"Monk" Season 8 thread (1 Viewer)

[Zack Gibbs]

White Collar finishing the rest of its season out at 9pm doesn't constitute "replacing Monk," though. It doesn't matter when Monk comes on, it would always be USA's centerpiece.

For all their other shows, as good as they may be, none of them have the mass appeal of Monk. That's the real void the show will leave.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Joseph DeMartino

I think that would have padded things out. The climax of any story runs more quickly than the build-up. The Fugitive ended with a "mere" two parter. The last act of any play or movie youve ever seen is shorter than the ones leading up to it. Even the punchline of a joke is just that - a line, soemtimes just one word, not a series of lines. That's just the nature of storytelling. I don't think watching Monk pick up one breadcrumb at a time over three or four episodes (and an extra couple of cliff-hangers) would have added materially to the pay-off the last episode will give us.

OK, I'll bite, what show are you talking about? (And why be so coy about naming it?)
Regards,

Joe

I disagree. I think four (or more) episodes would have done the story justice, not two. But for my own part, I think this has to do with the general weakness of the last four or five episodes. I have been disappointed with Monk over the past month, and thought that a well-planned, four or five-story arc would have rewarded viewers more substantially than what has occurred recently.

As for your question, I was not being coy. I didn't want to name it. I thought that was quite clear.

 

[TonyD]

Originally Posted by TonyD

Yes a very good episode.
Now isn't it about time to start getting into his wife's murder.
I'm just concerned they will just use only 2 or 3 episodes to wrap that all up.

I was hoping this would be more of a season long section of the show.

Originally Posted by Ockeghem




I disagree. I think four (or more) episodes would have done the story justice, not two. But for my own part, I think this has to do with the general weakness of the last four or five episodes. I have been disappointed with Monk over the past month, and thought that a well-planned, four or five-story arc would have rewarded viewers more substantially than what has occurred recently.

As for your question, I was not being coy. I didn't want to name it. I thought that was quite clear.

I mentioned that back in Oct on the 10th so I agree with Scott, I would have liked a few more eps.
Also why the secret on what you think is the pride of USA original programing?
I guess it's not a big deal but mentioning it and deciding not to say, seems a bit odd to me.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by TonyD









I mentioned that back in Oct on the 10th so I agree with Scott, I would have liked a few more eps.
Also why the secret on what you think is the pride of USA original programing?
I guess it's not a big deal but mentioning it and deciding not to say, seems a bit odd to me.

Tony,

Yes, I remember that you mentioned this. I almost wish -- and I know this can't happen now -- that a half season or so had been devoted to the unsolved murder. That IMO had the potential of being spectacular. I feel the way it has been handled thus far (including part one) has been somewhat of a cheat. But I still enjoy the show quite a lot, obviously.

 

[TonyD]

Me too, and as it it stands now the actual solving of the murder will really be only one single episode.
The just aired show seemed to mostly be running around trying to figure out what the poison was.

 

[Ockeghem]

Tony,

You don't suppose that they're doing this to surprise us with another season, do you? Wouldn't that be amazing. They conclude next week's episode with "To be continued...". Wow. How I wish!

 

[nolesrule]

Scott, whatever you're smoking, please share.

 

[Ockeghem]

^^^

Well, there's nothing wrong with hoping. But I understand it's not going to happen.

 

[Ockeghem]

So, what are peoples' thoughts on who Trudy's killer might be? I think it's the Judge. I think he had Trudy killed, and that he had the pharmacist killed. (He may have had others killed as well -- maybe dating back several years, but I really don't know where all of the pieces of the puzzle fit as yet.) I think that since he has aspirations to become a Senator, he has found himself in a spot whereby he needs to 'clean things up' a bit before he settles into his political campaign. I obviously don't know the particulars, but perhaps Trudy knew he was corrupt, and this may be revealed on the recording. As far as the pharmacist is concerned, it may be that he was going through paperwork and found something on the Judge as well. It's quite intriguing to me that Monk was at that particular crime scene when he first received the call regarding Trudy.

BTW, my oldest son said he believes Monk has been poisoned by using his wipes. I think that could be -- a very smart move by the person(s) who wants Adrian killed.

 

[TonyD]

I think it was pretty clear who was on the phone talking to the guy who poisoned monk.
Unless that was a deliberate red herring, but that would be a cheat.

Good point on the wipes, did they already say that everything on the sales reciept was tested?

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by TonyD

I think it was pretty clear who was on the phone talking to the guy who poisoned monk.
Unless that was a deliberate red herring, but that would be a cheat.

Good point on the wipes, did they already say that everything on the sales reciept was tested?

Tony,

Yes, I think they did say this (about the receipt). And I suppose Monk would not leave his own wipes in his cart (for a possible exchange). Doesn't he carry them on his person -- or previously, on Sharona's and Natalie's person? I also have to believe he would notice any change to them. Hmmm.

