Picture a scene where a police captain waits by the shore for his friend, a widower desperately seeking his wife's murderer, to wash up. The two plotted to fake the second man's death, since he was being framed for murder by a corrupt cop, and the air is ripe with tension. Everyone in his life, all of his friends and family, believe that he is dead and are grieving.

Now this could easily be found in any common crime show, but if someone told me months ago that the season finale of "Monk" season six would feel similar to "Prison Break," I would've laughed in their face. Not the sweet, hilarious show about the struggling OCD detective, that could never happen.

"Mr. Monk is On The Run - Part 2" was ripe with sorrow and drama, and the few moments of humor that were attempted seemed completely out of place. In Part 1, Monk is framed for killing the man who made the bomb that killed Trudy. He is sent to jail but manages to escape and is on the run, trying to find out who set him up. It turns out the sheriff that captured him was in on the plan, and Part 2 reveals that Dale the Whale are responsible for the frame. Dale the Whale is a character from the third episode of season one, who weighs 800 pounds and is incapable of leaving his bed but manages to be an influential billionaire. Monk sent Dale to jail for life, and obviously the nefarious villain still held a grudge.

In the end of Part 1, Monk and Captain Stottlemeyer fake his death in order to get Monk to safety and give them time to find proof against the corrupt sheriff working for Dale. Part 2 is the after effect of Monk's death on the community at large and especially Natalie and Lieutenant Disher, neither of whom is aware of the plan. Natalie's heartbreak is all too real, and her anger toward Stottlemeyer is painful to watch. He suffers from the bad opinion of everyone who believes he murdered Monk, and it is clearly a trial for the gruff but kind Captain. Monk manages to figure out Dale's plan and clear his name, but could everything finally point him in the direction of Trudy's killer? Only "The Judge" has the answers now.

All of the actors were impressive in this episode, although none shone more than Traylor Howard, who usually plays Natalie as understated. In the first few seasons, Monk's nurse was Sharona, and she could either equal Tony Shalhoub or dominate him on the show. Natalie tends to be a gentler character, but her sorrow was very touching. I only wish we could have seen Dr. Kroger's reaction, since he was the one missing element from the season finale.

On a small note: Sharona was actually mentioned in the episode by Lieutenant Disher. She sent flowers to Natalie and intended to fly in with her son for the funeral. Bitty Schram surprised most of the fans for leaving after 38 episodes and taking the hard hitting, loud mouthed Sharona with her. It was a nice little shout back to the character.

Season seven has been guaranteed by USA, and now all the viewers have to wonder is whether or not things on the show will be changing. After the darkness and intensity of the finale, it may not be as easy to go right back to light-hearted humor. Trudy's case now has a name and a real lead, which means that Monk will be back to solving her case ... or will it fade into obscurity again? After six seasons of wondering about Trudy's murder, it really feels about time for closure and to close the chapter. Then again, that may mean closing the chapter on the entire show because once his revenge is finally obtained, Monk will no longer be driven the same way.

What the next season will bring for fans is unknown, but hopefully the humor will come back. If we wanted to watch a typical "Law & Order" type of show, we would. "Monk" is unique in its comedic styling, and it would be a mistake on the part of the creators to lose that strength. That being said, adding a little serious investigation and emotion can be very compelling television, and the season finale proved that "Monk" is capable of being more than a series of finely crafted jokes.

Recap by Chelsea 'Dee' Doyle
Starpulse contributing writer