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Here is where we will put our recaps, thoughts and other items about USA SHOWS.. Those shows include right now, MONK, PSYCH, BURN NOTICE, STARTER WIFE, IN PLAIN SIGHT AMOUNG OTHERS.... Monk: Mr. Monk's 100th Case (S07E07) Too often when a show reaches an anniversary, like say 100 episodes, the producers feel the need to mark the occasion with an extraordinary entry. That was what happened with Monk.
To commemorate the 100th episode, they created Mr. Monk's 100th Case, and using a show within a show format, celebrated Adrian Monk, a modern day Sherlock Holmes. San Francisco's defective detective
Thank goodness it all worked! I was afraid we were going to get a clip-laden, down-memory-lane type of show with nothing remotely intriguing. No, writer Tom Scharpling and company were more clever than that.
Yes, there were memories, but there was also a new case and many of Monk's previous adversaries/killers (guest stars) that were revisited in new filmed scenes! Kudos to the Monk team for getting so many stars to return.
Eric McCormack played an unctuous host of a TV crime docudrama series called In Focus. With a haughty "Chris Hanson style" (To Catch a Predator), the In Focus production focused on Monk solving a serial killer case.
This gave the show a great opportunity to remind viewers about the Monk biography, including a really good recap of the death of his wife, Trudy. It wasn't just the telling of her dying in a car bombing, it was that documentary footage, the interviews with Ambrose, Monk's brother (John Turtturo), and Stottlemeyer, about how her death devastated Adrian.
Then, the question asked by Novak of Monk, "Why do you keep going?" With tears in his eyes, Monk answers, "I can't die until I know." The Trudy connection has never been better explained than that.
There was a good balance between the serious stuff -- Trudy -- and the comic -- Monk's quirks, like what he does with his hands and why. It was an easy get when Monk discovered that the photographer was the link to the killings -- his name was on each photo. But it was good that for once the obvious suspect was the killer, but not the "guy."
You had the feeling that Eric McCormack had to be the "guy." His motivation was a little weak (his wife was going to find out he was cheating), as was his pulling a gun in a room filled with cops -- did he really think he was going to shoot his way out of there?
As I mentioned, many of the stars who've appeared on Monk returned for extended cameos, including Howie Mandel and Andy Richter. My favorites were Angela Kinsey, Sarah Silverman and Brooke Adams. Also, you had to love it when Tim Bagley as Harold Krenshaw, Monk's enemy, was interviewed. I think Dr. Bell and all references to Dr. Kroger were left out because of doctor/patient confidentiality. Would a psychologist discuss a patient with a filmmaker? No.
What was missing was Sharona (Bitty Schram). She should have been one of the interviews.
The topper was the finale, with Monk saying he was going to stop detecting because 100 was a good even number to call it quits. Natalie nicely noted that it was actually case 101, forcing Monk to keep going till he reaches 200 -- or so they said. I guess that'll be up to USA and Tony Shalhoub.
Other points of interest
-- Gillian, Disher's girlfriend is a re-enactor, an actor specializing in shows the re-enact crimes. "She was bludgeoned to death on Dateline," says Randy proudly. Later, when the gun fires and she falls to the ground, it set up a great line: "Sorry, force of habit!"
-- When Natalie warned Stottlemeyer to stop switching over to the basketball game, he snarked at her, "You're not my mother."
-- Loved seeing Kathryn Joosten, "Where's the fiber?" commercial lady and Desperate Housewives' regular (not to mention Mrs. Landingham on The West Wing) as Monk's babysitter from childhood.
-- Monk's TV remote language was great: Picture freezer, picture go fast, picture regular.
-- I liked the Dracula at The Morbid Cafe, the whole idea of that kind of theme restaurant was very funny.
-- Randy's assertion that "If you can name him, you can catch him" about serial killers was typical Disher inanity. The Lipstick Assassin or Mr. Lipstick.
-- Sharon Lawrence was supposed to be included in the cameos according to a press release; I guess she couldn't make it or her clips wound up on the cutting room floor (or extra file on the PC). |
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Burn Notice, "Double Booked": Eric Stratton, rush chairman, damn glad to meet you After taking some time off for tennis, "Burn Notice" is back for two more weeks until going on siesta until early '09. Spoilers for tonight's episode coming up just as soon as I offer a man named Ted Nugent a thousand dollars to listen to my proposal...
Well, if they're going away for a while, at least they're going away with two really strong episodes. (USA sent out a screener of both, but I'll obviously refrain from saying anything more about next week's show.)
Let's start off with Tim Matheson, who both directed the episode and guest-starred as Michael's not-so-dead old buddy. When the hell did Matheson go and turn 60? (IMDb says nearly a year ago, actually.) He may not be as young and spritely as he was in "Animal House" (or even "Fletch"), but he can still carry himself like a man you don't want to mess with, and he was appropriately menacing and darkly funny here. The bit where he casually twirled the screwdriver in his hands was nice, but what really sold the danger was the fact that Michael -- who has an answer for any situation -- seemed scared of the guy.
Michael of course had less reason to be afraid around the hitman-hiring stepson (the latest in a long string of post-"Home Improvement" young punk roles played by Zachary Bryan), and slipped convincingly into character as a knife-wielding psycho. In some ways, "Burn Notice" is beginning to resemble the better parts of "Alias" -- not the confusing Rambaldi mythology or constant reboots, but the way it gives the leading man an opportunity to slip into another character each week before he gets to convincingly kick ass by the end.
(The shows also have strained parent-child relations in common, and this season's rehabilitation of Madline continues with the therapy session where Michael finds out his mom, not his dad, signed him into the military.)
I admire the way the "Burn Notice" team has been able to stretch their basic cable dollar, not only snagging three recognizable guest stars (including Amy Pietz as the target) when usually they have to get by with one at best, but also doing a good old-fashioned stunt with Michael jacking the garbage truck onto the back of his stolen pick-up. Not to sound like a grumpy old man who loves to talk about how everything was better in the good old days, but watching a gag like that reminds me that practical effects are often much more impressive and convincing than the CGI that's become so abundant because it's (relatively) cheap and easy to use.
Though Fiona's paramedic boyfriend turns out not to be Victor, as some people had guessed, the Carla arc progresses, and we finally get back to the key card she had him steal in her last appearance.
Good stuff. This season, "Burn Notice" has gone from amiable background noise to can't-miss viewing for me. |
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What’s that? You didn’t think what? What? You didn’t think Roth would ever get arrested for selling cocaine? What then chucklehead? He’s gonna flip! - Michael Westen Oh, Mike and I go way back. �?1 or �?2, the Balkans. He’s a good kid. And he knows the score, too. I’ve taken a look at his dossier, and I’m glad he finally figured out how to get paid for what he’s good at. Still a little soft, though.
