I'm a huge fan of Monk (a bit of a latecomer, having only started with season 1 recently). This is a bit of a problematic episode and I felt bad for Lauren Tom, an acclaimed American actress who was forced to adopt a stereotypical Chinese accent as Mrs Ling, who is the dry-cleaner nemesis of Monk. Thankfully there was no stereotypical kebab owner with an exaggerated Arab accent I guess for Monk (who himself is Arab-American) to contend with.
There's much mystery in this, as we wonder who is the 12th Man. It's not to do with cricket, but something more legal. Jerry Levine, who guest stars as the deputy mayor and Sharona's love interest, is also one of the directors of Monk. I don't think Jerry is related to Ted.