In 1955, Shaw and Keiko found themselves compelled to attend a summer ball, a mandatory social event where they had to mingle with military personnel and make their presence known. Given that their project was still in its infancy, they needed to secure a few favors and build some alliances beforehand. Keiko, dreading the thought of being there, was gently reminded by Shaw of the critical importance of their appearance. General Puckett took the stage to introduce them to a gathering of other military officials, all keenly interested in the nascent Project Monarch.
However, the evening took a sour turn when General Puckett made an offensive remark directed at Keiko. Humiliated and seething, Keiko and Shaw retreated to a secluded table. There, Keiko voiced her frustration, fearing that the military's relentless pursuit of killing titans would prevent any meaningful study of these enigmatic creatures. Shaw, ever the optimist, reassured Keiko that she would ultimately get what she desired and lavished her with compliments. Seizing the moment, he extended an invitation to dance.
As they glided across the dance floor, their initial tension melted away, replaced by laughter and playful flirtation. Yet, just as the atmosphere between them began to simmer with unspoken chemistry, a message from Bill Randa arrived, abruptly cutting short their moment of bliss.
Fast forward to the present, and we find a group of Monarch operatives escorting Shaw to another facility. Suddenly, Duvall burst onto the scene, announcing a change of plans with an air of authority. Before anyone could react, she swiftly incapacitated the guards. She then turned her attention to Shaw, demanding to know how he possessed knowledge that surpassed even that of the organization's top physicists. Duvall revealed that her sister, Sandra Brody, had perished in the Janjira nuclear accident. Driven by a desire to prevent such tragedies from recurring, Duvall had joined Monarch, believing Shaw held the key to averting future disasters.
Meanwhile, Cate, May, and Kentaro arrived at Caroline's house, where they were surprised to find Shaw and Duvall already present. Shaw informed them that Hiroshi was on a mission to thwart an impending threat, and their urgent task was to locate him.
Concurrently, Verdugo and Tim were engaged in their own quest to uncover Hiroshi's whereabouts. Without the benefit of sunlight filtering into the room, as the kids had previously utilized, they were at a loss. However, Tim's keen eye caught sight of holes in the wall, which he deduced were markers for Monarch's global outposts. He concluded that Hiroshi was likely holed up in one of three potential locations: Central Asia, near Cambodia, or Africa.
Flashing back to the aftermath of the Army ball in 1955, Bill Randa approached Keiko and Shaw with tantalizing news: he might have discovered a new titan lurking in Japan. The catch was that their budget proposal presentation was scheduled for the same week. Initially opposed to the idea, Shaw eventually relented, deciding to stay behind while Keiko and Bill embarked on their quest to find the elusive creature.
On Hateruma Island, Bill and Keiko stumbled upon Suzuki, a brilliant scientist poised to aid them in their quest to locate the elusive new titan. Suzuki had ingeniously constructed a gamma radiation simulator, a device that enabled him to establish communication with the mysterious creature. While Keiko and Suzuki viewed it as a groundbreaking "phone" to the unknown, Bill humorously remarked that they now possessed the ultimate titan bait.
After Bill briefed Shaw on their remarkable discovery, Shaw decided to confer with Puckett. The general, with a steely gaze, emphasized the need for Shaw to start treating Monarch as a serious career endeavor. He warned that any missteps on Shaw's part would be met with swift and decisive action.
Meanwhile, Shaw, Duvall, and their team arrived at the designated location marked on the map. There, they encountered Hiroshi, who was stationed beside a truck housing another gamma radiation simulator. Cate and Kentaro, overjoyed at the sight of their father, erupted into shouts of excitement. Hiroshi, spotting them, began frantically waving his arms—not in greeting, but in a desperate attempt to signal them to flee. Seizing his equipment, he sped off in the truck. Moments later, Tim and a Monarch squad descended from the sky in a helicopter.
Back on Hateruma Island, Shaw's sudden arrival ignited Keiko's fury, as he was expected to be attending a crucial budget meeting. She sternly reminded him that their primary focus must remain on Monarch, not their personal happiness. Despite her protestations, they shared a passionate kiss. Suddenly, the gamma radiation simulator hurtled towards them, narrowly missing both. Godzilla, emerging from the depths of the ocean with a thunderous roar, made it clear that the bomb had failed to eliminate him.
A similar scene unfolded in the present, but this time, the titan erupted from beneath the earth's surface. It wreaked havoc on the area, nearly crushing Cate, May, and Kentaro in their car. Godzilla's piercing gaze locked onto Cate's eyes before he retreated into the shadows.
In the aftermath, Shaw, Bill, and Keiko discovered that Monarch had fallen under new leadership. None of them welcomed this change, and Keiko, in particular, laid the blame squarely on Shaw's shoulders.
As chaos reigned, Cate urged everyone to flee, but Shaw, determined, insisted on following Godzilla, claiming he was trying to assist the creature. Cate, convinced he had lost his mind, declared her intention to leave. May and Kentaro sided with her. The episode concluded with May revealing that she had previously contacted Duvall out of a desperate desire to return home. Cate, seething with anger, refused to listen to any further explanations.
