Monk - General Discussion

[shapeshifter]

"Mr. Monk Takes a Punch" (7.4) just aired. It has some really heartwarming moments between Monk and the boxer.
I recall watching these when they first aired and being distracted and thinking I'd catch them again later in reruns.
And here I am, 10 years later.

ETA:

"Mr. Monk Is Underwater" (7.5) also has heartwarming moments at the end:

• Natalie and the cute sailor say farewell:
  [sailor] They're debriefing me tomorrow. Then I ship out again.
  [Natalie] For how long?
  [sailor] December.
  [Natalie] Well. Home for Christmas, come on by. I'll make you some cocoa.
  [sailor] With those little marshmallows?
  [Natalie] Marshmallows? That's a big step, Lieutenant. You sure we're ready for that?
  [sailor] Well, we'll find out.
   
• Dr. Bell (real Dr. Bell, not imaginary Dr. Bell) gently talks to traumatized-yet-heroic Monk:
  [Dr. Bell] I can hardly wait to hear the whole story. I thought we might drive back together.
  [Monk] But you were there.
  [Dr. Bell] Yes Yes, it's true. I was there. But you could remind me of some of the details.
  [Monk] But it just happened. Now it's like a blur to you?
  [Dr. Bell] Just a little hazy, but
  [Monk] Wow, it's funny how the mind works.
  [Dr. Bell] Yes it is.
   
• And even "the guy" (the killer) gives Monk respect:
  Congratulations, detective Monk. I hope the rest of the Navy does its job as well as you do yours.
  [salutes Monk; Monk salutes back]

Edited November 15, 2018 by shapeshifter

[Cecilbatt11]

I love Sharona and Natalie equally. I thought the show was amazingly consistent. I'd say, over the 8 year run, maybe 2 episodes were anything less than spectacular and I am a harsh critic. I can count on 3 fingers TV shows I have every loved as much as Monk. Natalie and Sharona were different but they were both amazing. I loved Benji and Natalie's daughter who for some reason I can't remember right now. What is stunning about Monk is how consistently great each episode was. If I really had to pick one o"d say Natalie, to be honest. She was sweeter. She was prettier. Monk is the sexiest show ever that never ever even tried to bring up sex for the main character. They made Monk a nonsexual guy yet you almost felt like he and Natalie cared for each other a little more than friends and it was so subtle that it was beautiful in a million little ways. Sharona had some amazing moments but 2.5 years of Sharona does not beat 5.5 of Natalie. I didn't notice the show getting worse once Sharona left. She shouldn't have left, I never saw her in anything else again. She screwed up by leaving. 

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, Cecilbatt11 said:

thought the show was amazingly consistent. I'd say, over the 8 year run, maybe 2 episodes were anything less than spectacular and I am a harsh critic.

The only episodes that I can recall disliking were those with Dale the Whale (which also focused on Monk's wife's car bombing).

There was a surprising amount of variety in the plots and the aspects of Monk's personality, all while maintaining consistency.

5 hours ago, Cecilbatt11 said:

She [Bitty Schram/Sharona] shouldn't have left, I never saw her in anything else again. She screwed up by leaving. 

Oddly, Traylor Howard/Natalie never did much else after Monk either.

[Mabinogia]

On 11/28/2018 at 2:19 AM, shapeshifter said:

The only episodes that I can recall disliking were those with Dale the Whale (which also focused on Monk's wife's car bombing).

Ugh. I hated Dale the Whale. And I never much cared about the long mystery of Trudy's death. 

I preferred Sharona hands down. The actress who played Natalie just rubs me the wrong way. Her daughter was Julie, btw. I remember because it's my name. It's the only thing I liked about Natalie. lol

[jyoungsays]

I have to go with the Sharona years as my favorite. She was unafraid. I loved her attitude, her dress, her curly blonde hair, and for her overall sexiness. Natile was meek, cuter and much kinder. 

[shapeshifter]

6.3, "Mr. Monk and the Naked Man" re-aired a few days ago (around the beginning of the PTV forum upgrade downtime).
Monk's phobia of naked people is interestingly couched in terms of bigotry--which I didn't think much about when it first aired, but now it seems like such a natural way to frame the episode's theme.

I mean: Nakedness is about skin, right?

So, I love Stottlemeyer's speech to Monk, calling Monk out on his bigotry:

[Captain Stottlemeyer to Monk]: Don't you talk. 
          This is not a conversation.
          This is an intervention.
          . . . you are off this case.
[Monk]: You You-you're defending them? 
[Captain Stottlemeyer]: Monk, this is San Francisco! 
          There's a million weirdoes out there.
          Some of them are wearing clothes.
          Some of them are not.
          And yes, I am defending them.
          That's what this means. 
          [gestures to his police shield]
          We defend them.
          I spend a lot of my time--too much of my time--trying to keep bigotry and racism out of this department.
[Monk]: I am not a bigot.
[Captain Stottlemeyer]: I don't know what else to call it.
          You wanna put this guy away for the rest of his life because he makes you uncomfortable.
          Look, you've always had issues.
          But this isn't just another quirk or phobia. . . .
          This is different.
          This is new.
          And weird.
          And ugly.
          . . . Monk, you're a great detective.
          Look at it like it's a mystery.
          There's something going on here.
          Something's going on inside of you.
          Figure it out, Detective.
          I don't wanna see you back here until you do.

It turns out that Monk's phobia of nakedness originates with

Spoiler

a memory of his own nakedness during childbirth, which he realizes during a session with Dr. Kroger--in time for a happy ending to the episode.

