[Faithful Reader]

Mr. Monk Gets Married
Season 2, Episode 15
Written by: David Breckman
Directed by: Craig Zisk
Original Air Date; February 27, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: Raymond Toliver is cleaning out an antique desk when he finds a note. We flash back to the winter of 1849, when miner Joshua Skinner found the mother lode and killed his partner. After using some of the funds to build a house, he hid the gold in that house and left clues in journals. Toliver shares this letter with a friend Dalton Padron and is promptly killed.

Monk’s attempts to record an answering machine message are interrupted by a call from Disher. They go to a station and find an intoxicated Disher distraught over his mother, Maria. She is engaged to Padron but there is an age difference of almost two decades and he proposed on their second date. Maria does not have money and Disher checked Padron out only to find a clean record. Monk and Sharona visit Padron’s shop and find out that Padron is moving to Ecuador, a country notorious for being hard to get an extradition from, and his Visa application lists him as single. Monk is suspicious but does not know what is going on. Sharona has an idea and asks Monk to keep an open mind.

Sharona and Monk pretend to be a married couple so that they can attend the group counseling session with Marie and Padron led by Dr. Julie Waterford. Maria recognizes Monk’s name but he brushes it off. By an amazing coincidence, Dr. Waterford is leasing the house from the estate of Skinner. Even more amazing, they find Padron in the library. Padron claims the writing is fascinating, but a sample of the journals shows that is not the case.

In their room, Monk tells Sharona that he recognized the desk in a picture of Skinner, meaning that Padron did not choose this particular venue by chance. Sharona has problems getting the ring off and argues with Monk about the bathroom. Just as she takes the ring off and asks for a divorce, Dr. Waterford walks in with their schedules. She sees a picture of Trudy and gets rid of it, focusing on Monk moving on and Sharona to stop drinking (which Monk improvised earlier) over the weekend.

During a group therapy session, Monk talks about Trudy and Sharona notices a sheet of paper hanging out of Padron’s lapel. In order to get it, she does the only rational thing and starts a fight so that she can push him while sneaking away the note. Dr. Waterford is furious. When they read the letter, they realize that there is gold hidden on the premises. Unfortunately, Padron finds them and burns the letter, thus preventing Maria from getting ‘confused’ and presumably breaking not only fire laws but their agreement in the process.

Monk sees Padron walking around the premises with a shovel. He and Sharona follow him to a cave whereupon he sneaks out and causes a cave-in. Sharona uses the flash on her camera to find a way out before Monk uses his flashlight. As Sharona uses a pocketknife to dig them out, Monk asks for the ring back as it was Trudy’s. Monk then gets a phone call, but he ends it quickly as he is trapped in a cave.

At a group session, Dr. Waterford notes that Sharona is sleeping in a tent while Trudy’s picture is on the mantle, the place of honor. She has them declare their love for each other verbally and has them kiss to prove their love. Not just any kiss, a lovingly deep one with mention tongue and everything. They get away with a quick peck after which Monk washes his mouth out which Sharona calls insulting.

Meanwhile, Disher looks into Padron. Toliver is missing so he goes to the store owned by Tolliver and Padron. Inside, he finds Tolvier’s corpse. He calls his mom with the news, but Padron is on the line. Disher calls the local sheriff to detain Padron before heading out himself.

Monk and Sharona go over the journals of which there are over nine hundred of and one of which is the first three books of the bible. When Monk puts a book on the wobbly mantle, it weighs more than it should. When the sheriff arrives, they find Padron going to town on a grandfather clock he mistakenly believes has the gold. Skinner melted down the gold and mixed in some ink and wrote until he used it all up. The handcuffed Padron takes the sheriff’s gun, locks everyone in a closet and leaves. In the closet, Monk gets a bit of space, a couple reconnects, and the sheriff meets an interested Maria. While Padron tries to make a getaway, he is stopped by Disher.

The sheriff finds the relatives of the true owner of the gold and leaves with Maria, the other couple has made progress and Sharona returns Trudy’s ring. Dr. Waterford believes in the two of them as a couple only to be told the truth wherein she breathes a sigh of relief and asks them to keep it that way.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk spots a forgery that Padron is selling for fourteen thousand dollars.

White Courtesy Phone: When recording a message with his new machine, Sharona says Monk will wear out the computer chip.

Dishing it out: Disher’s preferred hooch is Scotch. He is fairly into a bottle before Monk and Sharona arrive.

Let’s Up the Rating: Padron is unable to ‘perform’ due to an accident involving a land mine.

Here’s What Happened: We get a sepia flashback narrated by Toliver showing the winter of 1849 complete with a superimposed title.

One More Time: “Aren’t you supposed to have a warrant?” “Aren’t you supposed to have a sprinkler system that works?”
Padron’s landlord and Disher one upping each other.

Dear Genre: Nester Carobonell appears pre-Lost and Bates Motel as Padron. The Great Jane Lynch appears pre-Glee and Party Down.

Trivial Matters: The gold rush in California took place from 1848 through 1855 but those who partook are commonly referred to as forty-niners.

Disher paraphrases Weekend at Bernie’s’ “Where the hell are you, you son of a bitch?” with “Where the hell’s my mother, you son of a bitch?”

Per the rules of television, you have to get credit if you have a speaking part, even if it is Navigation ensign. For those roles with very little screen time, the credit is at the end of the episode during the credits. This episode has enough for the actors to do that it is unnecessary, a rarity in the industry.

Stottlemeyer gets a name check but is not in this episode.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Raining all morning. I had beef jerky for breakfast. There is a cloud in the sky that resembles President Pierce. This chair is squeaking. Something smells good. I love smoking tobaccy. I just sneezed.” Certain times you write for a specific actor in mind. Other times, a great actor comes along and makes the writing all that much better with their performance. Jane Lynch enhances the heck out of Dr. Waterford. She has some monologues that are performed perfectly and is every bit the counselor she has to be. Even at the end when she tells Monk and Sharona not to wed it is a great moment as she breaks out in a sigh of relief. It is such a joy to watch her, and you can see how she was destined to become a great actor. Since this was before her breakout role in Glee, the casting department got a bargain.

Even the best actors can salvage horrible writing, but David Berkman has a fantastic script. There are a lot of zingers not just with main characters. The third couple at the retreat are the Sweeneys and they are pretty much there to be the third wheel, but they do well with their material. The sheriff and Maria getting together feels natural.

The only issue with the writing is the title. Mr. Monk does not get married, but the setup is one that the series had to do. Usually, someone will clamor for the male and female leads to get together and with eight seasons you figure that would happen here. Berkman had fun with the concept as did Shaloub and Schram. Their kiss is done perfectly though Dr. Waterford lets them get away with a quick peck. There are no weak links in the acting; it is great all around.

Director Craig Zak had fun with things as well. The cave scene is done well as is the sepia segment at the top of the episode. There is also an overhead camera in the closet and Zak did a good job of showing how close everyone was. A great job all around.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk Goes to Jail"
Season Two Episode 16
Written by: Chris Manheim
Directed by: Jerry Levine
Original Air Date: March 5, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: While eating his last meal before execution, Ray Kaspro is poisoned. There is little for Monk to go on so he leaves not really caring why someone would kill Kaspro forty-five minutes early, but he gets a call on the way out.

Dale Biederbeck is being held in the same building and is a suspect since Kaspro owed him twelve hundred dollars. Monk knows Biederbeck would not kill over that amount of money but that has not stopped him from being questioned twice. Biederbeck wants the lifestyle he has become accustomed to, specifically requesting a window be installed near his already well adorned cell. He wants Monk to solve the case in return for all the information he has on the person who killed Trudy.

In the kitchen, the cooks confirm that Kaspro’s food was sitting out for an hour, and anyone could have put something in it. Monk is disturbed by an unkempt dreadlock and while things get testy. Sharona talks about addiction, bonding her to the inmate who complies. Monk notices that an inmate named Tucker has not punched out. He was last seen near the freezer but when they go there, they find Tucker locked inside with a stack of bills in his pocket. Someone paid him off then had second thoughts.

Monk and Sharona are summoned to the library where they find out local recluse billionaire Lambert Lawson recently died. They meet librarian Sylvia Fairborn. She overheard Kaspro threatening to reveal what he knew about the Calgary incident before he died to another inmate, Darnell “Spyder” Rudner. Monk wants to go undercover, but Spyder is one bad dude. His first arrest was in seventh grade. and he was in solitary for beating up an inmate who touched his stuff.

Spyder is brought to his cell with Monk, and we know Spyder is a badass because there is a guitar riff and rock music playing. It does not start off well with Monk making Spyder’s bed and cleaning his shiv, but they eventually bond.

Stottlemeyer and Disher visit Biederbeck but come up with nothing.

Monk asks Spyder about Calgary but is rebuffed and Spyder is missing his watch given by his grandfather. He is ready to cut Monk’s throat, but Monk offers to find the watch in exchange for information about Calgary.

The medical examiner talks to Sharona about Kaspro’s body. Kaspro had a rare blood type, but the poison was so severe, his internal organs were all eaten away.

In the prison yard, Monk gets into a rough patch with some basketball players and a group of roughhousers, though finds that he later has Spyder’s watch. Spyder is grateful but knows nothing about Calgary, thinking Monk was set up with bad information. Monk and Sharona confront Fairborn who feigns innocence while watching a televised interview with an unauthorized biographer of Lawson’s. Lawson’s death came at the right time as he was suing the author for seventy million.

While doing some investigation, Monk is called to the rec room. He thinks it is the warden’s assistant, but we know it is Fairbanks having arranged for someone to kill Monk. Sharona finds out that Lawson had the same rare blood type as Kaspro, realizing that with Kaspro gone and his blood unusable, the case will be thrown out against the biographer who is the son of Fairborn.

Monk holds off the assassins with hot water and eventually hides in an industrial drier. He is found, but Spyder comes to his rescue. After the police get everything under control, Spyder invites Monk to a parole hearing in fifty years.

Biederbeck gets his window. He tells Monk that the bomb that killed Trudy was not meant for him; she was the target all along. Also, a man in New York named Warrick Tennyson will be able to provide more information.

Monk relishes in leaving the jail. Afterwards, Biederbeck sees a plane leaving and wishes Monk a good trip.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk has been in holdings cells and interrogation rooms bur never a jail.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona can only put her face in her hands as Monk pats himself down.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer questioned the kitchen staff but believes that is a dead end.

Dishing it out: Faced with a letter form the victim’s family forgiving Kaspro, Disher wonders if they lied only to find out that they are Mennonites and value honesty.

It Recurs to Me: This is the second appearance of Dale Biederbeck but the first (and only) time he is played by Tim Curry. There are prosthetics but he retains his facial hair. And part of his accent.

Let’s Up the Rating: Sharona gets a lot of attention from the inmates, not just Biederbeck. She sprots a sweatshirt shortly into her visit, which is more of “Let’s Bring Down the Rating.”.

Here’s What Happened: Sharona sums up things nicely, and even points it out when she finds Monk., the first time someone other than Monk does so.

One More Time: “Of course I’ve been in this prison all my life.” “That’s very poetic.” “Well of course it’s nothing like the prison you’ve built for yourself.”
Biederbeck and Monk trading barbs.

Dear Genre: Renowned actor Danny Trejo plays Spyder.

Trivial Matters: The title may or may not be a reference to the film Earnest Goes to Jail.

Kaspro’s last meal is ribs and chili. Not a bad meal in general per se but some guards wonder if that will kill him before the execution.

