Monk 2’s Story Is Too Perfect Not Happen After Mr. Monk’s Last Case’s Sequel Setup

Summary Mr. Monk 2 could see Adrian tackling cold cases, hinting at a potential sequel to the Monk movie.

Monk's mental health journey post-COVID-19 is explored, setting up a possible continuation.

The ending of Mr. Monk's Last Case opens the door for a Monk revival series, with Adrian back as a detective.

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie brought Adrian Monk back, and while a sequel hasn’t been confirmed, Monk 2’s potential story is too perfect not to happen. Fourteen years after Monk’s finale aired, Tony Shalhoub and the cast of Monk reunited for Mr. Monk’s Last Case. The Peacock original movie revisits Adrian and his friends in a post-COVID-19 world, revealing how the pandemic affected Mr. Monk’s mental health. Mr. Monk’s Last Case received great reviews, raising the question of whether Monk 2 will happen.

Monk’s final episode saw Adrian showing a lot of progress in his OCD treatment after finally finding out who killed Trudy Monk. Adrian also found out at the end of the show that Trudy had a daughter from a previous relationship, Molly. Tragically, Molly would go through a similar experience as Adrian in Mr. Monk’s Last Case, as her fiancé was murdered. The film sees Adrian trying to help Molly as he fights his demons and ends on a positive note.

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Mr. Monk’s Last Case’s Ending Perfectly Sets Up Monk Movie 2

Monk is back working as a consultant for the police

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie’s ending was a satisfying conclusion for the film, but it also left the door open for Adrian Monk’s journey to continue. When audiences meet Adrian in the Monk movie, the character is retired and struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Not working as a detective and facing a pandemic both took a huge toll on Adrian’s mental health, which is explored in Mr. Monk’s Last Case in a way that not even the original show did. Fortunately, by the end of the film, Adrian had found himself again.

At least from an in-universe perspective, helping Molly was not Mr. Monk’s “last case” after all – the end of the movie confirms he will go back to being a detective.

By helping Molly catch her fiancé’s murderer, Adrian reclaimed the confidence he had as a detective. For most of the movie, Mr. Monk had suicidal thoughts and was ready to take his own life. It was only at the very end, after seeing a vision of Trudy and all the people he helped as a detective, that Adrian abandoned the idea. In addition to seeing the faces of all the people he assisted, Monk also saw countless people whose murderers had yet to be found. Mr. Monk’s Last Case ends with Monk heading to the police station to work as a consultant.

Related Monk 2 Gets Cautious Response From Star After Movie Revival With 95% RT Score Possibilities of a sequel to Peacock's critically acclaimed Mr. Monk's Last Case movie receive a cautious response from star Tony Shalhoub.

Mr. Monk 2 could see Adrian working on the cold cases presented to him earlier in the movie. According to the new police captain, these cases had been waiting for Adrian for years because he was the only detective who could solve them. Now that Adrian is no longer retired, Mr. Monk’s adventures could continue in new films. At least from an in-universe perspective, helping Molly was not Mr. Monk’s “last case” after all – the end of the movie confirms he will go back to being a detective.

Mr. Monk’s Last Case’s Ending Could Also Lead Into A Revival Series

Monk has a list of cold cases to work on

Although nothing has been said about a potential Monk series revival following the release of the movie, a new Monk show set after the events of Mr. Monk’s Last Case could work. Whereas a film can only focus on one case, a new series could cover all the cold file cases Adrian has yet to solve. A limited series in which every episode sees Adrian Monk working on a different cold case as he tries to bring justice to families who have been hopeless for years could deliver some fantastic stories.

Monk is streaming on Peacock and Netflix.

The TV landscape is now very different from when Monk first aired, but there is still room for classic detective procedurals. Be it in a more traditional series model like when Monk first aired on USA Network or as a limited series for streaming, a Monk revival building up from the film’s ending could work. Although Sharona was not in the Monk movie, most of the show’s main characters returned and could be revisited in a new show. Monk doesn’t need a revival series, which doesn’t mean it can’t work.

Should Mr. Monk’s Last Case Be The End Of Monk?

Monk doesn’t need another revival, but it could work

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Given the title of the movie, Mr. Monk’s Last Case should in theory be the end of Adrian Monk’s story. However, considering that Adrian is in a much better spot at the end of the movie compared to how it started, it would be interesting to see more of him. Tony Shalhoub gives an incredible performance in Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie, proving he is more than ready to revisit the character whenever necessary. Lastly, the idea of Adrian taking care of an “anti-social” dog sounds too good not to be shown on screen.

Stream on Peacock