- Tony Shalhoub is an American TV legend
- He is best known for his work on 'Monk'
- He is reviving his signature role for a new movie
In a world where reboots are as common as traffic jams in L.A., actor Tony Shalhoub has done the unthinkable. He's brought back "Monk" in a revival that doesn't just bank on our tear-stained nostalgia but actually enhances it! 'Mr. Monk's Last Case' is streaming on Peacock, and guess what? It's a three-star hit!
"Monk's" world became everyone's world
"Adrian Monk," the detective with more quirks than a hipster's vinyl collection, is back in his tweed jacket and it's like he never left. The COVID-19 pandemic may have knocked him down, but Monk's up again, solving crimes and sanitizing his hands like only he can.
And with his late wife's daughter, "Molly," about to tie the knot, the whole gang's together again...but hold the confetti, because there's a murder mystery to solve!
Shalhoub starred in all 125 episodes, crafting a charming character that would inspire many other TV detectives in crime procedurals. 'Mr. Monk’s Last Case 'revisits "Adrian" 14 years after the events of the show's finale, during which he finally solves "Trudy’s" murder.
Although "Monk" was showing significant progress in his OCD treatment by the end of 'Monk,' the COVID-19 pandemic affected him greatly. "Monk" is retired and has barely left the house since the pandemic started. Which makes for an interesting script.
Monk suddenly wasn’t the only germaphobe wiping down their groceries, stocking up on antibacterial wipes and shuddering at the sight of crowded places.
"Monk, in a way, was the canary in the coal mine," Shalhoub tells 'The Associated Press'. "He seemed so out of touch and so neurotic and so forth. The pandemic was the great equalizer. Everybody got to sort of see the world through Monk’s eyes."
"Monk" helped the San Francisco Police Department solve crimes because his fixations enable him to observe things that others overlook. He walked away after solving his last case...the murder of his beloved wife. When we reconnect with him, it is present day and he’s emerged from the pandemic, having spent most of it in a full protective suit and using in-home rapid tests every 20 minutes.
Outside, hand sanitizer use is booming. "Everyone is you," he is told. "They’re gonna hate it," he replies. So "Monk" is reevaluating his life and his career.
"When we’re young, everything’s in front of us. And then when we’re in our middle ages, we feel more settled in the present. But then as we move beyond that, we mostly are looking backwards. We’re looking behind us and we’re reassessing and reevaluating," Shalhoub says.
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He's a family man!
Tony Shalhoub Has Been Married To His Wife Brooke Since 1992!
"You know, ‘What have I done? What has been my footprint and my impact?’ And I think that’s exactly where Monk is: ‘What has ll this meant? What have we really accomplished?’ That further perpetuates these very dark thoughts that he’s having," Tony says.
Shalhoub's co-stars haven't missed a beat either. Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford, and Ted Levine slip back into their roles like a favorite pair of old jeans. And let's not forget the cherry on top: Hector Elizondo, stepping out of retirement to deliver an emotional performance that'll squeeze your heart like a stress ball.
'Mr. Monk's Last Case' is how you do a revival. It's not just a stroll down memory lane; it's a full-blown parade with all the trimmings. It's a testament to the timeless charm of "Monk" and the city of San Francisco. And if this isn't really his last case, we're ready to follow those obsessive-compulsive breadcrumbs wherever they lead!
