At their evasively best, it has been hinted at by the writers that they will bring closure to Natalie's personal life. What do you think that could mean for her, Monk and do you think it would also involve Sharona?

KF

Maybe Mitch will turn up alive.

You know how the people who despise Monk/Natalie think the show would be ruined if it actually happened? Well, I feel similarly about Mitch being alive. My problem isn't that I don't think Natalie deserves it or even because I like Monk/Natalie and want it to happen. My problem is Natalie told Monk in "Mr. Monk and Mrs. Monk" that she knew the hurt he talked about and that it was never wrong. So, to bring back Mitch would be like bringing back Trudy in my opinion. If they did that, it would be the worst mistake the writers of this show ever make. 

That said, I would prefer Mitch over Randy! Then again, if I couldn't have Monk/Natalie, I'd actually prefer Leland/Natalie second. 

I hope, hope, hope this means Mitch comes home. I mentioned in a different thread that the 4th show from the end is Mr Monk is the Best Man - and I hope that means Mitch's best man - since he's been "dead" so long and they have to get remarried. Then the next episode is Sharona's so she might come back to replace Natalie - but I hope all of them are in the last two shows. Can't wait!!

Natalie is too young for Monk or the Captain - she belongs with Mitch!!

When he said that during the interview (a couple of times I think), I got worried. I'm a huge supporter of Monk/Natalie together. I think it would be not only unwise, but kinda cheesy if Mitch turned up to be alive. I mean... that just sounds so twilight-zone.

I'm hoping she gets closure on his death, and then realizes what she wants for her life (...Monk).

We are so on the same wavelengths It just screams cheesy to me too! I mean, after all of these years? We have to remember, he was gone from Natalie and Julie's world long before Monk even came into the picture.

I hope she gets closure and Monk too...



Age isn't really that much of a factor these days, although I understand some are still not on board with the whole concept of large age gaps. That said, Natalie is not as young as everyone assumes. Julie is 17-18. My mother had me at 19 and I'm only 3-4 years older than Julie. And my mother is in her 40's. There can't realistically be more than 10 years between Monk and Natalie. And if there is, it's definitely a time error on the part of the writers.

This could mean a lot of things, things that are not ominous. Maybe she will find closure about what happened to Mitch, maybe Mitch is alive but couldn't come home or contact her all this time, and he comes back, or maybe her closure will be that Adrian finds evidence that proves Mitch acted honorably and was not a coward. Maybe Julie will graduate high school and go onto college, Monk will get back on the force so that Natalie will finally be able to live her life for herself. After all, if he gets back on the force, she won't be able to follow him around and be his assistant anymore. Maybe she will go back to school herself, take a few classes, maybe she will meet and marry someone else, like Mitch's old friend or the doctor from the Leper, or maybe they will leave it open for a possible future with Monk, Randy or the captain. Possibly she will completely reconcile with her parents.Whatever they have in mind for her, I can't help but think that what they mean is that this part of her life will come to a close and she will be able to begin a new chapter. A threshold event so to speak.

Dear, Dear Liv,

How can you not reply! When the series ends and we all go out separate ways I wiill really miss our repartees!

KF

I agree that it is sort of cheesy for Mitch to return. It's also cheesy for him not to return. I wonder why they mentioned/what purpose there is in the whole Mitch story (accused of cowardice on a military mission, body not found, maybe alive -- fill in the blanks, not sure) as it seems to have served no purpose. It hasn't stopped Natalie from dating and sticking her tongue down the leper's throat. Has it ever been mentioned again in any significant way?

I just looked at an old post of mine about Mitch. I had forgotten the whole idea in it. Here it is for your amusement:

Mitch being alive would be interesting, if they actually looked at all the ways having someone come back from "the dead" would screw with his family's heads.
My ship preference for Natalie is Randy, then that guy from the submarine, then Stottlemeyer or Dr. Bell. Monk isn't on the list for at least fifty reasons I can think of off the top of my head.
Overall, though, I think Monk joining the police force and Natalie getting a Normal People job...or Natalie joining the police force (actually, that's my favorite idea now that I've just typed it.) would cause the least amount of Fandom Uproar.

A brainstorm on the subject:

Natalie is working with Monk for such a long time with low pay and not great working conditions. She could have gone before, but within the fictional world we know that this could not happen, and it won't happen. And in this same fictional world, I do not see Monk away from Natalie, even thou this is the last season and it allows the separation without the need for further explanations, but, again, nothing justifies the separation of the two.
Monk can even get his badge back, but he will not join back the force;
Mitch is not alive, it would break the believeable sequence of the story;
Monk will probably find something about Mitch's death and about his heroic past for the relief of Natalie and Julie, who'll be the bride who will invite Monk to be the best man to he wedding back in the house of Natalie's parents, who will receive Monk as a guest of honor because he cleared the name of Mitch and the dark cloud which was above Davenport family; Natalie will be greatly thankful for what he did to Mitch and for refusing to return to the force and leave Natalie.
Even if the writers did not realize my desire to make the protagonist a romantic couple, they will not separate the two: the friendship between them is necessary; they need each other, they'll never be apart.

Mi

Agreed. None of us at this point can say what will happen, but after such devotion, I think the writers wouldn't dare separate Monk and Natalie, at least not to the point that so many have been speculating. Other than Mitch being alive, destroying the fabric of Monk and Natalie's friendship would be the worst mistake the writers could make.

She is a little older than the average cadet, but I bet she kicks butt better than most of them! Natalie could at least be a bodyguard or teach self defense classes. I'd pay for lessons on how to kill with household scissors, or hold your own in a fight in a biker bar. The woman is *tough*! I enjoy watching her pull out a fresh can of whoopass when the occasion calls for it. It's one of the things I love so much about the character. She's sweet, kind, nurturing, and doesn't start things, she just finishes them.

You do realize that Julie is only about 17 or 18, right? I mean, I got married at 18 (not pregnant, just stupid) but I live in Mississippi and the odds of my marriage lasting were pretty long based soley on the age of myself and my husband. Shouldn't Julie go to college and live a little bit before she gets married?

However, it could work if Natalie's brother Jonathan were to find someone else and he might invite Monk to the wedding to make sure he wasn't marrying another black widow. ;0) or as a way of saying thank you for what happened with his last wedding.

But the title, Mr. Monk and the Best Man would seem to indicate that Monk is not the best man in question.

I haven't really seen this shown so far in the season. Maybe this "personal life" thing will be addressed in The Badge Episode, because isn't Natalie going to be getting another job for a while or maybe Im wrong.