Finally a decent (not great) episode!

I must be in the minority - i really like this show; yes, it could have more Godzilla, it could have more Monarch development, but I'm still enjoying the show. I have seen the old Godzilla movies on tv but not nec kept up w the titanverse.

Kurt and Russell were on the Conan podcast and Wyatt mentioned his wife's doula initially misunderstood and thought he was going to play the role of Godzilla - now i'd like to see that version too.

For me, this season was mostly frustrating, with a comical lack of monsters, but I have to admit the finale was pretty decent. I may have even teared up at one point.

That said, right as I was truly appreciating Kurt Russell, and how much his mere presence elevated such bland material, they of course had to go and kill him off. Or maybe he's still alive? And makes a surprise appearance in either season two or The New Empire?

Speaking of the other movies, these are the years each takes place…

1973 = Kong: Skull Island
2014 = Godzilla
2019 = Godzilla: King of the Monsters
2024 = Godzilla vs. Kong
2027? = Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

So, considering season one of Monarch took place in 2015, the two-year time jump would set season two it in 2017, still two years before King of the Monsters. Why they're actively choosing to wallow in past timelines, when tonight's episode gave them every opportunity to jump to present day, I have no idea. I guess they have their reasons...

Also, two questions…

1) Wasn't a huge plot point in Godzilla vs. Kong the search for a "theoretical" Hollow Earth? As in no one even knew for sure if it existed, or how, exactly to get there? Wikipedia even talks about a plan to have Kong guide them there. Except here, in the Monarch finale, Apex - the company searching for the Hallow Earth in Godzilla vs. Kong - has not only direct proof of its existence, but now has in their possession a craft that can get there and back. Not that I really care about continuity in this universe, but aren't those two things directly contradictory to each other? I'm so confused.

2) Ha, am I the only one who had no idea Anders Holm was playing a young John Goodman? As in, they're both playing William Randa - one in the '50s and one in the '70s? Was I supposed to remember his character's name from Skull Island? Because I sure as sh*t did not.

I haven't watched the final episode as yet, but for point 1, I'm spit-balling here but seems that Monarch is a fractured entity that compartmentalized their knowledge of hollow earth. I'm thinking the point of having Kurt Russell contained in the Monarch facility from one of the early episodes where the kids basically broke him out of there might have been a way of keeping him from yapping about hollow earth.

As for your second point, I did recall the name Randa but what has thrown me for a loop is the absolute lack of resemblance between the two actors. Unless they have some sequence of this guy showing up at an all you can eat buffet and pigging out, we just have to assume this guy balloons out to John Goodman?

I gave up on this show around episode 5 or 6 but have been following on here and Reddit while watching YouTube clips whenever Godzilla or a Titan has shown up which seems like 10 minutes total. Sounds like I made the right choice in bailing on this snoozefest.

You have asked why this show exists and I still don't know why. All it has done is create more questions than answers and add plot holes to the existing universe. What a huge disappointment.

Cinco Ranch Aggie said:

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I haven't watched the final episode as yet, but for point 1, I'm spit-balling here but seems that Monarch is a fractured entity that compartmentalized their knowledge of hollow earth. I'm thinking the point of having Kurt Russell contained in the Monarch facility from one of the early episodes where the kids basically broke him out of there might have been a way of keeping him from yapping about hollow earth.

As for your second point, I did recall the name Randa but what has thrown me for a loop is the absolute lack of resemblance between the two actors. Unless they have some sequence of this guy showing up at an all you can eat buffet and pigging out, we just have to assume this guy balloons out to John Goodman?

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Yeah, you need to watch the finale. Apex has definitive proof/access to Hallow Earth by the end of season one, which takes place 2017. Given that Godzilla vs. Kong takes place in 2024, where Apex treats Hallow Earth as theoretical/doesn't yet know how to get there, it's straight up contradictory and makes no sense. Monarch doesn't really factor in.

Captain Winky said:

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I gave up on this show around episode 5 or 6 but have been following on here and Reddit while watching YouTube clips whenever Godzilla or a Titan has shown up which seems like 10 minutes total. Sounds like I made the right choice in bailing on this snoozefest.

You have asked why this show exists and I still don't know why. All it has done is create more questions than answers and add plot holes to the existing universe. What a huge disappointment.

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Yep. The finale was MAYBE enough to get me to watch season two, but I doubt it. If only because of how many inconsistencies it created, never mind how bad/pointless the season was as a whole.

