Mr. Monk Is Underwater (15 Aug. 2008)

Monk is put in an uncomfortable position when Natalie asks him to help investigate the apparent suicide of her old friend's commanding officer.

Director:

Paris Barclay

Writers:

Andy Breckman (creator), Jack Bernstein

Stars:

Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, Jason Gray-Stanford

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Tony Shalhoub	...	Adrian Monk
Traylor Howard	...	Natalie Teeger
Jason Gray-Stanford	...	Lt. Randall Disher
Ted Levine	...	Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (credit only)
Casper Van Dien	...	Lt. Steven Albright
La Monde Byrd	...	Petty Officer Wedoes
Rob Evors	...	Petty Officer Kramer
William Atherton	...	Commander Nathan Whitaker
Hector Elizondo	...	Dr. Neven Bell
Dan McNeill	...	Passing Sailor #1
Pepper Sweeney	...	Navy Cook
Scott MacDonald	...	Chief of Boat (as Scott Macdonald)
Tom Nagel	...	Passing Sailor #2

Storyline

When Natalie is contacted by Mitch's old friend to investigate a suspicious suicide on a submarine, Natalie jumps at the opportunity and enlists Monk's help. However, things get complicated when the submarine heads off on a mission... with Natalie and Monk still on board. Monk must battle his phobias and stay focused to catch a murderer who is well within their reach.

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Plot Keywords:

sonar | old friends | military | telephone call | submarine

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Mystery | Crime

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 August 2008 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Stage 5, Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandeville Films, Touchstone Television, Universal Media Studios (UMS)

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The only episode of season 7 to not feature Ted Levine.

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Goofs

While Monk is talking to Lieutenant Disher, Monk says that he's on a submarine, "relative bearing two-five-niner". He means absolute bearing, heading, or course. The direction the sub is traveling is always relative bearing zero, by definition. Relative bearings are used to locate other items in relation to the sub.

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Quotes

Commander Nathan Whitaker: When I'm on land, I am a decorated officer of the United States Navy. When I'm on this ship, I am the lord, THY GOD! I am Jehovah! No one questions me! Now I've asked around. I know about your problems. You are having a breakdown, sir. It happens on submarines all the time to men far better than you. You are *delusional*.
Adrian Monk: I have my share of problems, I don't deny it. But when I'm on this case, the last thing I am is delusional.
[turns to an imaginary Dr. Bell]
Adrian Monk: Tell him.
[...]

User Reviews

Biggest plot hole in the history of television

This may have been a decent "locked room" mystery, if they had simply left out the "trapped in the ballast tank" sequence. As you may have read in the goofs, ballast tanks aren't accessible from inside a sub. What is worse, though, are all the lights in the room they were in. There are lights in the ceiling, lights on the wall, even lights in the floor. This sequence really shows that Hollywood writers just don't have any new ideas anymore. Also (rambling a bit to get to 10 lines required by IMDb), the way the water rises and falls in the room is ridiculous -- slowly, like a bath tub or swimming pool. I think the poster saying the tanks are completely full whenever they are underwater is wrong, but I do believe the tanks fill and empty with water at a much greater rate. Otherwise, the sub would be stuck at the surface way too long. BTW, there is no spoiler here. The ballast tank stuff doesn't really have anything to do with the mystery of the show, especially the resolution of "how it was done."