Mr. Monk Is Up All Night

Captain stottlemeyer beliitles monk this whole episode yet he claims to be his best friend ... i'd hate to be his enemy ... life in the city after the lights go out is too scary for words ... this episode more than others elucidates why monk doesn't need disher, stottlemeyer or teeger to solve crimes ... there is no such thing as a police emergency ... its all about the coins

Best Episode of "Monk" ever. Very well written, complicated plot line. The story is set in San Francisco in the wee hours and the action takes place in a funky bar, a train station, an alley way, a cab stand, a closed and gated little coin shop,the utility room of a very ordinary little restaurant, in a newspaper delivery truck, and along the dark streets of a city closed up for the night. More plot-driven than the typical "Monk," with less emphasis on the main characters quirks though the quirks exist in relationship to the action. There is a definite film noir feel to it and has the archly drawn characters that the genre is famous for.

Overall a very entertaining episode, one that is more plot driven. As always, Tony Shaloub steals the show as he plays the role it seems he was meant to play his whole life. I have only one criticism, and it's especially bothersome to me being an eye doctor. At the end of the episode when Monk finally finds the woman he's been looking for, it's revealed that she had received a cornea transplant with Trudy's corneas, which is what Monk had recognized. The disease she had? Retinitis pigmentosa! Really? A cornea transplant to treat a retinal disease? That's like getting a kidney transplant to treat liver disease. The writing staff could've at least looked up a cornea disease like keratoconus that you would treat using a cornea transplant. Lazy writing. It's almost as bad as those awful contacts they had Shaloub wear in the episode where Monk goes blind. Aside from that, this is still one of the best shows ever made and one of my favorites.

When Monk witnesses a shooting, he does everything he can to bring the bad guys to justice, but the evidence isn't there. This all takes place as Monk takes a walk, suffering from insomnia. There are so many factors and there are so many wonderful twists and turns, I have decided it is the bet episode I have personally seen. It also has a touching conclusion. There is a great subplot with Randy wearing Captain America pajamas. Stottlemeyer has some great lines.

Thank you to you all who participated in this masterpiece either by writing, acting, directing, including you guys who set up cables for the lights, or those who prepared snacks for the team to eat, or those who checked the air pressures of the tires of the vehicles that were used in the shots and it doesn't mind if you hadn't checked the air pressures at all. To everyone whoever took part, big or small. Great teamwork. Great output. You made me cry. Thank you all. Thank you.