Monk gets caught up in the shadowy world of boxing with his latest case -- and which could turn out to be his last. That's because the state now wants all PIs working with the police to pass a modest physical test. Monk isn't fit enough to read the list of requirements, never mind accomplish a single one of them. Fortunately, Monk and a title-seeking boxer whose life is in jeopardy end up training together, and this will pay off big-time later in the episode. A very funny episode, especially with Monk attired from head to foot in a lavender running suit. With a matching lavender sweat band. Wait until you see him try his hand at a pull-up. One very small complaint: since we are now well into the seventh season, I wish they would come up with a new opening. Hey, I'm just saying.
5 Reviews
Robert Loggia and James Lesure get guest appearance billing
safenoe28 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Not a bad episode of Monk, with a philosophical spin on match-fixing, and when it's for the common good I guess. Monk just gets better and better, and it needs to return for the times please. Bring back Monk! Also bring back Jeff Beal's opening theme!
Simplistic
Hitchcoc14 April 2020
Things are just dragging along. Has the success of the show made everyone lazy? The characters are becoming buffoons with numerous sight gags and little verisimilitude. When a man dies from a bomb, hidden in a heavy bag, Monk comes in, attempting to find the killer. He has his own issues as well which get in the way. The championship match becomes silly.
What happened to Monk?
verena-fuchs17 August 2008
Monk is my favorite show but since the seventh season I am very disappointed because the show just lost everything that was good about it. My growing disappointment reached its peak in this episode. I started to wonder if they exchanged the writers for it with a whole new set that has not even seen any of the previous episodes or know anything about Monks past or worst of all simply don't care. In general the show lost on wit and esprit, the murderer and motive are obvious and can be solved by the audience immediately. The jokes are dull and not very funny. I started to feel sorry for the actors to be given such a bad script. Specifically in this episode Monk is portrayed as a physically unfit person who can't run for more than a few seconds before he collapses on the ground in pain. Hello?!? I thought I couldn't trust my eyes and ears. Remember the episode "Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man" where Monk is watching a marathon to see his boyhood hero Tonday Mawwaka, a legendary marathoner and where you find out later that Monk used to be a track and field star in high school. In the end he is given new running shoes from Tonday, whereupon Monk is picking up running again. This all doesn't fit together with this episode. Furthermore Monk doesn't seem to solve any crimes any more as he used to do. Where is the moment where Monk solves the crime and gives his glorious explanations starting with "Here's what happened..."? Instead you just see a halfheartedly flash back of the past incidents. In addition, since when does he touch a door to a dirty recording studio all by himself without Natalie around to give him at least wipes? Since when can he balance on a wooden beam without any protest when he can't even go on the first step of a ladder? And most of all how can Dr. Bell's office interior change every time he sees him without upsetting Monk. Monk likes everything the way it is without change. He used to know every single item and its place in Dr. Krogers office but here everything changes from episode to episode and scene to scene, from different chairs to tables or no tables at all, etc. I wish the writers would put more thought into the episodes and consider Monks disorder and his reactions to certain circumstances. Otherwise Monk is not Monk any more and he becomes non-credible as a character and therefore not enjoyable to watch, which would be a pity and a great loss.
Monk and the shadowy world of boxing
TheLittleSongbird15 September 2017
'Monk' has always been one of my most watched shows when needing comfort, to relax after a hard day, a good laugh or a way to spend a lazy weekend.
Despite my love for the show, 'Monk' is not a consistent show and is not exempt from disappointing episodes once in a while (a majority of 'Monk' episodes range from good to outstanding). Sadly, "Mr Monk Takes a Punch" is one of the disappointing episodes to me. Up to this point in the show it is one of my least favourites of the show along with "Mr Monk and the Big Reward", "Mr Monk and the Rapper" and "Mr Monk and the Really Really Dead Guy". Not an awful episode, there are some good things, but a lot of what makes 'Monk' so good is lost here.
Let's start with the good things. Visually, the episode is slick and stylish as ever. The music is both understated and quirky. While there is a preference for the theme music for Season 1, Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There" has grown on me overtime, found it annoying at first but appreciate its meaning and what it's trying to say much more now.