I’ll tell you what happened tonight, sure. But if anyone finds out - and I do mean anyone - that I talked to you and I’m going to kill everybody. And I mean *everybody*. The Recap Things start out simple enough. Mike and Sam - I never liked that guy - are running down their list of Bill Johnsons. At Bill Johnson #10, they find what they’re looking for, a bottle of laundry bluing in the garbage blotting out documents. Later that evening, I corner Mike outside that rathole he calls a home. The look on his face when he realized it was really me was priceless. He was a little reluctant to trust his good buddy, but who can blame him? Everyone thinks I’ve been dead for almost twenty years! Plus, Mike’s still angry the government burned him. Like I said, I’ve seen the Michael Westen dossier. A few unauthorized kills, a few state secrets sold to the highest bidder, and they were done with him. The government might not have a use for him anymore, but I sure do. I’ve got a job in Miami and figure I can let Mike do it and keep my hands clean. He’s just got to kill a woman. This cancer nurse, Jeannie Anderson, she’s the “dead-ee�? Married a rich patient. He got better, then he got sick again. She needs to die before he does. That’s the job, nice and simple. And I offered Mike $20K to do it. Smart kid, knew I low-balled him, so he countered with $30K. I remind Michael what I tell all my clients: if a cop comes anywhere near the job, I kill *everybody*. The next morning, Michael meets Fiona with her boyfriend Campbell, the paramedic. He takes her away to help him out with the victim. Mike needs to meet the target and warn her that…well, that *I’ve* been hired to kill her! It doesn’t take long for Jeannie to figure out it’s the kid, Drew, who wants her dead. He’s an entitled punk, long on ambition, short on brains. He’s whiny Jeannie’s been added to the will and hired me to take care of her. But he triple-booked the job! Michael finds out and convinces me to cancel the contract. So, pretending to be me, Michael gets Drew to call off the other hits. Drew can’t get through to one of them. A dump truck is on its way to run Jeannie and Fiona off the road, so Michael steals a pickup and…I wish I’d been there to see it. To hear about it is pretty impressive, though. He gets in front of the truck and just slams on his brakes. The front tires of the dump truck ride up onto the pickup bed and both vehicles come to a stop. It was something else. Drew’s on the run, the hits are off, and Michael figures it’s all good. But I think I want to get paid. So I pay a visit to Drew. The hit’s back on. I’m gonna poison her! But damn it, if Michael isn’t a step ahead of me. He’s got Fiona inside with Jeannie and she spots the fork I poisoned. And her boyfriend, Sam, and a buddy of his are outside in Campbell’s ambulance. Jeannie fakes it and gets carted off. I think I’ve finished the job and meet Drew to get paid where Michael’s on a rooftop with a rifle. But Drew’s nervous. I get the money, kill the kid, and get out of town scot-free. I heard through the grapevine after I shuffled off to Buffalo that Michael and Sam tracked down Carla’s sniper, too. Looks like Mike’s been running logistics on this guy’s op the whole time and didn’t know it. Figures he can make something of that. Character Counts Madeline has found herself a new counselor, and she thinks this one might be better - might take her side - than the last one. She and Michael have their first joint session and little positive occurs. The counselor gives them an assigment to write down five things for which they’re grateful about the other person. When Michael asks if this is homework, the counselor replies, without a trace of irony, that he prefers “to call it lifework. In fact, that’s the name of the book I’m writing.�?/P> As Michael needs a way to get Bill Johnson’s landlady out of the house in order to break in, and Madeline provides an exterminator’s uniform, Michael makes sure to put “outfitted me with a cover ID�?at position one on his list. We don’t hear positions two through four, but the fifth thing for which Michael is grateful is that Madeline gave him good vision. Comes in handy. Madeline’s understandably upset, but then we learn that it wasn’t Michael’s father who signed the release letting him join the army at 17, but Madeline who forged the signature. She knew he had too much of his father in him and would end up in jail or worse on the outside, so she gave him focus. Michael’s truly grateful for that. There were remarkably few repercussions of the Campbell-Michael meeting tonight. I know a lot of other things were going on at the same time, but didn’t expect Michael to swallow his feelings quite that forcefully. His only real reaction was to keep Fiona occupied babysitting Jeannie. Chin Bits The interaction between Sam and Larry led to some great tense humor. - “Buddy of mine pulled it. In exchange for some Sam time. Hehe! Not all my buddies are guys�?
- “You too, Larry. Very youthful. Still drinking the blood of children?�?
- “That’s our Larry.�?
- “You know, she needs to freshen up a little bit. Try the Jumble for a change.�?
- “Yeah, he’s alright I guess. He’s no Campbell, though.�?
- “You a soil scientist too?�?“Oh yeah. Big time.�?
Important Lessons in Spycraft - Laundry bluing is a synthetic dye that blots out secrets and works like a poor man’s dye pack.
- When a bad job comes along, you can either pass and watch the op go down or take the job and try to tank it.
- An amateur ambushes from a place of weakness.
- A can of paint across a windshield might blind a driver and a 50mm cannon might take out engine. But neither guarantees the vehicle still won’t swerve into traffic. You’ve got to actually get the front wheels off the road.
- Faking a death is hard in order to get the appropriate number of emergency vehicles to show up. What you’ve got to do is actually call 911, but only after you’ve called your own people.
- Black bag missions are broken into parts.
