One of the things I think we often forget about
Monk is that it's a team effort. Yes, Monk is an absolutely brilliant detective, but let's face it, without Sherona, he'd be completely lost.
This week's episode raises an interesting question--what are the possible side effects of spending so much time with Monk on Sherona? How does one keep their sanity as a caregiver to a man who acts a lot like her child, Benji? (If you want to see just how childish Monk can act at times, look at the scene in Dr Kroger's waiting room with another OCD patient and re-arranging the magazines. It's funny, but it's also very telling on a lot of levels).
I have to say that putting Sherona in the spotlight is a great idea for an episode. A bit of backstory about her father and how she fears losing control like he did or being unable to care for Benji, herself and Monk was nicely done. I also liked that it tied into the mystery of the week and also that the victim of the week didn't appear on the scene until the third act or so. It was nice to see the slow development of the story and how it all linked together in a rather nice, tight little package. Giving Sherona some time away from Monk worked well and I hope that it garners some Emmy consideration for Bitsy Shram this time next year. Yes, Tony Shaloub is great as Monk, but without Sherona it just wouldn't quite be the same. She's the Watson to his Holmes.
I also had to life Monk's discomfort with his substitute nurse. Also, her quick realization that she needs to get away from Monk before he drives her completely around the bend was nicely done. I figured that Sherona's original draft of the story would be in the moving/trash box about three seconds before it was explained on screen, but other than that, the whole mystery held up pretty well.
posted by Michael Hickerson at 7/31/2004 12:19:00 PM |
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