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Monk Season 4 Episode 11

Mr. Monk Bumps His Head

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9.5

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Episode Summary

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AIRED: 1/20/06

While investigating a lead to his wife's death, Monk is struck over the head, gets a case in amnesia, and wakes up in a small town in Wyoming where he finds he has a new wife.

FAN RECAP

Fan Episode Reviews (6)

This has to be the best episode of monk they ever had ever

10

By Monk10000, Mar 16, 2011

This monk episode was so funny i loved how monk didnt no who he was hilarious and that woman Cora a weirdo psycho this was a really great monk episode and Stottlemeyer Disher Dr Kroger and Natalie were all looking for him i hope they have other great episodes like this every episode is great
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Well...................

3.0

By mnmopper, Mar 24, 2008

the idea sounds better on paper than it does on TV. Monk goes to get more evidence for the Trudy case.....good so far...then is attacked for the reward money and stranded in a small town in Wyoming with no idea of who he is. Great right? Wrong!

The main problem with this episode is that it's really slowly paced and just practically one comedy scene after another especially for the first half. Even when the mystery comes into play which I liked that Monk actually did some detective work, it wasn't really anything to write home about and it was obvious that the writers were putting more weight to Monk's amnesia and the subplot with Cora. Honestly, that woman is so annoying that she makes Sarah Silverman as Marci look like the greatest character in the world.

Monk himself is really middle in the road. I'm glad that there's no new obsession or phobia for him to overeact to, but Shaloub underplays it way too much and the character comes off boring when obviously he's not. You can see a couple of energy sparks from Natalie when she finds out that Monk's alive, but other than that she gives her usual sleepy performance. Stottlemeyer and Disher seem to really be going through the motions in this episode. Probably because they don't get much to do as Natalie doesn't either.

The supporting cast is nothing really to write home about and even Stanley Kamel's presence as Dr. Kroger I felt was wasted. Actually there was one standout: I loved the state trooper and how he somewhat trusted Monk although he thought he was crazy and I loved his "this isn't TV...things are always what they seem" and was one shining moments in a cloudy fog. His character was so likable and I like how that this wasn't a law enforcement official who looked down on Monk, but treated him more as a partner like Joe in "Employee of the Month". If there's a way to get this character to return, please do.

The mystery is solid, but nothing really to write home about. Like I said before, the episode's too slowly paced for any humor to shine although it looked like humor attempts. So overall, a very disappointing episode.moreless
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Not a typical Monk

9.1

By stevo1973, Jan 24, 2006

I liked this episode. I could have done without Laurie Metcalf's character. If she was for comic relief, it wasn't very funny--however, the consummation of the "marriage" was an icky situation.

At the beginning of this series, I liked how "Monk" was a different kind of detective show. How he solved the cases. The comedy aspect. As age has progressed this show, the viewers (speaking of me) are able to guess the outcome. But the humor is still there.

I liked this particular episode because "Monk" was out of his element (amnesia--he usually is out of his element). It was interesting to watch how SFPD would find him. The crime really wasn't as interesting, it played second fiddle to the amnesia.

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The premise of the episode (Monk gets amnesia and wakes up in the middle of nowhere) is interesting, but it doesn't quite work.

7.0

By mysteryfan427, Jan 22, 2006

"Mr. Monk Bumps His Head" certainly has an interesting premise. How would someone with OCD react to amnesia? Would Monk's obsessive traits still show? Sadly, the episode fails to live up to expectations.

The first half is the most disappointing. Laurie Metcalf's character is very annoying initially, and you miss the main cast members, who are barely present here. Also, I found these early scenes lacking in humor. They were meant to be funny, but it just didn't work. Once Monk gets a mystery to preoccupy himself with, things start to improve. There are several funny scenes (the bedroom scene and the end where Monk is covered in bees, for instance), and the mystery is kind of interesting. Unfortunately, the end doesn't reveal some key plot points. For example, why exactly did Cora pretend that Monk was her husband? Was it just so that he could do chores for her? This seems a little extreme, to say the least. Also, when Natalie, Stottlemeyer, and Disher show up at the end, Monk just sort of remembers them. I found this to be a little unbelievable, and I question how Monk can go back to his work in San Francisco remembering very little of his former life.

Overall, though the episode had its moments, in the end it was a letdown.moreless
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Mr. Monk bumps his head and winds up in Wyoming, and has no idea who he is anymore.