This episode first aired July 2007. I found an article about racial profiling being discussed by the SFPD earlier that year--maybe a bit of ripped-from-the-headlines inspiration for the story? 
If so, excellent job by the writers of covering the heart of the issue without having it take over the show or making the characters so unrecognizable that it could seem like a case of Pod People from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (unlike, for example, most of the PSA episodes on L&O SVU).

Edited February 9, 2019 by shapeshifter

[RainbowBrite]

I have been binge-watching Monk for the past month or so. This is my first viewing and I am really loving it.

I'm on season 6 and just realized the Julie Teeger is not played by Shailene Woodley (sp?). I've only seen her in a couple of things but I would have sworn it was her!

[tessaray]

Monk was such a good show. Lucky you, seeing it for the first time. 🙂

[shapeshifter]

5 hours ago, RainbowBrite said:

I have been binge-watching Monk for the past month or so. This is my first viewing and I am really loving it.

8 minutes ago, tessaray said:

Monk was such a good show. Lucky you, seeing it for the first time. 🙂

I strongly encourage re-watching to 1) catch the clues, and 2) laugh even harder.

I am especially glad to have Thursday off this week instead of Friday so I might get some of my Monk binge fix on H&I, heh.

[RainbowBrite]

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2019 at 8:32 AM, icemiser69 said:

I have no clue how Psych (a series I can only watch in small doses) has two made for tv movies  (the second one is coming out later this year), and yet there was a script for a Monk made for tv movie back in 2012 "Mr. Monk For Mayor", and that movie never gets made for budgetary reasons.

I just finished Monk for the first time. I'm not a crier but the finale almost broke me. It was so well done! (Although Traylor Howard CANNOT fake cry, and should not be made to. It really took me out of those scenes).

[shapeshifter]

On March 8, 2019 at 9:48 AM, RainbowBrite said:

I just finished Monk for the first time. I'm not a crier but the finale almost broke me. It was so well done! 

The two-part series finale just re-aired here. That is how you end a great series!

[catlover79]

On 8/1/2017 at 12:03 AM, andromeda331 said:

No matter how many times I see it I never tire of Monk explaining his Alice Cooper wants an antique chair theory. "The fairest chair in all the land" It was awesome.

The garbage strike episode is in my top five of favorite Monk episodes, and that's the best part of it. I love how Alice was reading a magazine called "The Wonderful World of the Wingback". HA!!

Monk has always been characterized as having severe OCD. However, I think that Monk really was a high functioning autistic.

Edited June 14, 2019 by catlover79

[andromeda331]

11 hours ago, catlover79 said:

The garbage strike episode is in my top five of favorite Monk episodes, and that's the best part of it. I love how Alice was reading a magazine called "The Wonderful World of the Wingback". HA!!

Monk has always been characterized as having severe OCD. However, I think that Monk really was a high functioning autistic.

Its one of my top five favorite episodes too. Its just so funny. From Monk mailing his trash to Dr. Kroger, giving his plan to the Mayor about burning San Francisco to the ground (and fixing Lombard street while their at it), realizing the Mayor was in the man's office and trying keeping it a secret by telling the Captain, Randy and Natalie at the whispering spot. I love how bored the two kids were on their field trip. The poor Captain having to issue two retractions. Two "Here's how it happen" being wrong. The first the Mayor being up and killing the union guy but the second with Alice Cooper is so awesome. "Everyone knows rock stars love to collect antique chairs", him being a "Bad kind of hippie" and watching him beat up and shoot the union guy. I love the details of the magazine "The Wonderful World of Wingback" and him hugging the chair "Fairest chair in all the land" and Randy questioning Monk like its a real theory. It was so funny and so awesome. Monk stealing trash truck to clean up San Francisco himself.  

[catlover79]

49 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

Its one of my top five favorite episodes too. Its just so funny. From Monk mailing his trash to Dr. Kroger, giving his plan to the Mayor about burning San Francisco to the ground (and fixing Lombard street while their at it), realizing the Mayor was in the man's office and trying keeping it a secret by telling the Captain, Randy and Natalie at the whispering spot. I love how bored the two kids were on their field trip. The poor Captain having to issue two retractions. Two "Here's how it happen" being wrong. The first the Mayor being up and killing the union guy but the second with Alice Cooper is so awesome. "Everyone knows rock stars love to collect antique chairs", him being a "Bad kind of hippie" and watching him beat up and shoot the union guy. I love the details of the magazine "The Wonderful World of Wingback" and him hugging the chair "Fairest chair in all the land" and Randy questioning Monk like its a real theory. It was so funny and so awesome. Monk stealing trash truck to clean up San Francisco himself.  

Disher: Should I be writing this down?

Captain: Nope.

[andromeda331]

38 minutes ago, catlover79 said:

Disher: Should I be writing this down?

Captain: Nope.

Also Captain: Randy, I don't think we need to stand here and pick apart the Alice-Cooper-wants-an-antique-chair theory.

And 

Randy: He's like a vigilante. A garbage vigilante. 
Captain: You could say that, but don't. 

[catlover79]

Another favorite of mine is "Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink". I completely lose it every time I see Monk go through the Five Stages of Grief in about 30 seconds (and then he starts it all over again!!!). 

[andromeda331]

Just now, catlover79 said:

Another favorite of mine is "Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink". I completely lose it every time I see Monk go through the Five Stages of Grief in about 30 seconds (and then he starts it all over again!!!). 