Final Thoughts Tim Matheson did a great job pulling double duty tonight, as both very special psychotic guest star and director. In particular, I thought he made some very bold shot choices when it came to himself, using skewed angles and extreme closeups to make his Larry appear even more deranged. It’s unusual for a director shooting himself to do anything too unusual on screen - for vanity’s sake, because it can be hard to properly set up the shots, and because it can sometimes seem self-serving - and it was refreshing to me to see Matheson make the right choices to make this a great episode. Next week’s mid-season finale is shaping up to be really exciting, with a lot of revelations. If only we then didn’t have to wait until January for new episodes. Alas. So, I believe somewhere at sometime I wagered something (hopefully not involving eating a hat) about Fiona and her boyfriend. I was *sure* it would turn out to be Victor. I was surely wrong. If anyone can recall what I bet and with whom, I’ll do my best to welsh on that bet with grace and style! |
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| The USA Network has actually come a long way in the past several years. I’m still disappointed that they canceled The 4400, but at least they still have Psych and they’re making an effort to put up some quality programming. Yesterday they announced the premiere dates of their fall shows. THE STARTER WIFE On the heels of its stellar ratings and Emmy success, USA is bringing back the hit miniseries THE STARTER WIFE as a 10-episode series, with Emmy Award-winner Debra Messing returning to star and now serving as executive producer. The series will focus on the post-divorce adventures of the lead character, Molly Kagan (Messing), as she begins a new chapter in her life. Returning to the cast are the Emmy-winning Judy Davis as Joan and Chris Diamantopoulos as Rodney - Molly’s two best friends. The Emmy nominated writing team of Josann McGibbon & Sara Parriott return as executive producers and Gigi Levangie Grazer, who penned the NY Times bestselling novel on which the miniseries was based, also returns as executive producer. Premieres Friday October 10th at 9pm for a two hour premiere LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT takes a unique new approach this season with two separate writing teams. One team will tackle writing for Vincent D’Onofrio/Kathryn Erbe partnership, while the other takes on new cast member, Academy Award and Emmy nominee, Jeff Goldblum and Julianne Nicholson. The series takes viewers into the minds of its criminals while following the psychological approaches the Major Case Squad uses to solve the crimes. The squad investigates high-profile cases, usually homicides, such as those involving VIPs, local government officials and employees, the financial industry and the art world. CRIMINAL INTENT differs from other series in the “Law & Order�?franchise because it gives a great amount of attention to the actions and motives of the criminals, rather than showing (almost exclusively) the police and prosecution’s side of the case. Premieres Thursday, November 6 at 10/9 WWE MONDAY NIGHT RAW RAW continues to be the most-watched regularly scheduled year-round program on basic cable television. USA continues record-breaking ratings along with the Superstars of RAW, including John Cena, Batista, “The Heartbreak Kid�?Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and the sassy and sexy Divas, Mickie James and Candice Michelle. Airs Mondays from 9-11:05/8c 52 Weeks A Year SPECIAL MONK & PSYCH HOLIDAY EPISODES USA kicks off the holiday season with your favorite characters ringing the holidays as only they can do it. Join Monk and Shawn & Gus in their annual holiday adventures, which will be sure to put you in the holiday spirit! (Details coming soon) ** Premieres Friday, November 28 with MONK at 9/8c and PSYCH at 10/9c |
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Psych: Gus Walks Into a Bank (summer finale) (S03E08) "Free hugs. Who's next?" -- Shawn Spencer, after saving his "kidnapper". Woosh! Feel that? That was the first half of this season of Psych blowing right past us to this week's summer finale. As the show has done since its inception in 2006 it is taking the fall off and, save for a holiday special sometime in December, returning at the beginning of 2009. While one side of me understands the reason for this -- survive the onslaught of the network season premieres -- the other side is sad to see the show go so quickly. Save for the episode entitled 'Daredevils', the first half of Psych has been pretty good. They've done some experimenting with the format, some character development, but have maintained the light touch that has made this show stand out in the crowd of ever-increasing first-run cable shows. With this week's episode we saw a further example of tweaks to the format as we had an episode that was equal parts drama and comedy. Now, some fans will grouse that these types of episodes mess with what made the show so successful. True, but it's these installments that also keep the format and characters fresh. Plus, this week's installment got to show off a more serious side of all of the characters. Particularly Shawn, who seemed to have more dramatic overtones this time around then he did during the season premiere. Oh, it wasn't all anger and maudlin for the young Spencer. There were plenty of times that he displayed the comic side that all of the women love. Particularly in his scenes with Jules once he found out she was dating the hostage negotiator. Or, was that more jealousy than humor? Face the facts, the boy really likes Jules! Then again, it could have been anger at her dating someone several, several, several years older than her. It's all so confusing! Okay, his scenes with Gus in the bank were funny. Well, Gus was actually the funny one as he came to so many revelations during his two hours of "hostage time". Then, he expressed his true feelings for Shawn before Spencer was released in order to continue working on the kidnapping case. They must have been his true feelings because the hug he gave his friend was really tight. Besides those moments, and his concern that the kidnapper would use up his work cell phone minutes, Gus was very stoic and unusually calm during his time as a hostage. So, maybe Shawn wasn't that funny at all. For not the first time he was the serious one surrounded by the funny characters. Perhaps it was the guilt of letting Gus go into the bank alone that stemmed his usual frivolity. Or, his sense of purpose to make sure Phil Stubbins' wife was found okay. Either reason, this was another side of Shawn that we saw this week. The side that was actually playing the role of a true law enforcement officer. Minus the gun and shield, of course. Shawn had a few interesting connections with other members of the police in this episode. After a long dry spell, Shawn was actually interacting with Lassiter in order to determine where Phil's wife was being held. He even brought up the fact that he felt that Lassie didn't really like him. Yet, Carlton broke a number of protocols this time around in order to help Shawn out. Maybe it was due to the fact that he was giving it to the hostage negotiator, Commander Luntz, whom Carlton didn't particularly like. There were plenty of times that Lassie broke a smirk when Shawn verbally attacked the negotiator. Speaking about Commander Luntz...I'd be interested in knowing if anyone else out there felt that this character could have been a grown-up version of Shawn. From the way he ran his hand through his hair, to his sunglasses, to his observational skills, Luntz certainly could have been Shawn if the young Spencer decided to get really serious about his job. That's a likely reason why Shawn didn't particularly like the Commander. That and the aforementioned fact that Jules was dating him. The guest casting for this episode worked out very well. Gary Cole is always good to call on for arrogance... Office Space is the perfect example of this. It's the deepness and, heh, timbre of his voice that make it work so well for him. And, there's always the chance that some of his Mike Brady persona will seep out into the character as well. As for Alan Ruck -- frankly, I still see him as Cameron from Ferris Bueller's Day Off always feel a bit shocked as I see him age (he's 52 now and was 30 when he starred in the film). Regardless of that, Ruck is a very good character actor and can switch from role to role pretty easily. Just take a look at the difference from his role on Psych as a middle-aged, suburban husband to his role a few weeks ago as the slightly off-kilter scientist on Eureka. Though this was a good episode there were three things that bothered me. First was the situation with the shoes. While Phil's wife is describing the shoes of the second person who kidnapped her, Shawn goes through the photographic catalog in his brain to determine who was wearing those shoes. Didn't all of the hostages have their shoes removed prior to Shawn getting into the bank? Or, was