Tonight: A Fitting Finale for ‘Monk’
by S.T. KarnickMonk has been one of the best fiction series on U.S. television during the current decade, and tonight’s concluding episode (9 p.m. EST, USA Network) promises to tie up the few remaining vagrant plot strands. The show’s producers have done a good job of bringing various characters’ stories to conclusions and resolving the major problems each has faced during the eight years of the show’s run. That process has meshed well with the central interest of this type of mystery fiction: the restoration of bourgeois order after a major disruption caused by crime.
Thus, in recent episodes, Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer has become married, something he longed for, and Sharona has returned to apologize to and reconciled with Monk for her abrupt departure several years earlier. Widow and Monk’s assistant Natalie Teeger has found a potential husband as well, a Navy officer of very good character who clearly loves her. This will be quite a comfort to her as Natalie’s daughter, Julie, is moving on to college.
Similarly, Monk was given back his detective badge and reinstated to the SF police force–and then realized that it wasn’t what he really wanted and that life as a consultant was a better option for a man of his talents. In addition, Monk’s symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder have receded a little as he has begun to resolve some of the psychological problems behind his compulsions. In fact, Monk has finally started to realize how much of his life he has wasted because of his compulsions and what he really wants out of life.
And in last week’s episode, Monk finally opened Trudy’s Christmas gift to him of a dozen years earlier–and found that it was not what he had expected.
Only a couple of elements remain to be resolved. One, what Lt. Randy Disher will do with his life has been hinted at in recent weeks and will probably be resolved tonight. And two, of course, the person responsible for killing Monk’s wife will probably be brought to justice and his full motives revealed.
In last week’s episode, the person behind the killing was identified for the audience, and as Monk homed in on the solution to this central mystery of the series, the great detective was poisoned by some mysterious method and declined quickly toward death. (It’s fairly obvious how the poisoning was done, however, and one can feel confident that Monk or one of those close to him will figure it out just in time to save his life.)
All of this has constituted a satisfying and thoroughly appropriate conclusion to a series that always stood for sound values and did so with a winsome attitude.
Some in the press have also revealed that there will be an additional twist in tonight’s concluding episode (which I won’t identify), which will give Monk something new over which to obsess. This suggests that the door is being left open for the story to continue on TV in the form of made-for-TV movies or, less likely, a resumption of the series in the future (or perhaps even in theatrical films, though that’s unlikely with the show’s audience demographics).
That will be good news for those who like the show and have not been satisfied with the Monk novels by Lee Goldberg, even if it’s not great news for Monk. But as a modern-day detective, he has to go through a good deal of misery in order to do his job (a convention that I would very much like to see retired). And in the end, it’s clear that Monk takes great satisfaction in the good work he does.
That’s something most people seek, and it’s what has always been at the heart of the show: finding true happiness in doing good for others.
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46 Comments
Gonna miss me some Monk.
I've loved Tony since his Antonio Scarpacci days (and thought he stole the movie in Galaxy Quest).
Hopefully he finds something else successful that allows us to keep appreciating his work.
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I'm gonna miss Monk too…can relate to the OCD behavior! LOL….Nice that there will be reruns…love John Turturro playing his brother–also a great character! This was a fun concept for a show–not the usual shoot em up, loads of special effects, cool music…it was all about the characters and it was fun and clever! I look forward to Tony's next project!!
Haven't been following him lately, but I think I'll tune in tonight to say goodbye. I enjoy Tony Shalhoub and I think the Monk character has been one of the truly unique TV detectives.
My whole family will miss Monk, since it is one of very few shows we can watch together with our kids. My 13 year old is extremely upset that the series is ending.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE SHOWS…will resign myself to re-runs for i surely will not fill my life with the drivel that the networks produce…charlie sheen's show comes to mind…
Monk (and other "cable" shows) have eclipsed the network 3 (4, if you count FOX) as better television. Sy-fy (or whatever they changed their logo to) has excellent shows as well. I cannot think of a show on network that we watch as faithfully as Monk (or psyche.)
I will miss it. (But I will be buying the DVD's of all the seasons.)
love the Randy Disher Project. Or was it the Randy Disher Experience?
Great plots, great guest stars, and and a cast you really wanted to care about.
When this show first came on I was hoping that they had found a new home for Tony Shalhoub's considerable talents. They did. Thanks to all for a wonderful run. And thanks for last Sunday's marathon.
