Monk: Stars Talk About Last Episodes and Possible Return

Monk series finaleTonight, we say goodbye to one of television’s most beloved and unique detectives. Adrian Monk is certainly an unlikely hero and it’s perhaps for that reason that viewers will miss him so.

Monk tells the tale of a brilliant San Francisco detective (Tony Shalhoub) who, following the death of his wife in a car bombing, has a nervous breakdown. After being a recluse for three years, Monk returns to the force, barely able to control his obsessive-compulsive disorder. While his phobias often make it difficult for him to function, he’s an incredibly observant sleuth in part because of them.

The long-running USA series has also featured the talents of Jason Gray-Stanford, Ted Levine, Traylor Howard, Stanley Kamel, Bitty Schram, Emmy Clarke, Kane Ritchotte, and Hector Elizondo.

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While filming the last episode, Howard, who’s played Monk’s assistant Natalie for the past five years, reflected on the end of the show and her co-star. She said, “It doesn’t seem quite real… It’ll be weird not to work with Tony a lot. He’s such a lovely man. And I adore him, and it’s such a great part for a woman and all that stuff.”

Shalhoub didn’t want to know how his character’s story would finish until it was time to shoot the last episodes. He says that he likes the way the show is going out and shared, “When I read the finale, I was really moved and very satisfied. It exceeded my expectations. I thought it was going to be tricky to pull off. It’s a daunting episode emotionally. I discovered, once I was in it, that it all started to come to me. I had been loaded up for eight years.”

In terms of the finale being satisfying for fans, Shalhoub said, “I think what they will feel is kind of a magnification of what I believe they’ve been feeling all along, which is kind of mixed about Monk: Feel good for him, bad for him, frustrated for him… Hoping for his success and for his healing, his recovery.”

While the Monk series finale was written to give the show closure, the cast aren’t necessarily done with their characters just yet. Shalhoub shared,”We’ve talked about a Monk feature. We’ve been talking about that for a long time. The cast would love to do it. But there’s really nothing hard and fast in the pipeline.” In another interview, the actor said, “I just don’t know. I never say never.”

What do you think? Would you like to see Monk and his friends return for a movie?


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{ 59 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Vasques, Teresa February 15, 2010 at 1:38 pm

This tv show is one of the fiew best shows ever, i sow in my life. Monk arrived Portugal, more than a year ago, by cable, and it made me very happy. In spite of smiles and tears, i learn alot with the diferent cases and situations related to OCD, that i didn“t know about. Personally, i think show must go on till season 10, ( to be even, like Monk would`ve wanted )! Deap down, i think that cast and crew are dying to be together again. GO FOR IT! I loved the entire cast! Tony is a gentleman and Traylor is not just only a beautiful and interesting woman, but, she can and she knows how to do much more and better as an actriss!

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2 moondreamer February 15, 2010 at 5:58 pm

Traylor was in a series a few years ago that started out as “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place” then later was shortened to “Two Guys and a Girl.” It was really funny.

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3 Tony March 6, 2010 at 6:21 am

Monk was perhaps one of the best TV shows in recent years, so why end it? Sadly I only came upon it recently online and was sorry to learn that the series had ended especially as it was the kind of program that both entertained and engaged its audience. I hope at the very least they will make a feature movie and then perhaps ressurect the series again

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4 Liz March 6, 2010 at 11:15 am

Thank goodness for SLEUTH network. They are showing the Monk series reruns. And plenty of them. Now I can get them on the DVD recorder I didn’t have during the first seasons of Monk. Still, I’d like to see Monk run as long as some old series such as Gunsmoke, Hee Haw, etc. did. Over ten years I believe. I’d watch it for 100 more years. I just love every single regular character on the show. I especially love how they kept the same young lady to play Natalie’s daughter clear to the end of the show, and had her become a really great adult instead of having her “rebel” as a lot of series have done with the kids in their shows.

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5 Bobbi March 6, 2010 at 9:18 pm

Monk is the greatest show in the history of television.
It is very unique and intriguing. I started watching in the beginning
of season 3 and since then I haven’t missed an episode! I miss the show
and this may sound crazy, but last night I had a dream I saw a preview
for a monk movie and it was awesome!!!! Then I woke up………/=
Seriously, they need to make a movie, with all the original characters!
That would make the world a better place. I don’t like Natalie’s “boyfriend”
he just seems cheesy and fake, sorry!
Monk is amazing!!

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6 moondreamer March 7, 2010 at 10:35 pm

I didn’t like Natalie’s bf either. They could give her a good one when they make their movie. I loved that Sharona & Disher paired up. They could make a series of that, since he became chief of police in NJ. It would be great to see him be his own boss, and have his crazy theories actually work out.

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7 robyn March 8, 2010 at 7:41 pm

I loved Monk and was very sorry to see it go! USA has some great shows but aside from Burn Notice, this one is my favorite!!!

It was a very unusual show and it always kept my interest, and I am still watching reruns.

Yes, please bring it back or if not, please let the cast make a movie!

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8 Diane P. March 14, 2010 at 4:39 pm

I agree about Natalie’s boyfriend (but, he was kind of a unrequited love, and if you like men in uniforms …).

I didn’t like the way it ended for Ted Levine (Cpt. Stottlemeyer). Maybe in the movie he can be divorced once again an d “looking for love”. She will not be a good policeman’s wife. He’s much sexier when he’s love-lorn. Can’t wait to see him in Shutter Island. I wonder if he’ll have the mustache (which I love)!

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9 Terri March 15, 2010 at 1:24 pm

Monk was the only show that I have looked forward to in many years. It was funny, frustrating, sad but almost real. Please bring it back some how or another. BUT please use all the original characters.

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