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8'''As a Moments subpage, all spoilers are unmarked [[Administrivia/SpoilersOff as per policy.]] Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.'''
9----
10
11[[foldercontrol]]
12
13[[folder:Series]]
14* For the series as a whole, Monk and Trudy’s relationship. Of course, it ended tragically for both of them. But the depth and intensity of Monk’s pain for the rest of the series, while doubling as a Tearjerker, reveals just how much he loved her, and given the little snippets the series reveals about Trudy, she clearly adored her husband as well.
15* Pretty much every time Trudy appears is either this or a Tearjerker.
16* The Creator/USANetwork tie-in blogs show off that in retrospect, Natalie finds Monk to be a much better boss than her own parents.
17* Monk's whole arc with Stottlemeyer, Disher, and the SFPD in general. After his psychiatric discharge, Monk was dismissed by the rest of the department as ''"the defective detective"'', someone they can't rely on in tough circumstances. But over the course of the series, he becomes the one they all trust:
18** In "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife", Stottlemeyer is preparing a task force for a raid on a union headquarters. Two dozen men are suiting up in SWAT gear, when Randy gets a call from Monk, and everyone freezes. When Monk says he's solved the case and it has nothing to do with the union, Stottlemeyer hesitates for a moment, then stands down the task force, solely on Monk's word.
19** In "Mr. Monk Vs. The Cobra", Stottlemeyer hastily organizes a search for his BuriedAlive friend, and finishes, ''"this is Monk! I want the best you've got!"''
20** In "Mr. Monk and the Man Who Shot Santa Claus", Monk is on first-name terms with one of the crime-scene techs, who calls him "Mr. M." in return.
21** In "Mr. Monk and the End" (as detailed below), Stottlemeyer convenes an unofficial task force to find the contract killer who has poisoned Monk, hoping to find the antidote before he dies. He begins his briefing by saying that since the task force is unofficial, he can't offer them overtime pay... but one detective stands up and says they're not there for money, they're there for Monk, and everyone nods in agreement.
22[[/folder]]
23
24[[folder:Season One]]
25* "[[Recap/MonkS1E1MrMonkAndTheCandidate Mr. Monk and the Candidate]]": Monk has just solved the case but is afraid no one will give him a hearing, so Sharona uses the one favor she managed to wrangle out of an official to make sure he gets the chance.
26* "Mr. Monk and the Earthquake":
27** After finding out that Benjy is unscathed, Sharona's first priority is getting to Monk and making sure he's all right, thinking that he'll have undergone a complete nervous breakdown because of the earthquake.
28** Monk solves the case and realizes Sharona is in danger. Despite being so rattled from the aftershock that he can't even speak English, he calls the police, manages to hail a taxi, and reaches her apartment just in time to attack Darryl Wright before he can murder her.
29** In turn, after Stottlemeyer collars Wright, Sharona immediately rushes over to Monk.
30* "[[Recap/MonkS1E9MrMonkTakesAVacation Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation]]": The interaction between Monk and Benjy. Monk believes Benjy's account of witnessing a murder despite a complete lack of evidence out of faith in his honesty. Later, Benjy thanks Monk for taking his story seriously, though he says he was probably just trying to be kind to him because of his DisappearedDad. Monk answers that he doesn't need to be related to Benjy to believe what he says or [[SoProudOfYou to be proud of him]].
31* "Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger":
32** The culprit is actually glad to be caught, mentioning that she didn't want to frame Mr. Nelson but had to so she wouldn't get arrested. Her only request after being arrested is to be situated in a cell with a good view so she could enjoy her restored eyesight.
33** For the only time in the series, Stottlemeyer sincerely offers to talk to the DA about mitigating circumstances and try to get her charges reduced. She turns him down.
34** Monk helping Willie Nelson because he was Trudy's favorite singer. At the end of the episode, Willie and Monk visit Trudy's grave, where Willie sings one of his signature songs, "Blue Eyes Cryin' In the Rain", with Monk accompanying on clarinet.
35[[/folder]]
36
37[[folder:Season Two]]
38* "[[Recap/MonkS2E2MrMonkGoesToMexico Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico]]":
39** Despite Sharona's frequent exasperation with her boss, [[FriendshipMoment she's absolutely distraught when she gets the (incorrect) news that he's been killed.]]
40** Stottlemeyer gets a call saying Monk has died. He immediately begins making plans for the funeral, complete with everyone in dress uniform. When Randy nervously reminds him that Monk wasn't a cop at the time he died, Stottlemeyer declares that if Monk doesn't get a police officer's funeral, even though he was technically no longer on duty, he would quit.
