TV Show Review: Monk - Season 6

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Strong episodes like "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees."

Cons: Weak episodes like "Mr. Monk and the Rapper."

The Bottom Line:

Uneven season

With some cringe worth moments

But still worth watching

Mr. Monk Begins to Show His Age

I got hooked on Monk during season two and have been an avid watching ever since. In the past, I have complained that the show could devolve into caricature and lose the delicate balance between serious and silly. That has never been more evident than it is in season six. Don't get me wrong, the series is still lots of fun. But this isn't the best season.

After six seasons, Monk probably doesn't need much of an introduction. The series follows the adventures of Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) as he attempts to overcome his many phobias and compulsions to regain his place on the police force. All the time, he hopes to figure out who killed his wife, Trudy. Helping him face the real world is Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard). Calling on Monk for help are Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lieutenant Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford).

The season opens with Sarah Silverman reprising her role as Monk's biggest fan. She hires Monk to find out who is framing her dog for murder. The catch? The dog died before the murder took place.

And there is more fun to be had. Monk suspects Captain Stottlemeyer's new girlfriend of murder. Natalie's daughter Julie (Emmy Clarke) gets her first boyfriend and learns to drive. Monk takes a job as a security guard at his bank to catch a robber. He must deal with the consequences of shooting Santa. And he falls under the spell of cult leader Howie Mandel.

In the most dramatic episode in a long time, Monk confronts the six fingered man, the man who killed Trudy. But he doesn't learn who hired the man before Monk finds himself accused of shooting him. Can Monk clear his own name?

When the show is working well, it still shines. When done right, the show manages to find the humor in the situation Monk is facing while still reminding us that Monk is human. It can be in a look or a line. A good example is "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees" when Natalie sends Monk in to give Julie "the talk." The scene starts off awkward but quickly changes to tender and heart breaking as Monk starts talking about Trudy. In fact, the Julie/Monk dynamic is always good. I wish she'd been in more episodes.

On the other hand, they seem to have more trouble finding that balance here. There are several episodes, like the one involving the nude beach, that are more painful than funny. The worst offender is "Mr. Monk and the Rapper." Maybe it's because I would have behaved just like Monk did (okay, that's probably it), but Monk's awkward attempts at hip hop weren't funny. And his reactions to that environment were painfully unfunny. Fortunately, it's only a couple episodes that don't work. But when there are only sixteen episodes in the season, that does add up.

The one thing that remains strong is the acting. All four of the leads have their characters down to a science this time. But it hasn't become stale. They still give it everything they have each week. And the guest stars always rise to the occasion.

The most bitter sweet thing about this season is it represents the last work of the late Stanley Kamel. For six seasons, he was always brilliant as Monk's psychiatrist, Dr. Kroger. I don't see how they can replace him in the show, but I have faith they will have done a good job.

The set itself is pretty much what we have come to expect over the last few years. The sixteen episodes are presented in widescreen on four discs. There are seven "visual commentaries" this go around, which are a couple minutes of the writers being interviewed about an episode. There is also a full length audio commentary on "Mr. Monk is up All Night" that features Tony Shalhoub, Ted Levine, Jason Gray-Stanford (Traylor Howard hardly appeared in the episode), and Director Randy Zisk. Frankly, I found it a weak episode, and the okay commentary doesn't help it any.

After six years, the show may no longer be at the top of its game in season six. But you can still do worse for entertainment than an episode (or season set) of Monk.

Season Six Episodes:

1. Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan

2. Mr. Monk and the Rapper

3. Mr. Monk and the Naked Man

4. Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend

5. Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees

6. Mr. Monk and the Buried Treasure

7. Mr. Monk and the Daredevil

8. Mr. Monk and the Wrong Man

9. Mr. Monk is up All Night

10. Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa Claus

11. Mr. Monk Joins a Cult

12. Mr. Monk Goes to the Bank

13. Mr. Monk and the Three Julies

14. Mr. Monk Paints His Masterpiece

15. Mr. Monk is on the Run - Part 1

16. Mr. Monk is on the Run - Part 2