Mr. Monk Goes Camping

I don't remember anything about the episode except the very round boi. Would be 10 out of 10 but they didn't have the bears name in the credits

The grizzly bear has been extinct in california since 1924...the bear seen in this show is a trained bear yet no more believable...the moron never learns, he keeps trying to do the impossible even if he knows its futile...the thing is this series has long since died...its writers try their best but they too are inevitable failures...we will soon be saying goodbye to the moron so make the best of it

Monk has yet another hearing to determine if he should be reinstated as a San Francisco policeman. Two of the three people on the board seem positive towards the idea. But a third thinks that it would just be too dangerous to give Monk a badge and a gun at this time. He wants to defer the decision for awhile.

In the meantime, Monk learns that Disher is a volunteer for "Buddies in Blue" - a group of cops that take kids camping. One of the kids in Disher's next camping trip is the son of the doubting board member, so Monk volunteers to go with Disher thinking he'll befriend the son of the doubter, who will then put in a good word to his dad.

Of course, things don't quite work out on the camping trip. For one thing the kids - all of them - see right through Monk's schmoozing. Also, there are a couple of criminals who killed a bank guard in a robbery and they are trying to retrieve some evidence of their crime that is in the exact same place where Disher, Monk, and the kids are camping. Complications ensue.

This seemed like a filler episode of Monk, probably because it IS a filler episode of Monk. Four series ending episodes are coming up, and the writers can't hit every episode out of the park. I realize that Monk is a comedy at heart, but I just didn't like the idea of Monk using someone's kid to get what he wanted.

I did like Disher's philosophy of life being revealed - that happiness is a choice.

'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.

As truly entertaining 'Monk' is, there are a fair share of classic episodes even in lesser seasons, once in a while it has an episode that disappoint, with likes of "Mr Monk and the Big Reward", "Mr Monk Takes a Punch", "Mr Monk and the UFO", "Mr Monk and the Rapper", "Mr Monk and the Really Really Dead Guy" and "Mr Monk Falls in Love". "Mr Monk Goes Camping" is another disappointment. It is not Season 8 at its worst, that's "Mr Monk and the UFO". To me though, "Mr Monk Goes Camping" is the season at its blandest and one of the blander 'Monk' episodes overall.

It certainly has good points, no 'Monk' episode is without redeeming qualities even the lacking ones. Visually, the episode is slick and stylish as ever with some lovely scenery. 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.

One of the best things about 'Monk' has always been Tony Shalhoub, who was as Monk consistently one of the best things about every episode regardless of what material is thrown at him.. 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, both have been done much better than here but Shalhoub still gives it his all. All the cast do their best with they have to work with, in most cases it's very little. The various artists bit with Monk was really endearing, the one of two character moments to me that stood out, the bear encounter was fun too.

However, the mystery is a big let down. It is far too easy to solve, not just because it is too simple but everything is very obvious, even the very heavy-handed big clue in the unusual interest in fish. The crime-solving and deductions were not focused on enough and were very much forgettable when featured. A lot of the problem is to do with that it's got elements that are very derivative of other episodes, namely "Mr Monk Gets Cabin Fever", and none of the elements have any spark to them. One can argue that "Mr Monk and the Dog" was derivative, it was somewhat but it also had spark and had delightful character moments.

Something that "Mr Monk Goes Camping", uncharacteristically (even when mysteries were lacking, the character moments tended to make up for things, not this time), failed to have. The various artists thing was endearing and very Monk-ish (Monk is in character which is a good thing, but he is the only character of note here), but most of the characters don't have enough to work with (Natalie and Stottlemeyer are underused and the episode missed an opportunity to give Disher properly interesting) and the father-son conflict could have worked but let down by clichéd execution and the resolve being unconvincingly rushed.

Along with a truly weak mystery (that has nothing mysterious to it, or any tension or suspense), only two character moments are memorable (the other being a bear encounter), we are very much short changed when it comes to humour and pathos here and there is little to provoke thought over. The episode also seemed to promise to address an on-going 'Monk' issue (the re-instating) that has been begging for a resolve for a while, considering that Season 8 has been good actually with providing closure and conquering phobias, the way it was executed here one does beg the question what was the point of the episode and why bring about this issue at all only to not do anything with it.

In conclusion, very bland but not awful. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Very entertaining episode, contrary to the other reviews of this episode. Very little Traylor or Ted, which is a bummer, but the kids on the camping trip are worth the watch. They see through Monk's reason for going on the camping trip, and the repartee between the kids and Monk is genuinely funny. Wish the location section had the name of the lake since most of the episode takes place around it. My guess is that it is Lake Hollywood. To reiterate, the kids make this episode worth watching. Don't be put off by the other user reviews of this episode as they ooze of self importance if not outright rancor. The Kids Are Allright!