On the previous episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, the young group from the present travels to Alaska following the trail of Cate and Kentaro’s dad. Though their father is nowhere to be seen, they do find clues that he may still be alive. Despite the good news, they also cross paths with something much more dangerous.
“Parallels and Interiors” picks up right when we last left off. It’s a suspenseful game of cat and mouse as the crew evade the terrifying Frost Vark. Only if it was as cute and cuddly as the real-life star nosed mole. Episode three served as a nice appetizer of what the titan can do as we receive more exciting action sequences with impressive special effects bringing the creature to life. There are a series of near misses and its potential presence alone adds tension to the scenes.
Interspersed with the team’s escape from the Frost Vark is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ first deep dive into Kentaro. The flashbacks of his history provide much insight into the character. He’s a dreamer with an artistic side that goes with the flow of whatever life brings. But he is also held back by expectations and the fear of failure, particularly during the opening night of his first art exhibit. He would rather be anywhere than the gallery.
We also learn how Kentaro and May first connected. They have a charming tale of chance and young love as a street encounter turns into a first date. May serves as a nice distraction from the art show. More interesting are the allusions to her mysterious and dark past. Her aversion to having her picture taken and being distant and vague with her sister. It’s all raising questions that will hopefully be answered if she receives her own backstory episode.
The snowy and blizzard environment creates hazy dreamlike visuals that work well mimicking Kentaro’s inner mental state. We have a son weighed down by his father’s expectations as well as the guilt of his final words to his dad before Hiroshi went missing. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters gives us enough hope that Hiroshi is still out there and also gives Kentaro his heroic moment as perseveres and saves the day…at least for a little bit.
For the most part, the transitions between the two timelines are smooth. Sometimes, the series even finds clever ways to link the situations of present and past through Kentaro and May’s first date. However, there are other times when the action with the Frost Vark is so engaging, that when we flashback the momentum and excitement draws to a halt taking you out of the following scene.
“Parallels and Interiors” gives you the people versus titan action you want on a smaller scale while providing an insightful dive into Kentaro and his motivations.
New episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters are released Fridays on Apple TV+.
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