Monk (TV Series) Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage (2006) User Reviews

A Lot Of Funny Little Things, But A Somber Story Overall

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 6 December 2006]

This had its funny moments, as almost all the shows had, but overall left a bad taste in my mouth, perhaps because we are forced to see an unpleasant situation with a character we like...and the story isn't over.

Capt. Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) is having marriage problems. His wife is acting very distance, strange and the captain doesn't know why. It even looks like she's seeing another man, especially after a new cop in the precinct brags about fooling around with her.

Meanwhile, there is a case to be a solved and that involves a homeless man living in a junkyard, a crime boss, two murders, a pet mouse, anger management classes and other assorted interesting things.

Unfortunately, even though that is the bulk of the program, Levine's marriage is really the issue here and it's not a pleasant ending.

Frankly, I wish these crime shows would stick to just that instead of having to including soap opera stuff here and there, but they admittedly add a strong human element to the stories and characters.

Glenne's finale Monk episode

[safenoe · 9/10 · 3 April 2020]

The fine actress Glenn Headly (who sadly died in 2017) makes her final appearance as Karen Stottlemeyer. This is a bittersweet episode, and Karen's character wasn't really that sympathetic. Definitely not a Trudi. Monk's mannerisms are charming at times, but his antics at the wishing well were grating to say the least. Ted Levine as Captain Stottlemeyer was very intense in this role, and I kind of expected him to channel Buffalo Bill and chew out the tongue of everyone who looked at him the wrong way.

Despite the sadness of the episode, there were some very hilarious moments. For instance, the mouse scene in the hospital room of Gerald Vengal (played by Bob Clendenin) was laugh-out-loud. Also, Gerald's complaint about someone ripping out the last two pages of a DIagnosis Murder novel was incredibly funny big time.

Nobody wants to get on the wrong side of Stottlemeyer

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 10 August 2017]

'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 there are better 'Monk' episodes overall than "Mr Monk and the Captain's Marriage" and better overall Season 4 episodes, "Mr Monk and the Captain's Marriage" to me is one of the better later Season 4 episodes. More could have been done with the whole business with the homeless man, a potentially interesting angle a little lost amidst the main plot line with Stottlemeyer, the one thing that is on the forgettable side with the viewer compared with the rest of the episode. Personally was mixed on the downbeat, more sombre ending.

It was a good move doing something different to what the viewer expects, it's beautifully written and acted and it does bring tears to the eyes. However, tonally it felt a little out of sorts for 'Monk' up to this point in the show, which is known for its quirkiness, humour and balance of the little character moments, mysteries and personal lives, and felt more suited for a season finale episode rather than an episode that was four away from the end of the season. At least to me that is.

However, the mystery is a good one that keeps one's attention to the get go. The ending was a surprise, which was a very nice change from the relatively large amount of Season 4 episodes where the endings were on the obvious side, didn't see the solution of the main plot line coming. In fact, the episode's big red herring is one of the show's best ever. After being underused in "Mr Monk Bumps His Head", it was great to see Disher, Natalie and particularly Stottlemeyer have lots to do. Natalie is down-to-earth and sympathetic as ever, if at times too bubbly in inappropriate places. Disher is effectively and rightly played straight, while Stottlemeyer at his toughest yet tormented has been at his most interesting all season. Monk is typical Monk, which is meant in a very good way.

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.

Traylor Howard has settled in well, have always liked Natalie better than most and that the writers and Howard have done a much better job than anticipated considering the difficult circumstances with Bitty Schram's abrupt departure over contract issues. Jason Gray-Stanford plays it straight very well and the supporting cast are good, but this is pretty much Ted Levine's show in an acting tour-De-force that is practically on the same level as the one in "Mr Monk and the Captain's Wife" in Season 2, seeing Stottlemeyer's softer side and a wide range of emotions from Levine brought up superbly.

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 wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done, particularly the last one. The quirks are sympathetically done and never exploited or overdone.

Character moments wise, of which there are a great many that are a mix of funny, suspenseful and moving, the humour standouts with the mouse and the three pennies. But it's Stottlemeyer's subplot and the issues with his wife that takes centre stage, never overdone (in fact some of it is pretty intimate), very poignant and also giving a real insight into the characters' feelings.

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.

Overall, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Good mystery, sad personal story for the captain

[FlushingCaps · 5/10 · 29 June 2014]

We begin by seeing a homeless fellow, named Gerry, sitting in a car in a junkyard, talking to his pet rat. He happens to be a witness to seeing someone get attacked after hearing some of an argument. We get glimpses of this but never get a clear view of the attacker.

Then Gerry is seen and chased, but he gets out of the junkyard and finds a cruising police car and tells them what he saw. The killer got away but Gerry is alright—just that nobody knows where he is.

As Monk and Natalie are at the crime scene, Captain Sottlemeyer takes a phone call from his wife and stays close enough to all the people on the scene that they can hear him in a big argument. When he hangs up, one of the officers in uniform starts razzing the captain, saying his wife is a nice lady and he needs to treat her better. As the captain gets more and more upset, the officer, a Sergeant Sharkey, admits to having an affair with his wife. Sottlemeyer belts him, and as he is pulled away, Sharkey claims a tooth was knocked out.

Stottlemeyer confronts his wife at home and is more distressed when she refuses to deny having an affair, claiming it is a ridiculous question. We hear about several serious problems they are having. The captain engages Natalie and Monk to follow his wife to see if she is seeing this Sharkey. They do so and see her meet someone whom they can only get a glimpse of from behind. It could be Sharkey, but they aren't sure.

There is a scene of a police lineup and one of Stottlemeyer in an anger-management class—for punching the cop.

I won't reveal anything about how the case is solved other than to say I thought it was a big surprise as to who was involved.

But what troubled me was, (SPOILER, if you need it) that the captain's wife does want to leave him. The captain is totally perplexed at what the problem is. He knows they are having problems but she won't really talk to him and nobody ever suggests counseling to work things out. I hate Hollywood productions making the subject of marriage breakups where one person doesn't really know why and the other party doesn't seem interested in working to save the marriage. The downer at the end is the cause of my low score here, a 5.

Not a Stellar Episode

[Hitchcoc · 4/10 · 30 March 2020]

This is quite a weak episode. Stottlemeyer's temper has betrayed him before. He leads with his fists. When you work in a macho world like the police force, you need to have a bit of resilience, even if things are said that are unfair. Here there is fight picked and he falls for it. The whole plot is weak and cliched. It's also beyond belief. We need to remember that Leland is a Captain and knows the score. Monk and Natalie are dragged into his mess and treated with little respect.

Probably the worst, most predictable episode of the series

[stratus_phere · 1/10 · 10 January 2018]

I found the best way to watch this episode...spend 2 minutes fast forwarding through it. Then you're done. There's nothing you need to see here, except a cheating wife, and that's so incredibly cliched that we have expected it since his wife was first introduced. There was not a moment in the series when we did not KNOW that his wife would turn out to be a slimeball. This is once again hollywoods way of saying that wives are useless, cheating, slimeball piles of sh*t...every...single...effing...time. After all, it's hollywood. A marriage that works out is not in their script. Ever.