the show still finds its footing when it remembers what viewers actually tuned in to see—massive creatures leveling cities and a family legacy wrapped around them. By the end, I was surprisingly glad I didn’t quit.
If every episode brings this much firepower from the monsters, I’ll keep watching, even if I have to survive a few more lectures along the way.
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English (US) · 