Abhiroop Das
Created by Chris Black and Matt Fraction, Apple TV+’s ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ expands on the ‘Monsterverse’ franchise by filling the chronological gaps between various Kong and Godzilla movies. To do this, it takes on the perspective of Cate Randa, a school teacher connected to the events of ‘Godzilla,’ who is revealed to be connected to a family of scientists and adventurers. The discovery of an entire spectrum of monsters and mythical beasts shakes up the entire core of the known world, and with each episode of this action-adventure series birthing more questions than answers, the pressure falls on Monarch to clear the air. In season 2, Natalia Verdugo serves as the leader of the organization, and while policy is to play defense for as long as necessary, the monster side of the story has other plans. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Verdugo’s Death Heralds the Arrival of a New Ferocious Monster in Season 2
Season 2 episode 1 of ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ ends with Natalia Verdugo being killed by the mythical sea beast that has escaped Axis Mundi. In a blink-and-you-miss-it sequence, she is swept into the space-time-bending currents by one of the beast’s many tentacles, which likely crushes her body immediately. This, coupled with the other major twist in the season: Lee Shaw’s return, signals that the nature and tone of the show is about to change forever. With the new monster drawing blood within seconds of impact, it is clear that Monarch will now have to face an enemy unlike any they have ever encountered, and without the deputy director of the organization, things are about to get way more difficult.
In the two years since Lee Shaw, Cate, and her friends got trapped inside Axis Mundi, a lot appears to have changed within the Monarch organization, as well as the world at large. With Verdugo as the leader, their operations are specifically oriented towards disaster management rather than exploration or discovery. While some scientists within Monarch believe this pivot to be against the organization’s original principles, this episode alone confirms why a shift to caution is necessary. Despite Verdugo clearly stating that a return to Skull Island is inviting trouble, Cate goes out of her way to reopen the portal. Lee Shaw’s return, as such, comes with Verdugo’s death, meaning that one potential tragedy has been replaced with another real one. This may just be the start of a much worse fate to come, with the newly introduced monster at the helm of it all.
Mirelly Taylor’s Journey With Monarch Has Likely Come to an End
With Natalia Verdugo meeting her end in the season 2 opener, actor Mirelly Taylor is unlikely to return to ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.’ However, the fact that we never explicitly see Verdugo’s dead body suggests that there is a distinct chance that she may be alive. A similar scenario has already unfolded in the case of Keiko and Lee, and both characters are ultimately revealed to be alive. However, unlike Verdugo, these two characters form the heart of the show, and their return makes more narrative sense. Instead, Verdugo’s death also serves as the sign of a tonal shift, with the stakes suddenly becoming much more real. To that end, even though there is a possibility of Taylor stepping back into the role with a surprise reveal, the chances of something like this happening are low.
One possible way Taylor’s character can be reintroduced into the story is through the use of flashbacks. While we see the younger versions of Lee and Bill appear on screen often, Verdugo doesn’t exactly have much of a past in the ‘Monarch’ world to have her own dedicated backstory. Instead, she can become the focus of the two-year timeskip if the show chooses to shine a light on everything that happened while Cate was in Axis Mundi. However, given how confident Lee sounds while mourning Verdugo’s death, it suggests that it is already too late. For Taylor, bidding goodbye to the role likely comes as a difficult moment, as her performance has always been integral to adding valuable shades of gray to the story. With this, however, the show marks a point of no return, both for the characters and the ‘Monsterverse’ as a whole.
Read More: How is Lee Shaw Alive? Is Kurt Russell Coming Back in Monarch Legacy of Monsters Season 2?
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