Also with the last meal, the chili looks more like baked beans, though the portion is pretty good.

Monk’s undercover name is Ben Lincoln.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “You lady?” “Yeah.” “She waiting for you?” “Yeah.” “Lucky man, she’ll keep you strong.” After a lackluster premiere that was more run of the mill than the overture we expect, the finale hits most of the right notes and goes out in spectacular fashion.

A big issue is that Stottlemeyer and Disher are sidelined for most of the plot. They get a scene with Biederbeck in the middle to remind us that they are still around, but Monk mainly gets help from the prison staff.

Also, as great as Tim Curry is, he is not a good match for Biederbeck. His appeal is obvious as is his talent, but he is not in his element here. He wanders in and out of his accent and while he can act through prosthetics, he is limited with his physicality. This is not the best use of him, arguably a waste. Curry is best when he is Curry, not having to imitate another actor playing a character. He is there to move the plot along and he does have his moments, usually insulting anyone he is speaking to while dangling a carrot, such as when Sharona is near his cell.

Trejo, by contrast, is great as Spyder. He is introduced through dialogue as a badass and when we see him, he is a badass, but he has great chemistry with Shaloub while never letting go of the gas. It is not entirely believable that these two characters would get along, but it works, and we are willing to suspend our disbelief. Trejo has his manic moments, but he also has some tender times with Shaloub.

Monk is the through line of all of this and while this show will go out of the way to make him uncomfortable, the writing is on point. The dialogue is great but so is the directing. This show can take too long with Monk’s centricities but that is not on display here. There is a scene where Monk has issues with being patted down and somehow gets away with patting himself down. This could easily be too distracting, but it works here in no small part due to his fellow actors, including some extras in the holding pen.

Minor quibbles are easily brushed off to the side when you are hitting every target.

[Faithful Reader]

Monk Season Two Overview
Original Air Dates: June 20, 2003-March 5, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: Is the second season, Monk solved the murder of a very old man, one committed by someone in a coma, and a celebrity who managed an airtight alibi, or so he thought. We met his estranged brother, Ambrose.

Sharona asked Monk to help when her sister was accused of murder. She also pretended to be married to Monk to solve a case and confronted a dark secret from her past.

Stottlemeyer asked Monk to help his wife’s friend and recommitted to his marriage. He also is giving Monk some extra cases to solve and earn income.

Disher had a few leadership moments when Stottlemeyer was otherwise unavailable. He also reached out to Monk when his mother was in a compromising situation that he could not solve himself.

Monk went to a school, Mexico, an adult mansion and jail. The group as a whole read the newspaper.

Through it all, Monk never forgets his late wife Trudy and gets a clue about her death at the end of the season.

Favorite This Week’s Compulsion: From Mr. Monk and the 12th Man: The ‘Ring Bell For Service’ sign at the cleaners has hand written ‘except for Mr. Monk’ rider. The sign also has an upcharge for Monk. Oddly enough there is a space for all this on the sign which is great foresight.

Favorite White Courtesy Phone: From Mr. Monk Goes Back to School: Sharona licks her queen to prevent Monk from capturing her. Also, when confronting a bully, she knows when a man is lying having been married for three years.

Favorite Captain Moustache: From Mr. Monk Goes Back to School: Stottlemeyer has seen suicide notes handwritten, in blood and crayon.

Favorite Dishing it Out: From Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy: Disher is a fan of the mansion, even knowing that when you are invited to a pool party there you do not need a suit.

Favorite Let’s Talk it Out: From Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect: Dr. Kroger is going to Costa Rica for a vacation soon. He told Monk about it for a month, but Monk seems to have blocked it out.

Favorite The Innocence of Youth: From Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame: Benjy doesn’t get a pep talk as much as he has one described to him as Monk goes through every hand gesture in the book.

Favorite It Recurs to Me: From Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man: Stellina Rusich returns in a touching ending tag as Trudy Monk. Gleane Headley makes her first of four appearances as Karen Stottlemeyer showing her interest in old world therapies and documentaries.

Favorite Let’s Up the Rating: From Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico: Plato wasn’t sure if he should book one room of two for Monk and Sharona. The latter makes it clear several times that they need two. Also, the resort is visited by many scantily clad people. Sharona gets some beads but does not know why they are distributed.

Favorite Here’s What Happened: From Mr. Monk and the Paperboy: We get three crimes solved, only two of which get the Here’s What Happened treatment which prevents them from having to hire additional actors. The sequence we get has voiced dialogue, a rarity.

Favorite One More Time: From Mr. And the Very, Very Old Man: “The first thing in the morning I’m going to call the Vatican to nominate Trudy for sainthood because you are impossible!”
Stottlemeyer going all Felix on Monks Oscar.

Dear Genre Highlights: Andrew McCarthy of Weekend at Bernie’s fame, Kurt Fuller of Psych, Gary Cole of Crusade, Lauren Tom of Futurama, Billy Zane of 24, Rachel Dratch of Saturday Night Live, Nestor Carbonell from Lost, Jane Lynch from Glee, and Danny Trejo all had guest spots this season.

The biggest guest is Tony winner Becky Buckley of Cats as Sharona’s mom,

The Rainbow Treknection Highlights: Rosalind Chao (Keiko O’Brien) in the season opener while and Jane Carr (Mary Reed) was in Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame, Chao’s husband Simon Templeton who was an actor during a holo version of King Lear and a director, keeping the theatre theme going, Leslie Jordan was Kol on Voyager, the first of three appearances of Sarah Silverman as Marci Maven after she was Rain Robinson in Voyager,

Favorite Trivial Matters: Mr. Monk Goes Back to School for a lot of things that will resonate throughout the series along with some things specific to the episode.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Nickolai Petroff?” “Who’s asking?” “This shiny piece of metal’s asking.” Sophomore seasons tend to be make or break it, where the series will have established itself in the first season and make some adjustments before the longer stories develop later.

The second season of Monk was more of the second half of the first season. Both the first finale and the second premiere were both fairly low-key, but things really ramped up in the end.

Disher was still second fiddle to Stottlemeyer and Monk. His character is there so that Stottlemeyer has someone to talk to and does not have a monologue every week, but he also can stand on his own right. He stood out on his own this season when Sottlemeyer was out of the way allowing Disher to be front and center, something that they are more than welcome to do as the season progressed.

The derision of Monk by Sottlemeyer is mostly gone, though the rivalry comes up at times, most notably when Monk searches the pie causing Stottlemeyer to offer a new one to the perpetrator. He even throws Monk a few cases every now and then to make some extra cash. Their antagonism worked for the first few episodes of the series, but it is gone now for the most part allowing him to be at least cordial to Monk. The episode with his wife Karen let Levine show off his chops.

Sharona could be an afterthought, but Schram does not allow that to happen. She is a tough woman and a strong mother to Benjy. She sees things Monk does not at times and gets the first instance of giving us a summation without Monk. She is protective of him and helps diffuse situations, most notably in the prison finale.

Shaloub inhabits the title role perfectly. He has the character down and still shows us different sides of him. The emotional center of the series, Monk is good at his job but still has some things to get over. We meet a brother who has never been mentioned and just like Trek, it makes perfect sense. There are scenes that go on for too long, but they are fewer this time around.

The series continues to go forward.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan"
Season 3 Episode 1
Written by: Andy Breckman
Directed by: Randall Zisk
Original Air Date: June 18, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: After some city porn of New York, we see a cab drive up with a New York license plate. Monk wanders off to pick up some trash until Sharona tells him that he cannot clean it all up. She reminds him (and by proxy us) that they are following up on a lead about Trudy’s murder, Warrick Tennyson.

As they check into the hotel, they run into the Latvian Ambassador. As Monk straightens out the luggage, there are gunshots at the elevator as the ambassador and his bodyguards are shot. Stottlemeyer takes charge as a man runs by Monk. There is the usual survey of the scene as the local police, unfamiliar with Monk’s techniques, look on. Monk determines that the ambassador suddenly got a new, damp coat. Also, the shooting appears to be random, at least to Monk. Captain Cage is less certain. He wants Monk to come to the station, but Sharona says they need to meet the District Attorney about Tennyson. By strange coincidence the DA called Cage and that meeting has been postponed.

At the station, Sottlemeyer tries to go up the chain of command while Cage tries to keep something out of Stottlemeyer’s viewpoint. Monk talks with a sketch artist, but he only saw the perpetrato’rs ear on account of his face being covered. Sotttlemeyer talks to the Attorney General only to find out that Tennyson is testifying in a big case but if Monk solves the ambassador’s murder, they will see what they can do.

They retrace the ambassador’s steps with someone from the embassy. Monk asks about the phrase “She’s gone meatless,” something he overheard before the shooting, but the phrase has no meaning in English or Latvian. Stottlemeyer and Disher canvas the area while Monk and Sharona follow up on a lead in Brooklyn.

The lead is a Latvian exile named Elmer Gratnik. It is a dead end, but the phrase Monk heard was a dialect and translates to “This is not my coat.” Stottlemeyer and Disher are more successful as they discover that Cage is holding them back as he has a whole file about Tennyson. Monk gets lost on a subway and finds himself with a three-card monte con man. In the crowd is someone who looks just like series creator Andy Breckman.

While the search for Monk is underway, Stottlemeyer confronts Cage with information about Tennyson, who is near death and has days left. Cage says the state needs him to testify but if they solve the murder, they might have the leverage to see Tennyson.

They find Monk in Times Square with a street preacher giving a sermon about cleanliness. Monk sees the man who murdered the ambassador on the big screen. It is Steven Leight, a man whose wife was shot in Central Park earlier that week. They question Leight and Monk determines that he is sleeping with someone, prompting Leight to end the conversation. Monk connects him to a nearby bar where the attendant made a mistake giving someone the wrong coat.

Leight killed his wife and took the jewelry to make it look like a robbery. At the bar to cool down before calling the police, his coat got switched so he ran to the hotel to swap them back, committing murder in the process. The ballistics match up giving Cage what he needs to make an arrest.

They finally meet Tennyson who tells the that he built the bomb that killed Trudy and it was set to go off with a call. Tennyson did not see who paid him to do it but notes that there are six fingers on his right hand. Alone, Monk turns off the morphine but turns it back on for Trudy.

Monk hopes to never travel again, Disher buys a new watch and Stottlemeyer convinces the cabbie to let Monk in the vehicle.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk gets lost getting off the cab that dropped the group off at the hotel.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona feeds Disher a crock of baloney about the city including the Rolex he got on the cheap runs on stupidity instead of batteries.

Captain Moustache: Monk expresses the urgency of talking to Tennyson through the DA but Cage is unsympathetic, leading Stottlemeeyr to take matters into his own hands.

Dishing it out: Disher fangoobers over the city. Sharona tells him that one building was erected from top down.

Let’s Up the Rating: Disher suggests he and Sharona share a room. Sharona shoots him (it, I mean it) down.

Here’s What Happened: Monk interrupts his retelling to confront a man he saw urinating at the subway station.

One More Time: “Would you like us to shut down midtown Manhattan for you? Would that be convenient?”
Cage trying to get Monk.

Dear Genre: Cage is played by Bubba from Forrest Gump himself, Mykelti Williamson.

The Rainbow Treknection: Jeffery Dean Morgan guest stared in Carpenter Street before his meteoric rise to fame with The Walking Dead. He is lesser known for playing Leight in this episode.

Trivial Matters: Just as the second season premiere may or may not have been a nod to a famed eighties/nineties film, this one may or may not be a reference to The Muppets Take Manhattan.

