Monarch: Legacy of Monsters – S02E02 – Resonance | Transcript

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Season 2 Episode 2
Episode Title: Resonance
Original release date: March 6, 2026

Episode plot summary: Lee and Keiko investigate a secretive village with a cult devoted to a mysterious creature. Cate crosses paths with a deadly stowaway.

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Transcript

Note for Students & Writers: This transcript is archived here for educational purposes, critical analysis, and screenwriting study. All rights belong to the original creators.

[roaring]

[roaring]

[exhales deeply]

Are you all right? How do you feel?

About the same as… coming back from a three-day pass in Manila.

[person on radio] Tower falcon one one.

It’s a hell of a lot better than last time.

Did… Did you see it?

Did you recognize it?

The Titan? You’ve seen it before?

Yeah.

[Lee sighs]

Oh, great. Good old Monarch.

Shit.

[chattering on radio]

[aircraft marshal] And we’re clear.

[people clamoring]

[creature screeches]

[waves crashing]

[ominous music plays]

Nine klicks out, heading two-eight-seven at 35 knots.

Right into the South China Sea. What’s the status on the evac?

Uh, birds are home. All personnel secure on board.

What are your orders, sir?

Sir? Tim?

[clears throat, stammers] You’re talking to me?

The Deputy Director is off the board.

Off the board? That’s what you call it?

Sir?

She has a daughter. Jesus.

I’m sorry, sir, but you’re next in the chain of command.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

No, uh… [stammers] …we have to talk to Director Barris.

[stammers] Get Director Barris on the phone.

Unable. The comms are down.

The storm wall off the island is throwing out a wicked EM field.

The satellite uplink is offline.

How long does it take to fix?

We’re working to boost the signal, sir, but we may need to get out of range of the interference.

Are you telling me that no one knows about the Titan?

What are your orders?

Why aren’t we moving?

What the hell is he doing here?

Ah, nice to see you too. What’s your name again?

I’m Tim.

Hang on a second. Is that it?

Affirm. Almost at the edge of our range.

So, why aren’t we going after it?

All right. Who’s in charge here?

Him?

[clears throat] Yes.

No, no, no. Just hang on. No.

[Lee] Let’s go, Monarch.

You’re giving it too much line.

We have to wait for orders from Washington.

We don’t have time for bureaucracy.

If that makes landfall in a populated area, you’re looking at another G-Day.

What was G-Day?

Monarch’s greatest failure.

Colonel, this is not a warship.

I don’t know if you noticed that.

It’s a Monarch ship, isn’t it?

I mean, you got the branding slapped on everything.

You don’t get a say, Colonel!

You took over a Monarch outpost by force, and you put the whole world at risk.

Not to mention that none of us would even be here if you hadn’t have dragged Cate Randa

down to the Rift with you.

Whoa, whoa, I didn’t drag Cate Randa or anybody else anywhere, but at least I had a plan.

What’s yours? Cocktails on the Lido Deck?

[Tim sighs]

Okay.

We follow it.

[breathes heavily] You-You send out the alert when we get clear of the island, so-so stay close enough to keep contact, but not too close, okay?

Not too close. Aye, sir.

[creature chittering]

[crew members chattering]

[stammers] You’ve been over this a dozen times.

And I’ll keep going over it until I find out what went wrong.

Hey, you saved your Uncle Lee.

He hasn’t been my “Uncle Lee” for a long time.

[breathes deeply] Kentaro.

We unleashed a Titan.

We didn’t know that would happen.

It doesn’t matter!

You didn’t push that button.

We should’ve never pushed that button!

Cate!

Wait, Cate. Cate! Cate! Cate, wait, wait, wait.

You blame me.

No.

[breathes shakily]

Then whose fault is it?

[breathes heavily] Why does it have to be anyone’s fault?

It’s done. We move on.

No. That’s how you do it.

You move on.

[panting] Wait, wait, wait.

So, you want to blame someone?

You blamed me for lying to you, for betraying your mother, for keeping my life a secret.

That’s what brought you here.

Blame me.

So sorry.

