When you remember that Trudy Monk has been dead for eleven years, it starts to make Adrian Monk a little less sympathetic and a little crazier.

Then again there are people who never get over their spouses, and Monk has a tendency to obsess over things (understatement of the year) so it makes sense. Last week's episode of "Monk" was the finale of season seven, and now it is just a matter of time before season eight begins and the show officially ends. That thought is more depressing than Monk never finding Trudy's killer, so let's move on.

In "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall," Monk can't handle the fact that city hall plans to bash in the parking garage where Trudy died. Sure, they may want to make a nice children's playground and park, but that's nothing compared to this last piece of Trudy being gone forever. Monk chains himself to the garage until a very kind woman named Eileen Hill, a councilwoman, agrees to have a second vote for him. She points out that he is a city legend and deserves the benefit of the doubt. That was pretty sweet actually; it is nice when complete strangers acknowledge how valuable Monk is. Usually they just comment on how weird he is, not how special or amazing.

Two German tourists are murdered on a pier, but Monk cannot focus on that case since all he can think about is the city council. He meets a slick, wealthy reporter named Paul who is covering the garage story, and also runs into Harold, his arch nemesis. Harold actually has a vote on the council; who the heck elected him?! He's nuttier than Monk, and quite a bit meaner too. Ms. Hill promised Monk to vote for him, so he feels confident ... until she goes missing. Now Monk has to find out what happened to her in order to save the garage. Her incompetent pregnant secretary gives them very little help at first, but Monk tries to win her over when he realizes she can step in for Ms. Hill on the council. It is a little unsettling and also hilarious to watch Monk try and 'seduce' a woman. He's actually better at it than one might expect, although very awkward.

Thanks to the silly secretary, Monk and Natalie find Ms. Hill's love nest second apartment and he starts to piece together what really happened. She is found dead, and Monk ties together her death with that of the two tourists. Their only clue is a fancy, custom made tie that was used to strangle her, and a pregnancy test. But Ms. Hill isn't pregnant, so what could it mean? Honestly it's not much of a mystery, and most people could have jumped to the conclusion that the rich reporter was having an affair with her and killed her when she said she was pregnant. This was a little too easy of a plot to figure out, but the story is really more about Monk and his fight with the council. In his arrogance, Monk solves the case but ends up losing the garage because he insults the secretary who initially votes for him. Pride goeth before the fall, Adrian!

The garage is torn down, but to make room for the children's playground and park that is dedicated to the memory of Trudy Monk. Shhh, I didn't cry. I just had something in my eye. It would've been nice to forward the story and Trudy's death somehow with the garage, but hopefully that will be a focal point of the last season. Or maybe Monk will never figure out the truth and we're left with his uncertainty. Wow. That'd be way too depressing! Until next season, "Monk" fans!

"Monk" is on USA on Friday nights at 9 PM EST!

Monk cast: Tony Shalhoub / Bitty Schram / Ted Levine / Jason Gray-Stanford / More

Story by Chelsea 'Dee' Doyle

Starpulse contributing writer