"Monk" Season 8 thread - Page 4

This last season has spanned a much broader span of time than a usual season. For instance, six months passed between "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" and "Mr. Monk Is the Best Man" four episodes later. USA Network has also been airing the episodes out of order; I think "Mr. Monk Goes Camping" was originally supposed to air earlier in the season.

The original script for this episode also had three months passing between the scenes of Monk utterly failing at desk duty and the scene with Monk and his partner investigating the cat. That would have extended his return as a detective dramatically.

One last thought from me on the episode: Was I the only one expecting him to find a clue to Trudy's murder hidden in his old desk?

What an episode. I'm surprised they were so obvious about who Trudy's killer is so early in the episode, but otherwise it was a really great hour of television. Natalie's dating the navy man more seriously, Julie's going off to college, and Randy appears to be moving to New York:
Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) The captain finally got his happily ever after two episodes ago. In other words, all of the characters' storylines are wrapping up in the way you'd expect from a series finale. And then there's Monk. They appear to be taking the dark Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot route, by ending his story with his death. How cruelly ironic that the surprise he'd been saving from Trudy all of these years was actually her insurance policy so that he would be able to solve her murder. Since the parking garage was demolished, I figured the key clue had to be in Trudy's gift. It didn't rob the last minutes of any of their power.

Loved getting a glimpse into Monk and Stottlemeyer's partnership before the breakdown. Loved that the way they used a single case to bookend the series arc. Loved how they took advantage of the unique opportunity a series finale provides to really up the stakes: in a normal episode, we know they aren't going to let the titular character die. At the very end of the series, though, all bets are off. I'm conflicted; on one hand, killing off Monk wouldn't be the horribly depressing ending it'd be on most shows because he would finally be reunited with his Trudy. On the other hand, I think it would be even more poignant if he could build a real life for himself and finally really move forward. I'd also like the occasional Monk TV movie, much like we got countless Columbo TV movies with Peter Falk since the series ended in '89.

 

I'm going to really miss this show, the one that helped jump start quality cable programming and still the jewel in USA's crown.

I was trying to be circumspect with my first post, but as long as we're speculating: it was quite clearly Craig T. Nelson's sillouette and Craig T. Nelson's voice on the phone. Couple that with the phone call scene coming directly after they go to him for a warrant, and it's pretty obvious that Craig T. Nelson is the killer. It's interesting that in the promos for the episode they distorted the judge's voice, but in the show itself they didn't bother. I would have preferred it if they had. As Tony said, it will be a really cheat if it turns out not to be Craig T. Nelson that made the call. I am open to the idea that the Judge is simply an intermediary to whomever really made the decision. I do like that the Judge was not some mobster-esque nickname but a job title.
Did they say senator? If I recall correctly, the governor had appointed him to the state supreme court. I think the disappearance of the midwife, the death of the pharmacist and Trudy's murder all all tied into the conspiracy that has been in the background this entire series.


As for "Monk" being the crown jewel, I wasn't speaking solely on quality (although I happen to believe that "Monk" is still the best show on USA) but also in creating the mold that virtually every show on the network today follows. It's the longest running show on the network, and Monk was probably the impetus for the "Characters Welcome" branding. The formula: quirky but brilliant protagonist, episodic plots and an overarching mythology that is touched on just often enough to keep the show from being strictly a procedural.