Back on track...slightly
After what was a disapointing 4th series with practically no advancement in the Trudi case it was good to see some mentions of her death again in the first few episodes. Having said that though it appeared that the case still has'nt moved on an inch from where it was left in series 2?
What worries me is that Monk can't last forever as a series, would'nt it be better to rap all this up before it's pushed out unfinished or the main stars get tired and we end up with some sort of bodge together job like the Dukes Of Hazzard turned into or the X Files (i mean, did anyone actually make it to the last series let alone and be interested?)
Anyway, overall it was an excellent series. I laughed a lot, which I think is good but have to say I also think humour was injected a lot more to make up for a lack of clever storylines.
I'm sort of looking forward to series 6, it looks like the story progresses a bit but really I think it's time it was wrapped up.

Different, but still peerless - MONK
I freely admit to having an undying love for this show. The first four seasons of MONK have been a peerless combination of gripping action, confounding mystery, subtle comedy, touching melodrama and all round superb character acting. Hence, I was desperate to see the fifth season and was lucky enough to rent it on DVD before UK broadcast. I had high hopes for Seaon five and throughout the DVD there are at least two or three golden moments per each MONK. The overall standard is exceptional and still enjoyable.

This series of Monk has all the elements of the previous series, however the comedy and melodrama are really at the forefront. There are several episodes where the situation comedy works really well and makes good viewing (Mr Monk and the Garbage Strike, Mr Monk and the Big Game, Mr Monk Can't See a Thing, and, my personal favourites, Mr Monk Gets a New Shrink & Mr Monk and the Really Really Dead Guy). But to accommodate the comedy/melodrama, some episodes have the murder mystery virtually as a secondary plot (Mr Monk and the Actor, Mr Monk meets his Dad) though these are still entertaining.

I love all the aspects of the character of Adrian Monk but his main talent is his brilliant crime solving. Personally, I do watch the show for the murder mysteries. I love the previous series where there is an element of an impossible murder (as in Mr Monk goes to Mexico) or a perfect alibi (Mr Monk and the Sleeping Suspect,) a charismatic/celebrity suspect (Mr Monk and the TV Star, Mr Monk and the Astronaut) or a simple who-done-it mystery (Mr Monk and the 12th Man). I find I can forgive any inconsistency or anomalies in the plot as long as the creators have taken extra steps to set up (and then explain) a good murder mystery.

With that I mind, I really liked Adrian Monk going up against the shock-jock radio star with a perfect alibi in Mr Monk is on the Air. This is an all round classic Monk (even if the eventual murder method is highly reminiscence of a murder featured on a Columbo episode). Also, despite being awkward in places, Mr Monk and the Class Reunion is pretty good. Despite being awkward in places, It deliberately builds up to a point where the viewer is left totally mystified as to what is going on, but all for the purpose of the story. Watching it a second time round, it is actually quite clever and funny.

There are one or two episodes that are slow and dull at times, but this has been the case in previous series. However, I particularly did not like Mr Monk and the Leper, shot in film noir style black and white. For MONK, it was unnecessarily artistic and surreal, the film noir references were lost on me and, although I liked its subtle in-jokes, It felt it was slightly pretentious; an opinion I never thought I would label at the show. There were also two glaring on-scene errors, which spoilt the viewing experience (Randy at the clinic, Monk on the air ballon - the creators make jokey reference to the errors when giving the directors commentary).

Additional features on this DVD include the directors commentary on the black & white version of Mr Monk and the Leper . It has some of the creators and crew, its not really insightful but nice to hear their critical veiws anyway. Meanwhile the Webisodes are a great additional feature. They are each 2-3 minutes long but show Adrian Monk at his quirkiest and funniest.

All in all, it's great to see new episodes of the show,and despite noticing its changes, I still feel it is a great watch. Luckily, UK Television has finally decided to broadcast this series of Monk, though long after the DVD release. Perhaps this decreases the necessity to buy or rent it, I would suggest buying the complete set seasons 1-5 and enjoy all Mr Monk and friends anytime at your own leisure; something that I am seriously considering myself.

Monk returns to our screen
With his quirky mannerisms you can't help but get hooked on Monk.

This season sees Monk in many funny pickles, blinded he still manages to solve a crime and in the process temporarily helps control his fears, what he can't see can't bother him.

This has to be one of my favourite shows on TV, I watched the complete series back to back including the webisodes, don't miss out on them.

The only annoying thing about this series is the film noir, it had two versions of the same episode, I want more Monk, not the same one twice. Roll on season 6.

Compulsive brilliance
Adrian Monk's wife was killed in a car bomb. Already a delicate person, Monk's OCD and phobias became overpowering, meaning that he was unable to continue working for the police force but could come back as a consultant. But Monk's attention to detail makes him a brilliant detective. It sounds like a very angsty programme when you look at the back story, so how is it that Monk remains one of the funniest, most original detective shows around?

Tony Shalhoub's brilliantly nuanced central performance undoubtedly has a lot to do with it. The character has a lot of twitches, but it is undoubtedly Shalhoub's delivery of the lines in that hangdog, slightly drony manner that makes Monk's Charlie Brown karma so endearing. Monk can be intensely selfish at times because of his obsessiveness, there's a great scene in this series where a refuse collectors strike leads Monk to commandeer a rubbish truck and drive around the city trying to clean it up by himself. When asked by Capt Stottlemeyer what he's going to do when the truck is filled up, he replies "Drive into the river. Then get another truck, fill it up and drive that into the river." At other times, particularly when thinking about his wife Trudie, the pathos brings a tear to your eye.

I don't really watch Monk for the murders, I see them as just being a set up to see how Monk reacts to a certain situation, and there are some good situations in this series, such as when Dr Kroger, Monk's therapist, decides to retire when he thinks a cleaning woman has been killed by one of his patients and Monk desperately tries to convince him not to.

What's great is that, even in this the fifth season, Monk still feels fresh. Like Columbo it's the sort of show that because of the great acting of the lead, and the brilliant character work, I can keep going back to it and watching it again. I thought the Mr Monk, Private Eye episode was quite slow, even for Monk's pacing, and that it failed to fully examine the setup. But one out of sixteen isn't bad.

You also get a pilot for a show called Psych, which isn't as good as Monk, but may have legs.

If you're already a fan of Monk, this fifth series won't disappoint. If you haven't seen Monk, you're in for a treat!

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