 That's another good one. I love that scene. Later when their tied to chairs Monk moving so they'd be sitting the places they do in a session. Him and Harold sneaking around Dr. Kroger's house. Harold following them after they were kidnapped because of course he would be and him bragging to Monk later for taking a bullet for Kroger.

[catlover79]

"Well, you're acting like a baby-year-old." 😂

[catlover79]

On 6/15/2019 at 5:10 AM, andromeda331 said:

I love the details of the magazine "The Wonderful World of Wingback" 

I just watched the episode again. The magazine was actually called "The Wide, Wonderful World of the Wingback". 😂

[blondiec0332]

One of my favorites is Mr Monk goes to the Bank.  I always enjoy the episodes where Monk Sharona/Natalie, Leland and Randy are all together.  The group really had good chemistry and played off each other very well.

[shapeshifter]

During the last binge that I was able to see (Thursdays here) it finally dawned on me that the primary difference between Sharona and Natalie is that Sharona is Monk's "nurse," whereas Natalie is his "assistant." It's an interesting distinction in that it shows character growth/healing for Monk.

[Salzmank]

So, this is the only Monk thread now, right? Anyone interested in writing a favorite episode list, as clichéd as that is?

Here’s mine:

“Mr. Monk Meets the Dale the Whale” (S1:E3)—the solution surprised me when I first saw it (I was convinced that, somehow, DtW had committed the murder himself), though in retrospect it’s the only solution possible. Still, creating an evil Nero Wolfe for Monk’s archenemy is a genius idea, even if none of the other Dale episodes were as good as this first one.

“Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger” (S1:E7)—this one’s ingenious, and the kneepads are one of the best clues in any mystery TV show. One of the handful of Monks that demonstrate that, at the show’s best, its plots could be just as clever as anything from Death in Paradise or Jonathan Creek.

“Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation” (S1:E10)—the plot’s tricky, with some excellent clues, though the identity of the killer comes out of nowhere. With that said, the comedy, often supplied by the hilarious Polly Draper, is some of the series’ finest.

“Mr. Monk and the Airplane” (S1:E13)—a good, solid Columbo-esque inverted mystery with top-notch comedy. Shows, in Monk’s signature style, how we can know the killer from the beginning and still be surprised by twists in the plot. The Wings stuff, though short, is a hoot.

“Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame” (S2:E16)—another ingenious cryptic clue: “Girls Can’t Eat 15 Pizzas”! Perhaps the best usage of the much-used-in-Monk six Napoleons trick.

“Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect” (S2:E20)—some of the show’s best plotting, and its trickiest alibi. The trick is a bit unbelievable, but the sheer audacity of it is a delight, and it’s fair-play.

“Mr. Monk and the Paperboy” (S2:E23)—the six Napoleons trick again, but well-hidden and genuinely baffling. Improves on a similar and surprisingly decent Murder, She Wrote episode (“If It’s Thursday, It Must Be Beverly”).

“Mr. Monk and the Three Pies” (S2:E24)—another good usage of the six Napoleons trick, though by this point it’s in nearly every other Monk episode. The chemistry between Shalhoub and John Turturro as his brother, though, is hilarious.

“Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa” (S4:E54)—the trick, a variation on Christie’s Peril at End House, is not too difficult to figure out, but Monk’s detective work is good, the Christmas spirit is nice, and we’re never quite sure exactly who the intended victim is. 

“Mr. Monk Goes to the Dentist” (S4:E60)—fairly basic plot, but everything else—the filmmaking, the suspense, the comedy—is top-notch.

“Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike” (S5:E63)—hilarious! One of the show’s funniest episodes, and the cameo (which I won’t—can’t!—spoil) comes out of nowhere in the best possible way and is brilliant. Plot’s not half bad either. Great episode.

“Mr. Monk is Up All Night” (S6:E86)—brilliant. The identity of the killer is not the shocker, but every element on which we thought the plot turned is wrong, with a hidden narrative underlying the narrative we saw. To paraphrase critic Nick Fuller, it’s one of the glorious sequences in detective-stories, like the journal in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or the Harlequinade in “The Flying Stars,” where the truth is right in front of our eyes but we still don’t see it. Monk himself, by trying to bring about justice, indirectly causes a crime. The last twist, about the woman with whom Monk is obsessed, is a bit unbelievable but emotionally and dramatically satisfying. Also: again, hilarious.

“Mr. Monk and the Genius” (S7:E95)—pure Columbo, in the best possible way. The titular genius, chess master (and wife-murderer) Patrick Kloster, is so smug and arrogant that we can’t wait to see him get his comeuppance; he would be right at home in facing off against the good Lieutenant. How he tricks Monk is ingenious, as is Monk’s payback. Even at this late in the game, the show’s still got it.

Honorable mentions:

“Mr. Monk and the 12th Man” (S2:E22)—related to but not copied from Queen’s Cat of Many Tails. The motive is good, but the writer needlessly shoots himself in the foot by then turning it into another six-Napoleons trick halfway through. Thus is ingenuity wasted.

“Mr. Monk Goes to Vegas” (S3:E43)—rather ingenious, but I picked up on the central deception in the first five minutes. The writer comes up with an excellent solution halfway through that he decides not to use as the “real” solution for some reason. Wasted ingenuity again.

“Mr. Monk and the Voodoo Curse” (S8:E116)—not without a few flaws, and the plot is basically borrowed from Christie’s The A.B.C. Murders. I guessed killer, method, and motive without much difficulty, but that method is good (if close to William DeAndrea’s The HOG Murders). The voodoo theme is fun, though.

