MonkMr. Monk and the Other Brother
Original Air Date: 9 Jan 2009
Jeff P - Two Cents Staff Writer
jeffp@thetwocentscorp.com
This obsessive-compulsive writer wants you to know that it’s been just under 4 months since the last Monk. But who’s counting?
Welcome back Mr. Monk!
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[photo: USAnetwork.com]
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This obsessive-compulsive writer wants you to know that it’s been just under 4 months since the last Monk. But who’s counting?
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Mr. Monk!
Prologue –
During breakfast, Adrian sees that a fugitive, Joe Endicott, has broken out from prison and killed someone in the process. Soon after this program, wouldn’t you know that someone breaks into Monk’s house! And that someone is Joe. As Monk goes to call the police, Joe claims that he is Monk’s brother!
Although Adrian doesn’t believe him, Joe insists that he is in fact his brother. Well, his half brother. After some questioning, Monk realizes it is his half brother Jack who he hasn’t seen in years. Jack insists that he did not commit the murder after breaking out. He tells Monk that the woman was dead already when he broke out. He asks Monk to help him solve the case. He recants how things happened: He came out of the sewer (much to Monk’s chagrin) and he went to steal a car in the parking lot. When he opens the car door, a woman falls out. She was the social worker at the prison and he tries to call 911. That’s when a guard spotted him and it appeared that he killed her. After some cajoling by Jack and his mother, Monk concedes and offers to help solve the case.
Later the gang ends up at the site of the murder. Jack comes along and Monk is telling everyone that he is his penpal. The weapon is embossed with “GOSF” and made of silver. The guard who shot at Jack tells them that the killer must have smuggled it in. Seeing that there was a lot of blood on the car, and none on Jack’s pants. Monk now believes that Jack is telling the truth. Jack tells Monk that his cellmate had dug the hole and had the plan to escape. But Jack hit him over the head and escaped himself instead.
Monk and Jack go to the victim’s house to investigate. They see some pictures that are out of focus on the wall. Monk determines that she could not have put up these pictures. He thinks that someone had pulled them out of her drawer to hide whatever pictures were up there before. Later in the evening, Jack accidentally admits that his mother is dead. Monk was half convinced by a phone message from his “mother” to take the case, and it turned out to be Jack’s girlfriend. Jack swears that he still did not kill the woman. Monk has Stottlemeyer come by to arrest Jack, but Monk gives in and doesn’t turn him in. Before Stottlemeyer leaves, he tells Adrian that Jack’s cellmate was killed in prison that night.
The next day Adrian is with Dr. Bell. He admits to the good doctor that Jack is in his apartment! Of course, Dr. Bell is against the idea of it and thinks he should turn him in. After some more discussion, Monk tells him about Jack’s fascination about Paraguay. This concerns Dr. Bell. He tells Monk that it’s considered to be the Promised Land for criminals. Their new extradition laws have them not allowing anyone to be extradited, unless they are indicted for murder. Now MONK is concerned.
Natalie is just about to sign a check off to Jack who was still claiming to be a penpal, when Monk walks in to stop him. He tells Natalie who Jack really is, and confronts him about Paraguay. Then, Monk notices that he is wearing a watch that he saw at the victim’s apartment! Monk takes the watch from Jack and looks at the back of it. He seems astonished at what he sees. Jack asks what’s wrong, and Natalie answers, “He just solved the case”.
Monk, Natalie & Jack visit a guard that was at the site during the investigation. He tells him that he believes that the victim was sleeping with him, and that the watch was his. This is confirmed when Monk sees that the letters “GOSF” are on the spoon that he’s using to eat. Walking away without enough evidence, Monk says that he’s 80% sure that he’s the guy. But when the guard starts shooting at them, Monk says he’s 95% sure. While they’re being shot at, Monk solves the case.
The guard was having an affair with the victim and wanted to kill her to hide his deeds. So he gave Jack’s cellmate a shiv made from one of his spoons to use as a decoy. The real plan was to kill her himself, and when he tried to escape, he would shoot him down and it would look like the cellmate committed the murder. But since Jack hit over the head, he was the one at the car. The guard couldn’t hit him and Jack got away. Obviously, the guard had to kill the cellmate because he knew everything now.
After the exposition, Jack jumps in a car and drives off! Monk thinks that he’s going to Paraguay. But instead, he waited until the guard came down to shoot Natalie and Adrian and he ran him over with the car! Monk is very happy that Jack came to the rescue.
The episode wraps up with the conviction of the guard for the murder, and Jack heading back to prison. After all, he did escape from there and still had time to serve. Monk gives him a hug and tells Jack he was happy to meet him. After Jack gets carted away, Disher tells Monk and Natalie that he must have left his handcuff keys in his other jacket. Apparently, Jack did one last swipe for the episode.
I missed this show a lot. It has a unique way to tug on your heartstrings every now & then. After all of the laughter and mystery, the show really has heart and that’s nice. Steve Zahn was great, and I hope to see him again.
What did you think? How is season 7 treating you? Your two cents is always welcomed.
Did you see the Tony Shalhoub shout-out at the end of the season premiere of Scrubs? Apparently, Dr. Shalhoub always wins all the trophies come medical awards season!
ReplyDeleteAnd I just LOVE Steve Zahn!
No I didn't! That is great!!
ReplyDeleteYes, I liked Steve Zahn since Suburbia. I was happy to see that he stuck around.