Monarch: Legacy of Monsters continues its mystery-filled journey with the fourth episode, “Parallels and Interiors.” Will Shaw, Cate, May, and Kentaro survive their encounter with the deadly Titan? How will they escape the freezing Alaskan tundra? Will the organization that the show is named after get to do something outside of flashbacks?
Please keep in mind that there will be full spoilers for “Parallels and Interiors,” so tread lightly if you haven’t seen it yet. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Also Read: Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Review – A Strong Start To The MonsterVerse’s Next Chapter
Monarch Episode 4 Plot
The episode begins right where the previous episode left off as Shaw, May, Cate, and Kentaro are chased down by the ferocious Frost Vark Titan (who is sadly not Anguirus). Kentaro eventually manages to lure the monster away using a flare gun, but not before it destroys the shelter and most of their supplies. The four wander through the snow for hours before Kentaro splits from the group to follow a hunch as the other three take shelter in a cave as May seemingly succumbs to the cold.
After Cate and Shaw burn several of Hiroshi’s files to keep May warm, Shaw comes up with a plan to overload the Titan with heat so they can make her escape. Meanwhile, Kentaro comes across another abandoned shelter with his father’s trademark pencil shavings and uses the base’s recently repaired radio to phone for help. eventually helicoptering in to rescue the others while the Frost Vark Titan feasts on Shaw’s giant fireball.
However, the gang’s relief is short-lived as the help radioed in by Kentaro turned out to be from Monarch, who had been monitoring the bizarre seismic activity created by the Frost Vark Titan. Also, while the 1950s flashback storyline is not present in this episode, the story is intercut with flashbacks of Kentaro’s first art show, how he and May first met, and his last meeting with Hiroshi before he disappeared.
Monarch Episode 4 Critique
Admittedly, “Parallels and Interiors” does feel like a step down from the previous episode, “Secrets & Lies.” Despite being the shortest episode so far, it has some of the slowest pacing in the series; with much of the main plot feeling like its spinning its wheels waiting for permission to drop new information. This is perhaps best reflected in the scene where Cate and Shaw burn the files, a potential smorgasbord of answers completely abandoned because it’s too early on to reveal them.
Moreover, the present-day Monarch stuff continues to be the weak link of the series, bizarrely generic and disconnected from everything else despite being in the show’s title. And the flashback Monarch trio was very much missed here. However, that’s not to say “Parallels and Interiors” is bad, far from it.
The Kentaro flashbacks add welcome depth to his character. The scene between him and Hiroshi is especially impactful; with Ren Watabe giving his best performance of the series so far. I also enjoyed seeing Cate and May’s dynamic get fleshed out further. Despite my aforementioned frustrations with them burning the files, I think having her choose to sacrifice answers for May’s safety was a bold character choice for Cate that makes her character and her role in the story that much more compelling.
And most, if not all of my complaints, are made up for by the episode’s excellent climax. Creating a giant fireball to draw in a Titan that consumes heat is a really clever angle and the action when Kurt Russell is being chased down by the beast as he lights the flare was very thrilling to watch. Plus, for as much as I harped on the present-day Monarch stuff, the cliffhanger ending where our heroes unknowingly fell right into their hands was genuinely effective. Not the best episode, but a solid outing nonetheless.
8/10
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