“Mr. Monk is Underwater” (S7:E98)—one of the series’ few impossible crimes, and the other two, “Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico” and “Mr. Monk and the Panic Room,” cheat badly in their solutions. This solution is simple and fine but covered in needless complexity; there’s no point to the firecracker except to give Monk a clue. The hallucinated Dr. Bell and Natalie’s flirting with the sailor, though, are nice touches.

So there ya go! You don’t have to do write-ups as I did if you don’t want to—but what are your favorites?

Edited June 20, 2019 by Salzmank

[catlover79]

Here are my favorites, other than the aforementioned "Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike" and "Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink", in no particular order:

"Mr. Monk and the Panic Room" (S3E2): What could be more Monk than having a panic attack in a panic room? However, it is Sharona's bond with the falsely accused primate that really makes the episode special. Bonus points for having Stewart Finlay-McLennan (Dr. MacNeill of one of my favorite short-lived series, Christy) as the victim. Best part: Leland's interrogation of the "suspect", complete with fez and cymbals.

"Mr. Monk and the Blackout" (S3E3): From the possibility of a date for Monk, a scruffy aged hippie played by Judge Reinhold, and a Willie Nelson TV special that seemingly triggers a chain of blackouts, the hijinks never stop. All this and a special pair of goggles that makes Monk look like The Fly, according to Sharona. Ha!

"Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf" (S3E6): Bitty Schram gets a much-deserved turn in the spotlight with the gaslighting of Sharona, and totally delivers. Also noteworthy is that this is the first episode that features Monk's arch-nemesis, Harold Crenshaw.

"Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa" (S4E9): The Christmas party at police headquarters is everything a party should be (except for the tragic way it ends, of course). The party, which includes a duet of "O Holy Night" between Leland and Randy, is so jolly that even Monk is having fun. Monk and Natalie undercover as a mall Santa and his elf are adorable, as is Julie when she sees snow fall for the first time. The opening of the episode, showing how the crime is executed (no pun intended) set to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" really sets the episode's entire tone.

"Mr. Monk and Sharona" (S8E10): It took several years, but the return of Bitty Schram as Sharona (if only for one episode) was well worth it. We finally get to see the differences of Sharona and Natalie together, and how differently they deal with Monk. In the end, they team up to save him from the perpetrator of the week. We also get a sense of closure between Monk and Sharona that never happened before due to the hasty departure of both actress and character. The hug they share at the end is so sweet.

Honorable Mention: 

"Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month" (S3E7): This was a very clever idea for an episode, and it's always fun to see Monk undercover. The running gag of Randy's unseen girlfriend is hysterical. Trivia: The victim of the week was played by veteran actress Maree Cheatham. I asked her about the episode via social media. Her character was crushed by boxes of TVs in the stockroom of a department store. Since Ms. Cheatham in real life was moving to a new house at the time, the crew let her keep the boxes for her move!!

"Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees" (S6E5): The highlight of this episode was the "Trudy talk" that Monk gives to Natalie's teenage daughter Julie, who is confused and in tears over what romantic love really is. Also worthy is that Natalie, who has been waiting a long time to say it, has the "here's what happened" moment.

"Mr. Monk and the Buried Treasure" (S6E6): An attempt by Monk and Natalie to "help" Dr. Kroger's son and his friends solve a "treasure map" backfires in a big way, until Randy's "free refills for life" and Troy Kroger's state of the art stereo system come to the rescue. 

Edited June 20, 2019 by catlover79

[shapeshifter]

I can't compose lists as neatly as those 2 above--but I really appreciate them! So would Monk!

But I don't really have "favorite episodes." Just favorite parts of episodes. 

The series finale just aired, with the refrain of "I sure am gonna miss you when I'm gone" *sob* which I am likely to tell my 3 adult daughters at some time.

I loathe the character of Dale the Whale, but I love parts of the 2 parter of "Mr. Monk Is on the Run," which does include DtW. 

I love the opening of "Mr. Monk and Sharona" in which Monk has vacuum cleaner dust in his eyes, and he assumes Sharona is Natalie until after she leads him to the sink to splash water in his eyes, and he looks at her, but is still not yet totally sure; he first says, "What year is it?" which is a great joke for the audience to be part of.
I do appreciate that they did that episode in the last season where we get to see old coworkers reuniting with the genuine warmth between Bitty Schram (Sharona) and Tony Shahloub, Ted Levine, and Jason Gray-Stanford, which puts to rest (for me) any rumors of unhappiness on the set. 
But I do still wonder why neither Bitty Schram nor Traylor Howard did much acting after Monk. I hope it is because they had good contracts giving them a cut of residuals rather than something negative.
Shortly after Sharona is awarded a huge sum of money by the golf course for the death of her uncle (who "tripped" on a loose step) -- we see that the step is still loose. The golf course would have repaired that step before awarding a settlement -- which bugs me. But later -- after Monk has debunked the "accident," thus negating the payout -- that loose step allows Sharona to collect a similar pay-out when she is injured by it. So I guess the unrepaired loose step is supposed to stick in the audience's mind.

