I have to say, I definitely enjoyed this the most of the season. It's too
bad they weren't all of this caliber.

Having my own 20 month old, the gag calling 911 and "number 3" was
absolutely hilarious.

The plot was good too, and didn't involve the main characters (except for
Monk becoming involved with Tommy). Although I was struck by the fact that
they cut off the Violinist's LH pinky - they use that! They ended his
career. They could have cut off the R.H. pinky instead. They didn't seem
like brain trusts, but it would take a lot of thought to realize that a
calloused pinky with rosin on it would be more identifiable than the other
hand's. That part was kind of weak to me. But I guess there had to be a body
part or there'd be no plot.

Everything else was good - Disher's corrections of the facts were more in
character from the early seasons, Natalie and her daughter both were
supportive to the show. We see Monk rolling in the grass - a side of him
that makes him a little more endearing (not to mention all of the
interactions with Tommy). Seems to me like this was written for season 1,
and just shelved until now!

And I can't believe I missed the criminal mentioning the "pinky" -
especially after the obviously intentional dialogue where Stot specifically
says they just released "body part" to the press. Of course I can't believe
Monk didn't pick up on it sooner. Maybe we were both distracted by the kid.

Faith restored. Too bad it's at the end of the season. Looking forward to
the next, albeit, overly short season.

Steve

I think it was the first Monk episode I can remember where there was no
murder committed, although there may have been another in an earlier
season.

OK... So, I've got it set to record on the DVR for either tonight or
tomorrow night, so tell me... Does he get to keep the boy?! He was Soooo
cute.

My son and I started watching it at 9:00 this morning, and we had to leave
for his karate class at 9:45 so we missed the ending!!!! Agh. :^(

Funny, I caught an episode of Two guys and a girl on WE network last night.
Traylor was so funny on that show. She really added to it. I like her alot
on this show, how she takes command of him, and really gets him through
things alot better than Bitty did. I like that.

Anyways... I'm dying to know what happens in the end, and I can't wait to
see it again.

Steve



"Steve Latham" <llatham@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:0hlWd.60392$uc.7764@trnddc08...
>I have to say, I definitely enjoyed this the most of the season. It's too
>bad they weren't all of this caliber.
>
> Having my own 20 month old, the gag calling 911 and "number 3" was
> absolutely hilarious.
>
> The plot was good too, and didn't involve the main characters (except for
> Monk becoming involved with Tommy). Although I was struck by the fact that
> they cut off the Violinist's LH pinky - they use that! They ended his
> career. They could have cut off the R.H. pinky instead. They didn't seem
> like brain trusts, but it would take a lot of thought to realize that a
> calloused pinky with rosin on it would be more identifiable than the other
> hand's. That part was kind of weak to me. But I guess there had to be a
> body part or there'd be no plot.
>
> Everything else was good - Disher's corrections of the facts were more in
> character from the early seasons, Natalie and her daughter both were
> supportive to the show. We see Monk rolling in the grass - a side of him
> that makes him a little more endearing (not to mention all of the
> interactions with Tommy). Seems to me like this was written for season 1,
> and just shelved until now!
>
> And I can't believe I missed the criminal mentioning the "pinky" -
> especially after the obviously intentional dialogue where Stot
> specifically says they just released "body part" to the press. Of course I
> can't believe Monk didn't pick up on it sooner. Maybe we were both
> distracted by the kid.
>
> Faith restored. Too bad it's at the end of the season. Looking forward to
> the next, albeit, overly short season.
>
> Steve
>

Hey MP there was no murder in missing granny.I think that was the
first...
e

In article <0hlWd.60392$uc.7764@trnddc08>, Steve Latham
<llatham@verizon.net> wrote:

> I have to say, I definitely enjoyed this the most of the season. It's too
> bad they weren't all of this caliber.
>
> Having my own 20 month old, the gag calling 911 and "number 3" was
> absolutely hilarious.
>
> The plot was good too, and didn't involve the main characters (except for
> Monk becoming involved with Tommy). Although I was struck by the fact that
> they cut off the Violinist's LH pinky - they use that! They ended his
> career. They could have cut off the R.H. pinky instead. They didn't seem
> like brain trusts, but it would take a lot of thought to realize that a
> calloused pinky with rosin on it would be more identifiable than the other
> hand's. That part was kind of weak to me. But I guess there had to be a body
> part or there'd be no plot.
>
> Everything else was good - Disher's corrections of the facts were more in
> character from the early seasons, Natalie and her daughter both were
> supportive to the show. We see Monk rolling in the grass - a side of him
> that makes him a little more endearing (not to mention all of the
> interactions with Tommy). Seems to me like this was written for season 1,
> and just shelved until now!
>
> And I can't believe I missed the criminal mentioning the "pinky" -
> especially after the obviously intentional dialogue where Stot specifically
> says they just released "body part" to the press. Of course I can't believe
> Monk didn't pick up on it sooner. Maybe we were both distracted by the kid.
>
> Faith restored. Too bad it's at the end of the season. Looking forward to
> the next, albeit, overly short season.

