'Monk' has always been one of my most watched shows when needing comfort, to relax after a hard day, a good laugh or a way to spend a lazy weekend.
"Mr Monk Goes Back to School" was outstanding and "Mr Monk Goes to Mexico" was very good and an interesting change of pace. "Mr Monk Goes to the Ballgame" continues this high standard with one of the season's stronger episodes. The whole stuff with the GPS tracking announcer system was very clever to begin with but came over as a little silly once the murders happened. The motive for the killings makes one think "they killed for that".
So much works about "Mr Monk Goes to the Ballgame". As said many times, 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. It is remarkable here that right from the first episode to when the show ended that one likes him straight away, even with his quirks and deficiencies that could easily have been overplayed, and also that he is better developed than most titular characters of other shows at this particular stage. Who can't help love Monk's brilliant mind too?
He is very well supported by a sharp and no-nonsense but also sympathetic Bitty Schram, whose Sharona makes for a worthy and entertaining partner for Monk's sleuthing and somebody with a maternal side. There is always a debate at who's better between Sharona and Natalie, personally like both in their own way and consider them both attractive though as of now leaning towards Natalie as the better acted and more attentive of the two. The two are so enjoyable together and the best detective duo of any show in recent years from personal opinion.
As well as Ted Levine, who has fun in a role completely removed from Buffalo Bill, and a more confident with every episode Jason Gray-Stanford. Love the chemistry between the four all the time, especially with Monk and Sharona and the seesaw one of Monk and Stottlemeyer.
It's not just the cast though. Another star is the writing, which is also essential to whether the show would be successful or not and succeed it does here. The mix of hilarious wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done but extremely deft, of which some of the funniest writing of the whole show is in this episode. The character moments are such a joy with the principal cast are always.
Loved the naked man stuff, which was hilarious, the "Girls can't eat 15 pizzas" clue and Monk's obsession with acronyms. Appreciated the character development for Benjy, the most developed he's been up to this point in the show. Sharona's running gag was amusing too.
The mystery is very interesting, with lots of surprises that keep coming, things personally much more noticeable and appreciated than on previous viewings.
Visually, the episode is shot in a slick and stylish way, and 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.
Overall, great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox
"Mr Monk Goes Back to School" was outstanding and "Mr Monk Goes to Mexico" was very good and an interesting change of pace. "Mr Monk Goes to the Ballgame" continues this high standard with one of the season's stronger episodes. The whole stuff with the GPS tracking announcer system was very clever to begin with but came over as a little silly once the murders happened. The motive for the killings makes one think "they killed for that".
So much works about "Mr Monk Goes to the Ballgame". As said many times, 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. It is remarkable here that right from the first episode to when the show ended that one likes him straight away, even with his quirks and deficiencies that could easily have been overplayed, and also that he is better developed than most titular characters of other shows at this particular stage. Who can't help love Monk's brilliant mind too?
He is very well supported by a sharp and no-nonsense but also sympathetic Bitty Schram, whose Sharona makes for a worthy and entertaining partner for Monk's sleuthing and somebody with a maternal side. There is always a debate at who's better between Sharona and Natalie, personally like both in their own way and consider them both attractive though as of now leaning towards Natalie as the better acted and more attentive of the two. The two are so enjoyable together and the best detective duo of any show in recent years from personal opinion.
As well as Ted Levine, who has fun in a role completely removed from Buffalo Bill, and a more confident with every episode Jason Gray-Stanford. Love the chemistry between the four all the time, especially with Monk and Sharona and the seesaw one of Monk and Stottlemeyer.
It's not just the cast though. Another star is the writing, which is also essential to whether the show would be successful or not and succeed it does here. The mix of hilarious wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done but extremely deft, of which some of the funniest writing of the whole show is in this episode. The character moments are such a joy with the principal cast are always.
Loved the naked man stuff, which was hilarious, the "Girls can't eat 15 pizzas" clue and Monk's obsession with acronyms. Appreciated the character development for Benjy, the most developed he's been up to this point in the show. Sharona's running gag was amusing too.
The mystery is very interesting, with lots of surprises that keep coming, things personally much more noticeable and appreciated than on previous viewings.
Visually, the episode is shot in a slick and stylish way, and 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.
Overall, great episode. 9/10 Bethany Cox