As we rampage into the penultimate episode of Season 2, you can feel Monarch is charging itself up – much like the energy in Godzilla dorsal spines – ready to unleash a blast of monster madness that’ll hopefully envelope the finale with fist-pumping chaos. However, before we get there, the show has quite a few dangling threads to adjust in order to get to where it needs to be, but rather than just having Plot A go here and Characters B end up there, “Ends Of The Earth” finds some unexpected emotion by delving back into the lore of the Monsterverse and retconning some facets of Kong: Skull Island.
That’s right, Monarch appeases us for yet another fleeting Godzilla cameo by taking us on one more trip to the most dangerous place on Earth and with Kong waiting for his big moment, it’s time for those squishy humans to finally show all their cards as we work through the preshow for the series’ big showdown – Kong Vs Titan X.
Anyone hoping that Godzilla would have more of a role in the saga of Titan X might need to check their expectations at the door, because after their brawl on an Australian beach last episode it seems that after giving chase, the King Of The Monsters was merely escorting the new mother to the Kaiju equivalent to the county line. As Titan X chases her stolen egg back to Skull Island, Godzilla seems satisfied that his job as monster enforcer is finished and vanishes back into the sea to await his next job.
Now having Titan X exactly where she wants her, Isabelle Simmons reveals her plans and since separating from her adopted father and Apex, she plots to use Titan X to grant her access to Axis Mundi and it’s time warping properties on order to create some sort of time machine. For example, if you’re sick, you’d go to Axis Mundi for a week or two and then return to earth after decades have passed where a cure may now exist and if Isabelle can monetise this, she’ll probably end up more wealthy and powerful than her father. While Kentaro is on board with all this, Cate is horrified, especially as Isabelle is planning to have Titan X kill Kong in order for her plan to work.
As Shaw, Keiko, May and Tim track Titan X through the treacherous terrain of Skull Island to thwart her plans, the two original Monarch employees get separated by an inevitable attack by the local wildlife, and stumble across Bill Randa’s final resting place. As they finally put the pieces together about the final years of their fallen colleague, Simmons puts her plan into action by gassing Titan X unconscious and fixing her up with more of Apex’s monster mind control tech to make her wild enough to face down Kong. But as the awesome ape approaches, Kentaro revealed to his sister why he would embark on such a reckless path – if Axis Mundi can alter time, maybe he can ensure that their father can be saved by getting smashed by a monster lizard.
There are undoubtedly discussions we all could have about whether 10 episode seasons have been way too long for Monarch, or if a more judicial usage of their Kaiju would result in less annoyance that we don’t get a huge amount of Godzilla/Kong screen time, but the fact of the matter is, Apple TV has made it’s bed and we all have to lie in it. While this may sound like sour grapes that once again Godzilla only has a walk-on part (he’s essentially all but wrapped before the opening titles have started), it’s the return to Skull Island that gives us a hint that maybe that’s where the majority of the season should’ve taken place as it’s still a relatively untapped location in the Monsterverse despite having a whole movie named after it. It’s not that I’m suddenly turning against the trials and tribulations of the Randa clan, it’s just a little frustrating that the monster hunting show hasn’t spent much time on the island where the monsters actually are…
Anyway, despite this, Ends Of The Earth brings everything full circle in a way that not only sets up the final installment, but finally gives a sizable nod to this season’s most underutilised character – no, not Godzilla. No, not Kentaro either (brooding/sulking now seems to be his his entire personality) – I’m actually talking about Bill Randa. There’s been numerous clues and hints about why Bill abandoned Hiroshi after the disappearance of Keiko into Axis Mundi, but up until now its all been something of an afterthought as the modern day drama of Titan X has taken precedence. However, due to a string of flashbacks we finally discover what Bill’s deal is, but while it’s hardly revelatory (he’s been searching for Axis Mundi to find Keiko), the way it ultimately ties back into Kong: Skull Island actually proves to be quite touching to long term fanatics of the Monsterverse.
Okay, so the sight of Anders Holm finally wearing a beard that still makes him look nothing like John Goodman is one thing (the fact that his last flashback occurs in 1968 and Skull Island happens only five years later in 1973 makes this even funnier), but it leads to a genuinely touching moment when Shaw and Keiko find their way to the Kong burial ground from the 2017 movie where Randa met his gruesome end due to the digestive tract of a Skull Crawler. It may be a little unlikely that they’d find his camera so fast – especially considering that the violent beast must have pooped it out forty years ago – but it’s this direct connection to the Monsterverse timeline that helps the show bring everything together. Yes, it’s a little strange that the TV show retconned why the character was there in the first place as he never mentions any of this, but it’ll be interesting to rematch Kong: Skull Island with this added information.
Beyond that, watching the cast scamper around Skull Island manages to pay off the promise of the first episode, as we watch faceless Monarch troops get eaten by tree dwelling Vinestranglers (who fucking names these things?) and the general Jurassic Park vibe return with a vengeance. Plus, with the revelations about Billy now out in the open, it really does feel that the whole past plot thread is coming to an end, whi h is understandable if the rumours of a young Lee Shaw spin-off come to fruition. But when you tale a step back to look at things, Episode 9 proves to be a good set-up for the final offering – lots of the various plot points have reached their zenith; we know what the antagonist hopes to achieve; we got some Godzilla footage; some Kong footage and we’ve got Titan X right where we need her – all we need is for the finale to pay this shit off and we’re golden.
With the penultimate installment comes a quintessential Monarch all-rounder that delivered varied monster action while placing its humans where they all need to be. But while a final-act Kong Vs Titan X smackdown is a mouthwatering prospect, it’s that delve into Skull Island’s past that actually stays with us the most. And even if the show conclusively proves that Anders Holm looks nothing like John Goodman (even in a beard), it proves that the connective tissue with a greater world still proves to be Monarch’s greatest strength. Well, that and the right hook of a giant fucking ape…
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