Monk

Mr. Monk and the Airplane

Season 1, Episode 12, Aired 10/18/02

Episode Summary

Monk ends up having to travel cross-country with Sharona by plane, and Monk hates to fly. He's soon distracted when he realizes a rich Frenchman has murdered his wife and replaced her with an impostor.

6.9

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Cast & Crew

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Tony Shalhoub

Adrian Monk
Bitty Schram

Sharona Fleming (episodes 1-38)
Jason Gray-Stanford

Lt. Randall Disher

Fan Episode Reviews (8)

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A good episode...not the best...but fun to watch

8.3

"Great"

By russellbullock, Jun 25, 2011 Report Abuse

Arrrr....Thar be SPOILERS ahead, matey!!!

Well, it was a good episode, but we saw many of the usual contrived plot conveniences this episode.

Monk sitting next to an extension cord salesman was certainly fotunate when he needed a rope with a hook on it to get the French man's shoe.
The salesman's lighter was a stroke of luck as well (how exactly did he get that on the plane?).
It was certainly fotunate that the French man did not take the time to scrape off the concrete on the bottom of his shoes though he did get them shined. Couldn't he have washed them in a bathroom?
The airport bathroom was miraculously empty when they killed the real wife. I've never been in an airport bathroom with fewer than 8 people in attendance.
How did they get the body out of the airport bathroom in the first place? The fake wife didn't have a big enough suitcase to haul her out.
How did the French man actually dump the body in the first place? The construction area was crawling with workers. The concrete was fresh when he dumped her so it had just been poured? Everyone went on a simultaneous coffee break that early in the morning?
How did he know that there would be wet concrete there at all? What if a construction guy had called in sick and their schedule was delayed that day? Depending that the concrete would be freshly poured was a bit of a stretch, assuming he somehow knew that it would be there in the first place.
I don't get the basis of the murder in the first place. The husband wants all his wife's money. Fine. But he has to find an identical accomplice to take her place (how impossible would taht actually be by the way?). Doesn't he have to split the money with her? So he now has only half the fortune that he had full access to before. Didn't he just screw himself?

Oh well, I've grown used to these minor flaws. I think Monk is more about the character himself than the plot anyway. Every episode has so many lucky breaks that simply wouldn't happen in real life that it's plain laughable. but the show is still endearing and charming due to Adrian's quirks and idiosyncrasies.

The appearance by Tim Daly was a nice surprise. And I love that they found a way to have the episode take place in an airport setting since he and Shalhoub were on Wings together and taht show, of course, took place in an airport. The low key look of surprise he gave Monk when he first saw him on the plane was classic.

Overall, not the best episode ever, but lots of fun nonetheless.moreless

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this was a good ep

8.5

"Great"

By cube2k8, Jun 25, 2011 Report Abuse

in this ep monk has t ofly becasue he does not want to be left alone so he takes the chance but is drving everyone crazy on the flite. but in the air port he thinks a man murderd his wife thinking this from what he saw in the air port and made a women replace his wife. monk knows this and trys to prove it so he calles back to the office and has them go check the air port and finds the body it was a great ep i thought. i also think this was a really good on that deserved a 8.5moreless

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Mr. Monk and the Long, Lonnngggg Drawn Out Trip

4.5

"Poor"

By Gislef, Sep 26, 2010 Report Abuse

This one's a very odd choice for a season finale, as noted elsewhere. Ted Levine is absent, although this gives Jason Gray-Stanford a little more of the limelight it establishes both that he's a competent (if mediocre) police officer in his own right rather then just comic relief, and shows that he has some faith in Monk too.

Sharona is here mostly for comic relief and to get the ball rolling - her treatment of Monk here borders on malpractice. Other then the running gag of another failed relationship, she doesn't do a lot here.

Given a relatively uncharismatic bad guy, that gives us the "stunt" guest stars - Brooke Adams (Shalhoub's wife) as a put-upon flight attendant, Tim Daly for his debateable value as a former Shalhoub guest-star, and Garry Marshall playing a reasonably likeable character. Mr. Marshall has played more obnoxious characters in recent years (see his gig on Murphy Brown) so he actually comes across as kinda sympathetic toward Monk here and with Sharona off doing her thing he's Monk's only ally for most of the show.

