Warning: Spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8
Arguably the show’s most impactful entry yet, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 was packed with all sorts of Monsterverse reveals. Despite being set at a point in the Monsterverse timeline that precedes several of Monarch’s biggest discoveries, the Apple TV+ series has been able to do more than its fair share of expanding the mythos of the Titans. Over the course of the series, the show has offered a number of surprising developments, many of which have direct ties to moments from previous movies in Godzilla and Kong’s cinematic universe.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 takes huge strides in advancing the stories of its human characters. A confrontation between the two sides in Kazakhstan culminated in Kurt Russell’s Lee Shaw fully revealing his entire plan to combat the Titan threat. Not only that, but Shaw let slip a surprising revelation that upends everything that was previously understood about Monarch’s history with the Hollow Earth world. Adding to all this was the show’s 1956 flashback storyline, which dropped some noteworthy reveals of its own.
9 Closing Hollow Earth Rifts Risks More Titan Emergences
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 confirmed what the previous episode’s ending had already implied: Lee Shaw’s main objective in 2015 is to close every Hollow Earth rift. Believing that the Hollow Earth access points are the real problem, Shaw is convinced that if he closes them all for good, the Titans will have to stay in their world forever. On the surface, the plan sounds like a reasonable one. The main flaw with it, though, is the fact that closing one causes gamma ray bursts at the other known rifts, meaning that they can’t be closed without risking the emergence of more Titans elsewhere.
8 A New Insect Titan Lived In Kazakhstan Until Its Death In 2015
The excursion to Kazakhstan in the series premiere teased the existence of a new Titan through an encounter with a bunch of large bugs. Due to their size, it made sense to assume that the creature that spawned them was a Titan. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 confirmed this to be the case through the official introduction of a brand-new insect Titan. It crawled up through the Hollow Earth entrance and attacked the Monarch: Legacy of Monsters characters before getting caught in the explosion. Much like the Frost Vark, it most likely perished in the explosion.
7 The U.S. Military Learned Godzilla Survived Castle Bravo In 1956
Godzilla was presumed dead by both the U.S. military and Monarch after the Castle Bravo “test” in 1954. Via flashbacks to 1955, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters confirmed that after a sighting on Hateruma Island in Japan, Monarch learned that Godzilla was still very much alive. However, they chose to keep this a secret from the government to ensure another attempt on his life wasn’t made. But with Monarch’s future in question one year later, Shaw felt compelled to confess the truth to General Puckett.
6 Monarch Developed A Titan Detecting System In 2008
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters added another event to the Monsterverse timeline in episode 8. When Kenato was reading over old files, it was revealed that Monarch developed a system for detecting Titans in 2008 called “G-Test,” six years before G-Day. Presumably, Monarch was able to use this to help pinpoint potential resting places for the Titans of the Monsterverse, making this a major stepping stone toward Monarch having knowledge of at least 17 Titans at the start of Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
5 Bill Randa’s Wife Was Declared Dead In 1959
The series premiere teased the death of Keiko Randa by showing her falling into a giant pit in Kazakhstan in 1959, but has since avoided explaining what happened afterward. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 clarified her status by having the 2015 characters come across Monarch’s file on Keiko. The record established that she was declared dead by Monarch after a failed mission. Tim elaborated on the aftermath by talking about the effect Keiko’s death had on Bill, and alluded to it being what transformed him into the drastically different version of the character portrayed by John Goodman in Kong: Skull Island.
4 Monarch Discovered Possible Titan Activity In Siberia Before 1956
To convince the government not to take away funding from Monarch, Bill and Keiko pieced together all the Titan evidence they had. When trying to separate the facts from the rumors, the pair brought up supposed Titan sightings in Siberia. Keiko was quick to dismiss his “three undocumented sources,” but Bill expressed confidence in them. While Keiko has her doubts, it’s important to note that this isn’t the first time the Monsterverse has hinted at a Siberian Titan. The now-defunct Monarch Sciences website listed Siberia as a location of interest prior to the release of King of the Monsters.
3 Monarch Found Evidence Of A New Titan In Yucatan, Mexico
In addition to a creature in Siberia, Bill also had suspicions of Titan activity in Yucatan, Mexico and claimed there were “photos” that prove his assertions. Specific details on what these photos showed weren’t offered, with Keiko pointing out that they were “blurry.” As for what the monster in question may be, it should be noted that Yucatan is the location of the Mayan ruins, which suggests that the creature residing there has links to Mayan mythology. That makes sense, considering that many Monsterverse Titans have mythological connections due to their ages.
2 Bill Randa Created The Framework For Houston Brooks’ Hollow Earth Theory
Kong: Skull Island credited Dr. Houston Brooks with the Hollow Earth theory, but Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 8 makes it clear that Bill Randa is the one who created the framework for his ideas. While trying to comprehend how Titans travel around without being noticed by humans, Bill saw an insect crawl through a hole in the map. Seeing this helped Bill reach the conclusion that a “realm” must exist underground that enables the Titans of the Monsterverse to navigate the globe unseen. This creates a bridge between the two Monsterverse installments, as it sets up Bill to support Dr. Brooks’ theories.
1 Lee Shaw Has Been To The Hollow Earth
Perhaps the biggest shocker of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ story thus far came courtesy of Lee Shaw when he told Cate that he’s been to the Hollow Earth. Before the show, there was an understanding that Godzilla vs. Kong marked modern civilization’s first trip to the underground world of the Titans. After all, the existence of Hollow Earth was still just a “theory” in King of the Monsters, as noted by Dr. Stanton. But judging by Shaw’s admission, the exploration of the hidden Hollow Earth world in Godzilla vs. Kong wasn’t the breakthrough for humanity it was originally perceived to be.