That warmth between actors/characters seen in "Mr. Monk and Sharona" seems to be most important to me as I looked through the list of episodes on Wikipedia.
A few other episodes I like for character interactions are:

• "Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger" (for the genuine warmth between Tony Shahloub and Willie Nelson)
• "Mr. Monk Goes to Vegas" (Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford have bigger roles with the Captain and Randy having more interaction with Monk and Natalie)
• "Mr. Monk and the Kid" (because TS is so sweet with the little boy and IRL he has adopted kids)
• "Mr. Monk and the Other Detective" (because Jason Alexander)
• "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" (because Sarah Silverman)
• "Mr. Monk and the Rapper" (because Snoop)
• "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees" (because of, like @catlover79 said, the talk "Monk gives to Natalie's teenage daughter Julie, who is confused and in tears over what romantic love really is")
• "Mr. Monk and the Foreign Man" (because of Monk's relationship with Samuel Waingaya/Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje)
• "Mr. Monk and the Dog" (because TS is so sweet with the dog)

  
  

ETA:

24 minutes ago, Browncoat said:

And like @Bastet, I love the one with Stanley Tucci, because Stanley Tucci. 

Edited June 21, 2019 by shapeshifter

[andromeda331]

I have so many favorites in no order they are 

Mr. Monk and the Candidate I really love the pilot, they did a good job setting up the show, characters, Monk's issues, Sharona's encouragement,and Monk figuring out the crime and realizing the two cases were connected.

Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum-I love the different patients from the angry woman, the man who copies everyone and the one who loves Santa. Monk telling the doctor except for him trying to kill him he really was a good doctor.  Sharona helping get informations. 

Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Muggar-Fraidy cop was awesome, Monk trying to figure out the knee plans, the murderers actually had a pretty good plan set up.

Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation-I love Polly Draper's references to crime shows like they really happened. I love Monk believing Benji. How many times they found the body or thought they had the right person onlyto be wrong. The car leaving and then coming back as Monk figured it out. Monk seeing how gross his hotel room is under Ultraviolet light and calling the army of maids to clean it. 

Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger-I love Monk and Nelson's scenes together they were really good. Monk not wanting to believe he was guilty because Trudy was such a fan. 

Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico-All his suitcases stolen, the Mexican detective who keeps insisting everything is drugs, Monk dying of thirst, the bomb, Captain finding out Monk is dead and saying so many nice things and admitting he loved Monk before getting the phone call Monk's alive and saying he hates him, Sharona realizing Monk was alive because Monk wouldn't do all that to live, Monk explaining what happened while packing, checking out of the hotel and leaving. I love hotel front desk person asking questions and Monk not caring. You probably just got a bigger bill.

Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man-Monk agreeing with Karen that there was a crime, Captain and Monk living together, Captain figuring out what happened. Woody from Psych being the murderer. And tying it to the crime that had been troubling the Captain

Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect-The murderer had such a great alibi and I loved Monk using him as in place of his therapist.

Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy-You really see how much Monk cares for Sharona when he's willing to let a murderer go free to protect Sharona. I love Monk reading his wife's poem to the models which moves them.  Sharona talking to the alibi model. The unusual murder. 

Mr. Monk and the 12th Man-Mike from Mike & Molly who keeps thinking someone's calling him because of the pipe in his head, Monk figuring it out due to his dry cleaners.

Mr. Monk and the Paperboy-Monk freaking out over so many people in his home and making a mess, him solving four crimes just by reading the newspaper, Kevin showing up. I love Kevin 

Mr. Monk and the Three Pies-Captain asking if he could search the pie and asking the suspect not to make him ask again. Meeting Ambrose and seeing how much more messed up his life was. I do wish we had a few more episodes with Ambrose. 

Mr. Monk and the TV Star-I love the crime show featured, the spectrascope, Marci and wrap up at the end.

Mr. Monk and the Blackout-I love that Alicia Coppela found him attractive and asked him out, the cards he had prepared for their talk on phone. Monk with his nightvision goggles and telling Randy to turn the lights back off and Randy pointing out they could just arrest him. Alicia still interested in Monk after the disasterous date and telling him to call her when he's better. 

Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month- I love Enrico Colantoni making him Monk's former partner was awesome. Monk clearing him of the robbery, another crime that didn't make any sense until they figure out the bank robbery. Him realizing Monk was probably their best employee, the two  morons that worked there were funny especially when Monk points the unloaded rifle at them.

Mr. Monk and the Game Show-the cheating was obvious but I liked meeting Trudy's parents and seeing their relationship with Monk. Kevin tagging a long being annoying and annoying Monk.

Mr. Monk and the Red Herring-Its the first Monk episode I ever watched so I love it. Monk starting a fire in the trash can and reading the instructions on fire extinguisher watching him debate between the bad guy or saving Julie's goldfish. The C-section 

Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever-Randy's fortune cookies coming true, Monk sweeping outside, him realizing the fisherman was murder, everyone knowing it was the FBI cabin, the shoot out in her house with Randy and Monk doing the "Here's What Happened" and the sheriff asking the Captain who he was listening to and him answering no one.

Mr. Monk Gets Stuck in Traffic-KORN bring really nice and letting Julie use their bathroom, Crystal making Monk recant his phone call, the personal injury lawyer was hilarious looking for clients, wanting Monk to let Crystal punch him for a case, Monk realizing the EMT guy was the killer, getting the Sheriff made at him, the Sheriff realizing Monk was telling the truth, and rescuing Natalie.

Mr. Monk Goes to Vegas- I love the Captain drunk calling Monk and when he shows up wondering who called him. Natalie's info about casinos and their staff I've been in a lot of casinos and she's not wrong, trying to help the Captain remember, him singing to get information from the woman, then annoyed when she didn't  know much but smiling when she told him he was a good singer, Monk having to pretend to be the victim and getting the scarf caught making him realize she couldn't have been saying anything, Randy blowing all his money and Monk winning it back for him. Captain figuring out what he meant.

