History Recap / MonkS4E13MrMonkAndTheBigReward

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: PlayedForLaughs. Because of Monk repeatedly pestering Gladys the cleaning lady to clean the underside of the tables and desks, she does so in the interrogation room and finds the diamond.

* GoldfishPoopGang: The three rival detectives: Inspector St. Claire, a posh Franchise/{{Sherlock Holmes}} {{Expy}}, Rufus, a nebbish teenager who relies on gadgets, and Dirk, a burly biker/BountyHunter with an anger problem. Each gets in Monk's way in their own, individual means, and keep showing up after they decide to work together.

With the duo dry on cases and strapped for cash, Natalie pushes Monk to join the hunt for a missing diamond - one that comes with a million dollar reward. Along the way, they match wits with three other persistent detectives who stalk them constantly, trying to poach their clues, a situation that only gets more tense when the jewel theft escalates to murder.

* ConfessToALesserCrime: Warren Landis, a security guard at the museum, gets found out for running a crystal meth lab in his spare time when Monk notices signs of it on him. However, he is still holding onto the diamond at the time, so in order to not be busted with it, he sticks the diamond under the table of the interrogation room he is in with some gum, informing "Jennie" of what has happened.
* DoingItForTheArt: In-universe with Monk, in regards to detective work. He has absolutely no interest in the million dollar reward, giving a speech about how he uses his gifts for a higher purpose than getting paid, and ultimately only goes for the diamond because Natalie keeps pushing it.

** Dirk seals Monk, Natalie, Stottlemeyer, Disher, and all the other investigators in a room together by breaking the key in the lock. This prevents him and the others from getting to the diamond before Gladys finds it. [[DidntThinkThisThrough What's more]], Disher arrests him because he's just committed six counts of unlawful imprisonment, two of them involving police officers.

* LineOfSightAlias: "Jennie Mandeville" got her alias from a sign near the monastery.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: PlayedForLaughs. Because of Monk repeatedly pestering Gladys the cleaning lady to clean under the tables in the interrogation room, she finds the missing diamond and claims the reward instead.

* TechnologicallyAdvancedFoe: Rufus, who uses a range of high-tech gadgets, tries to be this to Monk but doesn't have much success. He slips a tracking device into Monk's pocket but is quickly found out, then tries to use a voice stress analyzer on the meditation session leader (who doesn't speak), and finally gets caught eavesdropping on a session between Monk and Dr. Kroger.

* IronicEcho: "Cha-CHING!"

* InsideJob: Monk figures out the museum robbery was this, as the thieves opened a display case with a mace in it to break the glass on the diamond's case. He later realizes that one of the security guards was the inside man.

* ShaggyDogStory: Monk and Natalie miss their chance at the diamond despite it being ''right in front of them,'' but they do manage to solve the case, and Stottlemeyer is able to get them a retainer for at least two years.

* InsideJob: Monk figures out the museum robbery was this, as the thieves opened a display case with a mace in it to break the glass on the diamond's case. He later realizes that one of the security guards was involved.

** Dirk seals Monk, Natalie, Stottlemeyer, Disher, and all the other investigators in a room together by breaking the key in the lock. This prevents him and the others from getting to the diamond before Gladys finds it. [[DidntThinkThisThrough What's more]], since he committed unlawful imprisonment, especially on two police officers, he's arrested by Disher.

** Downplayed with St. Clare. When the trio lose Monk and Natalie on their footchase, they try to think like Monk. While Dirk and Rufus just walk around mimicking Monk's [[BuffySpeak physical thought processing dance thing]], St. Clare notices someone sticking posters onto nearby cars, and figures out which direction Monk and Natalie went by noticing that posters on one side have all been straightened.

* InsideJob: Monk figures out the museum robbery was this, as the thieves opened a display case with a mace in it to break the glass on the diamond's case.
* LeaningOnTheFourthWall: While they miss out on the titular big reward, Stottlemeyer gives them a consolation in the end: Monk has been put on retainer with a guaranteed sixteen cases a year for two years, after which point "who knows?" To make the gag clearer: every season of the series but one has sixteen episodes - it's a in-universe nod to the fact that the show had been renewed for two more seasons.

* NoHonorAmongThieves: Danny Chasen was killed so "Jennie" could keep the loot for herself (and possible her boyfriend, the security guard).

* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: "Jennie Mandeville" poisons Danny Chasen's tea to keep the profits from the diamond to herself.

* NoodleIncident: It's never explained why Gladys the cleaning lady had to get a restraining order against Monk (presumably, we don't want to know...).

** Dirk seals Monk, Natalie, Stottlemeyer, Disher, and all the other investigators in a room together by breaking the key in the lock. This prevents him and the others from getting to the diamond before Gladys finds it.

* {[Tuckerization}}: "Jennie Mandeville" or whatever her real name is gets her alias from Mandeville Productions, the studio that produced the series.