Monkran for eight seasons with a total of 125 episodes, with some being much better than others. Starring Tony Shalhoub as the titular character,Monkis considered one of the best detective shows of all time and a great take on the “genius investigator” trope.Inspired by Sherlock Holmes,Adrian Monk was a fascinating characternot only because of his skills but also because of how the show acknowledged his mental health and made it an essential part of the story.
Thecast ofMonkrecently reunited forMr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, which picked up the story 14 years after the events of the show.TheMonkfilm was a great opportunity to revisit that worldand spend more time with those characters, although its main case wasn’t as compelling as that of thebestMonkepisodes. Of the over 100 cases Adrian worked in during the show, one of the most interesting ones came at the end of season 6 with the two-part finale “Mr. Monk is on the Run.”
“Mr. Monk Is On The Run” Was Completely Different From Other Monk Episodes
Monk Season 6’s Finale Was Not Just Another Case Of The Week
Monkseason 6, episodes 15-16, “Mr. Monk is on the Run,” completely broke the show’s formula. Rather than Adrian and Natalie investigating a murder alongside Stottlemeyer and Randy like most episodes ofMonk, season 6’s two-part finale had Monk as the case’s primary suspect. Adrian Monk was being accused of killing the man who was apparently behind Trudy’s death. We later learn thatMonk was being framed, meaning that not only did he have the motives, but the police also ran into some substantial proof that made it seem like he was guilty.
Monk’s highest-rated episode on IMDb is “Mr. Monk and the End” with a 9.4/10 score.
Even thebest TV proceduralscan get boring very quickly due to their case-of-the-week formulas. It was not different forMonk, which, despite being a great show with a unique charm, could only do so many exciting things every episode.“Mr. Monk is on the Run” took Monk – both the titular character and the show – out of their comfort zoneand delivered one of the series’ best episodes. Monk doesn’t know who to trust and keeps falling into the traps set up by the real killer. Even Adrian and Leland’s friendship is put to the test.
Why “Mr. Monk Is On The Run” Should Have Been Monk’s Finale
“Mr. Monk Is On The Run” Was More Exciting Than “Mr. Monk and the End”
“Mr. Monk and the End” was a great finale for the show, finally giving Adrian the closure he needed after years without knowing who killed Trudy. However, compared to how unpredictable and high-stakes “Mr. Monk is on the Run” was,Monk’s series finale was not that impactful.Adrian does not even solve Trudy’s case all by himself– he finds a tape that does most of the job.
Monk 2: Is It Happening? Everything We Know About The Mr. Monk’s Last Case Sequel
Tony Shalhoub’s beloved detective returned in Mr. Monk’s Last Cast: A Monk Movie to great fanfare, but will there ever be a Monk 2?
I don’t have a problem with howMonkended, but I was a big fan of season 6’s finale and always thought it was more thrilling and intense. The idea of Monk being accused of killing the man he had searched for since Trudy’s death made for a great story and could’ve been an even better series finale forMonk.
Monk
Cast
Starring Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk, Monk follows the titular detective, a private investigator with OCD who helps solve crimes with the San Francisco Police. On the side, he also investigates the death of his wife, who was killed by a car bomb. Bitty Schram, Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford also star.
