Mr. Monk Buys a House
- Episode aired Jul 18, 2008
- TV-PG
- 44m
Heartbroken by the sudden death of Dr. Kroger, Monk rushes into homeownership and gets a little more than he bargained for when he hires a very persistent contractor.Heartbroken by the sudden death of Dr. Kroger, Monk rushes into homeownership and gets a little more than he bargained for when he hires a very persistent contractor.Heartbroken by the sudden death of Dr. Kroger, Monk rushes into homeownership and gets a little more than he bargained for when he hires a very persistent contractor.
- Piano Girl
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn the teaser, before being killed, Joseph Moody rambles about how he once had a neighbor whose surname was Nabors. Douglas Nabors was credited in the opening and was one of the long-time co-producers of the series.
- GoofsThe house being remodeled is supposedly an old house, yet every wall that's opened is modern drywall rather than the lath and plaster used in old houses.
- Quotes
[Monk, Natalie, Stottlemeyer and Disher arrive at Cassie Drake's house to check out Monk's suspicions on Joseph Mood, as Monk complains about the messiness of "Honest" Jake's repairs]
Adrian Monk: You should've warned me.
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: I did.
Adrian Monk: Well, why didn't you tie me down and shoot me in the leg? What's the good of having a gun if you don't shoot your friend in the leg when he's about to buy an old house?
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: Next time I will. I promise.
[They come up to the door. Stottlemeyer knocks on the door. With no response, he knocks a Morse code message, presumably in Morse code. He and Disher exchange laughs. Randy in turn taps another message back to Stottlemeyer]
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: Hey did you ever hear about the...?
[taps another message back to Randy. They burst out laughing]
Natalie Teeger: That's not the way I heard it. My husband was in the Navy. Remember?
[Stottlemeyer knocks on the door with a different code]
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: Miss Drake!
[He pulls on the door, which is unlocked. Cautiously and fearing something bad, he pulls open the door. They see the stabbed body of Cassie Drake on the floor]
Natalie Teeger: Oh my God!
[Stottlemeyer and Disher head inside while Monk and Natalie stay back]
Lt. Randall Disher: Stay there.
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: Phone it in!
[Cuts to a police officer stretching crime scene tape across the patio as the medical examiner's van comes to a stop by the police cars. Inside the house, CSI techs take photos of the body as Monk and Natalie stand by]
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: Still no murder weapon. Doc says knitting needle. So what do you think? He was tossing the place when she walked in on him?
Adrian Monk: I-I don't think so. Look at the drawers. They were pulled out and flipped over, but everything's just piled up. He didn't really rifle through them. He was here for her.
[Disher comes out of another room carrying a bag]
Lt. Randall Disher: Captain. I, uh, found this in her closet.
[holds the bag up]
Lt. Randall Disher: $4,000 grand, all $20s and $50s.
Natalie Teeger: Gee, I should've gone to nursing school.
[Monk examines the bills closely]
Adrian Monk: 1967, 1966.
[pause]
Adrian Monk: These are 40 years old. Some of the serial numbers are sequential.
Captain Leland Stottlemeyer: I'll call Treasury. Maybe they can trace it. Wanna come with?
Adrian Monk: Nah, I should probably go home, assuming it's still there.
- Crazy creditsIn Memory of Stanley Kamel
- ConnectionsReferences The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)
- SoundtracksPrelude in A Major, Op. 28, No. 7
(uncredited)
Written by Frédéric Chopin (as 'Frederic Francois Chopin')
Played by the piano girl
While lacking in a few areas, "Mr Monk Buys a House" has a lot of good things and is a very decent season opener. It also did very well considering the rushed and forced circumstances in accommodating the sad ultimely death of Stanley Kamel. They did this very well, paying a moving and affectionate tribute to Kroger also being written out to mirror the death of Kamel (mainly through Monk's grieving. Kroger's new replacement Dr Bell is in a few short scenes and he already proves himself a worthy replacement and Hector Elizondo makes the most of his scenes and the character.
By all means it could have been better. The mystery is too simple, rather obvious (everything is just so easy to solve) and rushed, prefer the slower folding and brain-teaser mysteries myself. Monk is out of character, considering his OCD and fears there was no way he would stand staying, let alone living, in the house with the state it was in, but he acts like all the problems that he would have normally made a big deal of were not there.
The murderer could have been written more consistently too, a dangerous person who would kill any obstacle but when it comes to Monk, his biggest obstacle pretty much in the episode strictly speaking, he is treated pretty indifferently.
However, on top of how well they dealt with the circumstances behind the scenes, the good things are many. There are humorous moments, like Disher and Stottlemeyer's Morse code scene, and touching ones, like Natalie helping Monk through his mourning.
One of the best things about 'Monk' has always been the acting of Tony Shalhoub in the title role. It was essential for him to work and be the glue of the show, and Shalhoub not only is that but also at his very best he IS the show. Have always loved the balance of the humour, which is often hilarious, and pathos, which is sincere and touching. Everybody else of the lead cast support him very well, particularly Traylor Howard and Ted Levine. Brad Garrett is a very strong guest star.
Writing has the usual wry humour, sympathetically treated quirks and tender easy-to-relate-drama.
Visually, the episode is slick and stylish as ever. The music is both understated and quirky. While there is a preference for the theme music for Season 1, Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There" has grown on me overtime, found it annoying at first but appreciate its meaning and what it's trying to say much more now.
Altogether, a decent season opener and moving send off to Kamel and Kroger but could have been better with better character consistency and a stronger mystery. 7/10 Bethany Cox
- TheLittleSongbird
- Sep 8, 2017
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Filming locations
- 215 N Plymouth Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA(Joseph Moody/Adrian Monk House Exteriors)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime44 minutes
- Color