Mr. Monk and Little Monk

Not so much a review as it is a question. First off,I love how we see the way Mr. Monk developes his "habits." Nice and creative. Secondly, they did a great job with casting the young Adrian Monk So, my question is...when young Monk is at his locker trying to ask Sherry out, there is a picture that appears and dissapears from the inside of Monks locker. Who is she&why does it dissapear?

Questions that are asked in comments...Adult Jimmy is played by Brett Cullen as James Duffy, it's in the cast info. And the pic in Adrian's locker is Patty Duke, that is in the trivia info. This was a fun episode. I wish IMDB never got rid of the message boards, they were fun to read.

Hello friends, here is another blunder they make in a very good episode of Monk. It is about the following when the murderous thieves commit the act of killing the maid,One of them went to the picture with a spray paint and painted glasses that here too circles for not symmetrical,He also draws mustaches which are again not symmetrical, one longer with an arc, the other is just a line. Later, however, when Monk is in the house looking for clues, the painting is seen to have two perfect circles for glasses,And two perfect mustaches, who and why he erased and then redrew it is not clear to me. This is another blunder in another episode.

'Monk' has always been one of my most watched shows when needing comfort, to relax after a hard day, a good laugh or a way to spend a lazy weekend.

Having loved the previous episode "Mr Monk Goes to the Wedding", "Mr Monk and Little Monk" was a slight disappointment but was still a fun and very interesting episode that did a lot right. To have two crimes, one in flashback and one in the present day, interwoven was another change from the formula and a great idea. Different is not always done well, have seen some interesting failures in my short life, but "Mr Monk and Little Monk" and the other previous atypical episodes are examples of different working.

There are imperfections sure. The flashback mystery, despite not being a murder and actually a school theft, is slightly more interesting than the present day case, partly because the chemistry between younger Monk and Sherry. The present day case is still paced well, with some nice clues, lovely character moments and fun deductions and an engaging story in its own right. The solution to me was a little too silly and borderline confusing, the motive was rather extreme. The solution of the past flashback, despite being obvious from the get go, was easier to swallow and a little cleverer in how the crime was done. More Disher and Stottlemeyer wouldn't have gone amiss either.

Despite how all this sounds, "Mr Monk and Little Monk didn't feel too much of an excuse to look into Monk's teenage past or become gimmicky. Granted it is at the forefront but most of everything else balances well with it and doesn't feel under-utilised. The flashbacks are very sweet and nicely filmed, with Grant Rossenmeyer doing a great job as younger Monk, capturing the quirks and such perfectly without being too much of an imitation. Rose Abdoo shows great comic timing as his mother, and it was nice to see where some of Monk's quirks and obsessions originated from.

Natalie is more settled than in previous appearances. She has a down-to-earth-ness, sensitivity and sass that makes one warm to her as well as being more sympathetic to Monk's issues. Traylor Howard is doing fine, not amazing as of yet but hardly amateur hour.

As said many times, one of the best things about 'Monk' has always been the acting of Tony Shalhoub in the title role. It was essential for him to work and be the glue of the show, and Shalhoub not only is that but also at his very best he IS the show. Have always loved the balance of the humour, which is often hilarious, and pathos, which is sincere and touching.

He is very well matched by Donna Bullock, it is hard not to be charmed and touched by their chemistry which tells a lot about them and Bullock gives a performance of charm and vulnerability, one can totally see why Monk would want to help Sherry.

Character moments-wise, the highlights are the flashbacks, the bikers fight and especially the double summation.

It's not just the cast or story though. Another star is the writing, which is also essential to whether the show would be successful or not and succeed it does here. The mix of wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done, particularly the last one. The quirks are sympathetically done and never exploited or overdone.

Visually, the episode is shot in a slick and stylish way, and the music is both understated and quirky. While there is a preference for the theme music for Season 1, Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There" has grown on me overtime, found it annoying at first but appreciate its meaning and what it's trying to say much more now. Oh and a good job is done with the different opening credits sequence to accommodate the changes made.

In summation, very good atypical episode even if the execution was not perfect. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Burglars enter a house and are surprised by an old lady coming down a stairs. She heard the noise and came down with a gun. They take it away from her, wrestle, she falls and is killed. The thieves leave, but before they do, go to a portrait painting on a wall and spray paint it. Huh?

A former middle school classmate of Adrian, a woman he had a crush on when she was that age (13?), comes to Monk then asks him to solve this case to give that old lady - whom she employed in that hose - justice. Monk takes the case.

Through flashbacks, we then get a glimpse of what Monk was like in that awkward age. Actually, thanks to those flashbacks we see Monk solve two cases on this episode: the one when he's in school and the one "live" with the burglars and the painting. Both involve helping the same female.

All in all, more of an insight on the strange and amazing Mr. Monk.