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Warning: The following contains spoilers for the new Peacock film Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie. Proceed at your own risk!
It’s been 14 years since we saw detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) solve his late wife Trudy’s (Melora Hardin) murder and meet her long-lost daughter, Molly (Alona Tal), in the 2009 series finale of USA’s Monk. And three years since we watched him stand six feet from his laptop while Zooming with his former colleagues at the start of the pandemic in the short “Mr. Monk Shelters in Place.” They reunite in-person in the new Peacock film Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie for what should be a happy occasion: The wedding of Molly (now played by versatile standout Caitlin McGee) to her investigative journalist love, Griffin (Austin Scott). Only shortly after the arrival of Monk’s former assistant Natalie (Traylor Howard), now a real estate agent in Atlanta, and Randy (Jason Gray-Stanford), still a sheriff in New Jersey and with Bitty Schram’s Sharona (who stayed home to help with her first grandchild), Griffin dies in a bungee-jumping accident.
Monk ultimately gets to say his trademark “here’s what happened”: the Jeff Bezos-type billionaire Rick Eden (James Purefoy) — for whom retired captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) heads security — had Griffin murdered via tampered ruler. The rope Griffin carefully measured, twice, was actually six feet too long. The real shocker of the movie, however, is Monk’s state of mind throughout: He’s suicidal, hoarding pills and planning to reunite with Trudy, whom he’s seeing and talking to again.
We learn the pandemic set back any progress Monk had made on his OCD. He hadn’t left the house for two years. Molly moved in, and he ate meals with her wearing a hazmat suit. He stopped consulting with the San Francisco PD, which had always given him a challenge and purpose. In the opening scene of the film, he’s forced to return the advance for his long overdue memoir, because the publisher (played by Shalhoub’s real-life wife, Brooke Adams) now considers him irrelevant.
Shalhoub admits he never thought the show — a dramedy with the emphasis on the comedy — would ever go to that dark of a place. But he and Monk creator/writer Andy Breckman both agreed there needed to be a real reason to revisit the character, which meant doing something a bit different, digging deeper, and giving fans (and Hector Elizondo’s Dr. Bell) cause to truly worry about Monk. “The way Andy pitched it I felt was so brilliant and subtle: He actually invoked It’s a Wonderful Life,” Shalhoub tells TVLine. “He said, ‘Here’s a traditional, heartwarming Christmas movie, an American classic, which actually starts with a man getting ready to commit suicide. … And it made so much sense, because it is a very beautiful story: It’s heartwarming, and even has elements of comedy within it and quirky characters, and yet, the premise is very, very bleak. That sold me on the whole idea.”
Both Shalhoub and Breckman cite Monk’s scenes with his longtime psychiatrist as some of their favorites in the movie. We learn that Dr. Bell had written a book (Monk is patients A-D) and that, unbeknownst to Adrian, he’d retired two months ago but kept him as his sole client. When Dr. Bell suspects Monk’s plan, he tries to remind Monk how many people love and appreciate him. The two even exchange emotional “I love you”s. (“I wanted to raise the stakes for Monk, and I always thought it’d be so funny if Monk and his shrink were passing Kleenex back and forth and weeping, and then Monk says, ‘This can’t be healthy,’” Breckman says.) Yet even after solving 140 homicides in his career, Monk looks at the newspaper headlines and tells Dr. Bell he feels as though he made no difference at all.
In the end, it’s Trudy who succeeds in convincing Monk to live. As he’s sitting at a picnic table in the park where he proposed to her, preparing to take the pills, she calls forth Griffin and other people whose murders Monk has solved — as well as one woman who’s still waiting for him to bring her justice and her family closure. Monk leaves the park, with them all walking behind him. If you cried (and we know you did, because we’re tearing up again just recapping it), you are not alone.
“I love the poet Robert Frost, and he famously once said, ‘If there are no tears for the writer, there are no tears for the reader.’ In other words, if you’re not crying while you write it, the reader is not gonna tear up either,” Breckman says. “And the truth is, I started thinking about this [movie] backwards — from that ending and worked backwards. That’s how important [the scene] was to me.”
Here, Shalhoub and Breckman answer a few of our burning questions.
TVLINE | After Monk confronts Rick Eden and refuses his payoff, Eden forces Monk off a cliff. Monk survives by clinging to an inflatable doll — and later says he told her things he’d never told anyone. What might he have confessed?
Breckman | When we were making the series, everyone always wondered how experienced Monk and Trudy were sexually. That was always a big secret in the show. I don’t even know the answer, if they ever consummated their relationship. Monk is the most chaste character in the history of the medium. And so, maybe he has regrets that he shared? [Laughs]
Shalhoub | I didn’t really think about what he was telling her. But I imagine, like Monk says, that she’s a good listener. [Laughs]
TVLINE | Monk penned goodbye letters to the people in his life. The only letter we get to read is his brief note to his old rival, Harold Krenshaw: “Dear Harold, Almost all is forgiven. Your ‘friend,’ Adrian Monk.” What didn’t Adrian forgive?
