Mr. Monk Meets the Candidate

Monk Episode Review

In which they're working on the milk. He's making good progress on milk.

What Happened

In between wondering whether his stove was left on, former detective Adrian Monk helps the San Francisco police department. His nervous breakdown, complicated by anxiety disorder that grew worse after the murder of his beloved wife Trudy, led to him being tossed off the force. Nowadays, with the help of his nurse Sharona, he uses his "brilliant" deductive skills to read crime scenes like a book.

Captain Stottlemeyer is ordered to ask Monk to help when a Mayoral candidate is shot at during a campaign speech. When Monk investigates the room the shots were fired from, he becomes convinced that the shooter is the same guy who killed a woman on the other random case he's working on. Stottlemeyer is not amused.

Monk and Sharona inquire if victim #1 Nicole Vasquez was working for Sinclair's campaign, but come up empty. Only after the death of another staffer does Monk point the finger at Sinclair's campaign manager Gavin Llyod, who has been covering up evidence of his embezzlment.

During Monk's reveal, the sniper Llyod hired snatches Sharona, but Monk gets over his Sewage Issues and is able to rescue her, making him a hero and increasing the chances of reinstatement to the police force.

What We Learned

• Sharona turned all the knobs.
• Monk's going with the flow.
• Never trust people who use religious metaphors in politics.
• Miranda's seen Sacramento. It's hardly the promised land.
• A man who hasn't made any enemies hasn't done squat.
• Monk is afraid of germs, the dark, heights, crowds, and milk.
• They're working on the milk. He's making good progress on milk.
• Sharona never votes. It only encourages them.
• Monk has to listen to Miranda. He doesn't have to believe her.
• Tuesday is chicken pot pie night.
• Two's company, three's a crowd, and Monk hates crowds.
• The most wanted man in the city got away because Monk got dizzy.
• Llyod was in hell, surrounded by honest people.

Best Lines

Monk: "Unless I'm wrong, which... you know... I'm not... you were in Chicago."

Monk: "Did you hear that?"
Benjy: "Yeah, it's an echo. You have to get out more."

What Did I Think?

Brilliant pilot.