'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.
While not one of the best episodes of Season 4 or the show, "Mr Monk Gets Drunk" does do a very good job at being an entertaining diversion. It has been met with mixed reviews on TV.com, and the reaction to Monk's drunk scene was even more mixed (mostly panned). Count me in as one of those who really liked, if not loved, "Mr Monk Gets Drunk", while not considering it a favourite or special episode. And as one of those who found Monk drunk hilarious and very convincingly acted by Tony Shalhoub in one of the better acted drunk acts seen by me. Being drunk must be very hard to do, because there have been quite a fair number of instances where it has been overdone, acted in a painfully bad way or caused unintentional humour.
It's not a perfect episode. Didn't care for the scene with Mr, Natalie and the luggage, mainly because of Monk's uncharacteristic rudeness. Wish that Disher and Stottlemeyer had more to do, both are still entertaining but they are so underused there that one questions the point of their presence. The denouement is slightly too drawn out but is still very clever and enjoyable so it wasn't so much a problem.
Natalie is settling in well, her chemistry with Monk is sparkling even more, her personality is starting to become more differentiated and more interesting, she's useful and the two characters function very well together. 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 has given better and more comfortable performances in the show, though she is reasonably new still, but considering the difficult circumstances that resulted in her casting she's not doing a bad job at all.
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.
Paul Ben-Victor is the standout in support and the second best actor here after Shalhoub. He has a cool demeanour and is wonderfully shady here. The mystery is fun and not obvious or convoluted.
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 hilarious wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done. 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.
Altogether, very well done and enjoyable but there are better in the season and the show. 8/10 Bethany Cox