41---> '''Captain Leland Stottlemeyer:''' I'm going to tell you something Randy, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. [[PlatonicDeclarationOfLove I loved that man.]]
42** Of course, the moment ends up being ruined when it is revealed that Monk is actually alive, and the guy who died was actually a lookalike, to which Stottlemeyer ends up saying, "I HATE THAT MAN!"
43* During "[[Recap/MonkS2E3MrMonkGoesToTheBallGame Mr. Monk and the Ballgame]]", after Monk meets with Scott Gregorio to tell him his suspicions, the ball-player asks him if there's anything he can do for him. Monk asks him to coach Benjy, who's been having trouble with his hitting.
44-->'''Sharona''': Thank you, Adrian! ''(pause)'' I thought I'd thank you now, because in a half hour, you're probably gonna piss me off again.
45-->'''Monk''': You're welcome.
46** This pays off for both of them, when Gregorio drops by Benjy's Little League game and is ecstatic to see him hit the game-winning home run.
47** Monk also gives Gregorio some much-needed advice about how to cope with the loss of a loved one, which Gregorio repeats at the end to a group of sports reporters:
48--->''I met a man recently. He's become a good friend. He reminded me that there are things in life much more important than baseball. What really matters is the people you love. Being true to them or their memories - that's the real ball game. My friend isn't giving up on that, and neither am I.''
49* "Mr. Monk Goes Back to School":
50** Monk points out Trudy's tree to Sharona, one of her favorite places on campus where she wrote a bunch of poems about him. Sharona asks how that could be when they hadn't met yet; Monk answers that Trudy used to say she didn't know who they were about until she met him.
51** Sharona asks Vice Principal Arlene Cassady, Trudy's high school best friend, what she was like, and hears that she was a bookworm without much of a romantic life, because she believed she'd know Mr. Right when he came along. Sharona assures her that Trudy found him and points out Monk under the tree, reading Trudy's portfolio of poems.
52* "[[Recap/MonkS2E5MrMonkandtheVeryVeryOldMan Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man]]": Stottlemeyer and Monk drive each other ''nuts'' after Stottlemeyer's wife kicks him out (again) and [[AdoptedToTheHouse Monk invites him to stay in his apartment]]; but there are plenty of moments which show that they used to be partners, and good ones, because they still trust each other:
53-->'''Stottlemeyer''': How can you live with yourself? I mean, you gotta tell somebody...\
54'''Monk''': The urge to confess.\
55'''Stottlemeyer''': It's the cop's best friend.
56** An entirely non-verbal example near the end: after interviewing the suspect, who refused to confess, the two men are walking away from City Hall, when Monk grabs Stottlemeyer by the shoulder, makes a EurekaMoment face, and runs back in; Stottlemeyer doesn't even ask why, he just runs right after him.
57** It is noticed that while everything is nice and straight in Monk's apartment he always keeps the coffee table slightly crooked, much to everyone's confusion; he even gets very upset when someone tries to fix it. The ending of episodes reveals why: when Monk would come home from work after a hard day Trudy would move the table so he could curl up and rest his head in her lap while playing with his hair.
58 * "Mr. Monk and the Paperboy":
59** The main cast are reading through the paper, trying to figure out why someone wanted to steal it. While leafing through the personal ads, Sharona finds one (implied to be from Randy Disher) asking for a blonde woman, and saying children are no problem. Given a one-off comment she makes to Monk, [[SingleParentsAreUndesirable Sharona knows that not all guys want a woman who comes with a kid attached]]. Randy isn't just trying to tell her he's interested; he's trying to tell her that he's not put off by the extra responsibility of getting a stepson into the bargain.
60** Monk knows the paperboy's name, appears to have been friendly with him, and is quite saddened over his needless death.
61*** The paperboy insists that Mr. Monk get a clean, uncreased newspaper in the center of his mat, and doesn't seem the least bit irritated about it. [[TearJerker It wound up being the last thing he did.]]
62* "[[Recap/MonkS2E11MrMonkAndTheThreePies Mr. Monk and the Three Pies]]":
63** Ambrose has only just met Sharona, but he immediately perceives the role she has played in Adrian's recovery, and how important she is to him:
64--->'''Sharona''': Ambrose, you know what? Adrian's scared, too. All the time. But he doesn't let it stop him. Okay, now you tell me: what does he have that you don't have?\
65'''Ambrose''': He has you.