This one was better than most of them were this season, but I found the
thing with the kid overly manipulative, and the end predictable. It
would have been a more courageous decision for the show to have allowed
Monk to keep the kid. Obviously the relationship was good for Monk,
even though we're expected to believe that it's bad for the kid because
he's become a neat freak in the 36 hours Monk's had him. No sale here.

Two very good things: The 911 scene (much funnier than if they'd showed
Monk actually doing the diapering) and the fairy-tale explanation of
the crime.

I see reason to hope for this show's recovery to continue next season.

(I missed the spill about the pinky, too. Don't feel bad.)

>but I found the
>thing with the kid overly manipulative, and the end predictable

It was inane and not realistic in the least. Surely a cynical attempt
to secure some women viewers? The season as a whole was a complete
letdown for me. I predict one more season and it's over. Hate to be
negative but the first couple seasons spoiled me.

On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 tppbfan@aol.com wrote:

> Hey MP there was no murder in missing granny.I think that was the
> first...

Technically speaking, there was no murder in "Mr. Monk and the red
herring", although Natalie did kill a guy out of self defense.

As for the little boy, if Monk has kept him, some people may
consider it a "jump the shark" moment.

Overall, I liked the episode... as somebody else said, Disher was more like
his old self, which my wife and I appreciated. The whole kid thing was a
little manipulative, but it worked on me, having a 2 year old of my own...
however, you can still see the difference in the writing.

Is it just me, or are they getting a little overly artsy-fartsy with the
reveals? The double reveal a few episodes was exceptionally cool, but it's
like they're trying to outdo themselves every episode now. I'd rather see
original reveals every once in a while, when it's it's really appropriate...
not "how can we top our last reveal" every episode.

The mysteries are still not quite up to snuff, and I miss the first season's
Monk vs. the Police theme, where Stottlemeyer would get aggravated by Monk's
prescence (although I like them as friends, too). I really miss seeing the
murder happen, Monk figuring out who did it almost right away, TELLING the
guilty party "I know it was you", and then unraveling an air-tight alibi.
That was the genius of the show... the mysteries now are pretty run of the
mill.

Also, I think they are almost certainly setting up some romance between Monk
and Natalie, even if they don't act it out... here's why:
Every episode, it seems like Natalie is becoming more enamored with Monk...
unlike Sharona, who already loved him as a charge (almost a kid) and a
friend, Natalie seems to have at least one scene in every episode where she
looks at him like, "Oh my God, he is the sweetest thing I've ever seen."
Also, her revelation about her husband in the election episode sort of takes
him off the pedestal they put him on in Red Herring, thereby bringing the
bar down for replacing him in her life.

By removing Sharona's "nurse" function, Monk seems to be taking care of
himself more (carrying his own wipes), and while his OCD is more of a
running gag now, I can see him becoming more functional. Especially on the
Finale where having the right motivation (the kid) enabled him to overcome
his boundaries (like rolling around in the grass, letting his guard down and
being playful).

Of course, there is all the stuff we all saw right away... both being
widowed, Monk's interaction with Natalie's daughter (whose name continues to
escape me), etc. Although, the latter being said, he was always very good
with Benjy. I miss his being in the show, too.

Oh, one other thing I just remembered... remember Monk saying that Dr.
Kroeger "isn't perfect" and mentioning that Kroeger thought Adrian was ready
to date (and being wrong about it)... what was that look Natalie gave? I
think that the quiet reverence both hold for their late spouses gives them a
sort of understanding of one another that few other people can share with
either of them... there's another unbreakable bond.

All in all, I think the show is still different, but perhaps evolving more
acceptably than some of us originally expected? Whew, that was a mouthful.

Later,
Rob




"Newton YL Wai" <wai@mailbox.ucdavis.edu> wrote in message
news:Pine.GSO.4.58.0503052244510.223@vidi.ucdavis. edu...
> On Sat, 5 Mar 2005 tppbfan@aol.com wrote:
>
>> Hey MP there was no murder in missing granny.I think that was the
>> first...
>
> Technically speaking, there was no murder in "Mr. Monk and the red
> herring", although Natalie did kill a guy out of self defense.
>
> As for the little boy, if Monk has kept him, some people may
> consider it a "jump the shark" moment.

"Rob Carroll" <robert.carroll30@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:XfGWd.28473$uc.10155@trnddc09...
> Is it just me, or are they getting a little overly artsy-fartsy with the
> reveals? The double reveal a few episodes was exceptionally cool, but
> it's like they're trying to outdo themselves every episode now. I'd
> rather see original reveals every once in a while, when it's it's really
> appropriate... not "how can we top our last reveal" every episode.

Yeah, I said the same thing a few weeks back - on the double reveal episode.
But I really thought this one (Fairy Tale) was actually creative, instead of
it being "forced" like some of the others.

