Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum

Dennis Boutsikaris is a good actor, and also played a hospital shrink in charge of an eclectic group of crazies in the late-eighties' comedy The Dream Team.

More specifically, in the movie, there's a guy with a bad temper (Michael Keaton but who is a woman here); a guy who pretends to be a fellow doctor (Christopher Lloyd and here, Kevin Nealon); and a man who lives in his own world (Stephen Furst, who hardly speaks, and here a guy who lives for Santa Claus)...

This is a good, laidback episode, kind of showing the audience that Monk is really not all that crazy, at least not compared to real crazies like the ones shown here. Kevin Nealon is dry and funny, and while a somewhat comedic platform there's suspense and intrigue, and a decent mystery. As filler episodes go, this one is worthwhile.

Monk breaks in the old house of his former wife Trudy by mistake and is sentenced to stay for 72 hours in an asylum that is renovating. The director Dr. Morris Lancaster holds him under therapy, and Monk learns from his roommate John Wurster that four years ago, a doctor was killed by an addicted patient that stole drugs and dies of OD on the next day. Monk and Wurster decide to investigate the old case and Monk finds that Dr. Lancaster is the real killer. But he is locked inside the institution under the care of the doctor with no contact with the exterior world.

"Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum" is a silly episode of "Monk", more comedy than police story. The title song of this series is annoying, and this show is kind of ridiculous. Dr. Morris Lancaster dressed like Santa Claus is not a good option to find the weapon he used to kill. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Sr. Monk Vai para o Sanatório" ("Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum")

Great episode of Monk. Intriguing mystery and quite claustrophobic as Monk is stuck at the mercy of the hospital and in particular the man who might be the killer.

Comedian Kevin Nealon (of Saturday Night Live fame) provides some of the best lighter moments as the compulsive liar.

GET READY TO BE DRIVEN TO THE ASYLUM AND BACK!!! I ENJOYED THIS ONE BECAUSE OF MONK AND SHARONA

This is the first episode without Stottlemeyer and Disher but their presence would have blown the case open much easier without all the risks. Once Sharona determined the doctor was the killer and sent the picture of Truvy to Monk , (a Great bit added to the episode, by the way), all she had to do was call the police and save Monk!