'Monk' returns for one 'Last Case' and it's a heaping serving of TV comfort food

Transcript

TERRY GROSS, HOST:

This is FRESH AIR. From 2002 to 2009, actor Tony Shalhoub starred on the USA Network series "Monk," playing Adrian Monk, a crime-solving detective with obsessive compulsive disorder. Now, after almost 15 years, Shalhoub and most of his original castmates are back in a new movie streaming on Peacock. It's called "Mr. Monk's Last Case." Our TV critic David Bianculli has this review.

DAVID BIANCULLI, BYLINE: The TV series "Monk," like its title character played by Tony Shalhoub, always stood out as being a little unusual. "Monk" was a detective series with a different murder to solve each episode. Yet like the classic TV series "Columbo," it not only focused on the particulars of its central mystery, but also took time to have fun with the quirky brilliance of its lead investigator. Also unusual, "Monk" was an hour-long police procedural. Yet despite some dark and dramatic moments, it played more like a comedy. In fact, the creator of "Monk," Andy Breckman, submitted "Monk" for Emmy consideration in the comedy categories. And competing against sitcom stars in the category of lead actor in a comedy series, Tony Shalhoub won the Emmy for his portrayal of Adrian Monk three times. And until "The Walking Dead" came along, the finale of "Monk" held the record as the most viewed scripted drama on cable television. In that last episode of "Monk" back in 2009, Adrian Monk finally cracked the case that had triggered his OCD compulsions, the unsolved murder of his wife, Trudy.

And now Andy Breckman has written a new movie sequel directed by Randy Zisk, revisiting the character after all this time. It's called "Mr. Monk's Last Case," and it begins by establishing how Adrian Monk has and hasn't moved on since we last saw him. We learn that Adrian retired from the crime-solving business and got a hefty cash advance to write a book about all the murders he'd solved. Unfortunately, Adrian's fears and compulsions didn't leave him, and while working obsessively on his memoirs, he became a relative recluse. The outbreak of COVID the past few years didn't help, but his stepdaughter Molly, a newly introduced character played by Caitlin McGee, did help. She moved in with Adrian during the pandemic and quickly became the most important person in his life. He was so grateful, he promised to use his book advance to pay for her impending wedding.

So as this new "Monk" movie begins, all seems fine, but not for long. Very quickly, there's a murder that Adrian Monk feels compelled to solve. And even before that, there's bad news when Adrian visits the office of his publisher. She's read the first several hundred pages of his manuscript and hates them. Adrian's attention to detail, which helps him solve crimes, apparently doesn't help so much when it comes to writing memoirs - not when he goes on and on for pages, for example, about how one murder suspect and he coincidentally used the exact same model of vacuum cleaner. The publisher, with her assistant in the room for backup, delivers the blow that she's rejecting Adrian's manuscript, and she demands he return the advance. It's not a verdict that Adrian takes well.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "MR. MONK'S LAST CASE: A MONK MOVIE")

TONY SHALHOUB: (As Adrian Monk) I'll do whatever you want. I'll rewrite the book.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) I'm sorry, Adrian. It's just too late. It's been 10 years. The name Adrian Monk used to mean something. It's a different world now. Everyone's moved on.

SHALHOUB: (As Adrian Monk) I have an idea. May I make a suggestion? You both leave the room, and someone different comes in and says different things to me.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) That's not going to happen.

SHALHOUB: (As Adrian Monk) How about this? You leave the room, and nobody comes back in ever.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) I think we're done here. Our lawyers will be in touch.

BIANCULLI: That concern voiced by the publisher, that people may not care as much about Monk after all these years, is a sly little nod to what this TV movie is facing. It's waited so long to reintroduce the character that it's a whole new world out here, reflected by the fact that "Mr. Monk's Last Case" is premiering not on cable but streaming on Peacock. But Adrian Monk and his cohorts do just fine in their 2023 return. Shalhoub slips back into the character with assurance and precision, nailing the comedy in each scene while making room for some somber tones of loss and depression.

This movie sequel, however, is anything but depressing. It's TV comfort food, and it's enjoyable to catch up not only with Adrian Monk, but with his castmates from the original series, all of whom are given some enjoyable scenes to play. The title of this new Peacock movie is "Mr. Monk's Last Case," but given how well its ingredients fold together, I wouldn't necessarily take that title literally.

GROSS: David Bianculli is professor of television studies at Rowan University. He reviewed "Mr. Monk's Last Case." It's streaming on Peacock. Tomorrow on FRESH AIR, New York Times reporter Charlie Savage will explain why a second Trump administration may be more radical than the first. Savage has reported on Trump's authoritarian leanings, his plans to expand executive power and the well-funded infrastructure that would support him. Savage covers national security and legal policy for the Times. I hope you'll join us. To keep up with what's on the show and get highlights of our interviews, follow us on Instagram @nprfreshair.

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GROSS: FRESH AIR's executive producer is Danny Miller. Our senior producer today is Sam Briger. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Amy Salit, Phyllis Myers, Lauren Krenzel, Heidi Saman, Ann Marie Baldonado, Therese Madden, Thea Chaloner, Seth Kelley and Susan Nyakundi. Our digital media producer is Molly Seavy-Nesper. Roberta Shorrock directs the show. Our co-host is Tonya Mosley. I'm Terry Gross.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.