66** Adrian comforting Ambrose when he breaks down over his guilt about Trudy's death. He even holds him while he cries, [[HatesBeingTouched a really big thing for Monk]].
67** Monk's worry for his brother when he realizes the shell implicating Pat Van Ranken in his wife's murder is in Ambrose's house. He ultimately dashes straight into the burning house to drag Ambrose out because he realizes that his brother's agoraphobia would have prevented him from leaving.
68** At first, Ambrose is too afraid to go outside, even if staying inside means dying in the fire, but Adrian pleads with him, ''"for Trudy's sake"'', and that is enough.
69** At the conclusion, the Monk brothers visit Trudy's grave together, and Adrian tells her, ''"you'll never guess who's here. Go ahead, guess..."''
70* "[[Recap/MonkS2E15MrMonkGetsMarried Mr. Monk Gets Married]]":
71** When Padron tries to get rid of Sharona and Monk via a cave-in, the panicky Monk asks if Sharona can give him back Trudy's ring (which he let her wear for the disguise) because he thinks they're about to die. Sharona tells him they'll be fine and thanks him for trusting her with such a precious memento.
72** When Padron gets ahold of a gun, one of the husbands at the retreat thinks he'll want to take a hostage to help with his escape and volunteers so Padron won't go after his wife. Later, the two are seen having a conversation, and [[RelationshipSalvagingDisaster it's evident how much his attempt to make this sacrifice helped their struggling marriage.]]
73** After Padron locks everybody in a closet, Sharona tries to get everyone to back off and give Monk some room, knowing his claustrophobia will be flaring up in this situation.
74** Randy's concern for his mother. No crazy theories or actions, just worry and love from son to parent. When he arrives to arrest Padron, one of the first things out of his mouth is a demand to know where his mother is, and afterwards Mrs. Disher [[PlatonicKissing kisses]] him and calls him her hero.
75* "[[Recap/MonkS2E8MrMonkMeetsThePlayboy Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy]]":
76** Sharona is mortified when the bad guy reveals he owns some [[IWasYoungAndNeededTheMoney embarrassing photos]] of her. Later, she sees Amber, Sapphire's newly-crowned "Girl of the Year", by herself, crying. Amber shows a picture of her four-year-old daughter, and says all she wants is for her to be proud of her mother, but now she is sure that will never happen. Sharona tells her that they have all done things they may not be proud of, but all that matters is what they choose to do now.
77** Sharona tells her son he might be [[KidsAreCruel bullied]] at school soon if the photos are published. Benjy is obviously shocked, yet he tells his mom she shouldn't let a bad guy win just because he might have problems at school.
78** Monk is ''pissed'' when he learns about the photos--not because of what's in them, but because of the bad guy threatening to release them if Monk doesn't back off. And Monk ''does'' (or at least he tries to).
79** At the end, Randy approaches Sharona with an envelope, telling her that he found the photos and the negatives. He then sets fire to them, ensuring that she never has to worry again about those mistakes seeing the light of day. It's only slightly dampened by the implication that he looked at them beforehand.
80* "[[Recap/MonkS2E13MrMonkAndTheMissingGranny Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny]]" is full of sweet moments:
81** When the titular character, a kindly elderly woman named Mrs. Parlo, is returned after being kidnapped, her granddaughter Julie breaks down and cries over the idea of her beloved granny being hurt, blaming herself for not being home when the crime occurred. Mrs. Parlo insists that it wasn't her fault, and tells her that even if she ''had'' died, Julie still would have a full, rich life. It's especially poignant because both of Julie's parents died a few years prior, which is why she lives with her grandmother in the first place.
82** Throughout the episode, Julie mentions that she's always wanted to open a bakery, but since her parents always wanted her to go to law school, she's focusing on that instead (even though she's awful at it). Even her grandmother encourages her to follow her dream of starting the business. At the end of the episode, when it's discovered that the kidnapping was a smokescreen so a pair of antique dealers could steal Mrs. Parlo's rocking chair, which is a priceless piece once owned and used by Thomas Jefferson himself, Julie excitedly calls her granny and announces that she's going to quit law school and open the bakery after all, presumably using the money that will be earned from the sale of the chair.
83** When Monk, Sharona, Stottlemeyer, and Disher prepare to apprehend the criminals, Sharona sincerely (though with a bit of snark) congratulates Disher on helping to solve the crime, as his cat allergy was the key to exposing the antique dealers' lies.