[machines beeping]

[creature chittering]

[chittering continues]

[suspenseful music plays]

[chittering]

[snarling]

[water dripping]

[exhales deeply]

[chuckling]

[Lee] Maybe that’s what they’re hiding. A rich fishing ground.

Would explain why they’re so suspicious of outsiders.

[Keiko] Makes sense.

What I wanna know is, what is enriching these waters?

Hey, there he is. Thought you’d never come out of that cave.

Billy, take a look at this.

Pack up.

There’s so much phosphorus and nitrogen…

It’s time to go.

All right.

[stammers] We just got here.

I know. I found a map.

A map? What kind of map, Billy?

Yeah. On the wall, back in the cave.

It’s a migratory route.

A migratory route? For your sea monster?

Yeah. No, exactly.

I think it charts the path that it takes around the world.

Mmm.

[Billy] It’s not here anymore because it’s already moved on.

So we need to go back to Santiago, recheck the maritime archives for any correlation with likely M.U.T.O. encounters along the route.

Mmm.

Shake a leg. We’re on the hunt.

Billy, I spent three weeks seasick in a stinking tramp steamer to get to this place, and I think there could be something going on here.

Look, okay.

That map just might show where it will be.

And just maybe we can get out in front of it, but we got to get going.

No.

No?

No.

What?

Billy, we run all around the world checking out every rumor and myth you hear, and I never say a word when you wanna follow a story, but now you’re dismissing me because I wanna follow the science.

Hey, I-I… I would never dismiss you.

Okay, so, look at–

So-So-So you… you can stay, okay?

You stay, um, you finish collecting your data.

We’ll divide and conquer, all right?

And you’ll probably find something I would never see in a million years.

No, no. Stop trying to flatter me.

Are you guys done?

Okay.

My professional opinion: If you’re going, we should all go.

No.

No.

Guys, I mean, we need to stick together.

Again, I don’t know if you guys have noticed, the locals don’t really want us around here.

They specifically asked us to leave.

But that’s why we need to stay.

This means something, and if we turned around every time someone tried to spook us…

[breathes shakily] Just… don’t go.

[inhales sharply] You know I have to.

All right.

I love you.

I know.

Okay?

Love you too.

You, uh, wanted to see me, Captain?

I’m not the captain.

I know.

[chuckles]

From Director Barris, my orders are to pursue and maintain contact with the unidentified Titan at all costs.

All other priorities are rescinded.

Congratulations. You made the right call.

No. You did, Colonel.

Most of my career at Monarch, I was just a troll in the basement.

I’m not the guy for this.

Well, you know what they say.

Some men have greatness thrust upon them.

So, what’s next?

Consequences.

“Colonel Leland Lafayette Shaw is to be detained and transported to Monarch Headquarters

for interrogation and asset management…

[sighs]

…at earliest opportunity.”

You know what I think, Colonel?

I think this last one came through garbled.

[tense music plays]

[chattering]

[May] Hey.

What are you doing?

[exhales deeply] Nothing.

Do you call home? Talk to your mom?

Tim said they notified everyone when we made it back to the ship.

But you didn’t call her?

[chuckles] What would I even say?

Uh, I mean, I started with, “Hey, it’s me.

It’s been two years, but I’m not dead.”

Yeah, I just…

There’s been a lot going on.

Yeah.

You think?

My family is hiding in a basement waiting for the next G-Day.

Should’ve never pressed that button.

[sighs]

Yeah, probably not.

What?

What do you expect me to do?

You want me to pretend like we didn’t do this?

We didn’t do it. I did it. I pressed the button. I made–

Oh, my God. Stop! Don’t do that shit.

We all did it.

Me, you, Kentaro, your dad, we all went down there to save Shaw because it was the right thing to do.

[scoffs]

[Keiko] What Tim said… about you taking over a base with force, endangering the world.

It just didn’t sound like the Lee Shaw I knew.

Hey, Kei. I’m still the same guy I always was.

So, it’s not true?

Well, Monarch and I had different ways of dealing with things.

What exactly was the issue?

They were wrong. I was right. [exhales]

Lee.

Things do change. Monarch changed.

But don’t get dazzled by all the bells and whistles.

They’re still just a government agency.

Same as the IRS or the people who go through your luggage at the airport.