This being filmed in New York, We see the Radio City Music Hall, Times Square, Central Park, Rockefeller Center’s skating rink, outdoor chess, and a subway.

We learn Monk is 45.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Trudy loved New York. She always wanted to bring me here. I guess now she has.” This being the long game, we cannot solve Trudy’s murder three seasons in, but we can get a nice adventure in New York while we are at it.

An hour is not time to see the entirety of the city, but we get some of the highlights as the city is in view as much as possible. Plus, a good old-fashioned subway. It makes good use of the location without jamming it down our throats striking a good balance. Monk’s three card monty is great, the street preacher a little less so though strong, but the scene where he is continually interrupted by a jackhammer is the only one that does not work. For a show primarily filmed on the west coast, director Randall Zisk does a great job of showing off the local highlights of all angles.

Cage is the antagonist though he makes himself appear friendly at the start. He gets everything he wants at the end with the murder being solved. Mykelti Williamson is always amazing, and this is no exception. A pre-Walking Dead Jeffrey Dean Morgan shows his chops, and the casting is just all-around great down to the bit players. Funny how you can find superb actors when you shoot in New York City!

Cage is a good foil for Stottlemeyer who does not recognize himself as being a roadblock at times. Disher gets to play with a watch which causes a distraction while they are looking through files. Sharona helps Monk get around and is in her native element. She approaches a cop when Monk gets pulled onto the subway and explains that the missing person is in his mid-forties!

The meeting with Tennyson does not really meet expectations, but the script wrote it to hamper him and not give out too much information. He is off the table and the scene does have a dark moment. This is a low point with having our hero cause pain for another suffering person. It smacks of a rewrite at the last minute and gives a much darker tone to our hero than we need and is thankfully not the last things we see in the episode.

A great location leads to a strong start for the season.

[Faithful Reader]

Mr. Monk and the Panic Room
Season Three Episode Two
Written by: David Breckman & Joe Toplyn
Directed by: Jerry Levine
Original Air Date: 25 June 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: Ian Blackburn is months late on producing his latest album. Alone with his pet chimp Darwin, they hear an alarm trip and rush to the panic room. The police arrive later and open the room to find Blackburn dead and Darwin holding a gun. Rather than do something safe like disarming the primary suspect, an officer asks if he should read Darwin his rights.

Monk and Sharona are tending to Benjy who got injured in a fight. Sharona is furious but Monk says that he loved Benjy like a father. At the scene, Monk notes that someone broke the glass to set off the alarm. Not just that, the suspect appears to have calmly walked away despite an alarm going off. Sharona and Disher go of to feed Darwin as Monk and Stottlemeyer investigate the residence. Blackburn had a fancy schmancy pill case that went off when he was supposed to take a pill, but he missed the 4:30 dose despite the alarm not being sounded until 5:09.

After accidentally locking himself in the panic room, animal control comes to take Darwin, ready to kill him on the grounds he killed someone. Stottlemeyer conducts a field (which involves a shriners hat and pair of symbols( test to determine if Darwin could have fired. He uses the gun Disher emptied beforehand only to find that Disher made a mistake. Darwin pulls the trigger but does not hit anyone.

There are no leads at Wol Security, the firm where Blackburn got his panic room, though Monk does straighten a sign displaying the price of a seventeen-thousand-dollar camera. They talk to Blackburn’s widowed wife, superstar Chloe, but get no additional information beyond her not being faithful.

Sharona breaks Darwin out and is arrested shortly before Benjy comes home. She tells him to stick up for those that cannot protect themselves. She tasks Monk with proving Darwin innocent but does not tell him that she hid Darwin in Monk’s apartment. Monk is surprisingly nonplused, but he calmly calls Dr. Kroger. They are joined by an upset landlord, Lou Nevaro who tells Monk he cannot sell the dwelling. As he takes off his hat in frustration, Darwin goes wild at Nevaro’s bald head, leading Monk to solve the case.

With bald security consultant Kurt Wolff in earshot, they talk about the digital recorder that the FBI will get in the morning. Monk realizes that Wolff, Chloe’s lover, built a secret entrance to the panic room. He set off the alarm to make it look like suicide, but Darwin attacked Wolff forcing multiple shots including to the back. With a suicide off the table, he left the empty gun with Darwin and broke the window. They catch Wolff coming back in and Chloe is arrested.

Monk, Sharona and Benjy visit Darwin at Animal Control. He is slated to the zoo where Monk now has a lifetime pass.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk’s schoolmates did not use the term wedgie; they called it a Monk.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona tries to cover Darwin’s rampage in her place as a party.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer tries to calmly get Monk out of the panic room by pushing a button before pushing it himself.

Dishing it out: Offscreen, Disher gave an explanation to Stottlemeyer. He later theorizes suicide by monkey though we do not know if that is the same theory he presented to Stottlemeyer.

Let’s Talk it Out: Dr. Kroger does his first ever house call for Monk.

The Innocence of Youth: Benjy gets into a fight at school defending a student who is frequently picked on.

Let’s Up the Rating: Disher offers to protect Sharona from the dangerous Darwin.

Here’s What Happened: The sequence is whispered as it happens in a stakeout. Had they done so before, they would not have needed to be quiet, but it would not have been as cool to watch.

One More Time: “Am I missing anything? I want to be sure before I go on television and utter the words ‘killer monkey.’”
Stottlemeyer begging for an alternative explanation.

The Rainbow Treknection: Character Actor Willie Garson gust stars as Lou Navero after he played Riga in Voyager’s Thirty Days.

Trivial Matters: Springsteen and the Eagles are past works by Blackburn.

Sharona’s sister, Gail, gets namechecked twice.

When Darwin pulls the phone off the wall, there is no phone line visible.

The foley artist has a bit of fun when Darwin tosses Monk’s possessions, giving us some smashes along with taps of plastic cups hitting the floor.

Settelmeyer’s scene where he tries to get Darwin to shoot was improvised by Ted Levine, to the point where he brought in his own props.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “He can peel a banana, he can fire a gun.” Last season, Ted Levine got a chance to show off his dramatic chops. Early this season, he has a chance to show off his comedic talents. Normally the dour straight man, you can tell Levine had a blast playing opposite Darwin. Even without knowing the behind-the-scenes information, he is having a blast when trying to get Darwin alarmed enough to shoot. It is a great sequence to behold.

That is not to say that Shaloub slouches. His Monk is in direct contrast to Stottlemeyer who is bouncing around whereas Monk is calm and serene in spite of the chaos around him. Director Jerry Levine wisely chose to have Darwin go behind Monk in the background before letting loose. Shaloub calmly walks around before calling Dr. Kroger.

Sharona has a running theme of sticking up for those who are unable to defend themselves and tries everything together. The only person who believes Darwin is innocent, we see them bond early and that carries through the hour. Stottlemeyer tries to keep her honor when Benjy walks in, but Sharona takes the high road, being a strong role model.

There are some things that are not presented well, such as Monk using his fingers at the crime scene instead of a gloved hand and the trope of waiting to tell what happened when most dramatically necessary.

Worst of all is the criminal underuse to two guest stars. Carmen Electra is there for a scene and walks her way through it, thought that does not stop the set dressers from putting her cutouts around the Blackburn house or making a newspaper about her arrest. Also, Willie Garson is barely there and could have had an episode built around someone of his caliber. His one scene gives him a chance to act but it is all too brief.

Some highlights and some lowlights.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk and the Blackout"
Season three, episode three
Written by: Daniel Dratch and Hy Conrad
Directed by: Michael Zinberg
Original Air Date: July 9, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: A bomb is planted at a power substation, causing a citywide blackout. The power is restored moments later. It turns out that the perpetrator knew exactly where to place it but not when, as a couple minutes later, it would have taken down a good chunk of California. It appears to be done by someone from within the company who left a manifesto, which Monk recognizes from a radical group ten years ago, from an article Trudy wrote. While at the power station, Public Relations agent Michelle Rivas takes an interest in Monk.

There were three deaths during the blackout, making it a homicide. The radical leader is deceased, but they find an old chum, Alby Drake, sitting in a tree in protest. The judge will order him down the following day, but they present him with the manifesto to look over. Drake will consider it and is told to not go anywhere by Stottlemeyer.

Dr. Kroger talks about how Monk made it through the blackout, but things take a turn when he mentions Rivas, culminating in writing a prescription to call her. At night, Drake calls his former college letting him know about the questioning. Monk calls Rivas and things go well, mainly because of the stacks of index cards he has at the ready, the highest of which is labeled “Trudy.”

The perpetrator goes to Drake’s tree and bulldozes it down. The crime scene offers nothing new, but Stottlemeyer and Disher find out Monk has a date. The restaurant is a rooftop one and fifty-two flights of stairs kills the mood along with the reservation. They take an elevator down, but the perpetrator sabotages another substation, interrupting a rerun of the show Sharona tried to watch shortly after the first blackout. Monk and Rivas are rescued, and Sharona is there to comfort Monk while getting chewed out by Rivas for not giving her a warning. Monk realizes someone does not want the TV special to be seen and looks through an off-brand TV Guide.

Rivas gives a press conference after which she is asked about her date with Monk by a colleague she previously dated named Gene. Sharona gets a copy of the concert and determines there is footage of Gene, an alias after faking his death as a radical. This revelation is followed by another blackout, this time confined to Monk’s block. Gene is there to kill Monk but recently ordered night vision goggles prove useful. The advantage is gone when power is restored but backup arrives at the nick of time.

Rivas gives a press conference, expressly thanking Monk in the process. He is there with flowers, and she offers Monk a second date once things get straightened out.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk threw away Willie Nelson’s harmonica as the legend put his lips on it.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona watches as Rivas flirts with Monk. She gets the hint later when Rivas provides a card with her home number.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer sees the lack of security cameras and precise location of the bomb as indications of an inside job.

Dishing it out: Disher investigates the radical but overlooks a literal dead end as the leader blew himself up before the trial.

Let’s Talk it Out: Monk deflects from Dr. Kroger’s inquiries into Rivas by asking about footwear.

The Innocence of Youth: Benjy’s drawing of a houseboat might be the most perplexing case Monk has not solved.

Let’s Up the Rating: In the presence of her child, Sharona mentions that nine months after a blackout, the birth rate spikes.

Here’s What Happened: We get no black and white flashback this episode.

One More Time: “Are you Adrian Monk? I’m a huge fan of yours.” “I think you’re mistaking me for anyone else.”
Rivas not being too aggressive and Monk being too demure.

Dear Genre: Alicia Copolla of Jericho and National Treasure: Book of Secrets fame, is Rivas.

Trivial Matters: The game played at the top of the hour is Win, Lose or Draw. This show not shelling out for the licensing, they call it Doodle Fever, but it’s pretty much Win, Lose or Draw.

The San Francisco Bicentennial is referenced, though only a few decades too late.

Willie Nelson is name checked as is the first season appearance.

Rivas’s phone number starts with 555. That is not an actual number, just something the media uses in place of an actual number.

Monk is unaware that the lights are turned on while wearing night vision goggles. That would have been very obvious in reality.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “’Petrified and full of regret.’ Welcome to the world of dating.” It can be understood that the writers would need to keep Monk single. The date with Rivas is horrible and played a little too offbeat with Alicia Caoppola overacting at times. The turn against Monk is a bit too much and quick. Also, she blames Sharona for not warning her about Monk when she should have done her homework after reading the article. She even figures out a bit on the stairs!