84** Monk agrees to take the case when Julie offers him a deal: one of her professors is a brilliant law scholar who's worked out a way to get Monk reinstated, and if the detective solves the case, Julie will share the information. During one interrogation scene, Stottlemeyer allows Monk to come into the room with him, as he wants to give him the chance to try it out again. Seeing Stottlemeyer be so encouraging to Monk and trying to ''help'' him is always nice.
85** The episode's crowner, though, goes to Sharona. Throughout the show, Monk arrogantly assumes that he'll pass the exam necessary to be reinstated, even going so far as to have his old uniform cleaned and pressed. When his OCD kicks in during the test, he fails to get past the first question and ends up looking like a fool. In the coda, Monk sadly puts his uniform away, thinking that he'll never get to wear it again...and Sharona, without a word, secretly puts it back in the closet with his other suits. For as much as he drives her crazy, she really does love him.
86* "Mr. Monk said the Captain's Wife":
87** Stottlemeyer is on the verge of falling apart after Karen is hurt, and Randy and the entire department rally behind him:
88--->'''Stottlemeyer''': Who was it?!\
89'''Disher''': ...We don't have him, yet.\
90'''Stottlemeyer''': I want everybody...\
91'''Disher''': You got them, sir.
92** Monk takes Stottlemeyer's sons out to lunch, because their mother is in the hospital and their father is exhausted from keeping watch over her. The fact that he agreed to take the boys at all, to a noisy and chaotic '50s theme diner with dancing waiters and glitter everywhere, because Karen asked him to. Then there's this exchange:
93--->'''Max''': Say something crazy.\
94'''Jared''': Hey, Max, he's not crazy, okay? He's... troubled.\
95'''Monk''': Thank you, Jared.
96* "Mr. Monk Goes to Jail": While Monk and Co. are walking through the prison, several inmates are holding up mirrors on sticks to see what is going on. Monk can't resist asking Sharona for a wipe and cleaning a smudge off of one of them.
97-->'''Prisoner''': ''(surprised)'' Thanks, man.\
98'''Monk''': You're welcome.
99** Monk finds every moment of the slightest interaction with most human beings to be an incredibly difficult test of skills that are all but impossible for him. Who does he manage to make genuine friends with without even trying? Serial killer Spyder Rudner. The real killer of the episode actually gave Monk a false lead involving Spyder, expecting Spyder to kill him. Instead, [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe since Monk helped him find his stolen watch]], the man risks his life to save Monk's life from a prison gang, and the two sincerely thank each other when they say good-bye.
100[[/folder]]
101
102[[folder:Season Three]]
103* "Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan":
104** When Monk and Sharona have to take the subway, one rider notices Monk silently crying. Instead of just being weirded out or annoyed, she asks if he's all right and if she can do anything to help.
105** When Monk gets separated from her and ends up being swept away on the subway train, Sharona is frantic, knowing that her boss/friend can't handle such an overwhelming environment on his own. When she rushes up to one of the workers, begging for help to find him, her demeanor initially convinces him that she's a worried mother who lost her son in the crowd, rather than a nurse talking about her employer.
106*** To the credit of the subway worker: when he does think Sharona's a panicked mom whose kid got swept onto the train, he calmly reassures her and immediately hops on the radio instead of judging her or freaking her out even more.
107** When Stottlemeyer confronts a New York police captain for concealing information essential to investigating Trudy's murder:
108--->'''Captain Cage''': Come on, I didn't lie to you! If we close the ambassador case-
109--->'''Stottlemeyer''': Look, I don't ''care'' about the friggin' ambassador, okay? He means less than zero to me! My friend's wife got ''blown up'', you understand? And it killed him, too...! In a way.
110** This was the first time Stottlemeyer ever called Monk his "friend," and for long-time watchers is one of the biggest "awwww" moments.
111** After Monk closes the case, Captain Cage pulls every string he can to get them access to Tennyson, even playing the "loyalty between officers" card by telling them that "a cop's wife" was killed.
112** Also, when Monk and his party confront the bomb builder, Warrick Tennyson:
113*** Stottlemeyer is visibly sickened, and has trouble speaking for a moment, when Tennyson says he agreed to build the bomb that killed Trudy [[DisappointedByTheMotive for a paltry $2,000.]]
114*** When Monk asks to be left alone with Tennyson, he quietly grabs Monk's hand before leaving. Monk doesn't resist or get a wipe. It's really sweet for the both of them.
