(S07E09) What does it say about this special holiday episode of Monk that the wittiest, most clever and memorable minute was when they unfurled the promo for the series return in 2009, using the music from Magnum, P.I. and dubbing the show Monk, P.I.? The USA marketing guys really hit a home run with that ad; it was brilliant.Sadly, "Mr. Monk and the Miracle" was a sub-standard episode and hardly worth the moniker of "special." The mystery was rather simple -- about the most complicated piece of evidence was the hand print in the refrigerator -- and when Michael Badalucco (The Practice) appeared as Leland's pharmacist, you kind of knew he was involved in some way. Yet while the show wasn't up to the best of Monk standards, it did have a moment or two to redeem it.
The annoying Monk was on display the moment he scowled at Natalie with the ladle. This seemed extreme even for Monk; was he going to throw out every utensil and appliance she used in the kitchen? Hasn't he already accepted at least her "cooties" when it comes to his stuff?
But annoying Monk -- germophobe to the nth degree -- was in full force, freaking out when his clients, homeless bums Ike, Reggie and the Professor, hired him to find out who killed their buddy, Willie. I know Monk's discomfort over their filth and lack of social graces is meant to be laugh-inducing, but it's a fine line between him being annoyed and him being rude. Natalie is the counterbalance, so you could count on her for the true Christmas spirit (and Julie, too). Although they didn't show how it got that way, the best gag was the way Monk wrapped his furniture wrapped in plastic and cordoned-off parts of the apartment.
The better half of the episode dealing with Leland's bad back and overwhelming sadness. Has it really been two years since his relationship with Linda ended? My heart was aching for him, which made his conversion at the monastery all the better. When Monk tried to talk to the monk who had taken a vow of silence, the "shush" bit was very funny -- reminiscent of Seth Green and Mike Meyers in Austin Powers -- even though I was waiting for a topper, so way for Monk to communicate without speaking. The charades when he finally found Leland was predictable.
Ultimately, of course, the truth about the fake waters of the fountain was revealed and Badalucco apprehended after his girlfriend confessed. Natalie and Monk sneaking in as monks and chanting the information to him was very funny, "Here's what happened."
I liked the idea that Leland's faith was restored by the "miracle" recovery, but his cop instincts should have told him something was off about the fountain. As a character, he's not that naive, even with a bad back. Monk was suspicious from the start.
Other points of interest
-- The chalk/herbal concoction that Stottlemeyer drank and Monk connected back to Willie's murder was a reach. He should have confirmed the connection by testing the bottle to see if the bottles were Leland's because of DNA. Otherwise, why couldn't the bottle have come from anywhere in San Francisco?
-- When talking to the pharmacist, Leland referred to Randy as his partner. Hmm.
-- Without the moustache, Leland looked younger. With the moustache, Randy looked funny.
-- In the final scene, did Monk drink from the fountain? I think not. He just cannot believe.
-- What was the joke about the bum's gravy? I still don't get it.
-- Leland's gift to Randy was a razor.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-29-2008 @ 12:21PM
0megapart!cle said...
I am far from a Monk fan, but this was a good episode (better than the Psych episode this week). Monk has became piss-poor these last several years, but this episode was good.
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11-29-2008 @ 1:14PM
Jojee said...
Glad I looked it up! I saw that my dvr was smarter than I was and recorded Monk (I thought by mistake). I will have to watch this episode this weekend.
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11-29-2008 @ 4:22PM
Teresa said...
I loved the Magnum PI bit. Will we see it again? Can someone put it on the internet for viewing? I'm technologically deficient, so I hope someone else can do it.
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11-29-2008 @ 4:28PM
J. said...
About the 'bum gravy', I think getting a jar of brown liquid from a homeless man may raise suspicions.
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1-01-2009 @ 3:12PM
tom said...
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=making+gravy
11-29-2008 @ 6:08PM
JennieO said...
I'm glad the upcoming summer season will be Monk's last. He's gone from a sad, but gentle, man to full-out rude, and it lessens the whole show. This ep was okay, but I hope the writers bring back the original Monk so he can go out well, as he deserves.