that after? The next thing that bothered me was the next-to-last scene. After the fairly frantic pace and seriousness of the rest of the episode, the scene where they find the second kidnapper in the air ducts was extremely incomplete. Where did Gus pop up from? Why was Luntz being so agreeable? Why weren't they crying when they entered the bank (tear gas was still in the air)? Was Phil arrested or let go? The third thing that bothered me was the ad for the new CBS series The Mentalist. Uh, can you say ripoff? This may have been a local ad on my USA Network feed, but why in heck would you advertise a series about a very observant detective who people think has mental powers on a currently running series about a very observant detective who people think has mental powers. Perhaps it was a ploy by CBS who wanted to say 'You like Psych? Then come over to The Mentalist while Psych is taking a break.' I just found the whole thing a bit awkward. Before I leave you for the fall break I do want to mention the location of the pineapple. Okay, not so much a location as a mention of the word. it seems that this week's pineapple reference was when Shawn mentioned that there weren't any chunks of the fruit on the pizzas that were given to the hostages. If there was a physical appearance of the pineapple this episode I didn't see it. That's it! Stay tuned to this Friday night, 10:00 PM space for reviews of NBC's Life, whose second season premieres in October. Then, once that is canceled, come on back in January for more antics of the Psych detective agency. |
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After last night’s episode we won’t be getting another Psych fix until December so I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to discuss what I thought of the first half of the third season of Psych. In the third season Psych is really starting to try some new things. They are actually making the show a little more serious which makes some sense. I liked this idea since it helped grow the characters. What I didn’t like though is that the show has become too much of a drama. Psych has always been a comedy and for good reason since it has been better as a comedy. I hope the show continues the character development that it started in the first half of the season but I hope it also returns to some of the wackiness of the first two seasons. So for those of you who missed the fall finale read on for the recap of the episode. Gus and Shawn stop by their bank in order to drop off a deposit for Psych. Shawn refuses to go inside since he hates the bank since it denied his loan application for a food zipline to be installed in the office. Shawn immediately regrets not going into the bank when the bank is held up and Gus is stuck inside. The cops quickly show up. Shawn tries to get into the bank but he isn’t allowed to go in. SWAT leader Luntz shows up and takes over the standoff. Shawn quickly realizes that Lassiter hates him and Juliet is actually dating him. Shawn decides to step in to help out Gus. He actually calls Gus�?cellphone which really angers the bank robber. Shawn actually gets his wish to get inside the bank when he is chosen to bring some food into the bank for the hostages. Shawn quickly realizes that there is something more to the bank robbery than first thought since the bank robber actually has the safety on his gun (no real bank robber would do that). Shawn gets the bank robber (Phil) to trust him and he finds out that some men kidnapped his wife and forced him to steal some diamonds from the bank or his wife would be killed. Shawn tries to call Luntz and tell him the truth but he won’t listen. Shawn ends up having to call Lassiter and he agrees to help since he hates Luntz. Shawn proceeds to help Phil with his hostage situation in order to buy time so he can find who is the mole in the bank that is watching Phil to make sure he steals the diamonds. Shawn sees the bank security footage and realizes that the bank manager is responsible since he knew the robbery was coming. Shawn then figures out that the bank manager must be hiding Phil’s wife at a house the bank recently seized. Luntz is sick of waiting though so he orders his snipers to take down Phil. Shawn saves Phil by knocking him to the ground. Phil lets Shawn go so he is able to find Phil’s wife. Shawn gets Lassiter and Juliet to help him find Phil’s wife. They find her but whoever was watching her gets away. Phil is sick of waiting in the bank. He pulls the bank manager aside and pulls his gun on him and demands to know where he is keeping his wife. Phil is knocked out by another man who turns out to be another accomplice to the robber. Shawn and the police rush back to the bank and Shawn tells them that the bank mamager and his accomplice planned the whole thing from the beginning and actually set up Phil because of his financial troubles. The bank manager and his accomplice are caught trying to escape the bank. Juliet stops by Psych since her date with Luntz was cancelled (he smelled of sewer since Shawn tricked him into going into the sewer). Shawn and Juliet end up eating together at the office courtesy of Shawn’s new food zipline. |
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Monk: Mr. Monk Gets Hypnotized (season finale) (S07E08) Monk should have wrapped the season with last week's episode, ending on a high point, because this show was in many ways a downer. The case, such as it was, was pretty flimsy. The clues were presented so early and rather ungracefully that unless you were really unfamiliar with the Monk formula, it was a cinch to guess who was really the "guy."
The real novelty was Monk's getting in touch with his inner child. That and Tim Bagley returning as Harold Krenshaw. It's always fun when Monk's nemesis shows up, but this was a reborn Harold. Thanks to his new shrink, Dr. Kleinman, Harold wasn't interested in competing with Monk. He just wanted to embrace the wonders of life.
I get that Harold pushes Monk's buttons and therefore seeing him happy upset Adrian. But there was a lack of continuity here, because for no discernible reason, Monk was dissatisfied with Dr. Bell. After the submarine show, Monk and Dr. Bell were completely in sync.
In tonight's show, Monk complains to Natalie that he's getting nowhere in his therapy. "I've been talking for eleven years. I want to get better." Wow! That was a revelation. Perhaps it's the result of his inability to make a lasting connection with Layla in "Mr. Monk Falls in Love"? If so, it would show some growth, albeit painful growth, on Monk's part.
So after one session with Dr. Kleinman, played in a too brief appearance by The West Wing's Richard Schiff, Monk is hypnotized to a happy place. Ding, ding, ding -- Monk becomes a little boy. The Adrian as a child bit was rather gimmicky, but Tony Shalhoub played it to the hilt. You got to figure that all actors really enjoy the chance to become six year olds. It's a tried and true plot device.
Monk as a boy is free and goofy and a frog-lover. He finds a frog while working the case -- sort of -- and names him Hoppy (nearly Happy). He gorges himself on pancakes. He withholds nothing when confronting suspects. It was great that even though he was a boy, he still had the keen observational skills to see that Aaron Larkin was having an affair with his assistant. Of course, the observation involved the woman having "cooties," but he still saw what nobody else did.
Not surprisingly, Monk becomes bored with the case -- he's only six and grown up police work is no fun. When Sally Larkin is questioned, his misbehaving leads to him throwing a tantrum and saying he hates them all, but not before he finds the gum on her shoe, the key to solving the crime.
Perhaps it was fitting that it was Monk himself that brought him back to reality. In the playground, Monk saw his reflection and realized the truth. He takes Hoppy back into pond at the Larkin estate, saying, "At least one of us can be free."
Freedom is something Monk cannot achieve because in the end, he's right back where he was. He can't embrace pancakes or the wonder of a mother bird feeding her chicks. He doesn't get it. Hypnosis wasn't the answer.
Other points of interest
-- Monk's vision of childhood isn't his own. It's the childhood he always wanted.
-- Playing a boy, Monk did some really gross things, including the fart noises, commenting about Natalie's body odor, and speaking out. My favorite line from little Adrian was, "She's a liar, Stottlemeyer."
-- When Dr. Kleinman tells Monk to leap, he says that a net will appear. Monk wonders who's "Annette?"
-- The moment I saw the headline in the tabloid that Sally Larkin was an actress, I knew she was "the guy."
-- Disher mints, Randy's do-it-yourself gum making kit. The whole idea of gum on the shoe being re-eaten was disgusting. Monk being the one to eat it makes it twice as gross.
-- The first black and white reenactment of how Aaron was killed in the cabin was really funny. We're used to Monk's "this is how he did it" moments to be completely factual and this was a goof on that.
