Bring back Sharona!
Monk - still crazy after all these seasons. And, let's face it, there have been two or three too many. Bitty Schram's sudden departure (apparently because she was paid less than everyone else) midway through season three ripped the heart out of the show, and the basic dynamics between the central characters have never worked since. Traylor "Trash" Howard (probably not her real nickname) just doesn't compare.

Season six is fine, just as adequate as the previous two. There are some decent celebrity cameos from Sarah Silverman (reprising her role as Adrian's obsessed number one fan), Snoop Dogg (yes, Snoop Dogg) and Alfred Molina. There's also a little bit of long-awaited progress in the overarching plot. But there's far too much primetime schmaltz and too many formulaic 'let's put Monk in ludicrous undercover situation X and watch him drive everyone mad trying to get every tiny detail perfect' filler episodes. Similarly, there's not enough of the edgy, darker character development and intricate plotting that characterized the first two seasons. It's a real shame that the main ingredients that made Monk a cult hit have disappeared from the show - I hope they wrap things up neatly and make season seven the last.

Good Old Mr Monk
Something for the cold winter nights. Being a fan of Monk,I found this box set,well worth the money. At least you can stop and start when you want. T V today,is full of rubbish.So it's nice to have a choice,and I would give this,five stars all the way.

Fun but Weaker Season
Why mess with success? That seems to be the idea behind this season of Monk. And while it wasn't as strong as some of the other seasons have been, it was certain still fun.

The season opens with Sarah Silverman reprising her role as Monk's biggest fan. She hires Monk (Tony Shalhoub) 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 (Ted Levine) new girlfriend of murder. Natalie's (Traylor Howard) 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. And he must deal with the consequences of shooting Santa. And he falls under the spell of cult leader Howie Mandel.

When I reviewed season five, I did mention that they were occasionally crossing the line from character to caricature. That seemed to be more of a problem here in my eyes. In fact, there were several in a row near the beginning that seemed to be forced for laughs. The episodes dealing with the nude beach and the rapper were painful instead of funny. And some of the others had a been there, done that feel to them.

On the other hand, there are still so many good moments. This is especially true of the two part season finale which advances the Trudy storyline when Monk is accused of murdering the six fingered man.

And I can't fault the acting. All four leads (including Jason Gray-Stanford as Lt. Disher) continue to do great jobs bringing their characters to life. I was disappointed that we only got to see Julie a couple times. And it is sad watching this knowing that we won't get to see the late Stanley Kamel any more as the excellent Dr. Kroger.

Monk may be showing its age. But it is still fun and entertaining. Fans will welcome the newest season into their homes.

Hide Reviews