The irresistible Tony Shalhoub returns to his acclaimed, award-winning role for a stellar seventh season in the quirky and irreverent detective show, Monk. New cast-mate Hector Elizondo (Dr. Neven Bell) as Monk’s new shrink, replaces the great Stanley Kamel (Dr. Charles Kroger) who passed away in 2008. Joining Monk and cast of other regulars (Traylor Howard, Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford) are the phenomenal guest stars Bob Costas, Brad Garrett, Robert Loggia, Eric McCormack, Joanna Pacula, Evan Peters, Gena Rowlands, Sarah Silverman, David Strathairn, John Turturro, Casper Van Dien, Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn and many more in 16 hilarious, unforgettable episodes—including the star-studded 100th episode, Mr. Monk’s 100th Case! Despite his overwhelming fear of germs, crowds, small places and almost everything else, Monk proves once again why he’s TV’s top super-sleuth and why mystery lovers “can’t deny how amusing it all still is” (Entertainment Weekly).

Screen legend Tony Shalhoub is back for one last obsessively compulsive good time in the eighth and final season of the beloved series Monk. From the very first moment detective Adrian Monk appeared on the scene, audiences have been hooked on this intelligent and irreverent sleuth who uses his quirky phobias and neuroses to solve crimes in a way other detectives just can’t. Join him now as he reunites with former colleagues and friends from seasons past—as well as guest stars Carol Kane, Meat Loaf, Virginia Madsen, Craig T. Nelson, Elizabeth Perkins, Daniel Stern and many more—for some of the most riveting cases yet, including the one that has haunted him for the past eight seasons. Critics and fans agree that “…there is something undeniably stirring about watching Tony Shalhoub’s Mr. Monk take his victory lap” (Los Angeles Times).

Note: Seasons Seven and Eight of Monk are sold individually. The grouping of these releases together is only for the purposes of this review.

For thoughts on Monk: The Complete Seventh and Eighth Seasons, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Monk closes out its run on Blu-Ray with a fetching digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K restoration in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Kino Classics provides both of these seasons on four discs each to present 16 episodes, allowing a good amount of room to avoid compression artifacts and other unwanted nuisances. This series has been a treat in HD thanks to the careful restoration free of DNR or other unwanted digital anomalies. This is a faithful representation of the original film grain that does not fall victim to noise or clumping.

Clarity and detail are in top form, and skin tones are natural with discrete facial features easily observable in closeup. Different facets of the production design are textured and forefront in a way that unveils so much previously overlooked nuance. Colors are confidently saturated to provide each scene a chance to reach its full potential, and any potential for print damage has been eradicated with this master. Black levels are strong with crush not developing as an issue. Each season remains stable throughout its run with episodes maintaining an impressive level of consistency. This presentation from Kino Classics is ideal and a necessary step up from the older DVD sets.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a worthy audio upgrade in the form of a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that deftly showcases the series. The score complements each case with an effective interpretation of the appropriate tone. The dialogue comes through clearly as it works alongside competing elements. Atmospheric sounds are rendered without a hitch alongside everything else. The low-end support adds some discrete texture to moments that benefit from it. There are no serious instances of age-related wear and tear. The audio quality presents with first-rate fidelity that allows every element to come through clearly. Kino Classics has closed out the series with a great outing.

Special Features

Season Seven

Video Commentaries: This is somewhat of a misnomer as this does not run the entirety of the episode like a normal commentary track. This is just a brief interview with some of the creative figures who discuss the episode at hand briefly.

- Mr. Monk Buys A House (4:33): Creator/Co-Writer Andy Breckman

- Mr. Monk Gets Lotto Fever (4:37): Writer Hy Conrad

- Mr. Monk Is Underwater (2:46): Writer Jack Bernstein

- Mr. Monk Falls In Love (5:18): Writes Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan

- Mr. Monk’s 100th Case (3:34): Writer Tom Scharpling

- Mr. Monk Gets Hypnotized (3:31): Writers Tom Gammill and Max Pross

Webisodes: There are five brief outings with the titular character that were made for fans to view online. They are worth checking out, especially considering the brief time commitment.

- Little Monk and the Geography Bee (4:00)

- Little Monk and the Saturday Rehearsal (4:22)

- Little Monk and the Balloon (3:46)

- Little Monk and the Talent Show (3:39)

- Little Monk and the Little Trophy (4:40)

Anatomy of an Episode – Featurette with Stars Tony Shalhoub and Traylor Howard, Guest Star Bob Costas and Members of the Monk Crew: A nine-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the “fish out of water” tale of Monk attending a sporting event.

Monk P.I. – Promotional Ad: A 33-second throwback ad for the series.

Season Eight

Interview with Tony Shalhoub: A four-minute interview with the star in which he discusses some interesting shooting locations, what he wants to take from the set, the most memorable Monk moments, thoughts on the final season, and more.

Interview with Traylor Howard: A five-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses the guest stars of the season, her feelings about the end of the show, what she wants to keep from the set, her experiences playing her character, and more.

Interview with Jason Gray-Stanford: A four-minute interview with the actor in which he discusses his favorite episodes, how the show has changed his life, the most interesting shooting locations, his feelings about the show ending, and more.

Interview with Andy Breckman: An 11-minute interview with the creator in which he discusses what is in store for the final season, the Little Monk webisodes, exciting guest stars, and more.

Set Tours – The Making of the Final Season with Co-Producer Doug Nabors: An 18-minute tour of the set during the production of an episode.

Mr. Monk Says Goodbye – Featurette with Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Jason-Gray Stanford and the Makers of Monk: A ten-minute piece that takes a look at the filming of the final episode.

Video Commentary – Mr. Monk and The End (1:26:08): Star Tony Shalhoub, Creator/Episode Writer Andy Breckman and Episode Director Randall Zisk

Final Thoughts

Monk is easily one of our favorite series to come out of the old-school USA Network programming that took the time to develop the characters. These final seasons may not rank as the best the series has to offer, but they are still a blast to watch for longtime fans. Tony Shalhoub was born for this role, and he does an amazing job until the end alongside a slew of wonderful guest stars. Kino Classics has finished off the series with two Blu-Ray collections with top-notch A/V quality and great legacy special features. If you are a fan of the series, you simply must complete your collection. Recommended

Monk: The Complete Seventh Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Monk: The Complete Eighth Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.