They go through your luggage at the airport?

[Lee chuckles]

[Tim] How far ahead, now?

Twelve kilometers and increasing.

[Tim] It sped up?

[crew] It’s now moving at over 40 knots.

Huh. What do you know?

It’s almost as if it doesn’t want us to catch it.

[sighs] Can you squeeze any more speed out of this tin can?

We’re already at full speed.

Full power?

The engines are rated to 110%.

It’s another 10%. Let’s push it.

We’ll risk overheating.

It’s a risk we’re gonna have to take.

No, no. Hold… Hold on.

You got your orders. Follow that thing at all costs.

If we blow out the engines, then I can’t follow my orders.

If you don’t, you lose it.

I’m not gonna risk us being sitting ducks out here.

I got 200 people on this ship.

[Lee] And how many hundreds of thousands are in the path of that monster?

What is that?

They’re vessels. [stammers, sighs] It’s like 14 of them.

[Lee] That’s the Strait of Malacca.

[sighs]

It’s a choke point for sea traffic.

All those ships are just stuck there waiting to pass through.

You wanna talk about sitting ducks.

That’s hundreds of civilian sailors, right there.

Damn it!

[inhales deeply]

Forgive me, but I’ve been gone a long time.

But I need to know what is Monarch’s mission?

[Tim] The-The mission statement is

“Discovery and defense in a time of monsters.”

Those are Billy’s words.

[sighs]

We tried defense once, at Bikini Atoll.

And after that, we decided that the only way to truly defend ourselves was to discover.

Learn everything we can.

Never stop chasing the truth, even when we weren’t certain of a way back.

Isn’t that why you built this ship?

Why you’re all here?

Or has Monarch changed more than I realize?

Increase speed.

Yes, sir.

[birds chirping]

[sighs]

[in Spanish] What about the others?

They didn’t leave?

I’ll talk to them again.

There’s still time.

Not enough.

Let me try.

I can make them understand.

[chuckles]

I’m sorry, Lucía.

It’s not up to us anymore.

Their fate is sealed.

It’s out of our hands.

[Lee, in English] Look, I get it, okay?

I understand, I love the guy, but he can drive you crazy.

I mean, he drags you down to the bottom of the world, and stays for half a day and loses interest.

I mean, I’d be mad too.

[Keiko] Is that what you think?

That I’m mad at him? [laughs]

I’m mad at myself for being mad at him, okay?

[breathes deeply]

What?

What?

[Keiko sighs, grunts]

You know, my husband, Hiroshi’s father.

He was a good man.

Really good man. [breathes shakily]

Our parents arranged our marriage, but he was a good husband.

[Lee grunts]

[grunts]

So, what happened?

He was a doctor.

During and after the war in Nagasaki.

He died right after Hiroshi was born.

Cancer.

He provided for me. He protected me.

The only thing that he could never seem to understand was that, um…

It just wasn’t enough. [breathes shakily]

Billy… Billy will drive you mad and drag you to the bottom of the world and suddenly lose interest, but the only thing that he cares about more than Monarch is me and you.

And that I can be my own person.

No matter the circumstances.

[chuckles]

[rumbling]

Do you feel that?

What am I supposed to feel?

There’s a vibration.

No.

[sighs]

I don’t feel it.

All right, Captain. What do we have on board?

Anything we can use against that Titan?

This is a research and monitoring outpost.

Maybe we find out if it has plankton allergy.

What about that drone I saw on deck?

They’re finally using drones.

Yeah. Is it armed?

Yeah, uh, with a camera.

I have the specs right here.

FV12 hybrid, long-wave infrared for thermal imaging, sonar transducer for underwater mapping.

Sonar. It uses sound?

[Lee] Yeah.

We’ve seen this Titan before.

We think it responds to sound.

Subsonic, below the range of human hearing.

But you can feel it.

If you can use the drone to emit an infrasonic signal…

[Lee] Maybe we can get its attention.

Or divert it. Mm-hmm.

At least distract it.

I might be able to modify the pulser setting on the sonar transducer to mimic the Titan’s frequency.

You can do that?

Yeah.

