Mr. Monk and the Candidate

Best detective show ever. Tony Shalhoub is impeccable as the compulsive detective. He is able to solve crimes based on the thinest (and believable) threads of evidence. He is also able to draw you into the plot with ease - like an old friend who brings you into his trust you wait on every word.

Mr. Shalhoub is an enormously talented actor. Anything he has a role in is worth watching just to see him in it. You must watch this great program. 10+/10

-Zafoid

PS: ...sorry - I got so involved in Mr. Shalhoub's acting ability that I forgot - major kudos to the writers and supporting cast and the crew. :)

-Z

Adrian Monk has OCD in the same way Superman has an allergy to Kryptonite. I LOVE Monk, and this new series underscores how what may seem a "disability" can really be a whole new, wider way of looking at the world. Naturally, he'll need a LOT of help with the disabling aspects, however.

Tony Shalhoub is perfect in this -- every nuance, every moment, every choice is 100%. His empathy with the character is profound, and rather than some quirky stereotype, his Monk is a beautiful, poetic character that will live for a longtime after the petty series characters of modern "hit" television fade away.

Bitty Schram's Sharona is a lovely, warm act of faith, and everyone -- literally everyone -- is perfectly cast.

And along with all this warmth, this is the funniest show to come along in many years.

Ignore the naysayers...watch it.

I was really looking forward to this show, and all in all it was OK. The plot was fine, the acting was good, etc. Monk's obsessive behavior, which was supposed to be quirky, got to be more annoying than quirky, but it's something that they can work on. But they'll work on it for someone other than me. Why? Because the damn commercial breaks went on FOREVER!!! They had to be 5 or 6 minutes long each. I saw more spots for "The Dead Zone", Bowflex and acid reflux than I can count. I was caught up in the plot, so I didn't want to change channels, but never again. I suppose I could record the show and skip the commercials, but that ain't the point.

First episode of Monk, it's pretty much all there already. We learn about his deceased wife Trudy, and that her death might be the root of his obsessive-compulsive disorder. (I know now he had it before, and it became worse because of her death, but that seems not clear to me at the start of the series.) Tony Shaloub is great right from the start. It's worth mentioning, because in many TV shows, I have the feeling that the actors need several episodes (or even a whole season) to get the character right, e.g. Psych, or Lucifer.

Ted Levine is already very good and convincing as Captain Stottlemeyer. I seem to remember him being a little less serious in later episodes, but in the beginning he is a no-nonsense guy, and pretty hard on Monk, at least compared to later.

Monk has the goal of rejoining the force, I can't recall if this changes later in the series. In my memory, he was always just a consulting detective who happens to be an ex-cop.

The case itself is pretty interesting, kept me guessing for a while. I like the Sherlock-Holmes-vibe of some of Monks discoveries, and how he does not seem to mind other people eyeballing him because of his quirks.

Two highlights I remember: Monk 'fishing' for his keys in the church and lifting the hand of a dead man by mistake, and Sharona's "I never vote. It only encourages them." (I disagree, of course, voting is very important. Still a funny quote.)

I for one, will be heart broken if USA quits showing my favorite show. I'm usually drawn to shows like CSI - and A few comedies. MONK is the perfect mix!! The guy that

wrote the "theme" is a genius! Fits Adrian to a TEE!! It's been years since a show on TV has excited me so much. Tony is a multi - talented actor. He makes me laugh & makes me cry, & believe me, thats hard to do. Wish I could personally thank all that have their hand in this wonderfull show. Sincerely J. dohmen