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Overall I thought the fall finale was a very solid episode of Monk. While the case was weak (I solved it around the half way point) this was more of a character developmental episode. While Monk might regret it, I thought it was nice to see him finally happy for one of the first times in the shows history. Monk reverting back to his childhood also lead to all the humor in the episode. Add to that the return of Harold Krenshaw (who is always good for a couple laughs) and you can tell why I liked the episode even though the case was very weak. Let’s get to the recap for those of you who missed the episode. A famous actress named Sally stops by a jewelry store and frantically wants to pawn off her jewelry. She mentions to the owners that she is afraid of her ex husband and thinks he is coming after her. When she leaves the store there is a struggle and Sally goes missing. Monk and the police investigate the kidnapping the next morning. While checking out the crime scene they meet Harold Krenshaw. Monk quickly realizes that things are different with Harold since he is actually happy. It turns out that Harold went to a hypnotist and he is now healed. Monk actually thinks about seeing the hypnotist but Natalie tells him not to. The police and Monk head to Alan’s (the ex husband) house and Monk catches him in a lie about where he was the night that Sally disappeared. While searching the house Disher gives Stottlemeyer some of his home made gum and Stottlemeyer spits it onto the floor since it tastes terrible. Monk ends up calling the therapist and the therapist takes Monk back to the last time he was truly happy which happens to be when Monk was a child. Monk permanently gets stuck in the state and spends most of the rest of the episode in this state. While checking Alan’s property Monk frolics through the woods and actually catches a frog that he ends up calling Hoppy. The police then head to Alan’s office and Monk determines that Alan was lying about his whereabouts since he was with his secretary (in a romantic sense) and she is still married. At this point Natalie finds out that Monk saw the therapist. She calls up Dr. Bell who tells all of them to treat Monk like an adult and he will eventually snap out of it. That night Sally is found by the side of the road. She was actually held captive for three days in a cabin by Alan. Sally eventually escaped though and killed Alan. Monk checks out where Sally was being held but he can’t take his job seriously in his current condition. When the police talk with Sally Monk keeps acting like a kid and gets thrown out of the police station even though he knows what truly happened. Monk ends up throwing a temper tantrum and storms out of the police station. He runs around town for a while and then realizes that he is actually an adult. Monk returns Hoppy to Alan’s property. He runs into Sally and tells her that he knows she murdered Alan. Sally was upset that she signed a prenup and wanted to kill Alan so she would get all her money back. In order to stick to her story of being held captive for three days she actually chained herself up for three days in order to get all the necessary bruises. She then went to Alan’s house and killed him. She dragged him to the house where she was supposedly held. This story doesn’t hold much ground until Monk explains that Sally got the gum that Stottlemeyer spit out at Alan’s house on her shoe. Monk removes the gum from his mouth (he ate it on a dare) and they end up fighting for it. The police shows up just in time and arrests Sally. Monk then hands over the gum and we can tell that Monk is finally back to his normal state. |
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Burn Notice: Good Soldier (summer finale) (S02E09) "What do you see up there? A mastermind petting a Persian cat?" - Sam Axe So , as you might expect from the finale, Michael is very close to solving one of this season's mysteries. It seems the only missing pieces of the puzzle are who is the sniper's target and does Michael want to save them? I can only imagine that the target would have to be a really bad person in order for Michael to overcome his inflated savior complex. If Osama Bin Laden ends up as a passenger on the ferry, he'll probably let the hit go down. Anyone else, however, is going to have to be a game day call. You really have to admire Fiona's powers of persuasion. It's not enough that she's smart and beautiful but she is also a master at the art of manipulation. She knows the exact buttons to push to make Michael do her bidding and the best part is that Michael knows exactly what's going on. Quite frankly, I was surprised that there was a B story in this episode considering how much Michael had on his plate. Generally, season finales are pretty focused on the climax we've all been looking forward to. Unless, of course, it's all tied together. Among Michael's considerable talents, it's clear that he also is an expert buzzkill. I'm as cynical as the next guy but even I thought it was out of line for Michael to start forecasting failure before being home for two minutes. I know we haven't seen much of Nate this season but by all appearances he's really trying to get his life together and that should count for something. The fact that he thinks asking Nate for help on a job counts as being supportive is a big clue just how self absorbed Michael really is. When a guy spends his days risking his life for total strangers without charging a penny and can't even pretend to be supportive of his brother, he really needs to check himself. I've always wondered about that image recognition thing. Could it really be that easy to fool the program? Anyone out there with experience in that sort of thing, clue me in. Sometimes, when I'm watching Burn Notice, I get the feeling that Michael is just giving us his technical spy intel to fill time. However, seeing that Carla had a "slit" of her own was a pretty clever way to tie it in. Although, it seemed that Carla's hiding place was more accessible than Michael's since he needs an electric screwdriver to get at his, or did I read that wrong? I loved seeing Michael act drunk. In my opinion, it was his most believable performance all season. The tips on how to actually stay sober were pretty clever too. I'll definitely use them the next time I don't really want to get drunk, if that ever happens. I was worried that John Allen Nelson wouldn't be very convincing as a bad ass. After his work on Vanished and 24 I was convinced he could only be weaselly or worried. Although, I'm curious just why "the muscle" was there since Nelson was happy to do the heavy lifting. The fact that Michael couldn't get Lesher to walk away from the kidnapping really wasn't a surprise. This show didn't build up a loyal following by spending an hour showing how to make sure nothing happens. I figured that everything in this episode would come together at the end but I didn't expect the explosion and while I'm sure Michael survived, it will be interesting how this particular message from Carla is received. |
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'Burn Notice' goes out with a bang Car chases? Check. Spycraft? Check. Double-triple-quadruple crosses? Check. Great lines? Check. An opportunity for Michael to act out? Check. One hell of an ending? Mega super duper check. Burn Notice ticks off all the boxes with this summer-season finale. Why are all the good shows ending just as the new TV season is just getting started? This spoiler loves a good fireball -- AND a good mojito. Michael is finally set to figure out what the heck is up with Carla and her evil overlords. But first, a minor distraction: Fi's boyfriend Campbell treated a guy who was beaten to a pulp, and he wants Fi and Michael to help him out. Michael reluctantly agrees. Henry, the client, works for a private security firm. He was approached by someone demanding details about the bodyguards. When Henry tried to back out, one of his friends died. When Henry still refused, he got the crap kicked out of him. Lasher, the crap-kicker, is planning a kidnapping. The most likely target is the daughter of a Venezuelan oil family. Michael makes up a fake bio for himself that involves a recent divorce and a drinking problem, making him the perfect guy for lasher to recruit. The idea is he'll make the security look much better than it actually is -- using Sam and his brother Nate to pose as supplemental security guards -- and thereby scare Lasher off. It's a good plan, but apparently this isn't a run-of-the-mill kidnapping -- there's some sort of multinational oil concession in the balance. Curses. Michael continues to try to dissuade lasher, but Lasher finally snaps. He announces that Michael will be the one doing the kidnapping. Michael tries to make it look like he's falling apart, but Lasher still thinks he can make it work. So Michael calls lasher at 3 a.m., pretending to have a drunk-bed conversion. He's accepted god into his life, and he no longer fears death. Crap! There goes that leverage. Lasher says fine, they'll call it off. But Henry hears something different -- Lasher tells him to distract the new guard. Lasher and his muscle will kill the guard and snatch the girl. So Michael has no choice but to t-bone Lasher's car with an SUV, preaching fire and brimstone and leaving a list of sins on the windshield. That works. The Big Bad Plot
Michael breaks into the building he got the key car for and finds... empty rooms. There's nothing there! But wait -- some telltale holes in a conference table show him that they're planning on using the meeting room as a sniper's nest. The most likely target is the regular ferry. But who, specifically, is marked for death? To find that out, Michael and Sam have to tail Carla. Sam manages to slip a tracer on Carla's motorcycle, which leads them to a (rather plush) hotel. They spend a lot of time watching Carla swim and lounge at the outdoor pool, but that doesn't really help much. Maybe breaking into her room will. Michael finds the file on the operation, which again contains just about all the details except the target. Dammit! Carla finds out that someone used a key card like the one Michael stole for her. He denies all knowledge, but Carla makes a few oblique threats. Those threats seem to come true when Nate gets arrested for using his new limo business as a money-laundering front (Nate swears it's a bogus charge) and Maddy, who took a loan against her house to help Nate get the business started, is in danger of losing everything. That's when Sam calls Michael to tell him Carla's on the move. Michael, Sam and Fi observe her, and she seems wigged out about something. Or is she? Michael gets the feeling this is a set-up and makes a run for it. That triggers some spiffy trick driving and a fake-out with a motorcycle and the whole sliding-under-the-semi trick, but Michael gets away and makes it home safe. Except... Sam is at the sniper's house, and things just got ugly. Someone rigged his front door to explode, and the sniper died a very messy, very painful death. Of course, Michael is in the process of opening his own door when he hears that. Doh! He dives off the landing as a massive fireball erupts from his house. Nooooo! All that yogurt, killed in it's prime! The humanity! Highlights, thoughts and odds and ends - OK, what the HELL is going on with Evil Overlords Inc.? Why set up an elaborate assassination plan, and then kill the people who were theoretically going to carry that assassination out? Let the theorizing begin!
