- Title: Monk – Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger
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Monk Monday takes us back to San Francisco and the toils of the defective detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). A couple of subplots weave into the story of “Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger” involving Monk struggling to pay Sharona (Bitty Schram), who ends up quitting and working in a lamp store for a brief time, and a police officer who flees the scene of the crime and becomes known as “Fraidy Cop” (Jonathan Rannells) by the local media. These two threads each cross over into the main mystery involving a billionaire philanthropist (J.C. MacKenzie) attempting to mug an ex-cop (Peter Onorati) and his date in a parking lot.
Due to pressure from higher ups, Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) nor Randy (Jason Gray-Stanford) are seen mostly looking for “Fraidy Cop” rather than actively investigating a crime that seems to have a reasonable explanation. Neither the crazy rich guy theory nor the jealous husband, after it is revealed the mugging victim had an affair with the billionaire’s wife (Jessica Steen), are acceptable to Monk who believes there’s more to the case (even though closing it would allow him to pay Sharona). During their time separated, it’s Sharona who comes up with the clue to break the case (although it takes Monk to put all the pieces together). “Fraidy Cop” comes into play both in Monk’s summation and in the epilogue neatly tying up the murder as well as the subplots of the episode.
Memorable moments from the episode include both muggings (the current on leading to Teal’s death and the flashbacks to the mugging in college that Sharona uncovers which tie all the events together) and Stottlemeyer’s growing frustration with “Fraidy Cop” who helps them close the case but then runs away again leaving the captain to beg Randy to shoot the fleeing actor, or failing that, shoot him. The episode is also notable in highlighting the block Monk has for his wife’s murder as he investigates what he believes may be a new lead in the case only to discover he’s done so before. Disconnected from the rest of the events, the scene was actually shot for the show’s pilot but cut for time.
