‘Monarch’ 1×01 Review: “Stop at Nothing”

From the first few minutes in, I was absolutely into this show. For me, it’s a perfect combination of Empire and Nashville with a perfect sprinkle of Yellowstone thrown in. Monarch absolutely did not have to go that hard in their first episode. But they did. I already knew it was going to be great because of the insanely talented cast they pulled together. And that’s without including all of the incredible guest stars they had pop in. It was an incredible ride and has me eagerly awaiting the next episode! So keep reading for my Monarch 1×01 review!

All the Drama

One thing FOX knows how to do is family drama. The strained relationships between parents and their adult children. And the relationships between the siblings that are hard to figure out. Put two parents and their three adult children into a family business and you have the makings of some juicy events. But FOX took it a hundred steps further with the premiere of this show. The matriarch of the family is sick and dying and we have a flashforward of the patriarch facing someone down in the woods in the middle of the night killing someone. And that’s what we got within the first five minutes. It only got crazier and more dramatic from there. But one thing is clear. The first season of this show is not knocking on the door, they are busting it down with all they’ve got.

Image via FOX

I love that each sibling is so vastly different. And it didn’t seem like they were out to hurt each other or to get more famous than the other. But with any other family, especially one that has stardom within their lives, that changed quickly. And dynamics were also making themselves known. Like how Albie seems to be a bit harder on Luke than he is on Nikki and Gigi. But I’m going to assume that’s because he’s the son and Albie has chosen to hold him to a higher standard than the two girls. Unless something else unravels as the season continues. Which I’m certainly not counting out. I’m going to expect the unexpected from this one. Though there is also the secret Luke is carrying. Because that one is definitely going to affect the sibling relationship. Yikes. And now Gigi and Nicky are going to fight for the title of queen.

All the Action

Usually, flash-forwards have a tendency to annoy me. And this one would have to, if not for a couple of things. One of those is that the flash-forward only showed three months into the future. That’s not a super long time to go, even if I’m still going to be impatient about it. The other thing going for it is that there’s enough action going on elsewhere throughout the episode that if it continues like that, I’m going to be okay with waiting three months to see what happens. Plus, I’m sure we’re going to get more flash-forwards as each episode goes on, giving more details into just what the hell is going on in the woods.

I couldn’t believe they killed Susan Sarandon off in the first episode. It felt very Big Sky. But I’m also so eager to know what secrets Dottie had. While this show is brimming with family drama and the music business, I love that there are so many other mysteries and dramas going on. I genuinely thought Nicky was going to kill her husband in the bathtub. And I am unashamed to admit that I would have been okay with it if she had. I’m eager to learn more about the drama happening between Luke and Kayla. They have some very obvious chemistry. But Kayla also has chemistry. With her wife. Gigi. And that is most certainly a bomb that is going to go off at some point. And I’m assuming it’s going to be someday very soon. Because secrets like that never last long.

All the Music

I knew there was going to be kickass music in this show and I was absolutely looking forward to it. But what I got blew me away. Obviously, I know Trace Adkins can sing. And I knew a little bit about how Joshua Sasse could sing after watching him in the musical show Galavant. But what he showed here was mindblowing. I did not know that Anna Friel could sing and she freaking killed it. Beth Ditto is always a powerhouse but I loved seeing her act and sing in this role. She may end up being my favorite character in this series. She doesn’t mess around and she made it clear from moment one that she isn’t here to take any shit. I know they showed a bunch of teasers about the cameos from our favorite country singers over the years that we’re going to get. But that doesn’t make me any less excited.

Image via FOX

What did you think of Monarch 1×01? Are you going to be tuning in to this show? Why or why not? Do you foresee a lot of drama as I do? Because I think this is going to be a supremely dramatic show. And I’m going to love every second of it! Even though only one episode has aired, I would not be surprised in the slightest if they renew this one right off the bat. Find and follow us on Twitter @capeandcastle to discuss everything Monarch 1×01! You can find me on Twitter @Sarah_Jeanne17! Also, be sure to check out our site for more content on all things Disney and beyond!