Mr. Monk and the Kid-It was so sweet watching Monk and the kid. Its hard not to cry at the end when Monk realize he wants better for the kid.

Mr. Monk Goes Home Again- Great to see Ambrose again I loved Monk getting upset and going to clean out his father's office. The weird crime of someone stealing candy. Monk going with Julie trick and treating.

Mr. Monk Stays in Bed-I liked Natalie trying to solve the murder and her annoyance at the murder being ignored because the judge was missing (to be fair the Captain tried at the beginning but got yelled at), Natalie going to give the 50 back instead of pocketing it, Monk giving "Here's What happened" to the murderer, realizing its not Natalie and going to find her. Julie's card being the key to finding the pizza box with his prints on it

Mr. Monk and Little Monk- I do wish he had asked his old crush out, But it was great to see Little Monk solving a crime too. I liked how nice the school cafeteria lady was to him

Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa-The Christmas party was a great scene it was fun watching everyone having fun and singing, even Monk was having fun. The cleverness of the murderer to have everyone think that the Captain was the target and not the man who actually died, the Elf.

Mr. Monk Goes to a Fashion Show-Monk realizing something was wrong with the woman who inspects his shirts and tracking her down to find out, the scene at the store and finding out why the former salesperson quit, Malcolm McDowell is so good at being an asshole, his comments were terrible but funny, Monk realizing her son couldn't have killed anyone because he can't read, and the lab guy had to be behind it.

Mr. Monk and the Astronaut-Michael from Burn Notice! He's really good at playing a jerk. I do love Captain pointing out his alibi was he was in outer space, he wasn't even on the planet and asking if they could think of a better alibi. Randy's crazy theory including him saying "let's say the globe represents the earth", the terrible neighbor, Monk's reaction when Mr. Kroger points out if Wagner is the murder then he's afraid of Monk. Monk trying to get over a fear but unable to do it. But standing stopping Wagner in the end.

Mr. Monk Goes to the Dentist-That whole scene of groggy Randy witnessing the murder is awesome especially when the giant tooth is picked up and used to kill the guy, Natalie in the beginning thinking Randy was upset over the murderer and trying to cover it, Randy quitting because no one believes him.

Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike-I've already said why basically everything in the episode. Monk mailing his trash, telling the Mayor his plan to burn San Francisco to the ground, his theory that Alice Cooper killed the union guy for an antique chair, its just hilarious from beginning to end.

Mr. Monk Gets a New Shrink-Monk going through the 5 stages of grief on repeat, him and Harold at Dr. Kroger's house, arranging their chairs during their kidnapping like a therapy session, Harold following them and telling Monk that he took a bullet for Dr. Kroger.

Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan-Sarah Silverman is just so funny and awesome at being crazy obsessed fan Marci, her wanting to "pause" at the end, Monk liking for awhile but then being driven crazy buy her, Captain realizing something was wrong with the bite marks while out to dinner with Linda, Marci's apartment, writing fan fiction and sending back all the stuff to Monk that he got rid of.

Mr. Monk and the Wrong Man-Monk thinking he was wrong and bending over backwards to help the convict only to realize he was right all long.

Mr. Monk and the Three Julies-Natalie freaking out and stealing the Captain's car each time she hears Julie's name, the creepy guy who stuffed his mother, and chasing after Julie, Julie's bad driving which gets worse when she sees the crazy guy. 

Mr. Monk and the Genius-Its just awesome seeing Monk take the smug Genius down.

Mr. Monk and 100th Case-the camera crew following them, Randy popping in a CD of his band, the Lipstick Assassin, the party, Monk accidently solving his 101 murder and knowing he can't stop, Randy's girlfriend, interviews with some of the previous murderers.

Mr. Monk and the Magician-I'm still surprised they chose to kill Kevin off, it was a great episode, Kevin as the really bad magician, Monk trying to prove the Great Torini did but having to figure out how to bust his alibi.

Mr. Monk's Favorite Show-How much Monk loved that show and Natalie ripping out a chapter from the biography so it wouldn't be ruined.

Mr. Monk Takes the Stand-Randy trying to get Monk to help him with a case after he was destroyed on the stand, Randy running into the kid he used to help and learning he was arrested. Monk ending up being able to prove the kid didn't murder the woman and the murderer was the defended in the trial.

Mr. Monk and Sharona-it was great to see Sharona again and how different Sharona and Natalie deal with him

Mr. Monk and the Dog-I love Monk and the dog, I really wish the episode ended with Monk adopting a dog. 

Mr. Monk and the Badge-I love that he finally got the badge  back and realizing he preferred the cases he had and quitting. It was fitting. 

[Bastet]

I haven't seen this show in many years.  I first watched the one where the dry cleaner sewed his shirt button on the wrong way (and completely agreed with him that this was unacceptable), kept on, caught up, and ultimately watched it all the way through.  But when I came across it it syndication a couple of years ago I thought it would be the ideal type of show to marathon, but I quickly lost interest.  Maybe just a bad batch of episodes. 

Anyway, from my hazy memories, the "Three Pies" episode is my hands-down favorite.  Basically, there's that episode, then a mile of space, and then the ranking of all other episodes.  Ambrose breaks my heart and then soothes it.  I love it.

