Mr. Monk and the Airplane

Season 1

Episode 13: Mr. Monk and the Airplane

Mr. Monk is forced to take to the skies as Sharona is leaving town and he can't live without her. When Monk suspects a murder has taken place no one believes him except Randy back in San Francisco. Can Monk catch the killer before he pushes the air stewardess too far and ends up a victim himself?

"He's the Guy": 

The killers this time are the victim's husband Stephen Chabrol and his mistress who has disguised herself as his  deceased wife. 

"Here's What Happened": 

Chabrol and his mistress murdered his wife and the mistress pretended to be her so no one would suspect the wife was dead. Chabol who was a pilot used his influence around the airport to dispose of the body in a construction site at the airport. 

In short:

So we've reached the end of the first season. We finish up with an episode that sticks to the best formula for Monk. They've taken the defective detective well out of his comfort zone and hilarity ensues. Watching a small child reduce Monk to tears with word games is a particular highlight and the nudge nudge wink wink Wing gags also work well. It's a fairly simple episode to end a good first season on.

Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger

Season 1

Episode 12: Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger

When country star Willie Nelson is accused of murdering his road manager everyone considers him to be guilty. Everyone that is except for Monk. The defective detective and his wife Trudy were big fans of the red-headed stranger and Monk is dedicated to proving him innocent.

"He's the Guy":

For the third consecutive episode the killer is a female. "Blind" woman Wendy Mass is our killer this time round.

"Here's What Happened":

The victim, Sonny Cross, had been the drunk driver of the car that had killed Wendy's parents and robbed her of her sight. A recent accident in a supermarket had reconnected her optic nerve and she'd opted to keep her returned sight a secret. She then lured Sonny Cross into an alleyway so she could have her revenge. She ensured one shot was taken at a distance no blind person could possibly be capable of making to prevent herself being a suspect. Unfortunately for Nelson he walked out just after the murder and to protect herself Wendy had to make him her patsy. Luckily with the aid of a streaker Monk was able to prove she was faking and saved.

In short:

An enjoyable episode that makes Monk appear a bit more human than usual as we find out Monk has been known to enjoy a spot of country music. Monk's dedication to those he admires is an incredibly endearing quality. It's also sad seeing Monk missing out on once in a life time opportunities because of his fears and phobias.

Mr. Monk and the Earthquake

Season 1

Episode 11: Mr. Monk and the Earthquake

When Henry Rutherford is seemingly killed in an earthquake Monk suspects all is not what it seems. Can Monk prove it was murder? It won't be easy when the shock of the earthquake has left him speaking gobbledegook.

"He's the Guy":

Once again it's a case of she's the guy. The pretitle sequence clearly shows Henry's wife Christina bashing his head in.

"Here's What Happened":

Just before he was murdered Henry was on the phone to Sharona. Sharona wasn't in so the call went straight to her answering machine. When the earthquake hit he dropped the receiver and the answer machine kept recording meaning the whole murder was documented. Christina realised what had happened a little too late so she concocted a plan with her lover Darryl Wright to get the tape back. Wright tries to get close to Sharona to gain access to her apartment and commits another murder in the process.

In short:

Not the strongest episode of the season but not a poor one by any stretch. We get to meet Sharona's sister, someone else who isn't a massive fan of Monk, and we get to see just how good Monk is at playing charades. It's also pretty funny here Monk doing the round up in total gibberish.

Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation

Season 1

Episode 10: Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation

Monk, Sharona and her son Benjy are on vacation when Benjy witnesses a murder through a telescope. Aided by the head of hotel security who learnt her craft from crime movies can Monk prove that a murder actually took place?

"He's the Guy":

For the first time this season it's not a he but a we. They're the guys this time and I am of course referring to the hotel maids.

"Here's What Happened":

The hotel was often a host to many a business man and the maids were taking advantage of that. Whilst people may have hidden valuable jewellery for fear of it being stolen but don't think twice about sensitive financial information they think the maids would be too stupid to understand. But these were some pretty smart and that financial information was exactly what they were taking. The victim was the recently departed maid Lupe Olivencia who wanted out of the scam. The other maids murdered her then hid the body and used their maid skills to clean up the murder scene. But Monk only has till he checks out to find the body and prove their guilt. Where is the body? Well after Benjy found the body in the arcade machine it was moved to a chest in the hotel foyer hidden in plain sight.

In Short:

Another great episode that takes Monk out of his comfort zone. The sight of Monk on the beach in his full suit is one of many amusing moments. Monk's unswerving faith in Benjy is fairly touching and the scene with the stand up comedian is heartbreaking and incredibly unpleasant. The sad truth is the scene of Monk get bullied by the stand up for being different is incredibly true to life. 

Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man

Season 1

Episode 9: Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man

When a young woman is thrown out of her 21st floor apartment Monk knows who is guilty of the crime. There's just one problem he has an air tight alibi he was running in a citywide marathon and his race path was recorded at all times. How was he capable of committing the murder and keeping up with Monk's hero Tonday in the marathon?

"He's the Guy": 

Trevor McDowell, local furniture magnate and the victim's lover, is the man responsible for this episode's murder even if at first it appears to be impossible. 

"Here's What Happened":

It's all about the computer chip. McDowell's chip never left the race and he was recorded as having finished the race in a time almost identical to legendary racer Tonday. But we know the cad was out murdering his young lover so how did he manage the feat? Another ingeniously simple plan explains just how he achieved it. He hid the chip in the side car of the bike carrying the video camera that was documenting the race meaning that it recorded the whole course giving him the perfect alibi. He was able to sneak off in an area where there were no spectators and return later on. He had no need to recover the chip meaning the evidence was just waiting there for Monk to discover. 

In short:

Monk's fears and phobias land him in hot water once again this week as his obsessive hand washing leads the race organisers to think he's a racist. This episode also gives us a bit more background information on the young Monk and his unsuccessful running career. Monk's obsessive compulsions are something that has plagued his whole life and it shows just how he ended up the way he is now. Monk's hero worship of Tonday is a fun little side story and it's great to see Monk enjoying himself. 

Mr. Monk and the Other Woman

Season 1

Episode 8: Mr. Monk and the Other Woman

Attorney Lou Pratt and his assistant are murdered in his office by a perp who's come looking for a specific file which he burns before leaving. The victim is a friend of the mayor and the mayor wants Monk on the case. But is there love in the air for the defective detective when Monk meets the beautiful Monica Waters?

"He's the Guy": 

This time out Tod Katterskill is the killer. Monk came across Katterskill at Pratt's funeral.

"Here's What Happened": 

Tod Katterskill had been cut out of his uncle's will so he concocted a scheme to make sure he inherited everything. He broke into his uncle's lawyer's office and left behind a fake will that left him everything. He then selected a file to burn at random to lead the police on a wild goose chase. Unfortunately Pratt would be able to identify the will as a forgery so he had to die. Katterskill made a couple of mistakes on his forgery first the date he used for the fake signature was one that person could not have possibly signed on and he failed to notice Pratt's filing system easily exposing his fraudulent document. After over hearing Monk at the funeral doubt the guilt of the man Katterskill had set up he decided to commit another murder to throw the police further off the trail.

In short: 

It's always nice to see Monk make a bit of progress in his recovery from Trudy's death although it's almost always inevitable that it'll end badly. There are plenty of laughs to be had here as Monk is once again causing trouble at a funeral. And who can't laugh at Monk literally shouting an old man to death. The only thing about this episode that really doesn't sit right with me is Stottlemeyer's attitude towards Monk. Perhaps it's just having seen how the relationship developed over the eight seasons but even at this point in the show I don't feel Stottlemeyer would show so little regard for Monk.

Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger

Season 1

Episode 7: Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger

A mugger gets more than he bargained for when his victim pulls a gun on him and kills him. Questions are raised when the mugger is revealed to be billionaire computer mogul Sydney Teal. Was Teal having a midlife crisis that went terribly wrong or is there more to this story? And just who is "Fraidy Cop"? Here's another case only Monk can solve.

"He's the Guy": 

Mugging victim Archie Modine is obviously the killer this time out. No one can argue with that but there's more to it than meets the eyes. 

"Here's What Happened": 

Turns out Archie and Sydney knew each other before the mugging. They'd been fraternity brothers in college and Teal got Modine to assist him in a scheme to impress a girl. Back then Archie pretended to be a mugger so Sydney could play the hero. Years later Archie had begun an affair with Sydney's wife and the two plotted to murder Teal. This called for Archie calling in a favour with Sydney and recreating their previous mugging plan this time with the roles reversed. Little did Sydney know that Archie planned to kill him. Modine planned to pass off the mugging as a random event and if his affair with Teal's wife was revealed he'd say Sydney wanted to kill him in a jealous rage. Unfortunately for Modine Teal was a perfectionist who would always go the extra mile and on this occasion he hired an actor to play a patrol cop who would congratulate Archie on foiling the mugging.

In short:

Once again Monk's determination to solve Trudy's murder is a strong aspect of this episode showing just how dedicated Monk is to the memory of his late wife. Sharona also gets to play a big part in solving the case which is a nice bonus. Overall another great episode.

Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum

Season 1

Episode 6: Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum

When Monk is found in Trudy's former home he is institutionalized temporarily. Whilst in in the asylum Monk is told about a murder that happened in the medical supplies room four years ago. Former patient Bill LaFrankie shot dead Dr. Conrad Gould whilst trying to steal morphine before killing himself with an overdose.  But this case had a lot of big holes in it including the murder weapon not being found and Bill LaFrankie being a devout Buddhist with a fear of needles. Can Monk solve the case and is Santa really visiting the asylum?

"He's the Guy":

Doctor Morris Lancaster, Monk's doctor at the asylum, is the villainous cad responsible for this week's murder.

"Here's what happened": 

Four years ago the villainous Dr. Lancaster was incredibly jealous of Dr. Gould and was desperate to get his job. He hid in the medical supplies room and waited for Dr. Gould before shooting him three times. After shooting Gould he stole some drugs and set up Bill LaFrankie by killing him with the drugs and dumping his body in the woods. Lancaster however and made a huge mistake having used a gun that was registered to him. Before the police arrived he was able to drop the gun down an unused chimney. Jump forward to today and the hospital is under construction and the gun will soon be found. How can Lancaster recover the gun without being seen? Well with the help of a Santa outfit and Manny the Santa obsessed patient. Manny is put in the room that faces the chimney that the gun was stashed in and Doctor Lancaster dresses as Santa so even if Manny sees him if he tells anyone people will never believe him.

In short:

This episode is a nice reminder of just how much Trudy meant to Monk. Monk's fellow patients also provide a lot of laughter and it's great seeing him interact with people who are a little crazier than he is. It's also good to see how strong the relationship between Sharona and Monk is as she doesn't doubt Monk and helps him prove Lancaster was the murderer. 

Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival

Season 1

Episode 5: Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival

Stottlemeyer's former partner Adam Kirk is accused of murdering informant John Gitomer at a local carnival. Kirk has a reputation for police brutality and the murder took place on a ferris wheel on which only he had access to the victim. Is Kirk a cold blooded killer or is there another explanation. Only one man can solve this mystery. But Monk's up for reinstatement and he needs Stottlemeyer to testify on his behalf. Will the pressure be too much for the defective detective?

"He's the Guy":

Once again there's a mastermind behind the scheme who didn't commit the act himself. This time it's Leonard Stokes who needed to prevent Lieutenant Kirk leading to his imprisonment. The victim Gitomer was also involved in the scheme, beating himself up to help frame Kirk, unfortunately he wasn't told the whole plan. Kitty Malone, the ferris wheel operator, was the one who dealt the killer blow before she meets an unpleasant end herself at the hands of Stokes.

"Here's What Happened":

Convincing Gitomer to trick Kirk into meeting him on the ferris wheel and then creating a scene before exposing his bruises  to make it look like Kirk had beaten him. Gitomer believed he was helping Stokes by making Kirk look like a hot tempered violent cop completely unaware that he was the patsy in this devilish scheme. As the ferris wheel stopped Kitty rushed into to check on Gitomer as far as everyone else was concerned however in reality she was delivering the death blow by plowing a knife into his chest making Kirk look like a killer.

In Short:

This is the first in a long line of episodes featuring Monk attempting to be reinstated to the police force and like most ends in heart break for the obsessive compulsive detective. Ted Levine is given plenty to work with as Stottlemeyer as he is forced into revealing he doesn't think Monk is ready to return to the force. The murder is another so simple it's genius affairs and Monk's heartbreak at seeing Kirk restored to the force when he feels he should be is quite heartbreaking.

Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale

Season 1

Episode 4: Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale

A judge is murdered whilst making a 911 call identifying her killer just before she dies. But there's a problem the man she's named as her murderer is 800lb reclusive tycoon Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck who is completely incapable of leaving his apartment. How can Monk solve this case?

"He's the Guy":

Dale The Whale is the mastermind with a little help from his doctor Christian Vezza.

"Here's What Happened":

How did the morbidly obese Dale the Whale manage to commit the murder? Well the answer is he didn't. Instead he blackmailed his physician Doctor Vezza to do it. But there were witnesses and the victim identified Dale as her killer how do you explain away such damning evidence? It was all a clever scheme planned out by  the devious pair. Donning a fat suit and using his expert impersonation skills Vazza put on a show that left everyone believing that the plump Dale the Whale had carried out the perfect murder.