[stammers] We’ve got about 20 minutes before the sailors on those ships have a really bad day.

Right, obviously. Okay, let’s go!

[Keiko] I’d like to get some samples from the deeper water.

Okay.

[Keiko] Maybe we can hire a boat.

Yeah. Well, we can try.

The locals haven’t been exactly very receptive, but we can try them.

You can always chime your charm offensive.

Hey. Did you find what you’re looking for?

Uh, we don’t know exactly what we’re looking for, but that’s what makes our work exciting. [chuckles]

[chuckles]

I would like to apologize for any disturbances we may have caused.

It certainly wasn’t our intention.

Oh, no, no. I wish to apologize.

We have not made you welcome.

Uh, I’m sure you have your reasons, so…

Not very good reasons. Lucía has told you.

The people here have strong beliefs.

[speaks Spanish, chuckles]

[in English] What kind of superstition?

Is it about these creatures on these walls?

Sí. Yes.

This place, it’s very sacred to our people.

They’re afraid that with outsiders here, the… the fish, they won’t come.

But you don’t believe that?

[speaks Spanish]

[in English] The old ways do not die without a fight.

We don’t want you to think we are primitive fools.

[both laugh]

No.

You chose an excellent time to be here. Tonight is our festival.

Come. There will be food, music.

That sounds fantastic.

Thank you for the invite,

but I think that we, uh, should go.

Sí. Sí.

We should go. Yeah.

Gracias. Um, we accept.

Yeah.

Excelente. See you tonight.

[Lee] Okay.

[Keiko] Thank you. Thank you so much.

[Lee] Thank you. Gracias.

[Keiko chuckles]

Perfect.

[chittering]

[in Japanese] Mother…

Oh.

I’m sorry.

[in English] What… What seems to be the problem?

[sighs]

Between 1 and 20 hertz isn’t very specific.

Oh. Well, my instruments were limited compared to what you have now.

Can we have it emit a variable range?

Yeah, but the odds of hitting on the exact signal it responds to…

Mmm. But do we have another choice?

[sighs]

[in Japanese] Don’t bite your nails.

[laughs]

Don’t bite your nails.

[exhales]

[in English] Billy would’ve loved all of this.

He would’ve been right at home.

Yeah.

He was always more at home when he was at work.

I think this should do it.

Okay.

[chattering]

It’s incredible.

Oh, yeah. These toys now are pretty cool.

But they’re no substitute for experience and instinct.

[breathing heavily]

[chittering]

[gasps, panting]

This is Cate Randa. I’m on deck.

I-I don’t know. There’s something here.

Hello? Somebody?

[panting]

[chittering]

[panting]

Try me, little bastard.

There it is.

[Hiroshi] Activate the sonar transducer.

Look at the size of that thing.

Seven klicks from the ship cluster. Five minutes to intercept.

Go lower.

It’s not taking the bait.

You sure the signal’s firing?

As far as I can tell.

All right. Go lower.

There’s a lot of chop on the surface.

Yeah.

If I go any lower, the drone might hit the water.

You’re all right.

Four minutes.

[grunts]

Jesus!

Right there. Hold it right there. You got it.

Still no change in direction.

Shit! Pull up!

[exhales deeply]

[sighs]

[chattering]

I… [stammers, sighs]

[sighs]

I don’t suppose you got another drone that’s ready to…

Yeah, no.

[Tim] Let’s get a warning out to those vessels.

[breathing heavily, grunts]

[grunting]

[chittering, screeching]

[grunts]

[exhales sharply] Your aim’s gotten better.

[gasps, grunting]

[chittering]

Cate!

Cate, move. Get out.

[Cate sighs]

[growling]

[rumbling]

What the hell was that?

Look.

[sonar beeping]

It’s turning.

[stammers]

Hey, team.

[suspenseful music plays]

I think we might’ve pissed it off.

It’s not just turning.

What-What do you mean?

It’s turning around.

[beeping continues]

Ah, shit. Here it comes.

[chattering, laughing]

Maybe they’re friendlier than we thought.

Mmm. Let’s hope so.

Yeah. [laughs]

Ah.

You look beautiful.

What is the occasion?

This is our festival.

