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Monk: Mr. Monk and the Panic Room (2004)
A strange combination of warmth, heart, humor, and cruel, ignorant nonsense.
Allowing for the fact that this was 20 years ago and the makers of this show probably didn't know any better than to use a real ape for a TV show, this is a pretty good episode overall. Sharona really shines in this episode with a combination of common sense and empathy that might genuinely elude someone like Monk and frankly most cops I've ever met. She see the obvious fact that Darwin must be innocent, not just because he's a Chimpanzee and lack the skill to fire the shots, but because he is 5 years old and scared to death. Sharona is protective and maternal thought the episode even when her behavior seems internally inconsistent. Even as perplexing as her punishment of Benjy seems when he fights to protect a school mate, the way she delivers the lines makes it pretty clear that her main concern is that she doesn't want her son to put himself in danger. In fact, the only thing keeping me from rating this any higher is the was the Chimpanzee is treated, both as a character and a performer. For the character's sake, I wanted at least one person to actually raise the fact that Darwin is STILL a baby at 5 years old, not an adult as most pets would be at that age. It feels like that was deliberately obscured which is bad storytelling. Worse though is the 'funny' interrogation where the poor little guy sits there screaming while a huge adult male yells at him and beats his chest in a primal display of dominance. I don't care how long ago it was made, there is just no excuse for that.
Monk: Mr. Monk and the Miracle (2008)
An A and an F average out to a C I guess
On an episode of another show I love, the villain of the week tries to shoot the hero with a magical weapon that will split her strengths and weaknesses into two different people. I want to do that to this episode. It contains some of the best acting and writing in the entire series as main characters struggle with faith and despair in the face of unrelenting suffering. But all of that happens in the shadow of one of the most heartless, dehumanizing depictions of homelessness I have ever seen. Apparently the people who make this think homelessness is a choice and that it only affects alcoholics, who seem to enjoy it. It's not funny, and it makes the episode nearly unwatchable.
Monk: Mr. Monk and the Dog (2009)
Almost perfect episode.
My favorite thing about this episode is that it is the most realistic murder in the entire series. The guy didn't set out to kill his gf but once he had seriously injured her, he wouldn't stick his neck out to get her any help. No elaborate pre planning, just a rushed bleach cleanup and wishing and hoping no one would find out. Then, like virtually all real human but unlike every killer on this show he doesn't have the heart of stone it would take to kill a man a dog and a litter of puppies to cover it up. My second favorite part of this episode is puppies. I would have rated this a ten if Monk hadn't defrauded a child of $5 after did at least $20 worth of work for him or mistreated him poor and tried to confine her to an umbrella. I got this this was supposed to be cute and funny, but it wasn't. It was nonsense that made Monk out to be a less than decent man.