They casting agents found a great actress for Shaloub to play against. The flirting is natural and comes across well. It is sad that we will never see her again. She was good at her job as a public relations spokesperson though she inadvertently tripped off Gene. The writing is great with Stottlemeyer being tickled at Monk’s date and Sharona verbally gives Monk the number knowing he will not forget. The scene with Dr. Kroger is reminiscent of others, but is done well, culminating in a prescription which he follows. One issue is that the public relations worker didn’t do her homework in looking into Monk ahead of time which you would expect a public relations expert to do.

Things move pretty well this hour, though the ease of getting a copy of the concert is a little too convenient. Still, things move apace there are few one and done characters giving the actors material to work with. Stottlemeyer and Disher make good progress on the case, though Disher should read before he presents.

After the success of the earthquake, a blackout was a natural follow up, though it the impact lasted far less time. Take out a bad sequence and this is an enjoyable episode.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk Gets Fired"
Season three, episode four
Directed by: Andrei Belgrader
Written by: Peter Wolk
Original Air Date: July 16, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: Larysa Zeryeva is enjoying time with divorcee Paul Hartley. Paul blindfolds her as they go to the garage to show her a surprise. Zeryeva suspects a car, but Paul produces a tire iron. We see exterior shots of the garage, hear a chainsaw, and see blood splatters on the window.

Karen Stottlemeyer is following her husband and precinct for a documentary. Things start off well, but Commissioner Brooks comes in throwing cold water on everything. While the force is talking about an arson case, there is a bigger issue with a headless corpse found, as the Brooks tells the press. As he gets into a car, someone steals his hat.

Deciding not to get into the car, Brooks talks with our main cast. He does not get along with Monk as a colleague was found guilty. The medical examiner is impressed by what Monk can determine of the victim (mountain climber, twenty-six years old, born in a Baltic State) but things turn sour when, in the process of cleaning off a keyboard, Monk erases a decade of records. The good news is that most of them are backed up. The bad news is Brooks pulls Monk from the force entirely. Stottlemeyer takes the unenviable task of breaking the news to Monk.

Sharona returns to nursing at a cancer center where Monk takes up visiting her, to the consternation of everyone else. Disher and Stottlemeyer identify Zeryeva, who matches the description Monk had determined, but they have nothing to match it with. Ellen Hartley reported the missing person and suspects her husband had something to do with it.

Disher and Stottlemeyer interrogate Ellen and Paul respectively. Everyone knows Paul did it but there is nothing to tie him to the crime. Monk arrives in the garage and is told to leave. Before he does, he finds a spare chainsaw blade. Paul professes that he had a chainsaw but got rid of it an undetermined length of time ago. The garage has been thoroughly cleaned but all they need is a small speck of DNA. Brooks comes on the scene and Disher rushes Monk out the back.

Dr. Kroger tells Monk that the firing might turn out well as a closed door could lead to an open window. Monk also tells Dr. Kroger that he will interview for a fact checker at a magazine.

Brooks chews Stottlemeyer and Disher out over the speakerphone while being filmed. He confides in Karen with the difficulties he is facing with the case only to discover that Karen is filming him discreetly. She offers to stop though it will be hard for her to do so and Stottlemeyer lets her keep filming.

Monk’s interview is almost thwarted by a wobbly chair and, well, being Monk, but he impresses with his handwriting (close to being typed) and finding a bunch of errors in one issue. Sharona comes to find a despondent Monk but if turns out he got the job. She is thrilled but he wants to go back to the force, even as a consultant. He checks the daily newspaper and finds that Brooks’ hat was stolen a second time, though the thief dropped it on this occasion, leading Monk to solve the case.

Brooks comes to the precinct furious that Monk is there as a guest of Stottlemeyer. Paul scrubbed everything down after the murder but found a receipt of a wigmaker. Zeryeva donated her hair forcing Paul to find out who got her hair before burning the place down. He went after Brook’s toupee but only got the hat. Stottlemeyer fails to pull off the piece, but Sharona does as it is admitted into evidence. Not wanting that scene to exist at all let alone in a film, Brooks asks to get rid of it. Sottlemeyer considers it and brings Monk forward.

Karen films Sottlemeyer and Disher arresting Harley. They follow Disher as he exposits the best monologue outside of Law & Order.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk has trouble giving cough drops to a young man with two broken arms, so he throws them at him. The aim is off.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona asks Monk to leave the hospital as she cannot afford to lose two jobs in a week.

Captain Moustache: Right after being told to act naturally for the documentary, we see Stottlemeyer freshening up with a mirror.

Dishing it out: Disher tries to make Sotttlemeyer look good on camera. He theorizes that an arson was an insurance scam but the owner died in the blaze.

Let’s Talk it Out: Dr. Kroger role plays with Monk for the job interview. It does not go well as Monk is fixated on Trudy’s murder.

It Recurs to Me: Gleane Headley makes a third appearance as Karen Stottlemeyer this time doing a documentary for PBS.

Let’s Up the Rating: Zeryeva looks great in a swimsuit. The pool does not with a bunch of leaves in the water.

One More Time: “Public relations thought it would be good PR, doing an educational film.” “How about, good police work? That’s the kind of PR we need.”
Stottlemeyer trying to look good and Brooks making sure he doesn’t.

Dear Genre: You might recognize the medical examiner as Scott Adsit who voices Baymax in Big Hero 6 and played Pete Hornberger in 30 Rock.

The Rainbow Treknection: Monk’s interviewer is Molly Hagan, formerly Eris in Deep Space Nine’s The Jem’Hadar.

Trivial Matter: Monk’s starting salary, adjusted for inflation, is over sixty-five thousand dollars. A whole mess of benefits are included.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Front Page. Page twenty-two. Very important. Not important. Press all over us. Nobody cares. What case do you think we should concentrate on, Captain?” Sometimes the best episodes happen when someone does not do their job, either on vacation or when they are forced to take some time off. It is not aways a sure shot, but here, sidelining Monk works.

Sometimes, the writers can struggle to fill out the plot for the week. The filler might be more obvious than others. In this case, it fits into the plot very well. Monk does avoid the firing at times, but we see him trying to start a new job. He nails the interview in spite of himself and we see that it is not a perfect interview at all. Molly Hagan is a great straight man for Shaloub to play off, but they do bond a bit. They have great chemistry, and it adds nothing to the plot but does lead to a good moment when Sharona looks at his fantastic salary and benefits. Watching the interview itself, the hiring is not a sure thing at all.

We do see Sharona doing her job as a nurse full time as well, scrubs and all. We have seen her working with Monk in civilian clothes every week, but here we see her in a medical setting in appropriate garb for the very first time. We saw a bit into Sharona’s world with her family and here we see her in her ‘day’ job. Sure, Monk is causing a commotion by just sitting there, but Sharona chases him out by threatening to take his temperature through non-oral means.

Karen is kind of superfluous here. I am happy to see Headley again, but she really adds nothing here. There are some cool things with the footage but that feels like padding. Stottlemeyer has good moments with his wife, though.

Saverio Guerra almost steals the show as Brooks. He hits the ground at a full ten at the start and never lets off the gas. He chews the scenery whether being filmed for the documentary or not. He chews out Stottlemeyer and has beef with Monk. The golden rule of film is show, don’t tell but here, Guerra’s yelling pays off. His attitude is prevalent and is a joy to watch in every scene he is in.

This is not on any of the top ten (or twenty) lists but is a great hour to watch showing sides of the main characters we do not see often. Great script by Peter Wolk and fun directing by Andrei Belgrader.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk Meets the Godfather"
Season Three Episode 5
Written by: Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin
Directed by: Michael Zinberg
Original Air Date: July 23, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: A man is enjoying a cold towel at the barbershop, except it isn’t just any barbershop; it is a front for the mob. As someone drops a bag full of cash on the table, an assailant shoots up the place.

Sharona has problems with her car which can be fixed but to the tune of nine hundred dollars. As she and Monk contemplate how to get back, a limo shows up with Tony Lucarelli. He and his associate Tony want to talk with Monk. Sharona does not want to turn down money and Tony is forceful, so they go along. As they exit the limo, they are being photographed by an unknown entity.

They speak with Salvatore Lucarelli. One of the people at the front was his nephew. There are calls for retribution but if Salvatore chooses the wrong party, there is a full-fledged gang war on their hands. Monk has a reputation of being a great detective and came recommended. He declines to take the case but is told to think about it. He is also asked which hand he favors.

Sharona hangs back as Monk exits. He finds a floral van which is occupied by the photographer, Agent Combs. They have been trying to get someone to infiltrate the family but the record of those who attempt is not good. Monk is reluctant until Colmes dangles a reinstatement offer.

At the crime scene, Stottlemeyer notes that the money was left there. Also, the chain securing the gumball machine was ripped out for a getaway. There is also an incomplete crossword puzzle left at the scene. They interview a witness, Phillip Badard who works at the mint. They have to talk outside since there was a theft recently of five misprinted coins raising security concerns, though not raised enough that a mobster cannot get in. Badard notes that there was someone who may be an associate of the Chinese mafia at the site.

Sharona’s ex pays back alimony plus four months in advance and her car is fixed at no charge. She sees Tonya cross the street waving. On their date, Tony mentions that he is continuing his education to get a degree in business and open a bookstore. He admits to calling Sharona’s ex but not being threatening.

Monk and Sharona meet James Lu who expresses regrets over what happened but denies involvement. Suddenly, a Molotov cocktail is thrown through the window. Colmes if furious that Monk is starting a gang war while everyone else in aware of the danger. Colmes wants Monk to get a confession on tape meaning he must wear a wire. At the wake, Salvatore believes that the fire was caused by someone unaffiliated, but he took care of them. Monk also stains his tie and tries to clean it. Unfortunately, that is where the wire is causing confusion in the van.

At the scene, Monk notes that the gumball machine used in the escape is not in the photos taken just after the incident. He determines that what happened did not involve the Salvatore family at all. They find Badard doing a crossword puzzle. Monk posits that Badard stole the coins and needed to get rid of them quickly. He went to the barbershop and bought five gumballs but when he went to retrieve them later, the chain made him cause a ruckus and someone pulled out a gun. Badard shot everyone and made off with the machine.

Badard confesses but they do not have it on record on account of Monk washing the tie with the wire. Badard quickly comes down and confesses in front of everyone while Tony walks in the distance nonchalantly.

Disher plays Sharona a recording of Tony admitting to stringing her along. Presumably, this does not violate too many rules. Colmes reneges on the deal since they did not catch Salvatore. Monk does have revenge, though; their vans are unevenly packed, and he will not tell them as they leave.

This Week’s Compulsion: In between getting his picture taken, Monk adjusts a menu sign.

White Courtesy Phone: Given the choice of having Monk fix the van or a professional Sharona goes with the latter.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer is serious about not being patted down at the agency headquarters.

Dishing it out: Sensing danger, Disher gives Sharona the file on one of the Lucarellis.

The Innocence of Youth: With money tight, Benjy cannot go to an amusement park.

Let’s Up the Rating: Tony has a thing for Sharona. Unfortunately for him, this is not the first time she has been alone in the back of a limo with someone.

One More Time: “I like number five” “It’s for women!”
Monk and Sharona discussing places a wire can go.

Dear Genre: Brian Tee guest starred as James Lu. You will be forgiven if you do not recognize him from the 2006 Teenage Mutant Nina Turtles film as Shredder.

Trivial Matters: We meet Salvatore while he is chopping heads off fish. There are huge continuity gaps between the angles.

There is a mint in San Francisco. Dialogue indicates it is the second largest in the nation. The largest would be in Philadelphia. Not only is it the largest in the nation, it is the biggest in the world.

