When Does "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" Season One (2023) Take Place?

"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" season one is an adventure horror (kaiju) television show showrun by Chris Black with Matt Fraction that released November 17th, 2023. So when is "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" season one set? 

It takes place on the fictional MonsterVerse Universe timeline in the years: 

2015 AD 

We know this because, as the main action of season 1 episode 1 "Aftermath" begins, we see a passport receive a fresh stamp that reads, "APR 1 2015" next to a "Temporary Visitor" sticker with "01.APR.2015" on it. So it’s clearly April of 2015 AD. Furthermore, there’s a time and place setting title card reading: "TOKYO  2015" reinforcing the timeline point in this episode and in season 1 episode 2 "Departure". 

A flashback in season 1 episode 4 "Parallels and Interiors" directly connects with one in season 1 episode 7 "Will the Real May Please Stand Up?". The first is labeled "ONE YEAR EARLIER" while the second is labeled "TWO YEARS EARLIER" implying close to 1 year has passed between the two scenes just previous to the flashbacks despite a title card in season 1 episode 8 "Birthright" reiterating that it is still "2015". Potentially, it is a production mistake. 

Additionally, the season contains numerous prologues as well as minor and major flashbacks to multiple points over the 20th and 21st centuries: 

-There’s a three-part prologue to season 1 episode 1 "Aftermath" clearly labeled with a time and place setting title card over footage of the first part that says, "SKULL ISLAND  1973". The first two parts occur immediately after scenes from the film “Kong: Skull Island" (2017), which takes place in January of 1973 AD. This segues into the third part with an animated rolling time setting title card that changes from "1973" to "2013". So the third is sometime in 2013 AD. 

-Season 1 episode 1 "Aftermath", season 1 episode 2 "Departure", and season 1 episode 5 "The Way Out" also include quick flashbacks to the Godzilla attack shown in the first canonical MonsterVerse film "Godzilla" (2014), which takes place in 2014 AD. The final one of episode 1 shows the aftershocks of that disaster and starts with a title card over the footage telling us it is "SAN FRANCISCO  2014" and then another, even more specific, marking it as: "G-DAY +5". One in episode 5 shows the calm before the storm and is labeled at the beginning as "G-DAY MINUS TWO" and in the middle as "G-DAY MINUS ONE". A second one opens repeating "G-DAY MINUS ONE". 

-An entire second storytelling timeline opens in season 1 episode 1 "Aftermath" with a title card: "KAZAKHSTAN  1959". This year seems not to be confirmable by context but is presumably 1959 AD. 

-In season 1 episode 2 "Departure", there’s a flashback that begins in a military office with an official portrait of United States of America President Harry S. Truman that can be seen very quickly but very early. Truman was president from April 12th, 1945 AD to January 20th, 1953 AD. So we know it’s between 1945 AD and 1953 AD. More specifically, there’s an animated scrolling title card at the beginning of the flashback that brings the viewers back to "MANILA  1952". So this is certainly 1952 AD. 

-In season 1 episode 3 "Secrets and Lies", the big flashback includes another time setting title card: "1954  TWO YEARS AFTER THE PHILIPPINES" and then one later saying, "BIKINI ATOLL  1954". A reference to the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki tells us it is certainly after the end of World War II in 1945 AD. More specifically, what follows is a fictionalized version of the Castle Bravo test at the Bikini Atoll as part of Operation Castle, which happened in the real world on March 1st, 1954 AD. So it is now presumably March of 1954 AD. 

-During season 1 episode 4 "Parallels and Interiors", there's a three-part flashback. The first part opens with "TOKYO  ONE YEAR EARLIER". Since the other scenes are part of the present storyline in April of 2015 AD, we must assume the flashbacks are in April of 2014 AD. There appears to be no way to confirm this with context. 

4.2015 - 1 = 4.2014. 

-Season 1 episode 6 "Terrifying Miracles" opens with a 1955 AD prologue without a title card but immediately identifiable by the banner displayed above a party scene announcing it as the "AMERICAN DEFENSE INDUSTRY FEDERATION 1955 Summer Ball". Furthermore, a later flashback that picks up directly afterward starts immediately with "MONARCH HEADQUARTERS  1955" and a third continues from there. 

-Early in season 1 episode 7 "Will the Real May Please Stand Up?" Corah/May's character history gets a little exploration in multiple flashbacks. The first is clearly labeled with a title card that says, "SEATTLE  3 YEARS EARLIER" after a part of the present storyline in April of 2015 AD. Though it doesn't seem to be confirmable by context, this indicates it is April of 2012 AD. A second flashback's title card says, "AET HEADQUARTERS  30 MONTHS EARLIER". 30 months is 2 years and 6 months. So this should be October of 2012 AD. A third and fourth have no title cards but depict a moment Cate Randa asks about the duration since and May's mother describes as, "Two years and a month." before the present. So it's certainly now March of 2013 AD. Then there's one telling us it is "TOKYO, JAPAN TWO YEARS EARLIER" with another big yellow title card. That brings the audience to April of 2013 AD. 

4.2015 - 3 = 4.2012 

and 

4.2015 - 6.2 (30 months) = 10.2012 

and 

4.2015 - 1.2 (2 years and 1 month) = 3.2013 

and 

4.2015 - 2 = 4.2013. 

-After a prologue that ends with a "KAZAKHSTAN  2015" title card, there's yet another flashback with a title card declaring it "Washington D.C. 1955" at the start of season 1 episode 8 "Birthright". Lieutenant Hatch specifically says, "In the 2 years since Castle Bravo"... referring to a fictionalized version of the atomic bomb test as part of Operation Castle in the real-world. This would make it early 1956 AD so either the title card is a production mistake and it is actually 1956 AD or Hatch is exaggerating in rounding up and it is simply late 1955 AD. 

3.1954 + 2 = 3.1956. 

-Season 1 episode 9 "Axis Mundi" begins with an extended prologue, includes the title card "MONARCH TEST SITE KANSAS, 1962", and depicts the fictional Operation Hourglass which is later specifically confirmed by character dialogue to have happened in 1962 AD. Halfway through the episode we return to the past and it's implied to be soon after the prologue when characters are speaking of its events so it's probably still the same year. Later, a new flashback includes another title card: "1982". Hiroshi Randa confirms these dates when he refers to the prologue and says, ..."Operation Hourglass in 1962. 20 years ago." So now it's 1982 AD. A fourth flashback returns to soon after the third moment. Finally, this flows into a two-part flashback that depicts a "BREAKING NEWS" TV broadcast including a chyron saying, "HONOLULU DEVASTATED" about the G-Day Godzilla attack shown in "Godzilla" (2014), which takes place in 2014 AD. 

1962 + 20 = 1982. 

It is the chronologically second-earliest TV show in the MonsterVerse Universe and can be watched at its timeline point, as an extended flashback between the films "Godzilla" (2014) and "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (2019) or between "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" (2019) and "Godzilla vs. Kong" (2021) [with or without "Kong: Skull Island" (2017)], or entirely separately.