Summary
“Secrets & Lies” is a fun romp of an installment. And it’s great to see Kurt Russell on the small screen as well. This iconic Hollywood actor brings his A-game to the series, delivering cliched action dialogue with charisma and ease.
Episode 3 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, titled “Secrets & Lies,” continues the interconnecting storylines from the Apple TV+ series about gigantic kaiju monsters in the modern world. Season 1 has split its time so far between two main timelines, and this trusted format carries on in the third installment. In the fifties, the US Army planned to kill Godzilla, and in 2015, Lee Shaw and the gang headed to Alaska for answers.
As always, the SFX work continues to impress in another action-packed episode, and fans will be happy to hear that Godzilla looks magnificent.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 1 Episode 3 Recap
We start in the 2015 timeline. A much older Lee Shaw plans his escape from Monarch with Kentaro, Cate, and May’s help. They are currently trapped within Monarch’s retirement home in Tokyo and their every move is being monitored. Lee suggests that they investigate Hiroshi’s crash site in Alaska for starters.
They casually make their way to the car park, but are soon chased by Monarch security guards. Lee takes control of Kentaro’s rental car and drives towards the exit. They are forced to take a detour though and escape from the facility in true action-packed style. This is another rip-roaring opening sequence from the series.
As the foursome plan their next move, May admits that she has digitized all of Billy Randa’s files. Lee suggests that they look through these files for anything related to Alaska. He then confesses that Hiroshi worked for Monarch. Cate is angered by the fact that Lee and her father didn’t warn the general public about these gigantic creatures. But Lee insists that they tried their best to stop all this chaos from ever happening.
Meanwhile, the fifties timeline jumps forward two years to 1954. Lee is now working alongside Keiko and Billy. They meet with General Puckett, hoping to acquire funding from the US Army. Their little project seems to be growing bigger every day. They show the General an enormous monster footprint impression. The General is blown away by their discoveries and agrees to fund them immediately.
How does the US Army plan to kill Godzilla?
Lee, Keiko, and Billy quickly realize what the support of the US Army actually looks like. The army plans to lure Godzilla out of the sea and into the open, where they aim to kill the creature by detonating a nuclear bomb in its vicinity. At Bikini Atoll this plan is put into place.
The Army’s strategy works perfectly. Godzilla makes its cinematic entrance, exiting the waters and heading straight for the bomb. This breathtaking piece of SFX work really captures the blockbuster enormity of the creature. Keiko tries to stop the attack but is intercepted by Lee. Godzilla takes the bait and the bomb is detonated.
What is the outcome of the operation?
Keiko worries about the military’s reckless plans and is frustrated that Lee chose to stop her from saving the creature. The operation was a success though and the Army agreed to increase the trio’s funding. They are handed a blank check to continue their research into MUTOs.
After the issues in Bikini Atoll, Keiko asks if they can keep some of their secrets from the General moving forward. Lee agrees to only tell the General what he himself has been told. They set up a deal to keep the General in the dark on all future projects.
Returning to 2015, Lee and the gang take a boat to South Korea. Lee wants to meet with an old friend in Pohang. The others still don’t trust Lee though and Kentaro confronts the Colonel on the boat’s deck. Lee persuades Kentaro to ditch the files and to trust in his plan. Kentaro eventually submits, throwing the files into the sea.
How does Lee Shaw and the gang get to Alaska?
In Pohang, Lee and the others are questioned by customs. Lee’s old friend helps them escape and leads them to his hidden plane. They aim to fly from Korea to Alaska without the need for passports or further interrogations. May finds some co-ordinates on Billy’s files whilst on the route and the gang heads towards this location.
They land in the snowy mountains of Alaska, where they find the wreckage of Hiroshi’s plane. To all their surprise, they find a tent as well, which has clearly been lived in very recently. They believe that Hiroshi could still be alive. Cate recognizes his handwriting on documents and his pencil sharpenings on the side. He must have survived the crash.
How does Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 1 Episode 3 end?
Whilst investigating the crash site, Lee’s Korean friend discovers giant claw marks on the side of Hiroshi’s plane. It appears that they landed successfully, but were then attacked afterwards by a giant creature. Panicked, the Korean restarts his plane’s engines, ready to escape this trap without delay.
The earth begins to shake and another giant creature attacks. This particular creature seems to be able to freeze objects and people with its breath. The creature unleashes its powers on the Korean and his plane, freezing them instantly. How will the rest of the gang escape this seemingly doomed situation?
What did you think of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 1, episode 3? Comment below.
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