“For a While There, It Seemed Like You Were Solving a Major Case Every Week.”
Back in the day, I loved Monk. I couldn’t wait each week to see what he’d get up to. So when I heard that they were going to make a reunion movie, I was excited. It turns out that my subscription to Peacock was fortuitous since that is where Mr. Monk’s Last Cast premiered.
It’s been 14 years since we last saw Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). In that time, things have changed, whether Monk wanted it to or not. And he’s survived the pandemic, thanks in large part of Molly (played here by Caitlin McGee), his step-daughter. But a book deal he had to write his memoir has fallen through, and Monk is struggling. In fact, he’s thinking there might not be any point in going on much longer.
Then tragedy strikes just before Molly is set to get married. With Natalie (Traylor Howard) and Randy (Jason Gray-Stanford) back in town, they talk Monk into looking into what happened. Will he figure it out? What just what is Stottlemeyer’s (Ted Levine) new job?
As always with Monk, it’s not about the twists and turns of the mystery. It’s fairly obvious what is going to happen, including who the killer is, not too long into the movie. But the question, as always, is HOW did the killer do it. And how will Monk prove it? That’s where I once again got caught up in the story. I just couldn’t figure out how the killer pulled it off. I still feel like there is a plot hole in there, but maybe it’s just my ignorance of bungee jumping that makes me think there was one.
Honestly, it was just great to get the gang back together again. No, Bitty Schram’s Sharona doesn’t show up, although she does make a cameo via a flashback and we get an update on her. I loved seeing the characters back in action, and the leads slipped back into character without missing a beat. There were plenty of call backs to the show, which I loved. I do wish I had rewatched the show (I’ve been thinking about it recently) since I would have remembered a few more things they made reference to, but that’s on me.
The show was always a mix of comedy and deep heartache. We got some great laughs here, and any fan of the series will appreciate them. But I feel like this one went a little overboard in the heartache category. I mean, I knew how that storyline would end, but it did pull me down a bit more than I expected. But maybe I would feel like it fit in a bit more if I had rewatched the show.
Still, it was great to spend time with the characters again. I really have missed the show. There were so many fun and funny moments that made me smile and laugh. And trying to figure out how the murder took place kept me engaged the entire time.
While I’m not ready to focus a lot on the pandemic in my fiction, it does come up a couple of times here at the beginning. This is Monk. It makes perfect sense. But they don’t dwell on it, and I think I would have been disappointed if they hadn’t referenced it in this movie. Fortunately, this film is set in the present day, so it isn’t a driving factor in the film.
Fans were divided at the time of the series finale when we first met Molly. It was just too abrupt. I was a bit worried how I would feel about it when I realized she was going to be a big part of the storyline of the movie. Honestly, I didn’t wind up minding. I guess the last fourteen years have allowed me time to adjust to her character. Plus, her appearances in the novels probably helped as well.
If you were a fan of Monk, you’ll enjoy catching up with him in Mr. Monk’s Last Case. I do hope this isn’t truly his last case because I’d love to spend time with these characters again.
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