Later this month we'll be introducing a new website with reviews of mystery TV shows and movies. We may even set up a separate blog as well. In the meantime, we'll post these television and film reviews here on Mystery Books News and advise you of when the new site is up.
TV Series: Monk
Episode 707: Mr. Monk's 100th Case
Original air date: 09/05/2008
Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub)
Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard)
Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine)
Lieutenant Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford)
Guest Star(s): James Novak (Eric McCormack), Ambrose Monk (John Turturro), Hal Tucker (Andy Richter), Ralph Roberts (Howie Mandel), Harold Krenshaw (Tim Bagley)
When Monk first aired during the summer of 2002, I eagerly watched each episode, delighted by the premise and drawn in by the well-written cases. But sometime between the second and third seasons, Monk drifted off my radar and other than the occasional rerun I didn't watch the show. I'm not sure why; maybe the novelty wore off and the cases seemed all too similar. Monk is now in its 7th season and, despite losing a once regular viewer, still seems to be going strong. The title of last Friday's episode caught my attention and I decided it was time to take a fresh look at Monk. And I'm glad I did.
Titled Mr. Monk's 100th Case, the episode is (not coincidentally) the 100th of the series and is cleverly conceived. A television newsmagazine-type show called In Focus is doing a profile on Adrian Monk who faces his 100th case since leaving the San Francisco Police Department. Viewers who have never seen the show before will welcome the quick background on how Monk came to leave the department but return as an independent consultant. The department has granted the show and its host, James Novak (smartly played by Eric McCormick who portrays the character with a mix of snide and charm, not unlike a real host), access to the case, allowing them to tag along and film what happens.
A serial killer has struck San Francisco, strangling three women and taking their lipstick. There seems to be nothing to link them. The police are puzzled and even Monk seems at a loss. But then he takes note of something the women have in common that gives them a suspect. But before the police can arrest him, a fourth woman is strangled and the suspect is found dead of a self-inflicted bullet through the head.
With Monk's 100th case successfully solved, the cast and crew of In Focus together with Monk and the police department gather at the home of James Novak to watch the completed show. But something bothers Monk, something that doesn't seem quite right. Something about that fourth murder doesn't fit and he now he knows exactly what it is. Returning to the scene of the crime (via a DVR playback of the show), he points out exactly why this murder is different from the others.
The final scene of the show plays off Monk's OCD tendencies to great effect. A very good episode indeed.
USA Network wisely breaks the season of Monk into two parts of approximately equal episodes, half running early in the year and half starting mid-summer. For the past three seasons, there has also been holiday episode airing in December. While Monk and his idiosyncrasies are the foundation of the show, the supporting cast are not nearly as interesting. They seem to exist to provide comic relief but it's largely unnecessary and, quite frankly, often annoying. Columbo and Murder, She Wrote, for example, both managed to provide years of entertainment solving mysteries without the support of regular series characters. One wonders how much more enjoyable Monk the series might be if it were simply Monk the character.
Mr. Monk's 100th Case is the penultimate episode of this half-season and airs again tomorrow night; the finale airs this coming Friday.
The first 6 seasons of Monk are available to purchase on DVD from Mysteries on TV, your source for one of the largest selections of detective, amateur sleuth, private investigator, and suspense television mystery series that are now available or coming soon to DVD.
Reviewed on 09/06/2008 by Mr. E., television and movie critic for Mystery Books News.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Omnimystery — All Rights Reserved.
Return to Mystery Books News ...
If you saw Mr. Monk and the Gameshow, you would know how Monk plays as a solo show. Frankly, I would stop watching if it were Solo Monk.
ReplyDeleteNot that Tony Shalhoub couldn't be the solo star, but the interaction between Tony and the other three main characters is a major and fundamental part of the charisma this show offers!
ReplyDelete