Monk: The Complete Third Season DVD Review:

There have been and still are so many detective shows on television which makes it difficult to distinguish one from another. There have been so many detectives with different personalities, such as Columbo’s easy going approach and Joe Friday’s straight laced attitude, but never before has there been a detective like Monk. Adrian Monk is brilliant, which is his only saving grace as he battles his obsessive compulsive disorder on cases. Monk works as a private detective since he was kicked off the force, although many of the cases he solves are for his friends in the San Francisco Police Department. Monk hopes that he will be reinstated if he solves the right case for them.

Tony Shalhoub is extremely likeable as Monk after his idiosyncrasies are absorbed. At times he bounces back into unbearable, but for the most part he is likable. Shalhoub has won an Emmy and a Golden Globe, which is easy to understand when you see how easily he is able to make Monk real. Season three has some especially tender moments beginning with a big break on the case Monk has been trying to solve for years; the murder of his wife. Other great moments occur when you think that Monk is so delusional that he can’t be affected by reality but a glimmer of understanding comes over his face. It is the kind of subtle acting that makes Monk such a well developed character.

Each episode begins with a murder or a crime and by the end of the episode Monk has solved it using his mind. The little details are never lost on Monk, perhaps thanks to his special condition. In one of the goofier episodes Monk takes a new kind of medication which helps him lose the OCD, but suddenly he can’t solve crimes. The show starts with a title, a refreshing throwback to shows of the past that had a title for each episode. Almost every episode also has a guest star, showing what a popular show this is even among the industry. Some of the guests seem wasted, but there are just as many that fit the part perfectly. The third season also features the arrival of new character Natalie Teeger, played by Traylor Howard. She adds a new level of humor to the show also allowing Monk to develop further.

Perhaps one of the greatest features of the show is that it is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, giving it a cinematic feel. The DVDs also feature a special feature or two on each of the four discs. They are all short featurettes with commentary by the cast and creator about the characters and personal favorite episodes and scenes.



Ryan Izay