Monk mentions Sottlemeyers failure to support reinstatement as we saw in season one, most notably Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival.

This is the only onscreen appearance of Salvatore Lucarelli but he recurs in the novels.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Tell him about that noise your radio keeps making.” “That’s the music.” Just last week the writers changed things up with the formula. This week they do so again with Monk being ‘hired’ by the mob. Stottlemeyer has been an obstacle for Monk in the past but here, he is an advocate though mainly to keep Monk safe. There is crime scene to investigate, and Monk is the perfect person to do it.

A lot of this is cliché driven but there are some twists to that formula. While there are a lot of stereotypes, you do believe that Sharona falls for Tony. Sharona had a good episode even though she was wined and dined by a mobster. Colmes has an excellent business played by Rick Hoffman. The actual mob stuff is pretty PG but reminds you that they are dealing with theoretically dangerous people.

The resolution finds a way to not involve the criminal underground though also preventing Monk from getting back into the force. There is also a nice follow-up to the Disher Sharona romance as she tells him she will not stop picking on him and they smile.

Not a lot to say but another good hour.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf"
Season Three Episode 6
Directed by: Jerry Levine
Written by: Hy Conrad
Original Air Date: July 30, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: On her way to the bank, Sharona drops off Monk. She hears some suspicious noises but as she attempts to leave, she sees man stabbed in the ear with a screwdriver and in the chest with a knife. When she brings Monk down, there is no one there. When the police arrive, there is nothing at the scene to suggest a crime. Sharona reports that the victim said her name and asked about a man named Douglas. The only Douglas she knows is her father, deceased for twenty years.

Monk and Stottlemeyer find no physical evidence. Monk notices that the windshield appears to have been cleaned but there is nothing to corroborate Sharona’s story. Monk is averse to garages with Stottlemeyer noting Turdy died in one. Monk notes that Sharona has been losing things and forgetting appointments, leading Sottlemeyer to conclude that she needs a vacation for a week with pay.

While Benjy and Monk play with dominoes, Sharona goes to an adult education course. Classmate Varla Davis does not like Billy’s fantasy piece, but instructor Meredith Priminger wants to focus on the positive comments, despite asking for feedback positive or negative moments earlier. Oddly enough she does not have Sharona’s assignment. Sharona remembers handing it in and Primigner looking at it, but the instructor claims she never received it. While filling her tank with gas that night, a car pulls up next to her driven by the victim with the wounds still visible.

Sharona has a talk with Dr. Kroger about her losing things as of late. She is concerned because her father was active with his own hardware store but when his age caught up with him, it had to be sold. He passed away when she was twelve, Benjy’s age. She fears she might have ‘caught’ some of Monk’s tendencies. While in the waiting room, Monk meets Harold Krenshaw, another patient of Dr. Kroger’s. They initially get along but argue over the order of the magazines on the rack.

Going to the restroom to wash up, Sharona sees the victim hung from a pipe in a stall. He opens his eyes and tells her “Daddy needs you.” When Monk comes in, all they find are the words ‘Help Me” written on the wall. At the station, they determine the words were written in Sharona’s lipstick. Privately, she quits being Monk’s nurse. She gets registered nurse Varla to help, though it does not go well initially.

Sharona finds that her ex-husband Trevor is at her place, having been alerted to the problems she is having. Varla does not follow the recommendations instead vowing to treat Monk like an adult. Varla also notes that Sharona’s decent is pretty rapid which Monk realizes is not natural.

Sharona meets with Priminger about dropping the class but sees the victim outside the window. Primigner looks but does not see him. Sharona later packs to leave, giving instructions to Trevor for the care of Benjy. At the garage, Monk finds a steel tip from a cowboy boot, which Sharona said the victim wore. He believes her.

That night, the Primigners dine on soup, except Max has been poisoned. As he falls face first into his dinner, the victim walks in and kisses Priminger. They toast to Sharona since they could not have done ‘it’ without her.

As Sharona packs up, Monk and Varla arrive to stop her. Monk tells of the steel tip, which was repaired recently by a Denny Graf, a security officer at Sharona’s college. Her first story was about a murder based on something she read years earlier.

At the Primigner estate, Monk tells of how Preminger used Sharona’s story as a blueprint for murder. Needing to discredit Sharona, they concocted a scheme to make her think she was losing it. They made copies of her house keys to further confuse her. They confront Preminger at Max’s wake. Sharona has her second draft as proof, but it is just the words ‘help me,’ written repeatedly. As they leave, Varla knows where a draft can be found provided Sharona takes back Monk. Priminger made sure her class did a draft in handwriting. Sharona kept hers and used it as packing materials giving Stottlemyer what he needs. Stottlemyer goes back to confront the couple while Disher gets the unenviable task of driving Varla home as it is the end of her shift.

The DA arrives, search warrant in hand. Monk is happy to be back with Sharona and for him to be the only one with issues.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk realizes that Krenshaw is the reason why he has to change the magazine rack every week.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona lost her ATM card, preventing her from going to a machine to get money. She also lost her checkbook and address book, neither of which would impede or assist in withdrawing money.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer notes that even the toughest guys on the bomb squad could not work for Monk.

Dishing it out: When told the victim had a screwdriver in his ear, Disher asks what type. He gets a look in return for his efforts.

Let’s Talk it Out: Dr. Kroger refuses to break confidentiality with Monk.

The Innocence of Youth: Monk has his first game of dominoes with Benjy but does not like having to mess up the orderly group he created.

It Recurs to Me: Trevor makes his second of two appearances. Being played by another actor, he jokes “You don’t even recognize your own husband?” This is also the first appearance of Harold Krenshaw and we get the sense that Kroger deals with him and Monk similarly.

Let’s Up the Rating: Before questioning Sharona, Disher brings her a cup of Joe.

One More Time: “What do you think of the new white noise machine?” “I don’t like it. It’s a half decibel louder.” “Exactly!”
Monk and Harold making friends.

Dear Genre: Varla was played be Niecy Nash barely into her Reno 911! role and certainly before Claws and The Rookie: Feds.

Trivial Matters: The title is a reference to the tale of the boy who cried wolf. It is somewhat inappropriate since Sharona is a woman, not a girl.

Stottlemeyer recalls a time when writing on bathroom walls was reserved for phone numbers and limericks. One presumes the latter were about a girl from Venus.

Upon finding the steel tip, Varla suspects Garth Brooks. She also refers to Monk as Kojak.

When at the Premigner house, Varla refers to finding Waldo, a reference to a book series aimed at readers of all ages.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “I’m not a rocket scientist, but I think I know when there’s a body in the room.” As a comedy/drama procedural, this series would explore the private lives of the main characters on occasion. There is not a lot of room to play with different genres, but this is a straight up psychological thriller! Director Jerry Levine goes full psychological trauma with some harrowing images as Denny walks around with his damaged body. There are plenty of neat shots to sell the story.

We see the same things that Sharona sees and find out that she has been having a rough time as of late. Her getting the keys copied without her knowledge strains credibility as does her needing to be discredited, but this is great acting from Bitsy Schram. She sees things that cannot be explained and is the focus of a lot of scenes. We see her fear of passing something to Benjy. Her scene with Dr. Kroger is two characters we have not seen together alone and allows us to watch them interact and bond over Monk, for a bit at least.

Speaking of Monk, he meets his nemesis in Harold Krenshaw. I am not sure if the writers knew this would be a recurring character, but Tim Bagley plays it perfectly. He does not just mimic Shaloub but makes the role his own. The two are great rearranging the magazines until Dr. Kroger shows up as the adult in the room. He knows how to get attention and keep his patients in line.

Varla is a one-episode wonder, but what an episode. Nash would rise to comedic prominence with Reno 911! But it would be a while before her dramatic chops would be seen. She plays a lot of her role for laughs here and is great to the straight man of Monk. Shaloub can barely keep up with her as she makes herself at home in his place.

While those are definite highlights holding this episode together, we also have a nice scene of Disher and Sharona bonding. Having made romantic frenemies last week, Disher is supportive and even tries to add some humor. Stottlemyer has a heart to heart with Monk addressing the elephant in the room. We have seen Stottlemyer chill out, but this feels like the culmination of their relationship with addressing Monk and trying to make things better going forward.

So many wonderful things happening all around.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month"
Season three episode seven
Directed by: Scott Foley
Written by: Ross Abrash
Original Air Date: August 6, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: Edna Coruthers arrives to open Mega-Mart. After picking up a piece of trash in the lot, she goes by the nice display of her picture on the wall for employee of the month. There is a note on her locker from Mr. Donovan to talk to her in the dock when she gets in. At the dock, Mr. Donovan is not there but she is chased by a motorized palette jack and crushed to death by falling big screen TVs.

At the scene, Stottlemeyer and Disher think it was an accident while she was accepting a delivery. The case is routine, but they were called by store security, specifically Joe Christie. Christie is a former cop who joined the force shortly after Monk. There was a suspect that he had to let go due to missing evidence and the suspect went on to kill several officers later.

Christie has suspicions since the dock is dusty and Coruthers was allergic. Plus, the heel of her shoe came off but that could have happened during the fall. Also, there were three complaints about her recently but nothing substantial. Monk declines to take the case.

One month later (specifically subtitled ONE MONTH LATER (though Sharona refers to it as over a month later (Monk clarifies was twenty-seven days))), Monk has a revelation while working on a puzzle. He looks at the complaint letters and realizes they came from the same place by virtue of the stamps. Monk shares the suspicions with Christie who has the authority to hire a consultant. But Monk cannot hang around, so he takes a job as a greeter.

Christie gives Monk the tour, which is totally not suspicious in the slightest, especially since the tour includes store manager Mr. Donovan, who would be a much better person to do said training. We get a montage of Monk working and end with his sweeping the lot where he is confronted by cashier Jennie Silverman. A couple guys give Monk the real tour, but they run into some ruffians who beat one of them up a week ago. They appear to know Silverman but she pretends to be unaware. Also, Christie notes that she has been working well lately to the point of becoming Employee of the Month, but recently turned down a promotion to manage another store. As she leaves for the day, her van seems to be heavier than when it arrived.

While meeting with Dr. Kroger, Monk mentions he saw a granola bar he snacked on in store. Dr. Kroger mentions that he has them in his pocket to keep his energy up and even takes one out later in their session.

Monk has a talk in the breakroom with Silverman. He notes she is traveling since she is taking medication for malaria, but she does not like him. While in the back room, someone hits Monk from the back, knocking him out. He wakes up after the store closes but is chased by the security dog.

Monk misses his meeting with Sharona and Christie, but Sharona has information on Silverman. Christie talks about his brief time with Monk, who taught him more in a period of days than he learned at the academy. One chase sequence later, Monk is rescued and figures he is getting close.

Having been saved by Christie, Monk looks in on the case that got him fired. The drugs were planted by a clerk in a bike sold at auction, and there is enough in the residue to prove Christie innocent. Stottlemeyer – and Monk- shake his hand and neither wipe it off afterwards.

Donovan bestows the Employee of the Month to Silverman including perks such as a prime parking space in front, and a certificate at the Lobster Barrell, though it is notably not valid for lobster. Christie and Monk look at the chart from last month and note that Coruthers was ahead prior to her death. The perks of the Employee of the Month are not that great, certainly not worth killing over.

The parking space is right over a sewer grate and Silverman’s friends were buying digging supplies. Her van was heavier at the end of the day than at the start. They are digging their way in. The safe is blown but Monk goes to the store to get a gun, allowing Christie to stop Silverman as she makes her getaway.

