Mark Watches ‘Monster’: Episode 51 – The Monster’s Love Letter

In the fifty-first episode of Monster, things get worse AND better, both in unexpected ways. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Monster. 

The Bad

This is actually happening, isn’t it? I kept thinking that some random occurrence would happen, would set in motion a set of events that would result in Tenma going free. Instead, the final images of him in this episode are of his deportation. It’s a haunting thing to witness: what little we see of Tenma is him wearing defeat all over his body. And honestly, who can blame him? This is a VERY bad situation, and the legal weight of this nightmare is clearly pressing down on him. How the fuck is he going to get out of this? His old doctor colleague is right, y’all. How the fuck is he going to prove his innocence? Granted, most of the evidence against him is circumstantial, yes. But even someone as involved and knowledgeable as Lunge hasn’t quite figured out how to piece together a vindication of Tenma. 

I say that, but I also want to acknowledge that there’s a whole other context at work here for Lunge. I don’t want to ignore that he’s a character obsessed with his own intellectual interests. He is thrilled by trying to put together pieces of ornate, thorny, and complicated puzzles. Is he doing this because he’s dedicated to justice and fairness? I don’t think so; I think those are just byproducts of his work and aren’t the main focus of what he does. Yet as much as I want to see Tenma and Johan go head-to-head, I actually have a lot of interest in seeing Lunge try to take him down, too. I think that would be compelling! Two minds up against one another??? Who would win???

The Good

But let’s get back to Tenma and Johan, because I think this episode heavily suggests a future path for this story. 

I think Tenma is going to win because he’s not alone. 

I’m a stunning feat of writing—Y’ALL KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE SERIALIZATION—multiple characters that have all crossed paths with Tenma reappear. The context of how they do that matters, though. When Tenma’s arrest spreads through news reports, we watch other people experience their disbelief. Normally, I would balk at the logic deployed here. People who are nice to some people can be monstrous to others. It all depends on who they can exploit. But it works here because Tenma is the polar opposite of Johan, who uses kindness and charm as a weapon. They are means to an end; they are always tools in a greater manipulation. And I think that the people in this episode recognize that! Like Petra and Dr. Schumann. Tenma once saved Petra’s life, and her son let Tenma go BECAUSE these people realized that the charges against Tenma were bogus, that this man truly was a good person both in heart and in action. 

The same goes for Karl. For Schuwald. For the young woman left to run that clinic by herself. For all the people who are literally alive because Tenma was THEIR doctor. And this is what Tenma has that Johan doesn’t: love. Community. Schuwald is already preparing to hire the best possible criminal defense lawyer for Tenma, and Tenma’s patients aren’t giving up on him either. It’s the most distinct advantage that Tenma has over Johan, even if Tenma doesn’t realize it. 

The Letter

Mixed in with all of this is yet another perplexing mystery: the truth of the two mothers. We knew that Karl’s mother was once best friends with the twins’s mother. They were separated when trying to cross the border, and the twins’s mother stayed in Prague, in an apartment above the Three Frogs. Which explains why this place is so signo into multiple people! But as far as we know, Helenka never got to reunite with her best friend before passing. Niña still hasn’t pieced together exactly what happened on that apartment either. 

However, it’s Lunge who makes a huge discovery when he finds a letter hidden behind the portrait of Johan and Nina’s mom. I assume that it’s FOR the mother? And maybe it was written by the father? I don’t know, y’all. I STILL DON’T GET IT!!! How does this all fit together? What the fuck happened in that room? What gave rise to Johan and Nina??? Does the letter writer know??? WHY. 

The video for “The Monster’s Love Letter” can be downloaded here for $0.99.

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