Down in that second tier, I also like the one with Monk's in-laws, where he goes on the game show; his interaction with Trudy's parents is precious.  I adore the "Employee of the Month" episode because I love Enrico Colantoni in just about everything, and especially love the former partnership established here.  Another one I love because of the guest star is the one with Stanley Tucci.  Because, duh, Stanley Tucci, but also that the actors being such close friends really brings something special.  Same with Brooke Adams's first appearance, as the annoyed flight attendant; watching a married couple play at driving each other nuts is fun.

I also fondly recall the one in Mexico, the one with Willie Nelson, the one with Alicia Coppola (an actor like Colantoni, whom I like in just about everything), the garbage strike episode, and Monk having to get a new therapist - I thought they handled Stanley Kamel's death well.

I'll have to see if this is airing on a station I get and, if so, give it another whirl.

[Browncoat]

I love the one where Randy quits and goes to his uncle's farm, if only for the 532 names Monk lists for marijuana.

And like @Bastet, I love the one with Stanley Tucci, because Stanley Tucci. 

[catlover79]

As for the Sharona/Natalie debate, I like them both equally. I never saw the show when it was originally on, and started watching it when it was in syndicated reruns on one of my local stations. Natalie was on when I first started watching the reruns. I like that when Bitty Schram left (after a contract dispute), they didn't make Sharona's replacement a carbon copy.I like that despite some similarities (both were single moms raising a preteen), their personalities and backgrounds were completely different. Yet, both ladies were completely devoted to Monk even though their methods in dealing with him varied. As the Captain told Monk, "you got lucky twice".

[LexieLily]

I finally found the thread for this show, yay!

This show was recommended to me by a friend so I recorded the entire series off of Hallmark earlier this summer and am just getting through season two - just saw the S2 finale tonight, where Monk learned that the bomb was in fact meant for Trudy all along, which implies that the majority of his breakdown post-death was due in part to his belief that the bomb/murder was meant for him, or killing her was a way to get to him. 😞

[shapeshifter]

On June 20, 2019 at 11:34 PM, andromeda331 said:

watching Monk and the kid. Its hard not to cry at the end when Monk realize he wants better for the kid

Reading this succinct recap, it just occurred to me that the episode ends with the message that a parent gives up a child out of love —and not because the parent doesn't want the child —which is often the premise and conclusion reached by adoptees on fictional TV episodes (that the parent/birth mother didn't want the child). 
With Tony Shaloub being an adoptive parent himself, this increases the sweetness factor of this episode to sky high.

This same message is conveyed in the episode in which Monk adopts the dog.

❤️💕💓

[LexieLily]

I'm now starting season three and, knowing there are only a few episodes left until Sharona leaves to make way for Natalie, am wondering how they worked it to get Sharona to leave. Wikipedia says she and Benjy went back to New Jersey to get back with her ex-husband/Benjy's dad, but that doesn't make much sense to me because of the episode in the second season where he wanted them back and Sharona seemed open to it and was actually going to move until she learned that he only wanted her/Benjy back to inherit from an uncle of his. So how did he con Sharona this time?

[christie]

It's been a while since I saw that episode but, as far as I remember, it never made sense to me that Sharona would go back to her ex.

[LexieLily]

5 minutes ago, christie said:

It's been a while since I saw that episode but, as far as I remember, it never made sense to me that Sharona would go back to her ex.

Of course Monk couldn't stop her from leaving, but he always knew that Sharona's boyfriends/guys she liked were all losers (it didn't hurt that a majority of them were also the murderer-of-the-week), so you'd think she would have listened to him more often.

[shapeshifter]

14 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Of course Monk couldn't stop her from leaving, but he always knew that Sharona's boyfriends/guys she liked were all losers 

Spoiler

Until . . .

[LexieLily]

2 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

  Hide contents

Until . . .

If that was meant to be a spoiler, I did read on Wikipedia that Sharona ends up with Randy. Who is thankfully just harmlessly dumb, not evil.

[Bastet]

I hated her winding up with Randy.  I think I recall they made him a little less dumb by the end, but it was so random - before she left, he only irritated her, and there wasn't enough time to explore why she'd feel any differently about him the second time around, so it was just sort of boom, they're together.

Didn't they pair Natalie up with someone, too?  And maybe Stottlemeyer?  It seemed like, as they headed for the finish line, they went couple crazy, like that's the only happy ending there is.  At least they didn't shove in a girlfriend for Monk.

I can't remember how Trudy's murder mystery was finally resolved - wasn't there a kid? - just that I thought it was a letdown after all that time.  I remember being quite disappointed with the finale.

[LexieLily]

21 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Didn't they pair Natalie up with someone, too?  And maybe Stottlemeyer?  It seemed like, as they headed for the finish line, they went couple crazy, like that's the only happy ending there is.  At least they didn't shove in a girlfriend for Monk.

This is my first viewing of the show and, taking into consideration how the majority of shows go these days, I was convinced that the show would ultimately end with Monk in a relationship with Sharona (before I knew she wasn't there for the entire series) or Natalie. Clearly this is not the case. Though I'm sure even hinting at any type of relationship for Monk would have been complicated given how absolutely consumed he was by Trudy and his grief over her death.

Was there ever any hint of Monk/Sharona or Monk/Natalie or Monk/anyone?

Edited July 21, 2019 by LexieLily

[Irlandesa]

21 minutes ago, LexieLily said:

Was there ever any hint of Monk/Sharona or Monk/Natalie or Monk/anyone?