7.0

By jillpie, Jan 21, 2006

I thought this episode took on a new twist. It is not an odinary episode but still includes all the classic Monk elements. I personally thought it was one of the funnier episodes. It allowed the show to take a differnt perspective and see a different side of Monk. While it wasn't the greatest episode I strill think it was well done and enjoyable to watch.
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Cast & Crew: STARS

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Jason Gray-Stanford	Lt. Randall Disher
Ted Levine	Captain Leland Stottlemeyer
Tony Shalhoub	Adrian Monk
Traylor Howard	Natalie Teeger

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Cast & Crew: RECURRING AND GUESTS

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Robert Catrini	Teddy Mulligan-Informant	Guest Star
Mel Fair	State Trooper	Guest Star
Bre Blair	Debbie	Guest Star
Stanley Kamel	Dr. Kroger	Recurring Role

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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TRIVIA (2)
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- Mr. Monk told the sheriff that he didn't think that Debbie would leave her parakeet behind. The bird in Debbie's apartment definitely was not a parakeet. The bird looked like a sun conure which is a small parrot. This would also fit with Mr. Monk noticing that Debbie had the bird her whole life. Parakeets (budgerigars) have a life span of only about 7 years while conures can live for 30 years.
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- Monk's meal costs $12.50, but he has only $5.00, therefore owing the waitress $7.50. Later, he tells Cora that he owes the waitress $7.00. Surely, someone as obsessive-compulsive as Monk would have given the correct total.
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QUOTES (16)
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- Monk: (while covered in bees in a beekeeper suit, to a nearby policeman) Excuse me, is your gun loaded?
  Policeman: Yeah.
  Monk: Could you do me a favor? Just...kill me.
  Sheriff: Why didn't you just stay in the car?
  Monk: There's a bee in the car!
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- Truck Driver: Does this look like a Greyhound bus to you?
  Monk: No. Buses have seats... and windows.
  Truck Driver: It was a rhetorical question.
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- Truck Driver: What are you doing?
  Monk: (referring to a five-dollar bill) Smoothing it out.
  Truck Driver: Why?
  (pause)
  Monk: I don't know.
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- Roger Zisk: Don't ponce my ride! (Monk continues to adjust Roger's side-view mirror) What are you doing?
  Monk: It's just... it's not quite straight.
  Roger: What part of "Don't ponce my ride" don't you understand?
  Monk: Ah, " ponce." (pause) Most of... all of it, really.
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- Sheriff Bates: How'd that happen?
  Cora: I'll tell you how it happened.
  Sheriff Bates: Cora?
  Cora: A can of paint fell on his head and he about fell overboard.
  Monk: Overboard?
  Sheriff Bates: How do you know this, Cora?
  Cora: Because I was there. It was in Naples. Italy. He was on a cruise.
  Sheriff Bates: So you know this man?
  Cora: Yes, I know the man. Of course I know the man. He's my husband.
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- Monk: I had the strangest dream. I dreamt that you were a blonde.
  Cora: A blonde?
  Monk: And you looked pretty--different. Pretty different. . . .
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- Monk: Where are my clothes?
  Cora: You lost 'em. You lost everything. Gambling.
  Monk: I gamble.
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- Cora: Now what?
  Monk: Uh, I'm--I'm afraid.
  Cora: You're up two feet, Jerry! You can do this. That's why you became a roofer, to get over your fear of heights. And it worked.
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- Monk: A pregnancy test.
  Cora: Looks like she had a bun in the oven.
  Monk: How do you know?
  Cora: Those two little lines there. That means positive. See, you pee on this end.
  Monk: (dropping the pregnancy test) Aaahhh! Wipe! Wipe! Wipe!
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- Stottlemeyer: I'm putting up four thousand of these [photos of Monk]. I'm going to put them in post offices, truck stops, and drug stores.
  Dr. Kroger: Wait. Wait. Why the drug stores?
  Stottlemeyer: I figure he's going to have to buy wipes sooner or later.
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- Dr. Kroger: If you're right, he [Monk] could be out there meeting himself for the first time.
  Disher: He's meeting himself?
  Stottlemeyer: That can't be good.
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- Monk: I don't want to tell you what these bags smell like.
  Sheriff Bates: Well,that's exactly what they are. That's fertilizer.
  Monk: Oh, my God. My God. This is worse than drug trafficking. You gotta nail this guy.
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- Monk: He's the guy. Let's call the captain.
  Sheriff Bates: What captain?
  Monk: I don't know.
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- Monk: The truth is, I'm not so attracted to you.
  Cora: Whatever.
  Monk: The truth is, you sort of terrify me.
  Cora: Hey! There's no such thing as a perfect marriage.
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- Monk: Here's what I think, uh, uh . . . .
  Sheriff Bates: Happened?
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- Monk: What's my name?
  Stottlemeyer: Adrian.
  Monk: What's my name, really?
  Stottlemeyer: Adrian.
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NOTES (1)
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- The character Roger Zisk is apparently named in honor of director and producer Randy Zisk.
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ALLUSIONS (1)
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- Cora: What are tryin' to be, some kind of Captain America?
  Captain America was an all-American superhero created by Marvel Comics' predecessor, Timely Comics, during WW2. Frozen in a block of ice, he was revived in the modern day and is a member of the Avengers, and has appeared in several movies.
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