Christie is reinstated and offers to ride with Monk once that reinstatement comes through. Disher wants to show off his girlfriend, but she is in a cab headed to Aruba for a photo shoot. We get to see the interior with her sending her love to him.

This Week’s Compulsion: After stepping on some bubble wrap, Monk pops the whole roll. Why they cannot cut the popped part off is a mystery for the viewer.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona contemplates getting a new television while at the store. She currently only gets the science channel and will scream if she sees one more documentary about the moon.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer does not want Sharona walking away with a murder weapon.

Dishing it out: Sharona believes Disher’s girlfriend is not real, but he tells her she is a model for the cards that come with wallets.

Let’s Talk it Out: Dr. Kroger does not take offense to Monk’s accusation having been used to working with cops.

The Innocence of Youth: Benjy puts two puzzles together for Monk to separate. It is a neat trick Benjy uses to show off Monk, despite being told that Monk is not a toy.

Let’s Up the Rating: Sharona got information on Silverman by buying coffee with someone in the Juvenile department.

Here’s What Happened: While we do get a summation, including black and white flashbacks, there is no ‘Here’s what happened’ sequence proper.

One More Time: “A [dang] professionalist.” “You mean, perfectionist.” “I’m not one so I can say it however I want.”
Employee chatter around the store

Dear Genre: Enrico Colantoni was Christie but would go onto be Keith Mars on Veronica Mars. Patrick Thomas O’Brian is between appearances as Mr. Dewey on Saved by the Bell playing Mr. Donovan.

Trivial Matters: Mega Mart is theoretically a parody of Wal-Mart, but it is more of a strip mall type of place.

Lobster Barrell is probably a reference to the casual sit-down Cracker Barrell franchise.

When Benjy is told Monk is not a toy, that is a reference to a prior episode where Benjy showed off Monk’s ability to tell what the birthday present was by shaking the box.

This is the second time Monk has been involved with reinstating another officer.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “As employee of the month, she gets a coffee mug, dinner for two at the world-famous Lobster Barrel, this plastic commemorative plaque…” The biggest problem with this hourlong is the setting. A workplace is as good a place as any to set an episode, but here we have a store that is a little lower than what it tries to be. The mega stores of today have everything and this has simply what the plot demands. The store we see is too small to actually have everything the script needs it to have. It is a little too convenient at times, especially at the end where a gun is needed. Thankfully, writer Ross Abrash found a way around the mandatory waiting period, along with a way for Sharona to get dirt on Silverman.

As Kevin Smith has shown us, it is not the setting but the characters. We see a couple of doofuses show Monk around. They are interchangeable, to the point where they switch nametags to see if anyone will notice. The stoner persona does not always impress me, but Michael Weston and Kyle Davis are clearly having fun as Morris and Ronnie. John Thomas O’Brian has a stick up his rear but is having a blast with the role. He chews the scenery while giving Silverman her perks. This being a procedural, we see Marree Cheatum for a moment as Coruthers, but she created quite the impression, picking up a piece of trash and scoffing that someone would litter like that. Mostly dialogue free, she sells her character and is the only one we see in the teaser. Even Ester Scott has a cameo, but she plays it well, seeing bits of Coruthers in Monk. Most often these are forgettable bit parts, but there is life in this character.

Alana Ubach has a disinterest as Silverman. While she is supposed to be antagonistic, she is too somber in her scene with Monk. That leaves Enrico Colantoni as Christie. We get the arc throughout the episode, and he is a good actor who eventually bonds with Shaorona and the rest, but his early scenes are played too well. We get the distance he is kept at and Monk helps but by then it is too late as we have seen him being kept at arm’s length. The tag scene does little to revitalize and sell us that he is back, especially since we do not see him ever again.

It is easy to see why so many shows have an episode in the mall.

[Faithful Reader]

Mr. Monk and the Game Show
Season three episode eight
Written by: Daniel Dratch
Directed by: Randall Zisk
Original Air Date: August 13, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: Lizzie Talvo is showing Roddy Lankman as episode of the show he hosts, Treasure Chest. She alleges he has been doing something naughty and that the tape proves it. She is all set to give it to the producer, Dwight Ellison, anonymously. Lankman wants to take the high road and quit that night. Right before the bonus round. She leaves to make another drink, leaving the tape behind for Lankman to swap. As that show airs, he announces that he signed a five-year deal. Talvo furiously drives to the studio but does not know Lankman cut her brakes.

Monk and Dorfman are preparing egg salad when they get a call from an away Sharona visiting her mother. They are soon visited by Dwight, Trudy’s father. Things go well but Dwight would like Monk’s help for something and invites him down to Los Angeles to help and visit with Marcia, Dwight’s lovely wife. Dorfman invites himself along.

Dwight introduces Monk to reigning champion Val Birch who is not nearly smart enough to win seven times but is rude to everyone. Dwight is sure Birch is cheating though cannot figure it out. Dorfman meets with Lankman pitching a show where contestants have to fall asleep within a given amount of time. Dorfman also lets on about Monk at which point Lankman makes a beeline for Birch who is unconcerned about a detective being around, particularly when they are about to tape.

Dwight has been writing questions for weeks on the theory that a writer might be in on the scheme. The questions are in sealed envelopes before they are read by Lankman. Not only does Birch mispronounce Marie Antionette, he gets a visual question right without looking at the visual.

At the Ellison estate, Monk is happy to see Marcia. He flashes back to when he first met them, with Trudy by his side. Marcia tells Monk she had problems getting over Trudy’s death but eventually saw that life went on. At dinner, during which Marcia serves Monk on separate plates and we get a flashback to their first dinner together, we find out that Lankman does not give interviews, even when ordered by his producer to do so, apparently. Lankman recently declared bankruptcy and his assistant, Talvo, just died in a car crash conveniently near was where Birch fishes.

Going to the crash site they find an envelope with an exercise tape along with evidence Birch was in the area. At the Birch residence, the door is open, but no one is home. Dorfman leans in (which is probably breaking some sort of law) and obtains evidence that Lankman was there (which is almost certainly breaking the law). They also hear Birch checking his answering machine remotely. There is an old message but also one from a car dealership, meaning Birch knew he would come into good fortune.

Needing to get closer, Monk becomes a contestant. After some premature buzzing due to the buzzer not being thoroughly cleaned (and Monk being in the hole a thousand dollars) Monk deduces the method; Lankman is signaling the answer by the corner of the card he is holding, something Dwight missed on episode watches. As Dwight calls the police, Monk hears a crewman making a phone call and leaving a message. Realizing when Talvo was killed, Monk believes there is more going on than simple cheating. Monk can make a phone call, but only in the bonus round. Using his knowledge, Monk and Birch race to get a big bank, to the confusion of Susan who is not in on the gag and ends up incorrect when guessing blindly.

Monk races to the bonus round and wants to make a call to Birch. Monk theorizes that Birch saw Talvo crash but before he could call for help, he heard her call out Larkman. He called his home instead, leaving the message in her voice with the details of the scheme. While this is going on, a producer wonders if they should keep the cameras rolling and Dwight will fire them if they cut. Monk calls Birch (after Dwight gives him the number over the loudspeaker) and plays the message which is time and date stamped. The police arrive to talk with Lankman and Birch. Dwight thanks Monk and gets thanked for Trudy.

Monk reads Trudy’s diary where she got over the death of her pet.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk tires very hard to applaud only when the sign tells him to.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona does not appear but calls Monk shortly into the first act. She laughs at Monk’s expense.

It Recurs to Me: Dorfman has had egg salad eight times, and he remembers them all, starting with third grade. We also get three flashbacks to Trudy.

Let’s Up the Rating: Dwight hands Dorfman off to a model named Tonya. Dorfman doesn’t argue.

One More Time: “I couldn’t see anything, not even that golden bridge they got.” “The Golden Gate Bridge.” “No genius, that bridge.”
Birch showing he is the most smartest

Dear Genre: Trudy is played by Melora Hardin who would play her from here on out. She was Jan in The Office. John Michael Higgins played Lankman and he would play Principal Todman in the 2020 reboot of Saved by the Bell and lend his voice to multiple roles.

The Rainbow Treknection: Character actor Bob Gunton is Dwight. He has a long list of credits, not the least of which is Benjamin Maxwell in The Wounded, Ethan Kanin on 24, etc. Not to be outdone, his onscreen wife is played by Rosemary Forsyth who was one of the aliens in Voyager’s Scientific Method.

Trivial Matters: This episode was produced during a contract dispute and written so that Shaloub would be the only regular appearing onscreen. This would make him the only character to appear in every episode.

When Talvo hits the brakes, we see the fluid seeping out onto the roadway.

Needing to explain how Kevin Dorfman was still staying at Monk’s apartment complex after winning the lottery, we find out he went to Vegas, found a crappy accountant and married someone.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “We can’t go in without a reason.” “I’m thirsty. Does that count?” “No Kevin, thirst is not a reason for breaking and entering.” The only reason this episode came about was because of a behind the scenes kerfuffle but thank heaven for it. We see an entirely different side of Monk, loving. There is no better way to describe it; Monk openly embraces Dwight when onscreen. There is no wipe needed, these are two close friends and there is a lot of love between the two. Later at the Ellison estate, Marcia knows to separate the foods, even if Monk says it is not necessary. It goes further than that, the flashbacks show they were accepting of Monk from the jump. At their first meeting, Monk is wiping his feet repeatedly and no one bats an eye. At dinner, Trudy separates his food and promises that she will explain later. Every other time we see someone acquiescing to Monk, it is usually begrudgingly but here, we see unconditional acceptance of Monk. Later when Monk sees Marcia for the first time, there is a sense of people that have known each other for a long while.

Gunton and Forsyth play the heck out of their roles and are a joy to watch. I do not know if Gunton knew Shaloub but they are both amazing actors and their time on screen shines. Dwight is cordial to Monk and welcomes to his house. Dorfman invited himself along and plays his annoyances perfectly, even tipping off Lankman. The writers concocted a way for him to stick around but he does help Monk in the end. The Ellisons were cordial to him as well.

The mystery is a fun one too, leading to a great moment when Monk and Birch battle it out. Susan is so lost while Brich and Larkman are not able to switch things up on the fly. Things move apace and we get good shots throughout. Monk pays extra attention to the blinking applause sign, and we get a good look behind the scenes of a game show, even with Gunton barking orders from the control room.

This came about because they could not shut down the show midseason, but it worked out great.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine"
Season Three Episode Nine
Story by : Tom Scharpling and Chuck Sklar Teleplay by : Tom Scharpling
Directed by: Randall Zisk
Original Air Date: August 20, 2004

We’ll Need Some Help: Biker Dewey Albert is being arrested for missing his bail hearing. As Stottlemeyer and Disher come to the scene, there are shots fired from a car. In the mayhem, Stottlemeyer is shot, and Albert makes a getaway on his bike.

A session with Dr. Kroger goes horribly when Monk Is fixated on a used tissue. Dr. Kroger has something new for Monk, a new pharmaceutical on the market. He gives Monk a starter bottle and strict instructions to call so that the situation can be monitored. Just then, Sharona rushes in with news of Stottlemeyer.

Disher is holding down the crime scene but just barely. Monk talks to the first cops on the scene who find a suicide case and determines that the shots were fired from a car and that it went to a reservoir to dispose of the weapon. They also find a leak in the gas tank and go to Albert’s bike shop. As a squad goes in after Albert, Monk and Sharona talk about how Monk met Stottlemeyer. Albert bursts through a window and races past Monk, prompting foul looks from Disher.