Shalhoub | [Laughs] Even though they made up in one episode, there are always things about each other that they couldn’t get past, and that’s just part of their illness. We tried a number of different ways to write and wrap up that letter. It was my idea to put “your friend” in quotation marks, because they always had this love-hate relationship.
Breckman | That’s a perfect reason why Tony is the best partner in the world. I was on the set watching him shoot that scene, and when he added those quotes, I died.
TVLINE | What do you think Monk wrote in the letter addressed to his brother, Ambrose?
Breckman | I’m very relieved that I didn’t have to actually write it. That might have been the hardest one to write. Their relationship was so complicated.
Shalhoub | I like to think that Monk would have written that Ambrose would be better off without him, and that Ambrose wouldn’t have to worry about Monk anymore. That it was an act of generosity and love, and it would come as a relief to Ambrose in a way.
TVLINE | In the final scene, Monk returns home to find Natalie has left Watson, the skittish, elderly poodle deemed unadoptable at the shelter, for him. How difficult was Watson to cast?
Breckman | Well, of course the dog had to look like Tony and act like Tony, and clean his cage on command. We were [shooting] in Toronto, and it’s not a long list of dogs. It was a little bit of a talent search for us.
Shalhoub | We had a number of dogs to audition. [Laughs] And we all had to weigh in, as with all the casting. I think that one was perfect. And Andy has a dog named Watson.
Breckman | Watson is a new puppy in our house. He’s just a big happy shepherd. And also, because Monk was so influenced by Sherlock Holmes, Watson is appropriate for that reason.
TVLINE | What was it like to film the scene in which Monk steps in dog poo and writhes on the ground pleading with Natalie to amputate his foot while other folks are running toward the man who was just blown up by a package bomb? It felt like classic Monk.
Shalhoub | That was a scene that I wasn’t sure we were going to be able to pull off. Is it going to be too broad? I mean, dog poop is funny. [Laughs] You can’t give that joke any level of sophistication, at all. And so instead, we just went all out. We thought, “Let’s get the nastiest, squishiest, awfulest-looking stuff we can use.” Because we would often try to do that during our eight seasons: We would alternate between very dark, poignant, emotionally-charged scenes and really silly, goofy scenes. And because we went as dark as we did with this movie, we have to balance that out with some really, really silly stuff. The other part of it is, I always liked the fact that Monk is not the most empathetic guy in the world. [Laughs] I mean, his problems always loom larger than other people’s problems. And I think that’s a nice contradiction about him: Yeah, he’s a nice guy. Yeah, he’s got integrity, blah, blah, blah. But he’s also got these human flaws. And that’s one of them, where he’s just self-obsessed.
TVLINE | Are we going to see another movie?
Breckman | I actually have an idea that I love for another movie. Of course, it’s not up to me. It’s up to the fans and to the TV gods.
Monk fans, what did you think of the new Peacock film? Let us know in the comments!
It was heart-wrenching and heart-warming but I wish they had brought back Sharona instead of Natalie.
I wanted Natalie because both the character and the actress stuck by Monk till the end. The actress that played Sharona could have visited more often
It’s insane to me that Tony Shalhoub is 70! Hopefully his timeless looks are a sign he’ll grace our screens for many years. Thanks for bringing back Mr. Monk!
What’s interesting is when Monk saw the unsolved files, there were 22. 22 was the usual number of episodes in a tv season.
It was as if the people behind Monk were trying to set up another season for the show to come back.
I agree, except Monk never aired more than 16 episodes per season. USA kept their shows between 8-18 episodes per year
Peacock will probably split into two bundles with 10 episodes each and one holiday special(2 hour movie) that is very popular format on the streaming platform. I guess this tv movie is the setup/testing the water for revival.
Peacock will probably split into two bundles with 10 episodes each and one holiday special(2 hour movie) that is very popular format on the streaming platform. I guess this tv movie is the setup/testing the water for revival.
A fabulous production!
Please, sir, we want some more.
I love monk I always have and always will. I think that the movie was great and it was a classic mysterious funny Monk movie. I love seeing all the characters reunite Monk will forever be my favorite. I still watch this series till this day only thing is, I don’t remember seeing, WHY they killed Griffin. I know HOW but I have to go back and see why they killed him. Please don’t ever take Monk off of Peacock.
I felt the darkness, and that really did bother me. But overall? I was so happy to have Monk back and catch up with all the characters. I’ve been wanting to rewatch the series, and this made me want to do that all the more.
Loved it! The funniest scene to me was Disher and the LEGO bridge.
Mine was Monk stepping in dog poo and then rolling around on the ground demanding they amputate his foot/leg.
That was funny and a perfect Randy moment.
Of course there will be another movie. We need to see Monk and Watson together
I laughed , I cried and it left me wanting more of Monk.
