Mr. Monk Gets Jury Duty

Monk's ticks are more infuriating than ever in this episode, usually the writing uses these OCD habits to further the plot but now they're just unnecessary acting tropes.

A dangerous South American drug lord is captured by Stottlemeyer and Discher. But the feds drop by after the arrest and claim jurisdiction, setting the appointed date for the transfer to federal custody. The drug lord vows he will escape.

In a separate story, Monk gets called and selected for jury duty in a stabbing case. The judge just thinks all of his weird proclivities are an elaborate attempt to get out of jury service. The case seems straightforward and goes to the jury quickly. On the first ballot there are eleven guilty verdicts and one not-guilty vote - Monk's. He spends all of that day and part of the next convincing the jury of the man's innocence. At the same time, he just looks out the window and sees things that lead him to believe there is a body in the dumpster nearby. He's right.

Do all of these things join forces at any point - the drug dealer, the jury deliberations, and the body in the dumpster? Watch and find out.

It is ridiculous to think that Monk would end up on the jury of any criminal case given his profile as a great detective, but then this is a comedy show with the plot points just held together by a mystery, so just go with it. The real point is that Monk can work with a team - even a team of total strangers - if circumstances force him to do so. He is not a lone wolf by necessity.

I decided to watch this episode because Screenrant said it is one of the best. Who the hell paid them to say that???? Yet another rehash of the already annoying Twelve Angry Men, and this episode adds nothing worthwhile. The setup doesn't suit the show at all. I like seeing Monk out and about, investigating an intriguing murder, not cooped up in a jury room with a bunch of caricatures. His way of solving the crime from his jury chair feels so trite and only makes the police look like idiots instead of making Monk seem brilliant. Monk is annoying and ridiculous the whole time, and he is kept apart from the captain and lieutenant, with whom most of the show's laughs were generated after they made the mistake of dropping Sharona. Avoid this episode!!!

Monk's OCD is off the wall. He ends up being the odd man in the jury room, a parody on 12 Angry Men. It is wonderful to watch him invade the psyches of the other eleven jurors. He really shows his analytical skills and only stubbornness keeps him from being immediately successful. I loved his fixation on the crooked Venetian blinds.

You can imagine on jury duty, driving the other 11 jurors (and the judge ) nuts. Well, of course, that is the case here. It's also predictable in that he would be the only one to vote "not guilty," and, being the good Liberal-slanted show it is, would be proved correct getting an innocent black man off to boot!! This reminded me a bit of "12 Angry Men," except it's 11 angry people at Monk, and you can't blame them.

Most of the things in here, including the jokes and the dramatic ending, are pretty predictable yet despite that, it was still fun to watch. It isn't however, one of the more cerebral episodes and a little more than far-fetched....but that's Monk. To the writers' credit, the surprise among the jurors was good (one of them was rotten, and it wasn't Adrian).