115** Pretty much any episode that ends with Monk fondly remembering Trudy with a happy smile is heartwarming, but one "Trudy" moment is a heartwarmer and it's not even a happy one. Monk has finally found Trudy's murderer. The man in question is on life support and dying, he asks Monk to forgive him. In response Monk hits a switch, and as the man begins to gasp in agony, says, "This is me, turning off your morphine." Then he flicks it back on, and says, "and this is Trudy, turning it back on." Cue waterworks.
116* "[[Recap/MonkS3E2MrMonkandthePanicRoom Mr. Monk and the Panic Room]]":
117** Stottlemeyer and Disher are genuinely heartsick at having to arrest Sharona for rescuing Darwin from the animal shelter; when Benjy comes into the room and asks why his mother is handcuffed, Stottlemeyer hurriedly tries to cover by saying it was a bet between her and Disher, and tells Disher to uncuff her immediately.
118** The episode's B-plot deals with Sharona disciplining Benjy for getting into a fight at school, even though his defense is that he was defending another boy from bullies. Later, while she is being arrested for taking Darwin, she tells Benjy that he was right and she was wrong: it is important to stand up for people who can't defend themselves. Later, when Monk visits her in jail, he tells her how proud Benjy is of her.
119*** In the same B-plot, as Sharona is scolding Benjy for the aforementioned fight, Monk (who is patching up Benjy's injury) tries defending him, given the circumstances (as Benjy was protecting a smaller boy). When Sharona snaps at Monk saying that he's not Benjy's father and should stay out of this, Monk replies that while he isn't, he loves Benjy like a father.
120* "[[Recap/MonkS3E4MrMonkGetsFired Mr. Monk Gets Fired]]": Monk has finally solved the case of the episode, but the solution involves getting the irascible commissioner's wig, and the commissioner insists he doesn't wear one. As Stottlemeyer fails to pull it off, Monk gets more and more nervous and insecure, going from 100% certainty down to 74%. Eventually, the commissioner storms towards the door, telling Stottlemeyer he's finished -- and [[UndyingLoyalty Sharona]] jumps him, declaring that "Seventy-four percent's good enough for me!" She grapples the official and yanks off the crucial evidence, vindicating Monk and saving his career.
121* "Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month":
122** Joe Christie, a security guard at a Walmart {{Expy}}, wants nothing more than to be reinstated as a cop again; when Monk proves him innocent of the crime he was fired for, Stottlemeyer is the first to crawl on his knees to Joe and plead for forgiveness, and Christie [[EasilyForgiven immediately gives it.]]
123** Over dinner with Sharona, Joe shares some fond memories about Monk, his old partner:
124--->'''Sharona''': What was he like as a cop?\
125'''Joe''': I remember the day we met. I walked down the hall to shake his hand - this was, you know, back when he was shaking hands - and there were seven detectives lined up outside his office just waiting to run cases by him, just to see what he thought, just to pick his brain. I learned more from Adrian Monk in two days than I did in the two years I was at the Academy.
126** Based on this experience, Christie's faith in Monk is unshakeable:
127--->'''Christie''': Hey, you said try 300 theories until one fits.\
128'''Monk''': I said that?\
129'''Christie''': Yeah, I remember everything you ever said, God help me.
130** In the end, Christie gets an apology and a reinstatement, and Sharona tells Monk that his turn is coming. Christie adds that he calls dibs on being Monk's partner when that happens.
131* "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine":
132** Disher and Monk's interactions after Stottlemeyer is shot and sent to the hospital. When Monk arrives on the scene, he finds Randy, [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness unusually serious]] as he snaps out orders to the other cops at the scene. He tells Monk he's barely holding it together. Monk responds that he's doing very well and that Stottlemeyer [[SoProudOfYou would be proud of him]]. Later, after Monk's deductive skills have given the officers several new clues, Disher thanks him, and Monk just answers that Stottlemeyer is his captain as well.
133** Monk is imagining Trudy as he longingly hugs her pillow to his face. He tells the imagined apparition that he can smell her lotion on the pillow, even after all these years.
134---> '''Trudy:''' You never even liked that lotion.
135---> '''Monk:''' ''[in tears]'' I love it now.
136* In “Mr. Monk and the Red Herring,” we learn that Benjy left Monk an emotional farewell letter when he and Sharona suddenly moved back to New Jersey. The relationship Monk built with Benjy (and later with Julie) is very sweet.
137** Stottlemeyer is gentle with Natalie, reassuring her that she's safe now and the police are not going to charge her for killing a man that attacked her and invaded her home. He also tells her he understands that she was terrified for her daughter's life.