My favorite scene ever on Monk. When he is sitting with his psychiatrist during the garbage strike. The Dr. is clearly pre-occupied but he lets Monk rant for about three minutes. Finally he says "Adrian, have you been mailing me your garbage?" The ensuing back and forth (Evidence and denial) is classic.
I also enjoyed him in "Big Night"… and "Cars". He's such a talent.
It was a great modern version of Sherlock Holmes… and even a bit of Columbo. Turturro was great, as he always is.
I preferred the earlier episodes with Sharona, and at times I wanted to reach through the TV screen and strangle Monk for his hesitancies, but I always enjoyed the show, and it has always been clever and entertaining. I've got the Monk marathon on the USA network on right now. I'm getting blubbery sentimental. I'm not sure if I'm excited about tonight's series finale, or depressed. But as their musical theme says in the commercials: "Maybe it's time to go."
Love Columbo too…something about a misfit (uncool) getting the bad guy is very satisfying!
Add me to the parade of people that'll miss Mr. Monk and all his exentricities. Always a well done take on the "ratiocination" of E.A. Poe's "Dupin".
I'll see you in continued syndication Mr. Monk!
Although it was filled with a lot of liberal messages, he was absolutely fantastic in "The Siege" as well.
But it's a shame that USA is finally bringing one of my few "Must-see" shows to a conclusion .. but alas, all good things have to come to and end, and it's going out as one of the best.
"It's a jungle out there", and I liked knowing Mr. Monk was out there too.
I'm stoked for the finale of Monk tonight!!!
For shows where people can be good detectives WITHOUT being miserable, cf. "Psych" and my new favorite, "White Collar" (where the lead detective is VERY happily married and is bonding with a con man who, as unlikely as this may sound, clearly respects the g-man AND his marriage).
"I preferred the earlier episodes with Sharona"
I could not stand Sharona and when she left, the show got much better. Sad to see it end.
isn't if funny, that nbc owns usa network, and monk is much better than anything on nbc. monk also is funny because unlike most characters on tv, he seems to have good old fashioned ideas about civillity, and that is not seen on most shows. i know every week someone usually gets killed, but they don't show the blood and guts of all of it, just enough to get the idea, then they move on.
monk is a great reason for tv on dvd, once gone from the air, i can have personal monkathons whenever i need a monk fix.
Admittedly, I'd more or less stopped watching it about three years ago. Not because I thought it wasn't good anymore, but because a close friend of mine passed away. He was O/CD, and the fun of watching the show (besides Tony Shahloub) was my friend saying the following day, "Did you see what Monk did last night? I do that!" After he died, it was hard to watch it. I won't miss tonight's episode, though.
No Ambrose? I hope he shows up in the finale.
I love the show and think Traylor Howard has been a substantial improvement over Bitty Schram (although I enjoyed her as well). I think at times they've gotten too carried away with how inept Randy was, or how Monk's progress was coming along (there hasn't been a lot of consistency), but overall they've kept the show interesting and fresh. It's a good time to let it go though. Since they knew this was the last year, I thought they're done a much better job of telling good stories that seemed to blend from week to week. A made for TV movie once or twice a year would be a lot better than trying to pick up the series at a future time.
I love this show and always looked forward to watching it. I will miss the combo of Monk and Psych on Friday. I love both of them. I hope they keep Psych around for awhile.
So, many previous good comments about "Monk" which I share. Our family thoroughly liked both secretaries, appreciated the uniqueness each brought to their character in that roll. Such a quality show. We will grieve, then later pick up on the re-runs. Sure like the idea for a made-for-TV movie once or twice a year.
The bad news is that this is the only show I watch. The good news is, now I don't have to watch anything.
I'll be very sad to see this go off the air as well. They've had their share of weak episodes like any other series, but it's amazing how many good mysteries they've done and how the series still hasn't gone stale. They're certainly going out near the top of their game. I also have to put in a word for Ted Levine. It'd be a shame if he ended up typecast after this, but he is absolutely fantastic and is almost as much a reason to tune in as Tony is. Jason Gray-Stanford is also pretty good. He manages to be endearingly comic without ever coming across as a caricature. Last but certainly not least, both Traylor and Bitty were/are great as Monk's foil. It's a shame Schram let herself get booted over money. I would have liked to see her last a little longer.
Monk also deserves credit for reinventing the TV mystery almost as much as Columbo did. They've done their share of straight whodunnits and a lot of Columbo-style inverted mysteries, but it's the first series I've seen to make the whydunnit it's signature style. Think about how many of the episodes revolved around crimes that appeared so motiveless there was no apparent reason to commit them.