So that means much of the story is on Monk and...well, it gets a bit tiresome after a while. If the producers, director, etc., wanted the audience to feel what it's like to be trapped in a plane with Monk for hours on end like the detective's fellow passengers, they succeeded. It's really, really annoying. A little of Monk's illness goes a long way, and while there are some funny moments (his being "trapped" by the little girl), for the most part the illness stuff here is portrayed as annoying mannerisms rather then lovable character insights.

The crime itself is pretty straightforward and it's kinda interesting to see how Monk figures it out...the first couple of times. After that, it begins to get repetitive. We know who the guilty party is - Monk knows who the guilty party is. None of the evidence Monk comes up with "proves" anything to anyone else. So why do we have to sit through yet another revelatioin?

And in the final act, Monk framing a pilot for drinking to get the murderer captured is...well, kinda criminal in its own right.

Overall, some interesting bits and gags, but overall this one just seems to sit there - it'd be one of those USA website one-minute mysteries without the "special guest stars" and the overdone OCD jokes.moreless

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Monk is surprised to find out that their trip to the airport was to fly not to pick up anyone. This results in Monk's first flight, but Monk finds murder at 30,000 ft.moreless

9.8

"Superb"

By Monk14, Aug 12, 2008 Report Abuse

This episode had it all. Humor, drama, and a slight element of mystery. Monk gets on his first flight which happens to be cross country. The flight attendant(Shalhoub's wife), is quick to realize she will have her hands full with Monk. The laughs are plenty and come right after eachother. Even without Captain and alttle bit of Disher it is still great and a series classic. There is suspense in this episode which I will not describe as it may give away clues. This episode really is fun to watch and because the mystery element is small, you can easily watch this over and over again with enjoyment. reat season finale for a great season.moreless

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Ticket Clerk I can assure you, Mr. Monk, this particular aircraft has a perfect safety record. Adrian Monk Could I see it?

10

"Perfect"

By spaceyrella, Nov 27, 2006 Report Abuse

I LOVE this ep!
It is my absolute favorite from Season one, i was SO proud of Monk that he got on that plane!

Very well written, a murder on the ground, and Monk solves it miles and miles up in the air!
And while he sits in his chair pretty much the whole trip, he is just as Monkish as he normally would be... maybe even more!

That character sitting next to him is hilarisch, too... what was his name? Warren... right? It's been a while since i saw it, so i'm sorry if i'm wrong :o

Warren: "I've been thinking about your theory and uhm, do you still have that card i gave you?"
Adrian: "Yes, i got it in my pocket"
Warren: "I'd like to have it back"

Really a very good ep!
Monk got over one of his biggest fears... flying... he still doesn't like it, but... he did get on that plane again :D

This episode really made me look forward to the next season!moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
ADD TRIVIA
- If you look carefully at a close up of the face of the dead Frenchman on the plane, his nose twitches. Edit
- At the end of the episode, when the killer and the impostor wife are being escorted off the plane, they are walked right through the metal detector, and it doesn't go off, even though they are wearing handcuffs. Edit
- When Monk is on the phone with the Lieutenant, the Garry Marshall character, Beach, is sound asleep with a black blindfold. Then when Monk is off the phone, Beach, who continues to be sound asleep, no longer has the eye covering. Edit
Notes
ADD NOTES
- Music: "Remember Me?" by Jeff Beal Edit
- Andy Breckman appears as a nonspeaking passenger on Monk's plane just as his name comes onscreen in the opening credits. Edit
- Brooke Adams, who guest stars as a flight attendant, is Tony Shalhoub's wife. The episode also reunites him with his Wings costar Tim Daly, who plays himself. Edit
Quotes
ADD QUOTES
- Little Girl: Pete and Repeat are in a boat. Pete falls out. Who is left? Monk: Repeat. Edit
- Monk: (to Sharona) Could you do it? Because if you did it, I didn't have to do it. Edit
- Warren: This is a flight I'll never forget. And I sure want to. Adrian, I've been thinking over your theory about the French couple and I've come to one conclusion--I'd like my card back. Edit
Allusions
ADD ALLUSIONS
- Sharona tells Tim Daly that two of his best performances were in Wings (which also starred Tony Shalhoub) and From the Earth to the Moon (which also starred Ted Levine). Edit