>
> The mysteries are still not quite up to snuff, and I miss the first
> season's Monk vs. the Police theme, where Stottlemeyer would get
> aggravated by Monk's prescence (although I like them as friends, too). I
> really miss seeing the murder happen, Monk figuring out who did it almost
> right away, TELLING the guilty party "I know it was you", and then
> unraveling an air-tight alibi. That was the genius of the show... the
> mysteries now are pretty run of the mill.

I have to agree totally with you here.

>
> Also, I think they are almost certainly setting up some romance between
> Monk and Natalie, even if they don't act it out... here's why:
> Every episode, it seems like Natalie is becoming more enamored with
> Monk... unlike Sharona, who already loved him as a charge (almost a kid)
> and a friend, Natalie seems to have at least one scene in every episode
> where she looks at him like, "Oh my God, he is the sweetest thing I've
> ever seen." Also, her revelation about her husband in the election episode
> sort of takes him off the pedestal they put him on in Red Herring, thereby
> bringing the bar down for replacing him in her life.

I thought her whole introduction to the show implied a romance, whether
realized or not (kind of like there was a love/hate thing going on with
Disher and Sherona for a few episodes - I thought they were going to come to
blows and then suck face in the heat of it).
>
> By removing Sharona's "nurse" function, Monk seems to be taking care of
> himself more (carrying his own wipes), and while his OCD is more of a
> running gag now, I can see him becoming more functional. Especially on
> the Finale where having the right motivation (the kid) enabled him to
> overcome his boundaries (like rolling around in the grass, letting his
> guard down and being playful).

Well, I always thought that there was a chance of him recovering and getting
back on the force (which magically has been absent this season), and
becoming more independent. However, I hate to see his "normalcy" turn into
lack of detecting skills - it's as if the two are mutually intertwined - if
he is not OCD, he won't be a great detective. I don't think it has to be
that way.
>
> Of course, there is all the stuff we all saw right away... both being
> widowed, Monk's interaction with Natalie's daughter (whose name continues
> to escape me),

Julie, isn't it?

etc. Although, the latter being said, he was always very good
> with Benjy. I miss his being in the show, too.

I really thought Benji was good. Lassie too, oh wait, different show - but
they haven't done as much with Julie as they ever did with Benji - the Red
Herring was good, but the eternal pee-holding in the traffic jam was a
little like what they've done to Disher.
>

As someone mentioned jump the shark, his getting involved with Natalie could
do it. Of course, so could becoming normal, getting back on the force,
solving Trudi's murder (although those last two could be done, because the
priority has been lessened on those two).

Steve

"Rob Carroll" <robert.carroll30@verizon.net> wrote in
news:XfGWd.28473$uc.10155@trnddc09:

>
> Also, I think they are almost certainly setting up some romance
> between Monk and Natalie, even if they don't act it out... here's why:
> Every episode, it seems like Natalie is becoming more enamored with
> Monk... unlike Sharona, who already loved him as a charge (almost a
> kid) and a friend, Natalie seems to have at least one scene in every
> episode where she looks at him like, "Oh my God, he is the sweetest
> thing I've ever seen." Also, her revelation about her husband in the
> election episode sort of takes him off the pedestal they put him on in
> Red Herring, thereby bringing the bar down for replacing him in her
> life.
>

One thing I noticed at the end of the "Election" episode, IIRC, was at
the end of the show. As Monk, Natalie and Julie leave the office, the
camera pans down to show a couple of photos of Natalie, her husband and
Julie. In both photos, they are posed (left to right) as mother,
daughter, husband.

The camera then pans up as the three walk past the office window. Left to
right, Natalie, Julie, and Monk.


> By removing Sharona's "nurse" function, Monk seems to be taking care
> of himself more (carrying his own wipes), and while his OCD is more of
> a running gag now, I can see him becoming more functional.

Good observation.

>Also, her revelation about her husband in the election episode sort of takes
>him off the pedestal they put him on in Red Herring, thereby bringing the
>bar down for replacing him in her life.

I thought they were setting up a future eps. I mean she did say the
army (or whatever) had all the evidence availble. I thought Monk
might do a little behind the scenes investiagation. Then in a random
eps he can prove he wasn't a coward as a B story.

Do you think that monk would have gone though Trudies office after she
was killed? For 7 years he thought he was the target of the car bomb.
Now that he knows she was the target the answer is prob in that old
office he used to be renting. I found it strange they never even
alluded to the fact he hadn't gone though her files.

Eric

>>Also, her revelation about her husband in the election episode sort of
>>takes
>>him off the pedestal they put him on in Red Herring, thereby bringing the
>>bar down for replacing him in her life.
>
> I thought they were setting up a future eps. I mean she did say the
> army (or whatever) had all the evidence availble. I thought Monk
> might do a little behind the scenes investiagation. Then in a random
> eps he can prove he wasn't a coward as a B story.

Yeah, I had considered that as well.


> Do you think that monk would have gone though Trudies office after she
> was killed? For 7 years he thought he was the target of the car bomb.
> Now that he knows she was the target the answer is prob in that old
> office he used to be renting. I found it strange they never even
> alluded to the fact he hadn't gone though her files.

I think that might just be sloppy writing...


Rob