TVSquad

Monk, like MASH, is difficult to define as either a "comedy" or a "drama," but whatever it is, the "drama" part was kicked up a few notches with last night's episode, which focused on Captain Stottlemeyer and his crumbling marriage.

 

 

While investigating a murder in a junkyard, Stottlemeyer is egged on by a police officer who claims to have slept with his wife. His wife denies it, but he convinces Monk and Natalie to spy on her regardless. Meanwhile as the investigation continues Stottlemeyer is forced to take an anger management class where he's given a yo-yo through which to channel his anger. He uses it to smack the aforementioned cop upside the head.

I mentioned in my last episode recap that the joy of watching Monk comes from how well Tony Shalhoub embodies the character, but last night's episode proved just how solid the other characters are in the Monkiverse. Ted Levine plays Stottlemeyer as a man trying to maintain and not doing a very good job of it, a working stiff who's one step away from clutching at his chest and flopping around on top of his desk. Taken at face value, Monk is a simple detective show with contrived plot devices and an almost Scooby-Doo-like approach to the detective genre. Nevertheless, it still works because of the weight each character brings to the role. It's like soup with all the right ingredients, and it's what gives Monk it's own unique flavor apart from similar fare.

You can watch a preview of next week's episode here. It reveals nothing of the plot whatsoever, but the line "It's like Sophie's Choice, except it's soup" was damn hilarious.