Critic’s Rating: 4 / 5.0
4
There’s no denying that Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has lost a bit of momentum over the last handful of episodes.
The series hasn’t done the best job of developing many of its characters, but Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 Episode 9 is a noticeable step in the right direction.
It finally feels like everything is starting to come together again.
(Courtesy of Apple TV)
Let’s start with Bill.
He’s always loomed large over the series despite not being part of the present-day timeline, and it’s wild how much emotional weight his flashbacks carry.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 has done a great job of painting him as this bitter, hardened man in the aftermath of Keiko and Lee’s disappearance. Now we’re seeing the other side of that, what he was actually going through.
For Bill, this episode does a lot of heavy lifting in terms of redemption.
(Courtesy of Apple TV)
His actions have felt scattered for most of the season, but with everything now in focus, there’s much more clarity about who he was and what drove him.
It doesn’t excuse everything, but it does make him a much more sympathetic figure and, honestly, a stronger one.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Is Reaching a Conclusion of Sorts
The flashbacks help a lot in that regard, especially the glimpse into his relationship with Keiko. The fact that they got married on a whim, without any of the usual fanfare, says everything about them. They didn’t need the big moment. They just needed each other.
That’s what makes his later choices hit harder. You’re not just looking at a man making questionable decisions. You’re looking at someone who lost everything and never really recovered.
(Courtesy of Apple TV)
Even Keiko struggles to reconcile the man she knew with the idea that he would leave Hiroshi behind. No matter how she looks at it, it just doesn’t add up after everything that happened on Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 1.
That’s what makes the reveal about the Central Hub land so well.
The idea that everything Bill was throwing into the Rift ended up there adds a layer of meaning to everything he went through. It reframes his actions and, more importantly, confirms that he never stopped loving Keiko, even if he believed they could never get back to what they had.
For Keiko, that changes everything. There’s a sense of closure there that she’s been missing for years.
(Courtesy of Apple TV+)
As much as part of me would like Bill to somehow still be alive, bringing him back would completely undercut the emotional weight of his story. This felt like a goodbye, and honestly, it should stick.
Now, the bigger question is what any of this means for the Rift moving forward.
Can Cate Ever Trust Her Brother Again?
As for Cate and Kentaro, I spent most of the episode waiting for Kentaro to realize just how badly he’s messed up.
Cate hasn’t been perfect, but Kentaro keeps making decisions that don’t even benefit him, let alone anyone else. At some point, there has to be a reckoning.
(Courtesy of Apple TV+)
The only real path forward for him is turning on Isabel, especially after Cate is cast aside.
And speaking of Isabel, her plan is chaos.
Using Apex’s technology to weaponize Titan X has disaster written all over it. Titan X hasn’t really posed much of a threat up to this point.
If anything, it’s been more passive, focused on protecting its egg rather than causing destruction. But Isabel stealing that egg and manipulating the situation changes everything.
Now it’s not just about a Titan existing. It’s about one being pushed into becoming something far more dangerous.
(Courtesy of Apple TV)
That’s where the show gets messy.
Isabel is an interesting character on paper, but her introduction has been so rushed that the whole storyline feels a bit last-minute. There’s a version of this that works better, and it probably involves leaning harder into Brenda as the primary antagonist instead of pivoting this late in the game.
As it stands, the ideas are strong, but the execution feels a step behind.
Cate’s perspective here is key. She lived through G-Day. She knows exactly what these Titans are capable of, and you can see how much of that trauma she’s still carrying.
(Courtesy of Apple TV)
That’s why her determination to protect Titan X actually works. It’s not just about the present. It’s about everything she’s been through.
With one episode left, it feels inevitable that the siblings will have to find some common ground on this Apple TV drama.
That’s why Kentaro suddenly talking about saving Hiroshi feels a bit out of nowhere. The idea makes sense emotionally, but messing with rifts and timelines is dangerous territory.
How do you even begin to predict the fallout from something like that?
(Courtesy of Apple TV)
Now that the series is finally putting more effort into its villains, the story feels like it has some real momentum again.
Everything points to a finale that could reset the board in a big way.
The tension is there. The pieces are in place. Now it just needs to stick the landing.
What are your thoughts on those Bill revelations? Do you believe his story is now over?
(Courtesy of Apple TV)
What’s your take on Isabel’s actions? Do you think she believes what she’s doing is right?
Then there’s Cate and Kentaro. Do you see the siblings finding peace, or will they continue to be at odds?
Love this show? We do too — and we want to keep writing about it.
Your comment or share can help make sure we get to. That’s the magic of supporting indie media.
-
On Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 Episode 9, Isabel’s motivations come out to play as Titan X is in danger. Let’s discuss!
-
Events in For All Mankind Season 5 Episode 5 feel like something for the history books as Mars and Earth’s tension boil over. Our review!
-
When your fence is giving you the best advice, you know you’re in trouble. That’s where we find Coop on Your Friends & Neighbors Season 2 Episode 4.
You can view the original article HERE.