That night, Monk hallucinates a vision of Trudy. The reminiscing turns into wondering if he should take the pills and she does not tell him not to do so but to do what makes him happy. That night he takes a couple pills but is still distracted by a bit of untidiness.

Monk and Sharona visit Stottlemeyer in the hospital. Monk is unusually friendly, hugging Stottlemeyer and eating the partially consumed lunch. They find out that Albert was arrested but only ran because he was afraid. Stottlemeyer always treated Albert well, so there is no reason to suspect him. Disher comes in and says that they found the gun and it was registered to the suicide victim.

The shooter, Lester Highsmith, meets with an accomplice named Scat at a bar. The suicide victim was actually Highsmith’s ex. They plan on continuing their scheme with two people instead of three. At Marlene Highsmith’s apartment, Monk does not find anything amiss but does seem to find something odd about the suicide note though he is dismissive. He irritates Sharona and reveals his medication which he should have told his nurse about. She wonders if Highsmith is involved, and they go to check him out.

Monk tries a burger joint that he never went to near his place and makes the acquaintance of a car salesman, buying a new red convertible while Born to Be Wild plays.

Highsmith is a security guard and is offered time off, but he wants to work, especially on Friday when the big fund transfer is coming in. Monk continues to be irritable at the security business when they go to speak with Highsmith, even when being talked to by Stottlemeyer. They confront Highsmith but he was at the business when Marlene jumped, and the timecard proves it.

Monk and Sharona have a falling out about the pills. Sharona wonders how Monk will afford the car, but Monk wants to go to Mardi Gras even though that isn’t for nine months. He goes to a motel pool and quickly annoys everyone until they ditch him while playing Marco Polo. Alone in his apartment, he is not able to find solace with Trudy’s pillow.

A clean Monk visits Marlene’s apartment to find Sharona there. They find that the suicide note was written by someone else. The first talks of an armed robbery years ago and Sharona realizes Highsmith is planning another. As they make their way across town, Monk tells Stotlemeyer that Marlene had second thoughts and jumped out a window. Highsmith had to get the suicide note but the area was crawling with cops. He drove around and shot the first cop he could in the area so he could go back and replace the note. Monk confronts Highsmith and Scat but is betrayed by a water pistol. Fortunately, the cavalry arrives and arrests Highsmith. Monk and Sharona throw away the pills.

At night, Monk holds a pillow tight and wishes Trudy a good night.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk is firmly against drugging himself as he cannot fathom having those in his body.

White Courtesy Phone: Sharona tells Monk about updates on Stottlemeyer and find out how they met.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer freaks out fearing the worst when Monk hugs him in the hospital.

Dishing it out: Just before the shootout, Disher asks if there is any trouble.

Let’s Talk it Out: Monk does not have the best response to Dr. Kroger asking how the weekend was calling it unbearable, being envious of everyone else on the street.

It Recurs to Me: Trudy shows up as a vision when Monk sniffs her old pillow his memories triggered by her strawberry shampoo.

Let’s Up the Rating: Vision Trudy disappears right before smooching Monk.

Here’s What Happened: As they race through the city, Monk points out the dangers such as not indicating a turn, a stop sign, an approaching trolly, etc.

One More Time: “You can be the driver, it’s easy. Drive fast. If we’re being followed, drive faster.”
Hightower instructing Scab.

The Rainbow Treknection: Jeremy Roberts, Dimitri Valtane himself from The undiscovered Country and Voyager’s Flashback, is Albert.

Trivial Matters: Due to a contract dispute, this will be Bitsy Schram’s last appearance as a series regular. Whatever the dispute was, it was cleared in the final season where she returned in Mr. Monk and Sharona.

The drug Monk takes, Dioxnyl is real.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “He’s my captain, too.” There are good episodes where someone loses their superpower but there are bad ones, too. For every first half of season five Odo there is a ‘The Loss.’

Unfortunately, this falls into the later category. One trick to having your main character lose their power is to still get a compelling story out of it. Shaloub is talented no doubt and he cannot make this trash work which speaks volumes. Medication is hit or miss but this is an entirely new personality for Monk. He is exhibiting traits he never had before, calling himself ’the Monk,’ and generally acting solely to piss people off. That is the point but there could have been so much more done so as to not alienate the audience as well.

Worse still, Monk on his medication is the weakest part of this episode. Stottlemeyer getting shot brings out the best in Disher who seems to be handling things well but is crumbling inside. Sharona bursts in on Monk’s session and is rightly pissed when Monk tells her he is on medication after taking a dose. Plus, how exactly does Dr. Kroger just give Monk pills, experimental pills nonetheless, without any paperwork at all? The early scenes are not that bad particularly with Stottlemeyer wondering why exactly Monk is giving him a hug in the hospital. We get some good Trudy moments, but it is not really her though she is the impetus for him to take the drugs and get off them.

As a swan song for Bitty Schram as Sharona in a regular role, the script has her relaying information for the first half. She does get to drive to the robbery, but that is more or less brushed under the rug. She is a foil for Monk and even though this was not intended to be her last episode, it is a bit of a mixed bag, but Schram gets a chance to act well.

The pacing and writing prevent this from being a better episode. An unintended end for a character that could have been a better story.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk and the Red Herring"
Season three, episode ten
Written by: Andy Breckman
Directed by: Randall Zisk
Original Air Date: January 21, 2005

We’ll Need Some Help: An intruder breaks into the Teeger residence. As he goes to the fish tank, he makes a noise that alerts Natalie. After checking in on sleeping daughter Julie, she confronts the intruder, and a scuffle ensues. She stabs him with a pair of scissors.

Monk meets with Dr. Kroger about Sharona’s absence after selling her house, moving back to New Jersey, getting back with her ex, etc. Monk interviews candidates ranging from a highly qualified nurse to somewhat less desirable.

Stottlemeyer and Disher are interviewing Natalie. The intruder’s identity is unknown, and he is the second to come in as many days. Natalie has no valuables and there are no leads. They recommend Monk but he is otherwise occupied.

Monk’s latest candidate believes everything is psychological and leaves after dumping a cigarette in the trash. It lights up and while Monk is fussing over the fire extinguisher’s directions, Natalie comes in and puts it out. Not entirely impressed, Natalie asks Monk for help. Despite his search, Monk agrees.

At the Teeger residence, Monk determines that they were after a fish names Mr. Henry, given to Julie by her father before he passed away. A visit to the local pet store confirms there is nothing special about the fish. Monk also tells Natalie about Trudy in a roundabout way.

Disher identifies the intruder as Brian Lemon, a small-time crook who had a note about the local moon landing exhibit, which includes an actual rock from the moon. While Monk solves a murder of a neanderthal, Natalie prompts him to the moon landing section where she identifies a tour guide as the person who intruded into her house days ago. They get his name, Lyle Peck, from the museum pamphlet. As they leave, Monk notices Aquarium Fun Kits for sale in the gift shop. Julie may have signed the mailing list, hence the staff knowing their address.

Julie planned on using the fish for a science project but her teacher, Mr. Franklin, disqualified her since Mr. henry would typically live a couple years at most, not ten. Monk tries to impersonate an ichthyologist, but it does not work. Natalie does gain sympathy by telling Mr. Franklin about the sentimentality and he offers to allow the exhibit but is not eligible for an award. He even offers to pick it up for the event, though he is unknowingly under the eye of Peck.

Natalie goes to pick up her paycheck at a lounge and her employer needs her that day, meaning she will have to miss Julie’s science fair. Her boss does not accept her break-in as a reason to not show up for work, either. Monk is reading a newspaper nearby and solves the case. Peck swapped the valuable moon rock with a fake and stashed it in an aquarium kit which Julie bought before Lemon could retrieve it. Peck is at the science fair and sets up a distraction to steal the moon rock. Monk saves the fish, earning the eternal love of Julie, while Stottlemeyer arrests Peck.

That night, Natalie realizes the only person other than Monk who would save the fish is her deceased ex. She calls to take the job as his assistant.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk dismisses an applicant with multiple recommendations and commendations due to a crooked staple.

White Courtesy Phone: This is the debut of Natalie Teeger who yoyos from being impressed by Monk such as when he finds an aquarium scooper after the cops left, to unimpressed, such as measuring the heights of her daughter during a house call.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer refuses to refer a relative to Monk.

Dishing it out: Disher wonders if Mr. Henry swallowed a diamond.

Let’s Talk it Out: When Dr. Kroger mentions Sharona’s three months long absence, Monk’s response is to not pay her when she comes back.

The Innocence of Youth: As Sharona’s son Benjy leaves, Natalie’s daughter, Julie enters. She likens Monk to Velma on Scooby-Doo.

Let’s Up the Rating: When Monk finds birth control and tries to cover it up, Julie says she knows what they are. In the museum, Monk has problems in a large-scale model of the reproductive system.

One More Time: “What would my hours be?” “Nine.” “Nine until…?” “One.” “One PM?” “Until one of us dies.”
A candidate and Monk during an interview.

Trivial Matters: As a result of the contract dispute, Bitsy Schram left the series. Needing a new character to be Monk’s assistant, Traylor Howard joins the main cast as Natalie Teeger.

Monk has four fire extinguishers under his sink.

The Sea of Tranquility is, of course, the site of the first moon landing.

Monk’s alias is Larry Tillburn and appears to be fictional.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Adrian, Sharona’s not coming back.” There were no expectations as this episode had to introduce a new main character in the middle of a season at extremely short notice. As such, any old episode that is barely passable would work.

This shatters any expectations and is one of the best episodes of the series.

Natalie is more than enough to replace Sharona. She endears herself to Monk, seeking him out directly. She gets his centricities and is more than just the victim of the week. Her being in the main cast helps overall and we learn a lot about her. She is a loving mother and lost her husband, a member of the Navy. She probably lost her job at the lounge but agrees to be with Monk.

The introduction is great as she wakes up, checks on Julie then goes after Lemon with a baseball bat. She has good chemistry with Levine and Gray-Stanford in their first scene along with Shaloub as the episode progresses.

This is also our introduction to Julie who is mature for her age. Played by Emmy Clarke, she has knowledge beyond her years but is still an eleven-year-old child. Her hug at the end cements them as members of the cast.

Sharona is not just thrown away; a good portion of the episode tells us that she left, and Monk has problems getting over her abrupt departure. Dr. Kroger tells Monk to get over it and Benjy even left a note. They are not discarded, they are beloved characters who get screen time acknowledging the departure of, even though it left everyone in a lurch. Best of all, she gets a good sendoff, getting back with her ex in another state.

We also get a short but good montage of Monk interviewing candidates. The budget kept it at two (yes, a very short montage) but we rarely get that in this series.

A great episode which takes a tragic situation and makes something amazing.

[Faithful Reader]

"Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra"
Season Three Episode Eleven
Written by: Joe Toplyn
Directed by: Anthony R. Palmieri
Original Air Date: January 28, 2005

We’ll Need Some Help: John Ricca is watching newspsition of his new book about Sonny Chow, famed 70’s martial artist of screen who starred in a series of films as the Cobra. The book not only proves Chow had a stunt double, it also has an interview with the coroner who pronounced the star dead. As Ricca is assholing around his apartment, a masked ninja breaks in and kills him.

At the scene, they determine that not only did the killer use num-chuks similar to those of Chow’s films, but they also exited via the elevator after taking care to enter from the roof. Ricca was able to grab some of the intruder’s hair and wrote out Chow with his own blood before succumbing. The DNA on the hair is a match for Chow, though if Stottlemeyer goes forward with that and Chow is dead, that is the end of his career.