Funny thing about Monk is that Tony Shaloub is a devout left winger from all that I've read but he's able to transcend politics in his performances, unlike such creatures as Susan Sarandon (I can't watch Bull Durham anymore even though I'm a baseball fanatic and actually lived in Durham for a while and went to Durham Bulls games). I love Monk and Antonio Scarpacci from Wings and everything in the middle. Shaloub is a true actor and entertainer, a throwback, and in the artistic sense he is a national treasure. I'm happy for his success and awards and look forward to whatever he has in store for us.
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Great final episode…I think I'm gonna miss him since he's gone…
How many of you know that Tony Shaloub is a 72 grad of Green Bay East HS, and that he is a Packers' fan?
Going to miss Monk and especially Tony Shaloub. Monk is one of the "few" shows me and my wife make time to watch and we enjoy every minute of it.
Really GREAT right to the end. Here's what happened: I watched, I enjoyed, I got misty. What more can you ask for?
The networks always seem to dump the good shows and keep the crap,
Why did they end the series?
A fitting coda for this great series. I liked the last scene, with Monk, Natalie and the Captain heading to another crime scene while Randy takes his post in NJ.
I thoght it was pretty good for a final episode, which often disappoint. But I have to admit I didn't quite buy Randy as a police chief, even of what presumably is a very small town. It's pretty hard to make the leap from bumbling comic relief to that.
Great finale. And Randy ends up as chief in my birth place, so I can make it all about me. Wait, that's a half hour from here, I better go buy some weapons
I'll miss Monk! Sharona was the best. She would never become romantically involved with Randy. I really loved Randy, too. The chemistry was great with the Captain. Can Monk become the next Columbo? I hope so.
This is a terrific series that my family watched every Friday. The previous season was a little tedious, making Monk angry and insensitive. This last season went back to the roots and humanity of Monk while it slowly resolved the over-riding mystery. I agree that Disher's resolution made no sense, although I think he should have met and started a relationship with Monk's "adopted" daughter. I felt uncomfortable with Monk's relationship to Trudy's daughter as it felt like he was "crushing" on her and she at times him. Otherwise, wonderful ending to a glorious series that network programming can't touch in enjoyment and decency.
Oh, and watch Psych if you haven't. It is just as funny and good natured. I am also loving the new White Collar, although it still feels like the writers haven't figured out their characters yet. Then there is Burn Notice. Incredible that these shows come from NBC or any other current network where nothing is worth watching.
"Monk" debuted as America was still reeling from the 9/11 attacks. "It's a jungle out there, disorder and confusion everywhere…" resonated with millions of us as we tried to find some normalcy in our post-9/11 world. Monk helped fill the void. I could always relate to the terror he experienced when confronted with chaos, disarray, rude people, and messy lives. He really cared about doing things well and with excellence. My entire family will miss the show.
I have to admit I wasn't that impressed with the Trudy's daughter subplot myself. It wasn't so much that he was "crushing" on her as much as – "Hi, I'm the ex-husband of your mother whom your dad had murdered after you were born of an adulterous affair". Frankly, it seems that only that guy who turned out to be Charles Manson's son a few weeks ago was less happy finding out about his biological parents.
Yes! Yes! Yes! That was hilarious. Thanks for reminding me of that episode.
You're right about Shalhoub: he was able to play Monk's condition for laughs but he never let you forget that under the surface was a man suffering enormous pain and loss. The pain sort of anchored Monk and kept him from becoming just a character with a lot of funny behavioral quirks.
My kids, wife, and I watched the show from season two (then quickly got the season one DVD collection). Then we dutifully purchased each season's DVD as soon as it appeared on shells. (The only reason we even tried then fell for "Psych" was because it followed "Monk.")
The last episode had all four of us crying when the big twist was revealed. Finally, Monk got something back from that horrible tragedy. How often does a show get produced, written, directed, and acted so well that a 13 year old girl, a 15 year old boy, and two forty-something parents all come together and cry FOR a character's good fortune?
Thank you at the Monk creative institute. You made us believe in and love your creation.
Well as the saying goes "All good things must come to an end". And that was a good show. I am going to miss Monk.
[...] Filed under: Family — dknights @ 6:25 am Tags: Monk, TV The TV show Monk wrapped up its final season last Friday night. (It appears that there is a possibility of some made for TV movies in the future.) I will miss [...]
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