138** Stottlemeyer recommends that Natalie go talk to Monk to investigate who keeps breaking into her house and why, saying Monk was the best cop and detective he knew. When she does, she helps him put out a fire that an interview candidate started with her cigarette. Monk's first response, after she gets the fire extinguisher working, is asking if she's okay, and expressing worry that she could have been killed due to the extinguisher's "inaccurate" instructions. Natalie's expression is both befuddled and touched as she asks if he is Adrian Monk.
139** Monk honestly says that he doesn't think he's the right fit for Natalie because he's going through a grieving process after Sharona quit to remarry. He's very honest. She convinces him that she needs his help because she's scared and a man nearly killed her. Monk then takes the job, showing he's also honorable.
140** After spending time with Natalie as his client, Monk becomes convinced that she is the perfect replacement for Sharona. Natalie is considerate, attentive to details, and observant. In short, she is someone who attends to other's needs. While she demurs, pointing out she lacks a nurse's qualifications, Adrian sincerely tells her YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre.
141** So very heartwarming that it's even called out on screen: [[FriendOrIdolDecision Monk chooses to save the beloved pet fish of a young girl he had just met, instead of preventing a criminal from escaping with a priceless moon rock]]. ''Adrian Monk'' voluntarily picked up and carried a live fish, and then stuck his hand in a tank to save that same fish from piranhas, because he knew how much it meant to Julie and what it represented for Natalie. For Natalie it's an EstablishingCharacterMoment that tells her everything she needs to know about the kind of man Monk really is.
142--->'''Natalie''': I can only think of one other man in the world who would have done something like that.\
143'''Julie''': Daddy?\
144'''Natalie''': Daddy.
145* "Mr. Monk and the Kid":
146** Two-year-old Tommy Graser finds a human finger and is too young to understand the cops' request to show them where he found it. The social worker assigned to his case tells Natalie and Monk with worry that she doesn't have anyone to take Tommy in for two weeks, though she has a great foster family lined up. Monk, who thinks Tommy's adorable, volunteers to take care of him for the interim.
147** Naturally, Monk fails pretty hard, but the kid still adores him, and helps Monk solve the case. At the end, however, Monk tearfully admits that his OCD is just too severe for him to take on the many responsibilities a child requires, by reading the summation in the form of a bedtime story: "And even though Mr. Monk loved that little boy, he couldn't take care of him, because he can barely take care of himself."
148* "Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra": Monk gets buried alive six feet underground. Earlier in the episode, an actual monk gave him a candle to bring light in dark places. He lights it, and soon loses himself in a hallucination of being with Trudy on what he called the happiest day of his life. Trudy tells him the candle is using up air and he should put it out, but Adrian doesn't want to because he doesn't want to lose any time he can have with her. When the police find him and dig him up, he's unconscious with a smile on his face and the candle still burning.
149* "[[Recap/MonkS3E8MrMonkAndTheGameShow Mr. Monk and the Game Show]]":
150** We finally get to meet Trudy's parents. The audience is ready for them to be mean to Adrian or to hate him, maybe even blame him for Trudy's death. Instead, Trudy's parents care for Monk greatly and treat him warmly and kindly, to the point that [[HatesBeingTouched Monk]] actually ''hugs'' Trudy's father when he arrives. In fact, he's much closer to them than to his surviving biological parent. Trudy's father also 100% goes along with Adrian's investigation and never once doubts him (though this may be because Dwight already suspected his game show host Roddy Lankman was helping Val Birch cheat and asked for Monk's help to figure out ''how'' and ''why'').
151** After Monk impressively nails both Lankman and Birch for murder, blackmail, and cheating on the air, Trudy's father thanks him for helping. Monk answers by thanking him for Trudy.
152* At the end of "[[Recap/MonkS3E4MrMonkMeetsTheGodfather Mr. Monk Meets The Godfather]]", Stottlemeyer calls out the FBI agent when he breaks his promise on getting Monk reinstated after agreeing to go undercover to spy on the mafia. When the FBI were leaving, as a "payback" Monk packs one van completely full and another half full to make them uneven. Stottlemeyer could have easily made fun of him at his poor attempt of vengeance, but he chooses not to. Monk wants just a little bit of a victorious feeling after having his hope shattered again, and Stottlemeyer doesn't want to take that away from him.
153* "Mr. Monk Gets Stuck In Traffic": Monk asks a sergeant for help in saving Natalie from the killer. Said killer sees Natalie in the back of his truck and tries using the hydraulic lift to toss her off and make it look like an accident. Monk grabs a handgun, asks the sergeant in his squad car to drive closer, and shoots the hydraulic so that it will lower to more even levels. He takes off his seatbelt and sits on the car "windowsill" to do so, something Natalie notes once she's out of danger. After she's wrapped in blankets and a bandage for her hand, Monk asks her how it's feeling, and starts wiping off the dirt from the truck from her neck. Natalie smiles and says he got the dirt.