Loved Leland without the 'stache, and the actress who plays Julie has become quite a beautiful young woman.
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11-29-2008 @ 9:17PM
WhatI said...
Monks's reaction related to the ladle showed the extent to which the character has become so inconsistent over the years - and so goes the show.... there seems to be a dozen groups of writers involved with this show, each with their own version of what Monk is bothered and not bothered by. It's hard to follow the show sometimes when the character is so inconsistant - sometimes he tries hard to resist temptations when he's around Natalie and Julie, showing a strong bond developing. Then there are other instances, like this week with the ladle, that he reacts so callously that you'd think they were adversaries. I'm surprised Tony Shaloub has let this continue - Monk has made the show great at times that he struggles with his impulses, but has really brought it down when he resorts to petty things that sometimes don't make sense. Good observation with the stretch - Leland's bottle - but this show has done that for years - almost making me nostalgic for old shows like Hart to Hart - when murder seemed to follow them around for no reason whatsoever. I will be sad to see Monk go next year, mainly because the show has always had so much potential to be great even though rarely it was. I will still hold out some hope that they will go out with a bang - getting some better written episodes and showing some respect to the viewers that have stuck with this show from the beginning, despite the disappointments and delays.
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11-29-2008 @ 9:18PM
mj said...
Poor Adrian is just so sad. He will never get over Trudy, although he wants to, desperately. He wants to be normal. You can see the pain in him. But he just can't. I did like this episode. I did NOT like Leland without his 'stash. GROW IT BACK. Please. It was nice seeing Randy be more assertive. When Leland is there, he can't compete. I loved the plastic tree. I will so miss this show. Now, if Adrian can get together with Dr. Sheldon Cooper....what a team. And the whole Monk, p.i, thing was hysterical.
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11-30-2008 @ 12:38AM
James West said...
Everyone knows that bums make their own gravy.
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11-30-2008 @ 7:11AM
Joe said...
The point of the ladle was that Julie drank straight from it. Stottlemeyer's wasn't 'naive', unless you think that everyone who has faith is naive.
Monk drinking from the fountain was the second most powerful moment of this season. The most powerful of this and possibly the whole series still lingers in my head. In the 100th case episode, Monk mentioned that as sad as he was, he couldn't die until he knew who killed Trudy.
I love that they make this character and show every single side of him; rude, funny, childish and tragic. I think this episode had the perfect balance of those four.
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11-30-2008 @ 11:07AM
Argus said...
First off, not everything has DNA on it, and a plastic bottle probably wouldn't either. Second, the point of those bottles was that they were imported from Canada, and thus only Leland would have them.
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11-30-2008 @ 2:50PM
cret said...
I think that it's a reference to "gravy train" dog food. Just add water and it makes its own gravy.
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11-30-2008 @ 3:40PM
Parl said...
Yeah, this was a pretty bad episode.
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12-01-2008 @ 5:35PM
RobinD said...
Regarding ladle: Christmas-time. Usually not a happy time for people in grief. I just thought it predisposed Adrian to more cranky behavior, maybe behavior he usually wouldn't be predisposed to. Julie's character, though appearing to have good intentions, well, it's just plain mean to eat from a common utensil and then offer it to a cleanliness nut... deliberately pushing his buttons, though not admitting to it...
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12-03-2008 @ 6:38PM
Heather said...
I thought this was an excellent episode. I laughed out loud at the charades to Leland. There would have been DNA on the bottles because Leland drank straight from the bottle itself. But that is not the point. The point of every case solved is that it is solved by Monk, by looking at little obscure things. I am sad to see it go. I hope that he solves his ultimate case in the end.
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12-05-2008 @ 7:31PM
PJ said...
"Bums Gravy" is not so mysterious: "bum" is a common euphemism for a rear end -- "gravy" is a brown viscous liquid, like diarhea.
Like "Hershey quirts," "bum's gravy" is a light hearted term for a serious situation....
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