- But let's back up. Before the big boom, there was plenty to occupy our time. Sam was in fine form -- apparently he shares my hotel toiletry habit. Come on, they keep bringing new little soaps -- they WANT me to take them, right?
- There was also Sam's obvious enjoyment at the cushy digs he got to surveil from. Nice work if you can get it.
- Finally, I had to love some of Sam's great lines. When Michael broke into the office building: "Hey Mike, what are you seeing up there -- a mastermind petting a Persian cat?"
- Then there were all the names Sam gave Carla: Burn Notice lady, overseer, boss, manager. tall-blond-and-evil,
- I'm torn about the person-in-peril plot this week. On the one hand, I appreciate anything that gives Michael to opportunity to sound like a fire-and-brimstone preacher. On the other, come one, get to the good stuff with Carla and the big Bad Plot! It seemed like almost a distraction -- but that was probably the point.
- Poor Fi... she wants us to believe she's TOTALLY into Campbell, but she's so very smitten with Michael still. When he was staring at her as he gave Lasher is 3 a.m. conversion speech, you could just see her melting. She's hooked.
- That said, I do like Fi using Campbell as a sharp pointy stick to torture Michael. Hey, your favorite dinner -- which Campbell made! Hee.
- Fi and Michael contemplate the surprisingly professional kidnapping ring. Fi: "I remember when kidnapping used to be a mom and pop business." Michael: "Everything is going corporate these days..."
- Fake drunk Michael = funny Michael.
- I like that Michael is really trying with Nate. heck, he gave Nate his first independent limo gig. Granted, it was as a decoy security guard, not as a driver to the airport, but a job's a job.
Michael's spy tips - There are two ways to check out an enemy position: Watching from a distance (slow and safe) or waltzing in a having a look around (Quick, potentially fatal.) Guess which one Michael chooses.
- Ledges are for gargoyles, pigeons and the occasional masked superhero. Snipers prefer to work inside a room and shoot through a window. That hides the shooter, masks the sound and makes the muzzle flash impossible to see.
- Surveillance is the leading cause of weight gain among operatives. However, it's always a bonus when you tail someone to a place that makes a good mojito.
- Spies are always needing to hide things, and they have to balance security and accessibility. DIY "slicks" tend to be relatively easy to get to but tough to find. Potential slicks -- a notch behind a hinge plate or a tube behind a canister light fixture.
- If you're trying to pass yourself off as a decent traitor, you have to play hard to get. If the deal seems to good to be true, the recruiting operative will walk.
- Ah, the perils of technology. Facial recognition systems have several advantages of human guards -- they don't sleep, can't be bribed, and don't cost much -- but they can be fooled by a photocopy of a face. Doh!
- Want to look like you're drinking a lot without getting plastered? Put lots of ice in the drink to dilute it, order the next round before you've finished the current one (your half-full drink will be taken away) and spill a lot.
- A semi has about four feet of clearance. You CAN slide a motorcycle under it, but beware -- you slide to low and you'll be hamburger. Too high, and you'll lose body parts. Just right, and you'll be able to fool a vacationing Cylon.
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Burn Notice: Good Soldier They said this thing: ‘As iron sharpens iron, so man sharpens another man.�?And I realized, Proverbs 27:17? That’s you and me. You showed me the way. - Michael Westen You might wonder how I got there, you know? I’ve been down for so long, with my ex and everyone against me, I never thought I’d find a way out of this hole. But thanks to Michael and this job he got me involved in, I couldn’t sleep. So I came downstairs to watch TV and I there was a bible program on. It was like they were talking right to me. Like God was telling me everything’s going to be okay.
These angels sent to try me, and the ones sent to try Michael, all they do is make our conviction stronger. Recap Fiona’s new boyfriend Campbell, he’s got a big heart. He takes his job home with him, so when he patches up Henry, he wants to do more than just fix his wounds. He wants to help Henry out of his jam. And Henry, he’s in deep. Henry works for a security company and got beat up pretty bad by Lesher and his Muscle. Lesher wants Henry to help him kidnap Isabella Arroyo so his client can muscle in on the Arroyo’s oil business in Venezuela. But Henry’s a good man. He won’t stand for it. Michael and Fiona make sure Lesher will pick me as his patsy, not that they have to do much to make that happen. Recently divorced, money problems, and too much drink. I’d pick me too. At least I would have before. Lesher approaches me and I let him pull me in so I can convince him it’s not worth the effort to kidnap Isabella, but the job’s too big; he’s going to do it no matter what. But when I have my revelation and refuse to help him, it puts him in a bind. He tries to bully me, but I don’t listen. Then he tries to have me killed, but that doesn’t take. I realize he’s never going to see the light, so I have to make sure the world sees his sins. I crash into his car, trapping him and the Muscle, and leave a list of his sins on the windshield for the police. While I’m busy with Lesher, trying to stop a kidnapping, Michael is trying to stop his own crime. He breaks into the office building where Carla’s sniper has been going and realizes it’s a perch. The sniper is targeting someone on a ferry, but there’s no way to figure out who or when. Carla pulls up on a motorcycle while Michael’s inside and Sam gets a tracker on the bike. That leads them to Carla’s hotel and extended surveillance. Michael manages to break into Carla’s room and find her hidden records on all the players in the plot, but that doesn’t bring him any closer to solving it. It does give him one new face to look out for, though. Carla, of course, is just as smart and capable as Michael, so when she realizes he’d used the keycard and been to the sniper’s perch, she lashes back at his family. Nate is arrested on trumped up charges that his new limo company is a front for money laundering which company was built with a big loan from Madeline. With one move, all of Michael’s family is in jeopardy. Carla heads to the waterfront and Michael, Fiona, and Sam follow her. Michael realizes it’s a setup and they split up: Sam heads to the sniper’s house to try to cut him off; Michael heads to the loft to retrieve the keycard, hoping to get to the perch in time; and Fiona runs interference in her car. Michael steals a motorcycle, and thanks to Fiona loses the cars tailing him, but Carla stays on him on her bike. Sliding under a semi, Michael manages to get away and make it to the loft in one piece. Sam calls when Michael arrives and tells him the sniper’s dead. As Michael goes to open the door, Sam tells him the sniper’s front door was booby trapped. Michael dives off his balcony as the bomb goes off. Character Counts Typically, Michael manages to be a wet blanket to both his mother and Nate on the same day. But this time he gets them both with one sentence and a look: “You let mom take a loan out on the house?�?Impressive. A moment of celebration turned to recrimination as Nate leaves and Madeline’s joy turns to bitterness. Michael does a bit better - but only a bit - with Fiona. She’s inordinately happy with Campbell and wants Michael to be happy for her, so she keeps asking what he thinks of Campbell. Michael’s only response is that Campbell is “nice�? Then with every chance he gets Michael demonstrates how much he doesn’t like Campbell. Like running out to get more yogurt to avoid eating the tuna tahini he prepared. (Okay, I’ve got to say, “tuna tahini�?would normally be served cold. “Tuna tagine�?would be hot but would not be pronounced like that. I really don’t know what was in that oven. Better to just get yogurt after all.) The most emotional scene of the episode was Michael’s late-night confession to Lesher. Intended to pull his cover identity out from under Lesher’s control and show that he could no longer be threatened with death, the confession served a larger purpose as it was directed at Fi. As she stood eating his yogurt, her spoon froze in midair as Michael quoted Proverbs. But it’s not the verse Michael quoted that was directed at Fi, it was the unspoken Proverbs 27:16 that was intended for her: “Restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand.�?/P> Finally, Fiona got her answer about Campbell. Michael might be cool to him, but he won’t stand in the way of her happiness. He won’t hold her back. Chin Bits - “Hey Mike, what are you seeing up there? A mastermind petting a Persian cat?�?
