‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ Episode 5 “The Way Out” Recap & Review

Spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 5 “The Way Out”

Cate (Anna Sawai) goes home with a surprise for Mom in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 5, “The Way Out.“ Her frustration with her father’s double life comes to a head as it seems no one is acting like it’s a big deal. But Cate is beginning to learn all isn’t what it seems. People make choices, and people have secrets.

As she gets closer to the secrets of Monarch and the mystery of her previously presumed dead father, she also discovers her mother was content with the way things were. What she thinks she knows about her family isn’t the same as the truth. Her own relationship mimics that of her parents as she has issues committing. And what she thinks she knows about Monarch and their intentions is also not what she is expecting.

It’s almost as if they mixed up the titles for episodes 4 and 5. Last week’s title, “Parallels and Interiors,” more closely resembles the story in 5, and “The Way Out” is more apropos for episode 4. Are we missing something, Apple TV+?

There’s not much monster action in the latest episode. All of it is rehashed flashbacks of Godzilla’s rampage in San Francisco, footage we’ve already seen. At least the drama makes more sense this week. The chemistry between Cate Randa and Dani (Courtney Dietz), her partner and fellow teacher, is so much more evident than that of Kentaro (Ren Watabe) and May (Kiersey Clemons). The relationship between Cate and her mother, Caroline (Tamlyn Tomita), is easily the most convincing in the series.

RELATED: Check Out Our ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters‘ Coverage Here

Kentaro, Cate, May (Kiersey Clemons), and Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) are “guests” of Monarch at this point, held separately from each other as they are questioned about the stolen files and what they contain. Monarch is sure Lee knows something they don’t know about their own data. A few days out, and he manages to find a Titan before anyone from Monarch catches on to the radiation signatures. Kurt Russell delivers Lee’s lines with charisma and charm despite his predicament. His character is imperturbable and confident, giving the viewer a sense of safety for the rest of his band of youths who act panicked and frustrated.

Monarch is internally debating the possibility of employing the group, sans Lee, of course. He’s already been retired by them. Hiroshi Randa’s kids, Bill, and Keiko’s grandkids have a legacy with Monarch, according to Tim (Joe Tippett). His character seems to have an interest in the Randas that the rest of Monarch is not catching on to, though he also flip-flops from aggressively threatening them and telling them he’s trying to protect them.

Monarch’s interest in May Olowe-Hewitt is still a mystery to all of us, but it’s unraveling so slowly that her relevance is getting tedious. A mention of Lyra Mateo, someone May referred to as a sister previously, gets her to flinch, but we still don’t know any more about who she is except a techie ex of Ken’s.

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Since Monarch is behaving like chickens with their heads chopped off, it only makes sense that they would want to consider recruiting their “guests.” It’s not clear why they are suddenly released without giving up the information Monarch wanted. Is it supposed to be reverse psychology to get them to want to cooperate and contribute to whatever it is Monarch wants to do? The kids head off to America to reunite with Cate’s mother.

When Caroline learns the truth of Hiroshi’s double life, she’s not surprised, and this bothers Cate. But Cate will slowly come to terms with her mother’s justification and acceptance. This only reinvigorates Cate’s curiosity about her father. The group sneaks into the quarantine zone of San Francisco to search Hiroshi Randa’s U.S. office.

What Ken, Cate, and May find, through unlikely means, is a secret map showing patterns of Titan movements on the planet. The map they piece together can also be used as a date book that predicts when and where they’ll show up next. Hopefully, in the next episode, because kaiju fans can deal with the story as long as there are monsters running around!

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