Forgot about this…

Loved Monarch but I did think it was kind of hilarious how, after spending much of the show on a quest to find their father, he just shows up back at his office in episode 9 as if nothing happened 😭

— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) January 12, 2024

I really have no background with Godzilla but my 9yo daughter wanted to watch Monarch so we did. It was fine enough for me, but she got really into it and wants to keep exploring the franchise.

From what I saw from movies in this universe-ish starts with Godzilla 2014 right? What other movies should we watch? They may be bad, but we also watch MST3K so we have some pain tolerance for bad movies.

BQ2001 said:

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I really have no background with Godzilla but my 9yo daughter wanted to watch Monarch so we did. It was fine enough for me, but she got really into it and wants to keep exploring the franchise.

From what I saw from movies in this universe-ish starts with Godzilla 2014 right? What other movies should we watch? They may be bad, but we also watch MST3K so we have some pain tolerance for bad movies.

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Yes, Godzilla 2014
Kong Skull Island
Godzilla King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla versus Kong

Any of the older ones worth watching?

BQ2001 said:

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Any of the older ones worth watching?

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When you say older, I presume you are talking about the Japanese Godzilla movies.

Godzilla 1954, the original, is the best of them, and is very good. They Americanized that film by bringing in Raymond Burr in Godzilla, King of the Monsters 1956, which is pretty much the same movie but with Perry Mason. A guilty pleasure for me since a very young age is King Kong Versus Godzilla. It is in all likelihood a terrible movie, but that has never mattered to me. I liked Godzilla 1984 pretty well also.

The ones to avoid are those where Godzilla is the "good guy" - Godzilla versus Megalon, Godzilla versus Hedorah (which is actually a good memory for me, as it is the first movie I remember seeing at a theater with my dad), Godzilla versus Mecha-Godzilla. These movies tend to be over the top silly.

Godzilla 1998 - ugh. I really wanted to like it. But what we got was a giant iguana with no classic Godzilla roar, no radioactive breath, and a face that looks remarkably like Jay Leno's. Plus it has a sequence that feels more like it belongs in Aliens.

I would definitely recommend watching all the Monsterverse titles already mentioned. My favorite of those is actually Godzilla: King of the Monsters just for the inclusion of the classic Godzilla foes of Ghidora, Rodan, and Mothra.

Shin Godzilla is good in recapturing the terror of the big green guy.

Godzilla Minus One is the best Japanese Godzilla movie ever made, but is not yet available on streaming or video.

I'm guessing Kurt survives- he made it back from the wormhole once before,why not again?

The last two episodes went really quick and it seems like they could've given us more of Kentaro and Hiroshi during the two years the girls were missing

Still, i enjoyed the season

I don't really get complaints about the show that are centered around it being about people and not Godzilla.
Not like the show was called Godzilla and Co.

It felt to me like a X-Files or CW type of show, which is definitely not the best kind of show but can be enjoyable. Which I felt this show ultimately was. And if you had high hopes for a "godzilla" project to be some elite level of television, its not like the movies were ever high cinema.

Because there's no other good place to put this at the moment, Godzilla vs Kong is on right now and this movie is just so bad.

From the jump:

- Secret podcast with guy with very distinctive voice is spilling massive tech company secrets and it's a mystery and doesn't get shut down.

- Kong can sign and everyone is shocked even high we taught primates to sign back in like the 60s. Also, no one ever noticed this 150 foot tall creature signing till now?

- Teenagers listen to podcast, pay guy at convenience store 20 bucks, and find secret podcaster in 15 minutes.

- Godzilla shows up and we launch a bunch of missiles at him because that's worked so well the past 3 films.

It just keeps getting worse…

Season 2 plus spin-offs. Now that’s a legacy. pic.twitter.com/9XjCzYulYS

— Apple TV (@AppleTV) April 11, 2024

great news for fans of #Godzilla#MonarchLegacyofMonsters Roars Its Way to a Second Season on Apple TV+

AND @AppleTV also has a new spinoff in development.https://t.co/FNm3JTkoza

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) April 11, 2024

So did this end up being any good?

And is this connected to the new Godzilla x Kong: 2 Fast 2 Transformers?

I thought it sucked. Others thought it was decent to good. I don't know anyone who outright loved it.

And yes, it's connected to the movies, but takes place before Godzilla vs. Kong.

fire the entire cast and just make the movie about the monsters

a two hour movie without a single uttered word, but non-stop monsters and fights would be better than any possible season could be

It was hot garbage. So incredibly boring and I couldn't bring myself to finish it. I just watched YouTube clips of scenes with monsters in them, which was very low.

It is connected but it just opens up potential plot holes instead of explaining things.