 

[TonyD]

Monk wasn't there when Nat was with her boyfriend buying for monk when that guy took her cart he must have tampered or replaced an item.
Wipes are sealed and are mostly impossible to reseal to look like new.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by TonyD

Monk wasn't there when Nat was with her boyfriend buying for monk when that guy took her cart he must have tampered or replaced an item.
Wipes are sealed and are mostly impossible to reseal to look like new.

Good points.

"Wipes are sealed and are mostly impossible to reseal to look like new."

LOL. Which means that it is virtually impossible to fool Monk in this case (with wipes, that is).

 

[Steve_Pannell]

Originally Posted by TonyD

Monk wasn't there when Nat was with her boyfriend buying for monk when that guy took her cart he must have tampered or replaced an item.
Wipes are sealed and are mostly impossible to reseal to look like new.

Something could have been injected with a hypodermic syringe.

 

[Joe_H]

Another nice touch that I liked is that they brought back the Navy doctor as Natalie's boyfriend. I remember a passing reference to it an episode or two ago, but it's nice to see them have him back for the grocery scene.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Originally Posted by Ockeghem

So, what are peoples' thoughts on who Trudy's killer might be? I think it's the Judge. I think he had Trudy killed, and that he had the pharmacist killed. (He may have had others killed as well -- maybe dating back several years, but I really don't know where all of the pieces of the puzzle fit as yet.)

I was trying to be circumspect with my first post, but as long as we're speculating: it was quite clearly Craig T. Nelson's sillouette and Craig T. Nelson's voice on the phone. Couple that with the phone call scene coming directly after they go to him for a warrant, and it's pretty obvious that Craig T. Nelson is the killer. It's interesting that in the promos for the episode they distorted the judge's voice, but in the show itself they didn't bother. I would have preferred it if they had. As Tony said, it will be a really cheat if it turns out not to be Craig T. Nelson that made the call. I am open to the idea that the Judge is simply an intermediary to whomever really made the decision. I do like that the Judge was not some mobster-esque nickname but a job title.

I think that since he has aspirations to become a Senator, he has found himself in a spot whereby he needs to 'clean things up' a bit before he settles into his political campaign.

Did they say senator? If I recall correctly, the governor had appointed him to the state supreme court. I think the disappearance of the midwife, the death of the pharmacist and Trudy's murder all all tied into the conspiracy that has been in the background this entire series.


As for "Monk" being the crown jewel, I wasn't speaking solely on quality (although I happen to believe that "Monk" is still the best show on USA) but also in creating the mold that virtually every show on the network today follows. It's the longest running show on the network, and Monk was probably the impetus for the "Characters Welcome" branding. The formula: quirky but brilliant protagonist, episodic plots and an overarching mythology that is touched on just often enough to keep the show from being strictly a procedural.

 

[AlexF]

Question: How many original series does USA have?

The ones I can think of are:

Monk
Psych
Burn Notice
Royal Pains
White Collar

Are there others?

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt

Did they say senator? If I recall correctly, the governor had appointed him to the state supreme court. I think the disappearance of the midwife, the death of the pharmacist and Trudy's murder all all tied into the conspiracy that has been in the background this entire series.

Adam,

Yes, I believe you're right about it being an appointment to the state supreme court. My error.

I don't know Craig T. Nelson all that well, so I wouldn't have caught that reference. I accept that you know these characters better than I (which you surely do).

I guess Dale the Whale isn't going to be making an appearance after all.

I missed the opening clip to the episode on Friday night (we tuned in at around 9:04 p.m. as we were watching a film that went a tad long). Was Ed Begley, Jr. the man that was killed? I remember him being quite young in an episode of Room 222, and of course as Mr. Starling in VOY. If this was his character, I found it a bit odd that he, as a major guest star, would be gone so soon. Maybe they plan to use him in pt. 2 via flashbacks?

Incidentally, there is quite the Monk marathon on today. We've caught a couple of episodes thus far. I'm really hoping to tape Mr. Monk and the End (pt. 1) sometime prior to next Friday and watch it before next week's finale.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by AlexF

Question: How many original series does USA have?

The ones I can think of are:

Monk
Psych
Burn Notice
Royal Pains
White Collar

Are there others?

I'm not sure. Were Counterstrike, Renegade, Silk Stalkings, and La Femme Nikita USA originals? I thought some of them were, but I may be wrong about this.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Good point on the wipes, did they already say that everything on the sales reciept was tested?

Yes, they did. And yet it is clearly the case that the shopping cart was the killer's only chance to poison Monk. Maybe he used a binary poison, something in two parts that only becomes toxic when the two are combined. Either half by itself could have escaped a tox screen.

I'm not sure. Were Counterstrike, Renegade, Silk Stalkings, and La Femme Nikita USA originals? I thought some of them were, but I may be wrong about this.

I'm not sure, either, but I don't think any of those count as far as being USA's "jewel in the crown" as all of them have been off the air for years and years.

Yes, Ed Begley was the pharamicist and he was featured in the teaser. (And will doubtless appear in flashbacks in the finale.) And I am really the only one who remembers him from St. Elsewhere and Arrested Development?

Regards,

Joe