Well, Shaloub has said that this is probably the last season...again. Probably the same thing that he will say next year. I hope it continues. I really like watching this and Psych, as I find them to be great summer shows.

Well, I certainly hope it's not the final one. The season premiere was one of the best yet!!?!

And, soo touching the way that they handled the Stanley Kamel/Hector Elizondo transition.

Really great...

I really hope that they continue to do Monk in "Movie of the Month"-like installments like they did with Columbo. I don't know how feasible it would be to do money-wise (given that this is the main reason that the show is wrapping up) but I still can not get enough of Tony Shalhoub in this role and the chemistry of the rest of the cast.

What a difference a year can make. Now $3 at Big Lots.

Anyway, I'll be sad to see it go. Who would have thought USA would left it on for 8 years. Be lucky it did come on NBC originally. It would have been gone in 16 episodes instead of 120+ episodes.

^^^^^

I find it interesting that EVERY set in that sale (except a couple of seasons of West Wing and Without a Trace) have been at Big Lots or on clearance from other resellers.

I guess I'm in the minority, but IMO this show tumbled downhill after season 4. There have been some good epsiodes here and there, but not consistently. Monk has become a caricature of himself and he's pretty callous towards others (The way he treated Natalie in the epsiode "Mr. Monk on Wheels" is ridiculous).

On the other hand, I LOVE the Monk book series. I'm currently about a quarter of the way through book seven. These stay true to the first few seasons IMO and several murders are solved in each book. They are told through Natalie's eyes, and I feel like I am watching the show when I'm reading.

You may be in the minority, but I am right there with you. Such a shame.

I will try to tune into every episode from the forthcoming season. I definitely want to see how they tie up the Trudy Monk case.

Perhaps I'll check out the books at some point.

I'm really hoping against hope that the writers wrote the final season in tandem with the first or second so that the writing at the end would be as fresh as it was at the start, especially considering that the writers knew that they'd have to tie up Trudy's murder at the end of the series. I was going to say that I wouldn't mind them writing the books into episodes, but the episode they adapted from the first book (the book was entitled "Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse" but the episode was "Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing") was terrible.

I'll be tuning in for the new season as well. I wish I could just set the Season Pass for it, but USA runs so many Monk marathons that if I left out for a day my DVR would overload.

Yeah, the last couple of season have been kinda weak. As time has gone in, it has become less about solving crimes and turned into a weekly "let's see what funny scenario we can put Monk in," with the case being an afterthought.

The episode formula that bothers me the most are those where you witness the murder and the murderer in the intro and have to deal with looking at a pompous, smug person who thinks they've gotten away with it for the entire hour.

No option to set the season pass to record first-run only?

Don't we almost always see the murderer and murder in the beginning, with a few key details left out?

I don't mind this story-telling device, as long as it's done well. When it's not done well, it does feel repetitive and overused.

We see the murder at the beginning of each show, but not the murderer. Mostly they show the murderer's hands or body, or it's late at night or they can be wearing a mask. They sometimes show them from behind as well. I'm speaking about the episodes where you clearly see the murderer's face. I prefer the ones where I have to guess who committed the crime, even if it's just for the first half hour or so.

Yea, I know what you meant. I think the show is just a jumble in my head right now. The only episode set-up I can recall at the moment is the one from Mr. Monk and the TV Star. Did you like that one?

In the earlier seasons, it seemed that the murderer's identity was usually a secret until the end. In later seasons, they usually let us in on who it is at the beginning. This is another reason I think the show isn't as good anymore. No mystery aspect to it.

The mystery itself was pretty good IMO, but I remember not liking the guest stars (the actor who was the murderer and Sarah Silverman as the crazed fan). In that episode, they didn't show him kill her until the end, though...

That's why the book series is so good to me. They maintain that element of surprise.

Right, but didn't we know it was him? We didn't see it, but was there ever any doubt? I really need to go back and watch some episodes. I've seen every ep from the first four seasons and a handful from the latter seasons, but I could use a refresher.

Thanks for mentioning the books, though. I very well might read them at some point.

That one was more clever because he was in and out of the house so fast, he couldn't have done it, but he did it at the same time. That kind of suspense is all I'm asking for. To refresh your memory:

Most of the books are stand alone, but "Mr. Monk Goes to Germany" and "Mr. Monk is Miserable" should be read in succession, because it's a continuation. The titles that come in the future may be the same as well, but I kind of like having them as separate stories, because I read two out of order.

Hey, I just saw that monk with Tony Falloob it was fabulous! Hooray for the COD. It causes great humor in my stomach. Also, I fell with the teakettle and it didn't take but two minutes. See you on Thursdays on the BBC!!! Hey you get outta there Monk. It's a look out my friend. I saw the one where he did the hello out in the back and it was good like Coca Cola in the USA. I found that one to be fabulous with Benjis hampster couldn't be looked at. I also liked it when he washed the hand. Phunny. My doodad used to do that and I lafed. Also, who was alone that time? Dr. Pendergas! He had the hooplah all over that one. If this is the last season, I want winder. Even though it's scols, it likes the wind with it's fine graynes. that's what I call a flamly.

[cartman]da f**k?"[/cartman]

I have a new favorite poster.

Quote so it can be saved forever.

please, please let me use that entire post as my sig....

Is this the best post ever.

Honostly, news letter, now.