- “Your burn notice lady just showed up.�?
- “Always be prepared. Navy Seal motto.�?
- Michael: “Sam, I could kiss you.�?Sam: “Get in line.�?
- “She’s got a hell of a breast stroke, Mike. I mean the woman can swim. She’s a machine.�?
Lessons in Spycraft - Getting intel on an enemy position can be done slowly from a distance, or quickly from inside, but that can be fatal.
- The best sniper locales are inside rooms through open windows. It hides the shooter, the muzzle flash, and the supersonic report.
- Any hiding place is a tradeoff between access and security.
- To recruit someone, you dress like someone, talk like them, and act like them, but let the potential recruit make the first move.
- “When selling yourself as a traitor, you can’t be too eager.�?
- Facial recognition systems can’t tell the difference between a photcopy of a face and a face.
- When searching a spy’s room, assume they’re as creative as you are.
- To drink without getting drunk, start with a lot of ice, order new drinks before finishing the old, and spill.
- A cover ID that involves drinking gives you some big tactical advantages, like having an excuse to get in your target’s vehicle and leave a bug.
- When someone turns you, their main weapon is fear. Their worst nightmare is an asset without fear.
- Motorcycles don’t have an aftermarket in stolen parts, so anti-theft measures are pretty outdated and the steering lock on a smaller bike breaks pretty easily.
Final Thoughts An interesting episode to end the summer half of the season. Like everyone else, I hate the split seasons the cable nets give us, but then again, as least they give us shows we want to watch in the summer. I can’t complain too much. It’s still not clear what game Carla’s playing with Michael, neither is it clear who’s winning. It’s completely possible - and likely - she’s aware of his every move and is just giving him enough rope for his own hanging, but then I wonder about the booby trapped door. Would Carla risk Michael *actually* blowing himself up if he didn’t find out about the sniper until a minute later? Or does she want him dead at this point? |
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I'll miss you, Mr. Monk! It's been a gift ... and a curse. But the brilliant, obsessive-compulsive detective known as Mr. Monk will be solving his last crime at the end of the eighth season next summer. With ratings still high on the USA Network, he's going out at the top of his game.
Monk is one of those shows that struck a chord with viewers, because we saw a little of ourselves in the phobic detective played brilliantly by Tony Shalhoub. Ok, so maybe we don't all iron our shoelaces and avoid doorknobs like ... well, like the plague. But like Monk, we've all got issues. And like Monk, some of us have trouble getting out of our own way. For him, that meant losing his detective job with the San Francisco Police Department. His list of phobias is impressive: snakes, crowds, heights, milk, germs, you name it. But he was so good at his job that his former boss still called on him to solve the tough cases. And if only we all had someone like Natalie Teeger and her daughter to do all the dirty work, humor our neuroses, and keep us from going over the edge. With his starched shirts and antibacterial wipes, Monk has been the anti-Columbo of the new millennium, and a great antidote to all the CSI-type shows crowding the airwaves. I'll miss you, Mr. Monk! |
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(S03E09) Keeping up with its tradition, Psych came out of hiding for a special Christmas episode before hibernating again, only to return January 9th. While other shows are starting to go away for the holidays it was a very nice reminder to get to see Shawn and Gus one last time this year, and bring into our homes a little of that Christmas joy�?/P> One year ago we got to meet Gus�?parents, and this time they were back - with a little change as Gus�?father was portrayed by Keith David instead of Ernie Hudson - and they brought someone else with them, someone we hadn’t met yet, unlike Shawn who had even done a little more than just that. I hear that.
Gus�?sister was coming home for the holidays, and as it turned out about 10 years ago she and Shawn had a tiny little thing. I’m not entirely sure how tiny it way, because it seemed none of the attraction that brought them together in the first place was gone : the first thing they did once finally alone was to lock lips! And it doesn’t matter how good she looks, you don’t ever mess around with your best friend’s sister, that’s the law, not to mention a clear violation of the Bro Code! But this wasn’t the only secret going on under the Guster home, as Shawn eventually found out that Mr had lost his job a few weeks back but not told anyone, while Mrs placed a bet with a bookie and lost all her money. Of course, the worst of all remained Shawn and Joy, the sister, fooling around. But if there’s one thing this show is about, it’s all about friendship, camaraderie and, of course, family. So Shawn didn’t even had to say anything - “Gus: What do you want? Shawn: I, I feel uh�?/EM> Gus: Good enough for me! Come on in�?/EM>�?- and everything was fine again. I’m not sure if Joy will stick around and return later on, she seemed willing to continue whatever she and Shawn had, and apparently he was interested as well as illustrated when he spend the night, in the little cartoon-inspired scene where everyone kept going from one room to the other, but let’s face it : she’s never round, she won’t stay long, and isn’t Shawn very much interest in Jules? (Whom he kinda lied to, saying it was only all before he met her, not that he would matter, maybe it could, but no, it won’t, of course.) The case of the week wasn’t all that fresh, the con artist on Christmas has been seen before, but it wasn’t bad and what make it work, really, was their signature : the crying. When he started to cry, which inevitably led Gus to cry as well, I myself couldn’t help but laugh out loud ! But the case wasn’t the most exciting one, though it wasn’t too predictable either I guess, one could just wish that the police had been a little more involved. Like before this season, Lassiter and Juliet were not around much and not really involved in the case, I would have loved to see them all work together and make fun of each other like they know how so well, but at least we should be glad they weren’t stuck into unrelated boring fillers I guess. Shawn’s dad was still there, and continuing their Christmas tradition where, once again, Shawn won and got himself a brand new Psyched iPhone, while Henry got, well, nothing. I think I’d love it if next year, Henry was the one to win. Just to see the look on Shawn’s face�?/P> All in all a pretty good episode, and while it wasn’t the strongest episode of all nor as funny as the show can be, it was a very good reminder of what the show can be like and why we’re all waiting for January 9th and the season to resume. As for the pineapple, I don’t think anyone could have missed it this week. |
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Monk: Mr. Monk and the Miracle (S07E09) What does it say about this special holiday episode of Monk that the wittiest, most clever and memorable minute was when they unfurled the promo for the series return in 2009, using the music from Magnum, P.I. and dubbing the show Monk, P.I.? The USA marketing guys really hit a home run with that ad; it was brilliant.