154[[/folder]]
155
156[[folder:Season Four]]
157* "[[Recap/MonkS4E7MrMonkGoesToAWedding Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding]]":
158** Monk makes a "spittle shield" for Randy's birthday cake so that he can blow out the candles without contaminating the rest of the cake. Stottlemeyer acknowledges that it's actually a genuinely good idea that solves a problem lots of people, not just Monk, might be worried about (until it catches fire, of course). And in an example of great personal growth, Monk doesn't insist that Randy not blow out the candles or forego the cake entirely. It's made even sweeter with the realization that there's no way in hell Monk would ever eat a slice of a shared birthday cake that other people had been handling, with or without the candles or spittle shield. He wrapped it in cellophane so that his friends wouldn't have to eat cake that had been contaminated with saliva.
159** Stottlemeyer checks up on Monk while Natalie and Randy are in Pebble Beach. The scene itself captures Stottlemeyer's friendship with Monk perfectly (it says a lot that he knows exactly where to look for Monk's wedding album):
160--->'''Adrian Monk:''' She was...''wow''.\
161'''Captain Leland Stottlemeyer:''' Beautiful.\
162'''Adrian Monk:''' I remember, during the service she was crying so hard, she couldn't even say the words "I do". Have you ever seen anybody cry so much?\
163'''Captain Leland Stottlemeyer:''' That was you, Monk. And no, I have not.
164** It's also very telling that none of this is played for laughs--InUniverse or in the show, not even Stottlemeyer's point that Monk was the one crying rather than Trudy--just Stottlemeyer cheering up Monk with a memory of the best day of his life. It's one of the very rare times that we see Monk genuinely, peacefully happy, remembering Trudy without grief or pain, just love. And it's beautiful.
165** Stottlemeyer's PapaWolf attitude towards Randy, after the latter is injured by a hit-and-run driver in Monterey County (out of his jurisdiction).
166--->'''Stottlemeyer''': Well, I'll get that to the lab right away...\
167'''Natalie''': Captain, it's not your case.\
168'''Stottlemeyer''': Like hell it's not!
169** When the killer of the week grabs a knife with which to hold the groom hostage the first thing Monk does is pull Julie towards him to protect her.
170* "[[Recap/MonkS4E9MrMonkAndTheSecretSanta Mr. Monk and the Secret Santa]]":
171** Julie longs for it to snow, having never seen it before. Monk describes it for her, finding it beautiful in spite of his usual hang-ups.
172--->'''Monk''': No two snowflakes are alike...and yet it's still beautiful.
173** Julie's overjoyed, giddy reaction to finally seeing snow for the first time is also beautiful.
174** Stottlemeyer plays guitar and sings "O Holy Night" for the department. Randy joins in harmony, and Stottlemeyer gives him a sweet smile.
175** Stottlemeyer allows Frank Prager to be released for two days to spend Christmas with his wife and daughter.
176* "Mr. Monk Goes to a Fashion Show": Monk sent a fan letter to Maria Ortiz, his favorite shirt inspector--and she framed it and put it up at her work station.
177** A smaller one: after Julie disobeys Natalie and sneaks out of the house to appear in Julian Hodge's fashion show, Monk and Natalie rush to the show; while Monk confronts Hodge, Natalie marches onto the stage. She doesn't say a word in anger, but Julie instantly feels contrite, apologizes, and dismounts the stage with her mother.
178** The end of the episode. After a year, Maria's faith in her son gets vindicated and Pablo is released from prison.
179* The end of "Mr. Monk and the Astronaut". Julie comes up to Monk and tells him she heard about what he did and how wrong the class was to hero-worship Wagner. Then she presents him with a medal of valor she made in Art Class, saying that he's the most courageous man she's ever known, apart from her father.
180* "Mr. Monk and Mrs. Monk":
181** It's short-lived, but Monk's significant improvement. For once, Adrian Monk is ''happy,'' and he embraces it.
182** Also, during a barbecue held by Stottlemeyer (which was also the first one Monk ever attended since Trudy's death), he mentions that he thinks that Monk is the man in a rather heartwarming speech while focusing on the grill. Unfortunately, that one actually backfires due to the fact that Monk is away trying to get supplies, causing him to not only literally be talking to air, but Randy misinterpreting the comment as being directed towards him.