The four regular leads do a very good job with what they have, which is beneath them but they are such good and conscientious performers who give it their best they've got no matter what's thrown at them. Tony Shalhoub has always been consistently wonderful as Monk, even in lesser episodes and with lacking material. Ted Levine shows loyalty and good comic timing. Traylor Howard and Jason Gray-Stanford do their best too, though Natalie is underused and Disher is an idiot even for goofball comic relief. In support, faring best are Robert Loggia and Hector Elizondo.
Aside from those two however, the rest of the supporting cast don't stand out. "Mr Monk Takes a Punch" suffers from a disappointing mystery, lacklustre writing and lack of character development and character moments. Its biggest problem however is with Monk. He is very out of character here, not just in how he deduces everything, which is under-utilised and not as observational or methodical but especially in how the quirks and his struggles with the situations are depicted. Like "Mr Monk Buys a House", there are things that Monk would make an enormous fuss about normally yet he acts like they are not problems at all. As said, there are issues with continuity especially with him being unfit despite being told otherwise in an episode earlier on in the show's run.
The mystery disappoints. To me, it is not focused on enough, instead focusing heavily on Monk being a fish-out-of-water. It's also too simple (another figure-out-even-earlier-than-Monk one, and Monk figures some of it out too early) and obvious with a very half-hearted reveal that is not a shock to the viewer in any shape or form.
Was disappointed in the writing too. There are very few if any memorable quotes or exchanges, while one misses the hilarious wry humour (the funniest thing about the episode was the sight of Monk in a lavender running suit), the sympathetically handled and rarely overdone quirks (it's pretty much Monk behaving out of character and being silly) or tender easy to relate to drama (non existent).
In summation, disappointing though not unwatchable. 4/10 Bethany Cox
Despite my love for the show, 'Monk' is not a consistent show and is not exempt from disappointing episodes once in a while (a majority of 'Monk' episodes range from good to outstanding). Sadly, "Mr Monk Takes a Punch" is one of the disappointing episodes to me. Up to this point in the show it is one of my least favourites of the show along with "Mr Monk and the Big Reward", "Mr Monk and the Rapper" and "Mr Monk and the Really Really Dead Guy". Not an awful episode, there are some good things, but a lot of what makes 'Monk' so good is lost here.
Let's start with the good things. Visually, the episode is slick and stylish as ever. The music is both understated and quirky. While there is a preference for the theme music for Season 1, Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There" has grown on me overtime, found it annoying at first but appreciate its meaning and what it's trying to say much more now.
The four regular leads do a very good job with what they have, which is beneath them but they are such good and conscientious performers who give it their best they've got no matter what's thrown at them. Tony Shalhoub has always been consistently wonderful as Monk, even in lesser episodes and with lacking material. Ted Levine shows loyalty and good comic timing. Traylor Howard and Jason Gray-Stanford do their best too, though Natalie is underused and Disher is an idiot even for goofball comic relief. In support, faring best are Robert Loggia and Hector Elizondo.
Aside from those two however, the rest of the supporting cast don't stand out. "Mr Monk Takes a Punch" suffers from a disappointing mystery, lacklustre writing and lack of character development and character moments. Its biggest problem however is with Monk. He is very out of character here, not just in how he deduces everything, which is under-utilised and not as observational or methodical but especially in how the quirks and his struggles with the situations are depicted. Like "Mr Monk Buys a House", there are things that Monk would make an enormous fuss about normally yet he acts like they are not problems at all. As said, there are issues with continuity especially with him being unfit despite being told otherwise in an episode earlier on in the show's run.
The mystery disappoints. To me, it is not focused on enough, instead focusing heavily on Monk being a fish-out-of-water. It's also too simple (another figure-out-even-earlier-than-Monk one, and Monk figures some of it out too early) and obvious with a very half-hearted reveal that is not a shock to the viewer in any shape or form.
Was disappointed in the writing too. There are very few if any memorable quotes or exchanges, while one misses the hilarious wry humour (the funniest thing about the episode was the sight of Monk in a lavender running suit), the sympathetically handled and rarely overdone quirks (it's pretty much Monk behaving out of character and being silly) or tender easy to relate to drama (non existent).
In summation, disappointing though not unwatchable. 4/10 Bethany Cox
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