This article contains discussion of suicide.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie has an important reason for being darker than the original television series. In addition to being a procedural television show, Monk was both a comedy and a drama. The premise of a man with debilitating phobias who could never solve his wife’s murder is inherently tragic. At the same time, these phobias lead to many comedic scenarios and interactions throughout Monk’s best episodes, including the germaphobia and fear of flying that Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) has.
There is a deeply emotional undercurrent to Monk’s story, especially when the mystery of what happened to Monk’s wife, Trudy (Melora Hardin) comes to the forefront, but there is a lightness to the overall series as well. Even many of Monk’s most heartbreaking episodes find ways to incorporate humor. Beyond Monk, other characters like Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) and Monk’s rival, Harold Krenshaw (Tim Bagley), bring comedy to the series. Despite all the familiar characters in Mr. Monk’s Last Case, the movie is undeniably darker than the series that preceded it.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case Explored The Impact Of The Pandemic On Adrian’s Mental Health
The Pandemic Caused Him To Regress
The Covid-19 pandemic led to a 5-minute Monk episode, “Mr. Monk Shelters In Place,” which reveals how the titular character fares during such a difficult time as his friends check in on him via video chat. Mr. Monk’s Last Case expands on this by revealing that the pandemic had a highly negative impact on Monk’s mental health. Since solving who killed Trudy and learning that he had a stepdaughter, Monk has made significant progress with his mental health, and is better able to manage his various phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Related This Subtle Detail In Monk Made Tony Shalhoub’s Performance As The Detective Even Better Tony Shalhoub’s portrayal of Adrian in Monk is arguably one of his most memorable performances and there is a small detail that makes it even better.
However, much of that progress is undone, and Monk regresses in many areas due to the challenges of the pandemic. This takes a significant toll on his mental health, the impact of which he still feels even though the world has opened back up again when Mr. Monk’s Last Case begins. For someone with severe germaphobia, the pandemic was his worst nightmare. This is played for laughs in “Mr. Monk Shelters In Place,” but Mr. Monk’s Last Case explores this with more seriousness.
Adrian Was At His Lowest Point Since The Monk Finale In Mr. Monk’s Last Case
The Pandemic Is Only One Reason He Is Struggling So Much
The negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic are among numerous factors that contribute to Monk being at a particularly low point in Mr. Monk’s Last Case. He is retired and missing the sense of purpose and fulfillment that he had from being a former homicide detective and as a private consultant for the San Francisco Police Department. Monk received an advance to write a memoir about his career in law enforcement, but has to give the money back after numerous editors, ghostwriters, and rewrites are unable to salvage the memoir.
Nine pages of Monk’s memoir are devoted to how he owned the same vacuum cleaner as one of the killers he caught.
Beyond being a personal blow to Monk, losing the advance means that he does not have the money to pay for the wedding of his stepdaughter, Molly (Caitlin McGee). Since learning of her existence and meeting her, Molly has been the most important person in the world to Monk, and he cannot bear the idea of being unable to pay for her wedding. The pandemic, the loss of purpose, and not having the funds to pay for Molly’s wedding lead Monk to contemplate taking his own life so he can reunite with Trudy.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case’s Main Mystery Was Incredibly Tragic & Personal To Monk
He Has To Solve The Murder Of His Stepdaughter’s Fiancé
Close
While the overarching case of Trudy’s death in Monk was incredibly personal to him, the episodic cases were generally not as personal. However, the mystery he must solve in Mr. Monk’s Last Case is deeply personal, as it is about the death of Molly’s fiancé, Griffin Briggs (Austin Scott). Molly’s fiancé dying in a bungee jumping accident shortly before their wedding is tragic. Molly has helped Monk in countless ways, and now she turns to him, as he is the only one who can prove who killed Griffin and how the murder was committed.
This darker story makes the stakes feel higher than they often felt during episodes of the original series.
Monk is dealing with suicidal thoughts while also wanting to help Molly in any way that he can. The movie repeats Monk’s oldest trick of making it clear who the killer is, but Monk still has to prove that the billionaire Rick Eden (James Purefoy) is the one responsible for Griffin’s death. This darker story makes the stakes feel higher than they often felt during episodes of the original series, building a satisfying conclusion to the case and to Monk’s decision about whether he will continue to live or whether he will take his own life.
Mr. Monk’s Last Case Still Felt Like Monk (Despite The Darker Tone)
The Essential Chemistry, Comedy, And The Heart Remain Intact
Even with a darker tone, Mr. Monk’s Last Case still feels like a natural continuation of the series. From his physical mannerisms to the way he speaks, Shalhoub seamlessly slides back into his iconic role, and makes it fully convincing that, despite some changes, he is still the Monk that viewers around the world came to know and love. Monk being surrounded again by familiar faces, especially Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard), Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), and Randy, goes a long way toward recapturing the feel of the original show.
Title Tomatometer Score Popcornmeter Score Monk (2002-2009) 89% 88% Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie (2023) 96% 79%
Howard, Levine, and Gray-Stanford are just as seamless in how they reprise their roles. Natalie’s encouraging attitude, Stottlemeyer’s exasperation, and Randy’s naivety all feel consistent. There is darkness and drama, but there are also plenty of comedic beats, including Randy’s demonstration of a ridiculous theory about how Eden managed to kill Griffin without looking guilty. Another great comedic scene is when Monk’s therapist, Dr. Neven Bell admits that he retired months ago despite continuing to meet with Monk. There is also delightful comedy when Monk is disguised as a bartender, a ruse that inevitably does not last long.
Related 5 Reasons Sharona Was Monk’s Best Assistant (& 5 Reasons It Was Natalie) When Sharona left, her replacement was hotly debated. But there are plenty of reasons to call either Sharona or Natalie Mr. Monk’s best assistant.
The dynamics between the characters, the comedy, and the structure of the movie feels like an extended, albeit darker, episode of Monk full of heart. The ending of Mr. Monk’s Last Case not only sees Monk solving Griffin’s death, but also gives him a new purpose that sets up a potential sequel. The movie proves that Monk’s story still works well, even with somewhat of a tonal shift, and in a different format. Given this impressive feat, a Mr. Monk’s Last Case sequel should happen, regardless of whether it takes the form of another movie or another procedural television series.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Rotten Tomatoes