Monk and Natalie go to Chow’s mentor, Master Zi. Monk takes issue with being barefoot, to the point where an attendant breaks his nine-year vow of silence. Zi kicks several kinds of ass from physical (sparing with a guy while blindfolded) to observational (sensing an increased heartbeat of an acolyte to determine Natalie is hot). He confirms that Chow died in his arms. He also senses darkness in Monk and gives him a candle to fight it.

The only way to get definitive proof is exhuming Chow’s body. One of the associates at the graveyard is Chris Downey, an ex-con Stottlemeyer arrested in jewelry theft. The dental record confirms Chow is dead. Natalie confronts Monk about an apartment he is paying rent for which turns out to be Trudy;’s old office. He would rather keep the six hundred dollar a month bill rather than pay for storage and disturb the scene. Natalie refuses to work at her current wage.

At Disher’s note of a local museum, Monk and Natalie get a tour from local aficionado, Eddie Frankel. One of the items on exhibit is a brush but it is a fake. Someone broke in and swapped the brush weeks ago. Monk looks at the stamp on Natalie’s hand for readmission and solves the case. At the cemetery, Monk theorizes that the pillow from Chow’s grave had something in it, but Natalie does not want to hear it and leaves. Downey is all ears and hits Monk over the head with a shovel.

Natalie comes back to relent, but finds Monk gone. Downey tries to make a break but is intercepted. As he makes his demands, his heart gives out. As they search for the coffin Monk is buried in alive, he realizes Downey hid the jewels in Chow’s casket, due to be buried the following day. When Downey got out, he found a granite marker by a fan organization and faked everything to get the grave exhumed.

The search does not go well due to volume though there is no shortage of manpower. Things get a little easier when Disher finds a new area for the graveyard and Stottlemeyer determines Downey cut an underground power line when digging. Natalie listens with tech and hears Monk speaking. As he is rescued, the hallucination of Trudy tells Monk to get rid of the office and pay Natalie. When they exhume the coffin, Monk is smiling.

Natalie helps Monk clean out Trudy’s office, down to the thumbtacks. He cannot leave the door closed as they leave.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk does not believe the water company will cash a check if a letter is below the line.

White Courtesy Phone: Natalie gives Monk a list of expenses for reimbursement, such a wipes, mileage, calls, etc.

Captain Moustache: Stottlemeyer relays a former FBI director who picked the wrong suspect in a bombing, was fired and is now driving a cab.

Dishing it out: Disher fangoobers around Ricca’s place and wants to keep a bootleg tape. Stottlemeyer gives him a look.

The Innocence of Youth: We do not see Julie but after five, Natalie has to leave and take care of her.

It Recurs to Me: Trudy makes an appearance as a hallucination as Monk is buried wisely telling him that the candle is using up all the oxygen.

Let’s Up the Rating: If you have a thing for feet, not only do we see plenty, Natalie compliments Mi on his.

Here’s What Happened: After Natalie interrupts Monk, he gives his summation from a casket to a hallucination of Trudy.

One More Time: “This man is your employer. He is your master. It is your job to serve him unquestioningly. Mister Monk, you must not pay her any more money. … she must learn that true wealth is in the heart, not in the bank.”
Master Zi causing a Human Resources nightmare.

Dear Genre: Mako guest stars as master Zi. His voice may be familiar as Splinter from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles of the eighties or Master Io from Avtar The Last Airbender.

Not to be outdone, Downey is played by <ark Shephard of Battlestar Galactica as Romo Lampkin, Doctor Who as Canton Delaware and Doom Patrol as Whitney Willoughby Kippling.

The Rainbow Treknection: A couple actors from the end of Enterprise make appearances here. Ricca is played by Henry Groener who played Nathan Samuels in the final duology and also Tan Elbrun in Tin Man. Patrick Fisler appears as Frankel after being Mercer is Enterprise’s Demons.

Trivial Matters: Monk’s podophobia, fear of feet, is noted. He does not look at his feet on a daily basis.

Master Zi says Monk’s trademark “it’s a blessing and a curse.’ saying.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Here’s the thing; I’m not Sharona. I’m an individual. Don’t ever compare me to another person.” “Sharona used to say the same thing.” This episode is one of Traylor Howard’s favorites and it is easy to see why. There is a concern when bringing in a new character that the writers would just do a search and replace with the old one and that is not happening here. Howard puts her spin on the role and is staunch with her determination to get reimbursed. It was different with Sharona who could fall back on being a nurse, and we were shown that, but not with Natalie. It leads to great scenes, particularly when the Zen master not only sides with Monk but also tells him to not pay her until she learns her lesson. Natalie has great moments where she is firm with Monk about getting reimbursed.

It comes full circle when Monk tells himself to pay her a fair wage, courtesy of a hallucination of Trudy. Shaloub’s acting is great as he starts to gasp for breath while being buried even though he sees himself in the botanical gardens. He gives up the place he is renting but keeps the memorabilia of Trudy’s intact.

The big draw here is Mako. Everyone had a blast at the Dojo as Monk is not a fit for that location, but Shaloub and Mako are masters of their arts. Mako shows off his martial arts prowess, but he also works great with Shaloub in a scene that more than makes up for the price of admission.

These are the highlights, but the other moments are the show firing on all cylinders as well. The race to find Monk’s coffin uses the best resources of the main cast and Stottlemeyer is careful to suspect someone who might be dead, even visiting Monk at his apartment to warn what would happen if the press found out and he is wrong.

There Is a lot that works here, and a huge credit goes to director Anthoyn R. Palmieri and writer Joe Toplyn.

[Faithful Reader]

Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever
Season Three Episode Twelve
Written by: Hy Conrad
Directed by: Jerry Levine
Original Air Date: February 4, 2005

We’ll Need Some Help: Natalie picks up Julie at a dance class. Monk is fixated on a bent antenna but is given a stern warning to not fix it. This being TV, he goes out to fix it but winds up breaking it requiring a fix at a nearby garage. The perpetrator, Tommy Winn, looks at Monk but runs off as the sirens blare.

Winn is a high-level dealer that they are ready to put away. To keep Monk safe, they whisk him away to witness protection. Under the name Frank Conway, Monk does not do well with a couple locals named Martin and Kathy WIllowby.

The cabin they go to is secluded as Agent Groomes lays out the ground rules of no contact of any kind.

Stottlemyer makes the best out of it and knocks back a few cold ones. He waxes lackadaisical with Monk about his career goal of being a deputy commissioner, but he still has an admiration for Monk.

Monk wonders why Stottlemeyer did not have Disher look after him and it turns out Disher has a date with a woman named Hayley. The two have definite chemistry with each other and Hayley saves him from being run over, as foretold by a fortune cookie.

That night, Stottlemeyer’s foot keeps falling into Monk’s peripheral vision so Monk ties it to a bedpost. Kathy drops a radio on the bathing Martin whose death scream wakes up Monk who wakes up Stottlemeyer who falls out of bed.

Disher and Hayley have a nice brunch where a fortune cookie again predicts something, this time a gift from an uncle. Disher is dubious at first but then gets a check from the IRS, Uncle Sam. Hayley also finds pictures of Monk on newspaper clippings and asks to meet him.

Monk notices Kathy is buying bags of ice like it is going out of style. Stottlemeyer makes a call, and she says Martin is fishing but Monk suspects murder. Groomes is dubious, needing to hide Monk for days and the sheriff talking to him would not help that. He also takes the phone with him after hearing Stottlemeyer made a call. Groomes offers to talk to the authorities in the morning before storming off. Stottlemeyer locks him in with cuffs (!) and they all go off to investigate. They do not have a plan beyond going to the Willowby cabin but get stuck in the mud. Monk will not leave and Stottlemeyer has to keep him protected so they spend the night in the van. Thankfully, they have a birthday cake Natalie got for Stottlemeyer.

Disher’s latest fortune is about a friend in danger that only he can save. He calls Monk but no one answers. He ends the date and heads out, only to be followed. Hayley exits the restaurant with an accomplice; she was in it all along! Disher will lead them to Monk and Winn will be safe.

As Natalie and Stottlemeyer convince Monk to drink from a creek as it is Sierra Springs, the criminal car goes into town and Groomes finds the abandoned van.

Monk, Sottlemeyer and Natalie stumble onto the Willowby estate as they clear Martin, dead of a lightning bolt. Monk asks the right questions as Kathy gets fed up. Disher bursts into the scene with the fortune but Monk notes it was manufactured. Shots ring out during which Monk and Disher solve their respective mysteries. Groomes and Stottlemeyer take down the assailants and Kathy is arrested.

Natalie realizes that Monk is not bad luck, he is good karma since he solves crimes where he goes.

This Week’s Compulsion: Monk does not believe the picture in his fake ID is his, but Stottlemeyer corrects him.

White Courtesy Phone: After loading up on groceries, Monk does not want to open the door, leaving that task to Natalie whose hands are full of groceries.

Captain Moustache: While Monk, Natalie and Stottlemeyer all get out of the van despite Grimes’ orders otherwise, Stottlemeyer is the first to do so.

Dishing it out: When Hayley thinks Disher is moving too fast, he asks what they want to name their first child.

The Innocence of Youth: Julie is unseen, but Natalie mentions she had to find a place while they were away.

It Recurs to Me: This is Josh Stemberg’s second appearance as Agent Groomes after Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect.

Let’s Up the Rating: Disher and Hayley have a smooch. You can cut their tension with a knife.

Here’s What Happened: Disher and Randy have their eureka moment at the same time giving us split screens.

One More Time: “I think she killed him.” “You’re kidding. Can’t I take you anywhere?”
Monk reminding Natalie what show she is on.

Dear Genre: Moon Bloodgood of Falling Skies, Daybreak and Journeyman fame is Hayley.

The Rainbow Treknection: Glenn Morshower was Agent Price of 24 but he had a bit part in Generations and a larger role in Enterprise’s North Star and the ill-fated Martin Willoughby.

Trivial Matters: As talk of Monk being around murders happens, we hear about the airplane, Mexico and the play.

At Disher’s place, we see memorabilia from the Cobra, mentioned in the prior episode, Mr. Monk and the Cobra.

Disher mentions the fortune cookie coming true is like the Twilight Zone. That happened in the ’86 version called The Misfortune Cookie.

It’s a Jungle Out There: “Why couldn’t we stay in the city?” Because a man there wants you dead.” ‘Right.” Certain episodes are roller coasters. They have high highs and low lows.

There are some great moments in this episode. Monk not knowing where to throw the swept-up dirt is great and has a good punchline. Also, Disher and Monk coming to their respective conclusions at the same time is a combination of directing, acting and writing from all involved making a fun moment to watch. Plus, Natalie comes to the conclusion of how great Monk is, reminding us that it is still early in her tenure.

There are also some not great things that you have to slog through. While the punchline with the dirt is good, it is not really worth the hassle that led up to it. Plus, what exactly was Monk’s plan with leaving Stottelmeyer’s foot tied to the bed post?

As up and down as the episode is, the acting is top notch. Morshower always brings fun to his roles and Stemberg was another annoyed bureaucrat that got tired of Monk. We have a moment with Stottlemeyer and Monk plus Gray-Stanford and Bloodgood have the most amazing chemistry; you could practically see the tension in the air. People sitting around in a cabin for witness protection does not lend itself to a compelling hour, but good writing and casting will solve that issue. Adding a dating subplot and a murder help.