LOVED the movie. I was a little taken aback by Monk planning suicide, but this was always a show about solving murders (a dark subject), and it did make sense. If you were a man in Monk’s shoes, you’d probably be very tired of it all, too. I was just surprised that he’d do that to Molly. I hope they make at least two more movies. I’d love to see Monk with his new dog.
I loved the movie! I adored seeing the relationship that Monk had with Molly, and I was so happy to see Monk working with Natalie again. I totally cried at the end when Monk was walking with all the people whose murders he’s solved (and the one woman whose murder Monk had yet to solve). I really hope they make another Monk movie!
We absolutely love Monk and this movie did not disappoint. Loved seeing the old cast join Adrian.
The suicide storyline was sad. It feels as if Monk hasn’t learnt a whole lot in therapy but his quirks are what made the show so unique and special.
We would love more Monk!
Perhaps not his most difficult case, but seeing Mr. Monk in anything is comedy gold…
Good to revisit these characters that some of us still see almost every day in re-runs. Wish we could have seen Sharona and Natalie’s daughter. Story was ok, not the greatest, I could’ve done without the whole Monk wants to commit suicide story line. Best seen was the dog poop one. Good enjoyable effort.
While it was great to have them back, and I hope there are more, it was too dark a d disturbing. Some things seemed contrived, and chances were missed. Why not have some real victims from the series show up among the dead at the end, such as Kevin Dorfman. An amazing ending would have been even better.
I agree, the first thing I thought was WHY NO KEVIN DORFMAN? He was an important part of the show.
Sadly, they killed off in season 7 episode15 , which I think was horrible. Fun character..
but Monk solved his case
he could have appeared with the other victins – which I believe was the point above
I loved it!!!!…the ending was so heart warming it made me tear up…the plot was great!!!
I want another movie and maybe you could bring Harold back….im a Monkster for life…I have watched the series over a 100 times and I practically know all the lines…in fact I fall asleep to Monk…its my feel good movie.
Loved seeing the whole cast together again and using Monks real wife in the beginning was genius!!!🙏❤️🙏❤️
I loved this movie! Love Monk. Love Natalie! Love Leyland! Love, love, love! Please do another movie! Me too. I have watched the reruns over and over and over! I still laugh!
Caitlin McGee was a great addition!
And since she’s moving to the East coast. Right near where Randy is now sheriff. And Leland didn’t reject the idea of being a deputy…
Mr. Monk Visits New Jersey? (with Watson, of course)
This article describes many of the reasons this new movie is so great, expanding beyond what the series did, yet connected to themes of the series, both serious and comical. It is just great to see them all together again, and their chemistry, and that of the writers and producers. I hope they make many more
Absolutely loved it. Wiped some tears at the end only because the movie was over & I didn’t want to say goodbye. Hoping there will be more adventures to come
I loved this movie! Please, please, please make another and another and another…. ! I miss Monk!!!
I loved “Mr Monks Last Case”. I thought it was a great way to revisit this beloved character. I also love that the door was left open to more Mr. Monk tv movies or even a new series.
I enjoyed the movie overall, great to see so many of the characters back.
One of the funniest moments for me was when Monk said to Natalie “Wipe, Wipe” and everyone joined in. Interesting to see how much of Monk’s personal world is now a reality.
I love Monk. Wish the series was still on. Would love to see another movie
I don’t know how they do it, but Monk always seems to strike the perfect balance between tragedy and comedy. The fact that Monk was suicidal through the entire film and yet it was still funny, heartwarming and enjoyable to watch is really a testament to the writers. That easily could’ve just skewed depressing and ruined the entire movie. I would love a series revival but I don’t know how they would pull that off. Monk would for sure have to get a new assistant because Natalie and Sharona don’t live near him and Molly accepted a job in New York. Even for the movies, I think it would be limited because there’s only so many reasons for Natalie or Sharona to visit and assist Monk in solving yet another case. I was also hoping that Stottlemyer would say “God Dammit” when he realized his boss was “the guy” because he always said that when the killer was someone he liked and it would have a negative impact on him. I also didn’t see any scene where Natalie left Watson behind for Adrien. The final scene of the movie was him walking down the hill with the victims he got justice for. Peacock stopped multiple times during my viewing though so perhaps it skipped that scene when it resumed. I’m not sure, but I’m glad there was closure on that poor dog. I don’t know how Monk can care for it though. He can’t pick up after the dog when it does its business obviously.
The scene with Watson happened after the credits started. They started briefly, and then the Watson scene happened, followed by the rest of the credits.
Here’s a burning question that wasn’t answered, it was clear that Rick Eden murdered his business partner, but when he was arrested at the end he was charged with 2 murders. I’d presume that was Griffin and the delivery driver. Does he still get away with killing his partner? That seemed to be what Griffin was trying to prove so it would make sense that he would also be charged with that in the end. Also, I liked Griffin but how dumb was he to bungee jump the day before his wedding, knowing a billionaire planned to kill him somehow? He should’ve been avoiding risks, not jumping headfirst into them (literally).