The people of this island believed that we had to appease…

[speaks Spanish]

[in English] To show humility to ensure a bountiful catch.

Mm-hmm.

[speaks Spanish]

The great god of the sea. Mmm.

The great god of the sea.

You said “believed.” They don’t believe anymore?

It began when our people came from the mainland generations ago–

And now we use it as an excuse to enjoy ourselves.

Please, have a seat.

[speaks Spanish]

[in English] Okay. Well…

Ah. Gracias.

Gracias.

[chuckles]

This is, um…

It’s wine.

Wine, okay.

Yeah.

Salud.

Salud.

[Keiko chuckles]

[shouting]

[people chanting, clamoring]

Well… [laughs] …this is a hell of a party, huh?

Billy is gonna kick himself for missing this.

He should’ve stayed.

You feeling okay?

Kei.

Kei. Kei! Keiko!

Kei.

[grunts]

Oh. [grunts]

[chuckles]

No, wait, wait.

[chuckles, breathes heavily]

[chuckles]

[panting]

[breathes heavily, chuckles]

[breathes heavily]

[echoing] Do you feel that?

[echoing] I feel…

I feel…

[exhales sharply]

Oh, God!

[people chanting, clamoring]

Wait a second. What’s going on?

[footsteps approaching]

I think it’s time to go.

[rhythmic grunting]

[screams]

[exhales deeply]

[Kentaro] Calling the command center. We’ve got a problem.

Now what?

There’s a creature on the ship.

What is it, Kentaro?

We stunned it for now, but we don’t think it’s dead.

What did this creature look like?

It-It was one of those bug things that came out of the Rift on Skull Island.

[breathes deeply] It got on board somehow.

Got it. We’re live.

All right, bring it up.

[roaring]

That Titan isn’t coming for us.

It’s coming for that.

All right, we need to turn this bucket around and punch it.

The engine’s over the red line. We can’t hold this speed much longer.

Hold it for as long as you can. We just need to buy some time.

Whoa! Time-Time for what?

To give that thing what it wants.

Come on, man. You’re with me. Show me the way.

All right, do it.

[grunts] Yeah.

[pants, grunts]

[grunts] Is it dead?

[grunts] I don’t think so.

Open the hatch.

Wait. Wha-What are you doing?

[stammers] I’m gonna draw that Titan away from the ship.

Oh, shit! There go the engines.

[sighs] Launch it.

Yeah.

[Keiko] What is he doing?

Oh, no, no, no, no.

Let’s go.

[person on PA] Attention all personnel, power frame down.

Be advised… [speaks indistinctly]

[echoing] Do you hear that?

[May] Hear what?

[Kentaro] Come on! Let’s go!

[panting]

Over there.

[Keiko grunts]

What’s happening? What does it mean?

I tried to get you to leave, but you wouldn’t respect our wishes.

[sighs] Okay. So what happens now?

[Lucía] Now?

Yeah.

Our secret will remain a secret.

[in Spanish] I’m sorry.

[Lee, in English] Okay.

Okay. Let’s find a boat and get outta here, all right?

Let’s go.

Wait.

What?

You feel that?

[rumbling]

What?

What?

The vibration I felt in the cave.

[rumbling continues]

[mutters]

Wait, you don’t feel it?

No. No, Kei. I don’t feel anything.

[rumbling]

[Keiko gasps]

Okay, I definitely feel that.

Now I feel it.

[creatures chittering]

Run. Run! Run!

[panting]

Tell him try again.

[crew] Sir, the Titan is half a mile out and closing.

[suspenseful music plays]

There it is.

[roaring]

[grunts, groans]

[chittering]

[grunts]

[gasps]

[breathing heavily]

Son of a bitch. He made it.

Hey, there he is.

[Kentaro] Yeah, I see him.

[roaring]

Clear the Titan.

[sighs]

[chittering]

[panting]

[speaks indistinctly] Whoa!

[screams] Please!

[grunting]

[Keiko] Open the door please!

We gotta get to a boat! Go, go, go, go. Get to a boat!

[roaring]

[Keiko gasps, screams]

[both grunting]

[roaring]

[grunts] Kei! [grunts]

[screams]

[roaring]