Episode 3 of Monarch proved that there is no drama too big to slip from the collective back of the Roman family. The show also delivered its most music-centric hour to date.
Last week, viewers were treated to a cover of Shania Twain’s “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” which in the Monarch The universe is a Dottie Roman Cantrell hit (played by Susan Sarandon), not a Twain staple. The real-life singer even makes an appearance to hit that spot at home (the “B” word is used, it’s sassy) before singing a fictional song called “Dixie Kitten” to pay tribute to the country family matriarch.
Here’s the part where we yell “SPOILER ALERT!” Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Also in ep. 2, viewers also see Nicky Roman (Anna Friel) sing “The Card You Gamble”, the show’s theme song, performed in real life by Caitlyn Smith. Live music was not the focus of these introductory episodes as Dottie’s death and scandalous funeral took center stage. This changes at the start of the Ep. 3 (September 27), when Gigi Roman (Beth Ditto) is seen in the studio rehearsing a country version of Lizzoit’s “Juice”. Everyone is gearing up for the Queens of Country concert, which will pit sisters Gigi and Nicky against each other for the title of “Queen.” Shout out to Earl (Kevin Cahoon), who keeps stealing every scene he’s in. This time he recognizes how much everyone loves a little game of thrones with their country music, and he’s not wrong.
The next musical performance is Nicky rehearsing Faith Hill’s “Breathe,” and subsequent covers include her performance of Miranda Lambert’s “Kerosene” and Albie and Gigi’s (Trace Adkins, featuring Ditto) version of “Always on My Mind.” by Willie Nelson. Tanya Tucker makes an appearance and sings her own “Delta Dawn” after a scene in a shop that ends with Gigi storming out, boots in hand.
It is unclear whether these covers are presented as originals in this fiction Monarch world or as tributes to Hill, Lambert, Nelson, etc. After Twain’s twist a week ago — and without additional context — a viewer is led to believe that “Breathe” and “Kerosene” are hits for Nicky Roman and Albie Roman recorded for the first time in “Always on My Mind.” Gigi’s cover of Lizzo is easier to believe as a cover because she’s at the point in her career where a cover would make the most sense, unlike Nicky and Albie, who are years or decades into a career. to success.
Not only does Nicky sing Lambert’s song, but she invokes the 2005 CMA Awards winner’s famous performance in which she flips to close the fiery song. The original artists are never named, making each unique performance a challenge to compartmentalize. More time may be needed for full immersion in reality.
An original song titled “God Knows” and a Spanish-language cover of another titled “The Brambles” also dot Ep. 3, “Show ’em who you are baby.” Sometimes Cliff Notes is needed to Monarch, because it is edited at the speed of a Dude Perfect video. However, no one will ever complain that the show is boring. Here’s a short and probably incomplete recap of the action that filled the hour on Fox:
- Viewers learn that Nicky and Albie are definitely working together to hide the body that Albie has buried since the premiere.
- Gigi hates the way a sibling rivalry plays out, but his wife and Earl clearly appreciate it.
- Nicky confesses to her brother Luke (Joshua Sasse) that she wrote the letters each child supposedly received from Dottie during Ep. 2.
- Luke says he’ll stop digging to find out how his mother died (Nicky helped), then calls the coroner before leaving Nicky’s house (the coroner suspects assisted suicide).
- Rochelle Aytes, who plays Nichelle on CBS TO CRUSH. (Hondo’s girlfriend), appears as a live music promoter.
- Nicky’s husband is caught cheating again.
- A rural newcomer meets Albie at lunch and sings a verse and chorus to him and his son. This leads to a record deal with no further meeting. The son seems to have pulled some strings even though he’s still in high school.
- Nicky lets Gigi’s wife, Kayla, know that she knows she’s cheating on Gigi with Luke. Then she discovers that Kayla is pregnant with Luke’s child. She asks Kayla to let her deal with it, which is worrying to say the least.
- Viewers learn that Albie and Dottie were hiding things in their boots. Gigi finds a thumb drive with a song meant for Albie in a pair of Dottie’s old boots.
- Nicky brings her husband’s lover with her to the Queens of Country concert. There she announces to the world that her husband is cheating on her and shows that she does not want to shame the mistress.
- At this gig, Nicky crushes her performance and almost lands a headlining tour of Hondo’s girlfriend (from TO CRUSH)
The time lag between the past (where most Monarch lives) and today, three months later, does not advance the story of the corpse very far. Someone dug up the body, however, leaving a very large hole to explain to the cops later.
