Mr. Monk and Little Monk

This episode is fun. It shows how Monk became the guy we see each episode. We are introduced to Monk in junior high, dealing with the the day to day persecution an unconventional kid does (they alway outshine the jerks later, of course). This one has a murder committed by a couple burglars in the home of Monk's former friend (not girlfriend because of his inaction). Anyway, in a kind of formulaic way we see parallels to the two time frames. It's entertaining.

A couple of men break into a house and vandalize a painting and take nothing with them. Because the housekeeper wakes up and catches them, they get into a scuffle and the housekeeper is accidentally killed.

The woman who owns the house wasn't home that night, but comes to Monk to solve the case. It turns out to be Sherry Judd, somebody Monk had a crush on in junior high. He somewhat returns to age 13 in her presence, which is amusing. Stottlemeyer thinks that maybe Sherry herself may have done it for the insurance money for the painting. Monk says no, because Sherry got a very large settlement when she divorced her husband which includes 20 thousand dollars a month in alimony. Monk is acting like he is still interested in this girl from his past but, alas, the painting restoration guy she takes the vandalized portrait to is also somebody she knew in junior high and they are hitting it off all over again. Meanwhile, in an amusing flashback, there is a mini mystery as Monk is shown as he was in junior high when he saved Sherry from being falsely accused of stealing some school funds.

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.

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.