Mr. Monk’s Last Case ending explained: Is this the end for Monk?

Adrian Monk returned for the Peacock movie Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Mystery Movie. But did Tony Shalhoub’s genius investigator solve one final case?

Caution: This article contains SPOILERS for Mr. Monk’s Last Case

As one can imagine, a global pandemic did a number on the germaphobe OCD-obsessed detective. Monk hasn’t worked a case in years, and his autobiography was hundreds of pages on minor stuff rather than his case-solving. So his publisher wanted back the advance Monk was hoping to use to pay for stepdaughter Molly’s wedding.

The wedding was ruined when Molly’s fiance, Griffin, died when his bungee cord broke. Molly was convinced this was murder as Griffin was always careful about measuring his cords and believed that tech billionaire Rick Eden was the killer. That’s because Griffin suspected Eden had murdered his business partner years ago.

As often happens on Monk, Monk’s suspicions about Eden were dead right, but figuring out how he did it and proving it was something else.

How did Monk break the case in the Monk movie?

Monk reunited with his old partners: assistant Natalie, Randy (now chief of police for a New Jersey town), and Stottlemeyer, now retired and working as chief of security for Eden, which of course, complicated matters.

Monk knew Eden did it and went through his usual weird angles before confronting him at a party, with Eden confessing to it and then offering Monk a billion dollars to keep quiet. Monk pretended to accept it before running off with the evidence, only for Eden to try and have him murdered.

Of course, Monk survived, and a trip to a funeral parlor with a pair of twin morticians gave him the final piece. Just as he was about to have the press-filled launch of his new rocket, Eden was shocked to find Monk squeegeeing the window of his ship with a pack of cops ready to arrest him.

In what Natalie openly called the “how it happened” scene, Monk laid out that Eden had hired a guy to swap Griffin’s measuring tape with a slightly longer one. Thus, Griffin had no idea his bungee cord was actually six feet too long, making this jump fatal.

Eden was arrested, still amazed Monk would turn down a billion dollars for justice. Obviously, Sottleymeyer had quit and, realizing he missed being a cop, was open to Randy’s offer to become a deputy.

How did Mr. Monk’s Last Case end?

What none of Monk’s friends realized was the pandemic had done more damage to Monk’s psyche than they knew. In fact, he had decided to end his life and was lining up pills at a park when he was met by the spirit of his wife, Trudy, urging him to continue. Monk said he was tired and didn’t see a point in living.

Griffin’s spirit came to thank Monk for solving his murder and that he wasn’t alone. Monk was met by the ghosts of every murder victim whose case he’d solved, all thanking him for getting them justice. One spirit said her body was in a freezer and just waiting for Monk to help her.

The spirits vanished as Molly met Monk, mentioning the new police captain might need a hand on a case. With a slight smile, Monk agreed, leaving the pills, and Trudy, behind him.

Thus, despite the title, the door is open for Monk to continue as that quest for justice is one compulsion he, and viewers, will never want to shake.

Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Mystery Movie now streaming on Peacock.