Sadly, "Mr. Monk and the Miracle" was a sub-standard episode and hardly worth the moniker of "special." The mystery was rather simple -- about the most complicated piece of evidence was the hand print in the refrigerator -- and when Michael Badalucco (The Practice) appeared as Leland's pharmacist, you kind of knew he was involved in some way. Yet while the show wasn't up to the best of Monk standards, it did have a moment or two to redeem it.
The annoying Monk was on display the moment he scowled at Natalie with the ladle. This seemed extreme even for Monk; was he going to throw out every utensil and appliance she used in the kitchen? Hasn't he already accepted at least her "cooties" when it comes to his stuff?
But annoying Monk -- germophobe to the nth degree -- was in full force, freaking out when his clients, homeless bums Ike, Reggie and the Professor, hired him to find out who killed their buddy, Willie. I know Monk's discomfort over their filth and lack of social graces is meant to be laugh-inducing, but it's a fine line between him being annoyed and him being rude. Natalie is the counterbalance, so you could count on her for the true Christmas spirit (and Julie, too). Although they didn't show how it got that way, the best gag was the way Monk wrapped his furniture wrapped in plastic and cordoned-off parts of the apartment.
The better half of the episode dealing with Leland's bad back and overwhelming sadness. Has it really been two years since his relationship with Linda ended? My heart was aching for him, which made his conversion at the monastery all the better. When Monk tried to talk to the monk who had taken a vow of silence, the "shush" bit was very funny -- reminiscent of Seth Green and Mike Meyers in Austin Powers -- even though I was waiting for a topper, so way for Monk to communicate without speaking. The charades when he finally found Leland was predictable.
Ultimately, of course, the truth about the fake waters of the fountain was revealed and Badalucco apprehended after his girlfriend confessed. Natalie and Monk sneaking in as monks and chanting the information to him was very funny, "Here's what happened."
I liked the idea that Leland's faith was restored by the "miracle" recovery, but his cop instincts should have told him something was off about the fountain. As a character, he's not that naive, even with a bad back. Monk was suspicious from the start.
Other points of interest
-- The chalk/herbal concoction that Stottlemeyer drank and Monk connected back to Willie's murder was a reach. He should have confirmed the connection by testing the bottle to see if the bottles were Leland's because of DNA. Otherwise, why couldn't the bottle have come from anywhere in San Francisco?
-- When talking to the pharmacist, Leland referred to Randy as his partner. Hmm.
-- Without the moustache, Leland looked younger. With the moustache, Randy looked funny.
-- In the final scene, did Monk drink from the fountain? I think not. He just cannot believe.
-- What was the joke about the bum's gravy? I still don't get it.
-- Leland's gift to Randy was a razor. |
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(Movie) Okay, so after looking into it some more, here’s what I found : this was originally intended to be a (2-hour) pilot episode when it was produced, and we’re talking about two years ago, back in 2006 (!). The 2-hour pilot was shot and USA must have liked it, as they ordered 12 episodes of the series in mid-2007. But apparently something went wrong on the way, as it went nowhere, no more episodes have been produced (as far as I know) and the whole thing just died. But, instead of forgetting about it USA decided to burn it off last night, airing what they now refer to as a movie, since they won’t be any more of it �?which is quite a certainty I’d say, given how it’s been over a year and everyone moved on, starting with Shiri Appleby - now on E.R. - or Tim Matheson. But you might still have watched this as a one-time thing, a movie indeed, and that wouldn’t have been a bad thing at all!
Quite frankly I was a little worried when I turned into this one, because of what I had found out about the project I kinda expected it to suck real bad. You know, so bad it died and went nowhere because everyone was too embarrassed of how bad the original concept - which sounded interesting - turned out in the end. Maybe that helped, as it probably lowered my expectations I guess, but the first minutes were still almost painful to watch. I really didn’t like what I saw, I wasn’t really buying the characters, the little set ups about how Hildy (Appleby) is gifted all what would later be useful in her new line of work weren’t subtle or entertaining, things seemed way too forced. I’d say this lasted about up to the paintball scene, which I thought was kinda horrible. At this point, I was worried this would turn out to be really bad, which wouldn’t have been surprising considering what we know about the project, and I also started to doubt that Shiri Appleby could sell the character - unless there was simply nothing to sell. But, oddly enough, that’s also about when things changed, and minutes later she was crossing path with “paintball guy�?on the streets, but now we were in a much better place. This little conversation they had was just great I thought, plain fun. This is when all of Appleby’s charm started to shine, as her character became a lot (more) fun to follow around. She was still over-the-top crazy, and she never seems to care about anything but her own little problems (see how killing people for a living doesn’t bother her one bit, but that her father might care or not about her does), but I got used to that, it was soon part of what made her so lovable. Especially since the entire show started to be really fun and entertaining, I had a great time to see her get herself into mixed up situations and try to find a way out of it. Sure, if you were expecting the production quality of Fringe and the same kind of writing from CSI you’d be disappointed, but here we’re on USA for a fun show, and much like the Psych and other Burn Notice, despite dealing with people killing people and other wrongs, things were simply a lot of fun. To my surprise, I ended up liking the show - movie, whatever - very much. Shiri Appleby couldn’t have been any more cute, Tim Matheson brought his usual A-game, and the entire show, despite being quite predictable, made up for some great entertainment. And just like you don’t watch Psych for the actual investigation that goes on, this show wasn’t about the actual hit and how it would work out, because we all knew how that wound eventually go down from very early on, it’s the characters and their ways that won us. Even the scenes when Hildy is talking to her shrink I ended up liking, while at first I thought they were just not working at all. So, sure, not everything was perfect, the little flashbacks as Hildy realizes that all he things she’s good at is what would make her a good “contractor�?were way too much, I found her mother and their relationship rather annoying, and that last scene with the lipstick was just ludicrously stupid. But overall, this turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and a very good moment of television. Yes, I really liked To Love & Die, I thought it was actually a lot of fun, and quite funny, and while I have no idea how things would have worked week after week, I do wish we had the chance to find out, because in the end I really wanted to see more of it. And if you missed it, I can only encourage you to try and catch a rerun (Sunday, January 4th at 2am, and again the next day, Monday, January 5th at 11am, on USA) and stick around past the paintball scene, because after that things start to get better, and you’ll probably have a good time. |
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