- Title: Monk – Mr. Monk and the Candidate
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Monk Monday takes us back to San Francisco and the toils of the defective detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub). Premiering in July of 2002, the double-sized opener introduced us not only to former police detective Adrian Monk, whose OCD and neuroses kicked into overdrive following the murder of his wife Trudy, but also his long-suffering nurse and assistant Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram), his psychiatrist Dr. Kroger (Stanley Kamel), and both Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lieutenant Randy Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford). Part Sherlock Holmes, part Columbo, and part something very different, for the better part of the next decade Mr. Monk put his unique skills to the test against his demons and phobias and always came out on top.
The pilot episode sees Monk easing his way back into police work as a consulting detective in Santa Clara while desperately wanting reinstatement in San Francisco. While is mind is as sharp as ever, seeing details everyone else misses at a crime scene, he is constantly distracted. This would allow for the show to inject humor in a serious scene about murder but also a way for Monk to continue to be underestimated by the criminals he will put away over the show’s eight seasons.
Looking back at the first episode, the biggest surprise is the level of disdain Stottlemeyer shows for Monk despite his obvious jealousy at Monk’s keen insight. Randy is pretty much as expected, but Stottlemeyer would get some tweaking. Without loosing the Captain’s gruff exterior, it’s something that will be toned down while still allowing impatience with Monk’s 312 phobias (one of which allows a killer to escape during the premiere).
Brought in over Stottlemeyer’s objections, Monk begins investigating a murder at a political rally which he quickly assumes is tied to the case he is also investigating in Santa Clara (although it will take most of the double-sized episode for him to put together exactly how). Coming to understand who the real intended victim of the attack and the actions of one of the political operatives on the stage allows Monk to put all the pieces of the case together.
We see several instances of Monk’s keen insight at various crime scenes over the course of the investigation, key moments where he’s able to tie clues together, his actions and attitudes rubbing everyone (even Sharona who quits during the premiere) the wrong way at times, and his out-of-control OCD which actually saves him from being run over by the killer. The premiere also offers the first of many “here’s what happened” finales which would become a staple of the show with Monk solving the case.
The show was a hit and set the standard for the USA Network who delivered a strong slate of series over the next decade including the likes of White Collar, Burn Notice, Covert Affairs, In Plain Sight, and Psych. Shaloub was nominated every single year for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series taking home the Emmy four times along with the show garnering other recognition as well.