In short:

This is the first of several appearances of Dale the Whale and he's always good value. Adam Arkin is the first of three actors to portray the tubby tyrant and he really "fleshes" the part out nyuk nyuk. Monk is on fine form once again and it's really quite satisfying to see him catch Dale after his cruel taunts about Trudy. Sharona gets to do some investigating of her own and we get the first taste of the real Randy as he makes the first of his many ridiculous hypothesises on how a crime was committed. Liposuction followed by reverse liposuction is pretty out there as crazy theories go. Over all another strong episode.

Mr. Monk and the Psychic

Season 1

Episode 3: Mr. Monk and the Psychic

The wife of the police commissioner is missing and this is a case that touches Monk and he offers to help the commissioner any way he can. When the body of Kate Ashcombe is found by hack psychic Dolly Flint everyone believes she's achieved the impossible and used her psychic abilities to find the body. Everyone but Monk.

"He's the Guy": 

We didn't have long to wait to find out who the murderer was this week. A pre credits sequence reveal that the guilty party is none other than Commissioner Harry Ashcombe the victims husband. The villainous cad set up his wife's car accident. 

"Here's What Happened": 

Harry Ashcombe used a ramp to force his wife off the road but a mud slide led to the body being left unfound. Ashcombe then had to think fast and arranged for Dolly to find the body by driving the doped up psychic to the crime scene. Luckily Monk is twice as clever and uses a similar technique to trick Harry Ashcombe confess to his crimes. Monk 1 nasty murderers 0. 

In short:

A strong second showing for the defective detective. Monk's love of Trudy leading to him taking an interest in a case was a nice touch and made it all the sweeter when he finally solved the case. This is an episode that's all about the journey. We all know who committed the crime and the enjoyment comes from finding out just how Monk will catch him. All in all another good episode!

Mr Monk and the Candidate

Season 1

Episodes 1 & 2: Mr Monk and the Candidate 

Who is Adrian Monk? Well he is a former homicide detective with the San Francisco Police Department who suffers from a severe form of OCD. Following the murder of his beloved wife Trudy his OCD and his various phobias escalate leading to his suspension from the police force. When we first meet Monk he's working as a private consultant for the police with the aid of his assistant Sharona Fleming. His main role is to help his former comrade Captain Leland Stottlemeyer and his young Lieutenant Randy Disher. Now you know the setup let's take a look at the feature length pilot.

Mr. Monk and the Candidate starts with a murder which in my opinion is a great way to kick off a detective show. The local police think that Nicole Vasques was murdered in a robbery gone wrong but in between worrying about having left the stove on Monk is able to prove that is was cold blooded murder. Elsewhere an assassin tries to kill mayoral candidate Warren St. Claire but accidentally killing a body guard instead. Monk's called into help investigate the case and he manages to prove that the attempted murder of Warren St. Claire and the murder of Nicole Vasques are connected.

"He's the Guy":

This week's murderer is assistant organiser Gavin Lloyd with the assistance of wheel chair fake Ian Sykes. The motive? Naughty Gavin has been embezzling funds.

"Here's What Happened": 

Nicole Vasques discovered discrepancies in Warren St. Claire's financial records and reported it to Gavin Lloyd leaving him in quite a difficult position. After failing to bribe her to keep quiet he tries to hire bodyguard Jason Ronstadt to kill her. Again Lloyd is rejected leaving him with a heck of a lot of problems. He hires Ian Sykes to kill both Vasques and Ronstadt. Monk uses echoes to prove Lloyd's guilt in a rather awesome show of his genius.

In short:

The opening episode of Monk is a classic setting up what will become the key components of the show over the next eight seasons. Tony Shaloub is incredible as the "defective detective" bringing the tormented Monk to life in an amusing but very genuine way. Bitty Schram as Sharona is the perfect foil for Monk and even in this first appearance you can already tell the Stottlemeyer and Disher team is going to bring a real spark to the show. These are the starting blocks of true greatness and things can only get better from here. 

Welcome to Project Monk

Happy Olympics everyone!

As I write this hundreds of millions of people are glued to their telly boxes watching the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics.

I have no interest in the Olympics. I find watching sport on TV incredibly dull and athletics is something I really can't stand. I have no desire to see people running in straight lines, riding bikes in circles or swimming up and down swimming pools. I have no problems with you folks enjoying it and I am glad it will bring so many people enjoyment over the next couple of weeks. But for me it's torture and has left my TV unwatchable for the duration of the games.

How will I cope? Well that's where Project Monk comes in to play. During the Olympics I intend to watch all 8 seasons of the television show Monk, the detective show starring Tony Shaloub as the Obsessive Compulsive Detective Adrian Monk, that's right I'm going to watch all 125 episodes over the next couple of weeks and chronicle my experiences on this very blog.

Welcome to Project Monk