‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Recap – ‘Will the Real May Please Stand Up?’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Kiersey Clemons as Corah in Episode 107 of ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ – ‘Will the Real May Please Stand Up?’ (Photo Courtesy of Apple.)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Seven of ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It would seem that we are entering a unique point in the story that Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is working to tell. In that, this Apple TV+ series is ready to spill the beans regarding all the mysteries it has taken the time to set up. After all, the last episode finally revealed what made Monarch into the regulatory joke that allowed for G-Day to happen through complacency, and we also now know… that Hiroshi has been studying overtly powerful Titan energies and that Shaw wants in on such studies for reasons that are now conflicting in nature. All because that last episode was eager to just send truth after truth our way and well… it turns out this series still has more facts to reveal, as evidenced by this week’s episode.

After all, May’s past has been supremely mysterious in nature since she’s told no one a thing about why she has so many identities. But at last, we know all there is to know about May. For ‘Will the Real May Please Stand Up?’ revealed that her name is actually Corah, and that prior to meeting Kentaro in Tokyo, she was working for a strange company known as Applied Experimental Technologies. Who as it turned out, were toying around with dark acts in their cybernetics wing. The kind that disturbed Corah so deeply… that she basically stepped in and ruined the project to keep it from ever causing the harm it would. Which put her on the run and forced her to assume a new identity and hope to never have to face the consequences for her actions. 

But while it was indeed fascinating to learn her backstory, it served a greater purpose beyond filling in the blanks for us. For it was also integrated into some world-building, in that, her old boss at AET was able to track her down and bring her back to New York. To face the consequences of her actions of course, but that was simply not meant to be. Because Kate, Kentaro, and even Tim, who survived the desert encounter, managed to make their way to New York to save Corah, by using diversionary tactics and Monarch’s vast database. Because they wanted her to be free, to live on her own terms and see her family, because there was real friendship growing here… the kind that needed to be nurtured, and Corah deserved a second chance when everyone learned of the hardships, she faced in sticking it to this awful company.

But of course, there was a canonical price to pay for her freedom. Since the deal to share data between Monarch and AET transformed the latter into Apex Cybernetics, and well… Godzilla fans know how that story goes. But the merger wasn’t a total loss, for it did motivate Monarch to finally enter the public light and do something. All of which brought about some fine world-building as did Shaw’s journey in this tale. Since we also came to learn more about Shaw’s flawed and chaotic allegiances in this tale. For a man that said he was trying to help Godzilla, sure had a funny way of showing it. Since he took the time to use a bevy of explosives from the Alaskan Monarch base to seal the rift that the Ice Titan was so curious about, leaving us to wonder if he really is trying to help Gojira or punish him by dealing with him the way he dealt with the Ice Titan.

Time will tell of course, but at least we know that eventually, we will get an answer regarding his plans. For clearly this series will leave no Kaiju unturned and it will address everything we are curious about. But while we await more answers, we can celebrate one fascinating, transitional, connective tale. For it was great to finally be introduced to Corah and understand the person she is through and through, and it was wonderous to have the Mechagodzilla tie in come into play, to bring this monstrous universe together. And well… all we can do now is wait with bated breath to really understand Shaw’s plan and to see how Monarch’s emergence from the shadows will help in stopping whatever it is he is cooking up, in the name of salvation. Until next time.

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