Mr. Monk went out on a date in Mr. Monk and The Blackout season 3.  There may have been another date or someone else showing interest at other points in the series but nothing serious is ever hinted at for Monk.  And I can't recall anything being really hinted at between Monk/Sharona or Monk/Natalie. Even in the obligatory "pretend to be married" episode which took place when Sharona was still there, there were no romantic undertones.

[LexieLily]

1 minute ago, Irlandesa said:

Mr. Monk went out on a date in Mr. Monk and The Blackout season 3.  There may have been another date or someone else showing interest at other points in the series but nothing serious is ever hinted at for Monk.  And I can't recall anything being really hinted at between Monk/Sharona or Monk/Natalie. Even in the obligatory "pretend to be married" episode which took place when Sharona was still there, there were no romantic undertones.

The episode where Monk and Sharona went undercover at that couples' retreat and Sharona slept in the pop-up tent in the middle of the floor and he wouldn't allow her to use the shared bathroom. Hee! I just saw that episode recently and it cracked me up.

[LexieLily]

8 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Mr. Monk went out on a date in Mr. Monk and The Blackout season 3.

Watched that episode tonight. The date itself was hysterical (Monk, would you have made Trudy walk up 54 flights of stairs?!), but I did think there was something oddly sweet/sad/poignant about Monk's table of note-cards that gave him everything to say when he called her on the phone. I had to give a little side-eye to Stottlemeyer/Sharona/Randy for not warning Monk that the restaurant he chose was 54 stories up on the roof, given that heights and elevators are two of his phobias.

His answer to Dr. Kroger's "what is the worst that could happen?" broke my heart. "I might not hate it."

[catlover79]

20 hours ago, LexieLily said:

Wabut I did think there was something oddly sweet/sad/poignant about Monk's table of note-cards that gave him everything to say when he called her on the phone. 

Conversations - small talk, actually - can be so unbearable for me that I would actually use those flash cards. I did have to crack up at some of the topics he chose - "Organic Produce", "2004 Compact Sedans", "Reality Television", etc.

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, catlover79 said:

Conversations - small talk, actually - can be so unbearable for me that I would actually use those flash cards. I did have to crack up at some of the topics he chose - "Organic Produce", "2004 Compact Sedans", "Reality Television", etc.

And of course the Trudy category was twice as big as the others.

Edited July 23, 2019 by LexieLily

[catlover79]

20 hours ago, LexieLily said:

His answer to Dr. Kroger's "what is the worst that could happen?" broke my heart. "I might not hate it."

That was beautiful.

[LexieLily]

1 hour ago, catlover79 said:

That was beautiful.

What does everyone think of Sharona vs Natalie?

[andromeda331]

On 7/21/2019 at 10:58 PM, LexieLily said:

Watched that episode tonight. The date itself was hysterical (Monk, would you have made Trudy walk up 54 flights of stairs?!), but I did think there was something oddly sweet/sad/poignant about Monk's table of note-cards that gave him everything to say when he called her on the phone. I had to give a little side-eye to Stottlemeyer/Sharona/Randy for not warning Monk that the restaurant he chose was 54 stories up on the roof, given that heights and elevators are two of his phobias.

His answer to Dr. Kroger's "what is the worst that could happen?" broke my heart. "I might not hate it."

I loved the note cards and wish we saw them again. I liked that Monk had a crush and at the end she told him to call him when he got better. I do side-eye the same Leland, Sharona, and Randy too for not warning him about the restaurant. They should have told him and Monk could have changed to a different restaurant.

[LexieLily]

24 minutes ago, andromeda331 said:

I loved the note cards and wish we saw them again. I liked that Monk had a crush and at the end she told him to call him when he got better. I do side-eye the same Leland, Sharona, and Randy too for not warning him about the restaurant. They should have told him and Monk could have changed to a different restaurant.

Or Monk would have used it as a sign to cancel the date entirely. 

[LexieLily]

Stottlemeyer, angrily, to the fed that went back on his deal to help Monk get reinstated: "Adrian Monk might be afraid of milk, and germs, and elevators, and puppies, but let me tell you one thing: you are not fit to pack that man's lunch."

I loved that. I love when the others are shown to stick up for Monk. 

And it was so Monk how he chose to get back at the FBI guys: packing one of the vans completely full and one only half-full, so they were uneven. 

[shapeshifter]

10 hours ago, LexieLily said:

"Adrian Monk might be afraid of milk, and germs, and elevators, and puppies, but let me tell you one thing: you are not fit to pack that man's lunch."

I loved that too.
And I appreciate that early in the episode Stottlemeyer had a line in which he warned Adrian that the fibbie had no intention of honoring his promise because that is the way he treats people -- so it wasn't just about him bullying Monk, but rather that the fibbie was a jerk.
Better writers don't unnecessarily manipulate the viewers' anger towards the bad guys; subtle is much better, IMO.
  
  

10 hours ago, LexieLily said:

And it was so Monk how he chose to get back at the FBI guys: packing one of the vans completely full and one only half-full, so they were uneven. 

Oh! Monk did that? I always just thought Monk knew that they were packed unevenly and that his satisfaction was just in not telling them.  

Edited July 25, 2019 by shapeshifter
missing apostrophe

[LexieLily]

This is my first time watching the series and I'm binge-watching all the episodes so I apologize if I'm taking over the thread with my reactions 😄

[shapeshifter]

"Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra" just aired. It's the second Natalie episode. I guess we're okay with them retconning her financial/family situation? Or maybe we just fanwank it.