183[[/folder]]
184
185[[folder:Season Five]]
186* In "Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion," some of the flashbacks Monk has to his college years with Trudy. The last one features Monk finally plucking up his courage to tell her he loves her. Trudy answers that this means they're in trouble, because she loves him too. Then Monk takes her hand and Trudy leans into his shoulder.
187* A small one in "Mr. Monk and The Garbage Strike", when Stottlemeyer helps get Adrian out of a funk by calling in a favor and getting him a couple hours' time in a clean-room lab setting where circuit boards are worked on. Adrian Monk, sitting in the cleanest surroundings one can get.
188* "Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Show":
189** In the beginning of the episode, Karen calls Leland to inform him that their son has skipped school. This is after Karen divorced him because she couldn’t stand his personality anymore, especially having nothing in common. But the one thing they do have in common is that they both love their son. It’s enough to convince Karen that the best person to find Jared is her ex.
190** Stottlemeyer and Kris Kedder both want Jared to throw them a beach ball that is a crucial piece of evidence. For a while, it goes back and forth, until Stottlemeyer reminds his son that despite his flaws as a parent, Jared knows what kind of person he is and that he honestly needs the ball. When Kedder asks Jared if he really trusts cops, Jared answers that he trusts Stottlemeyer and tosses him the ball.
191** At the end, Stottlemeyer (whose wallet photo of Jared is years out of date) takes some pictures with Jared using the rock show's photo booth. The last one shows both of them legitimately smiling.
192* "[[Recap/MonkS5E9MrMonkMeetsHisDad Mr. Monk Meets His Dad]]":
193** When Natalie finds out Monk's DisappearedDad is at the station asking for him, she immediately stops trying to keep Monk away from the cookies (he had been trying to throw out the "lopsided" ones) as she realizes how many wounds the news she has to give him will open up.
194** Monk and his father at the end with the bicycle.
195** Additionally, his father stating to Monk how [[SoProudOfYou proud he is of his son]] just a few minutes before the ending.
196* "[[Recap/MonkS513MrMonkIsOnTheAir Mr. Monk is On the Air]]": Kevin Dorfman hears Monk lament how he can't go on Max's show to interrogate him because he has no sense of humor and would be a sitting duck. After seeing a home movie Monk shows him and Natalie as proof, Kevin puts a hand encouragingly on his knee (he can't hug him because Natalie is doing so). Late that night, he rings Monk's doorbell with his comedian uncle's file of jokes.
197* “Mr. Monk and the Leper” has a subplot where Natalie dates a doctor who used to have leprosy. She initially doesn’t know about his previous medical condition until they were on a date. She is apprehensive about being around him after this discovery, but she comes around and asks him out on another date. Julie is nice enough to shake his hand when they meet and she doesn’t wipe it afterwards.
198* "[[Recap/MonkS5E4MrMonkCantSeeAThing Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing]]":
199** The killer hits Stottlemeyer over the head and then goes after the still-blind Monk. First thing after Monk manages to shoot him, he kneels beside Stottlemeyer and asks the Captain if he's all right.
200** Monk's smile as he looks at the photos of Trudy after regaining his sight.
201* "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm":
202** Disher had quit the police force after a mistake and had become a farmer after his uncle had supposedly committed suicide and left the ranch to him. He had become very down on himself, listening to motivational audio tapes as he slept and constantly believing he was a failure. Monk comes to investigate after Disher claims that foul play was possibly involved, and figures out what had happened. However, Oates, the farmhand who had been working for Disher's uncle for 20 years, stops him before he notifies the police, telling Monk about how unhappy Disher had become and that solving the case on his own might cheer him up. An understanding Monk then tells Disher what happened as he sleeps, who then proceeds to "solve" the case by himself while Monk claims to have hit a dead end, allowing Disher to snap out of his funk and rejoin the force.
203** Also, the captain held on to Randy's badge and gun until the end of the episode. The captain knew that Randy would always want to come back.
204[[/folder]]
205
206[[folder:Season Six]]
207* "[[Recap/MonkS6E2MrMonkAndTheRapper Mr. Monk and the Rapper]]":
208** Stottlemeyer accompanies Monk when he goes to tell Murderuss he's dropping the case, but is prevented from going farther than the doorway because he's a cop. The captain warns the man who walks Monk back to see Murderuss that Monk is a friend and if he comes out worse than he went in, the man is going to answer for it.
209** Murderuss during his version of TheSummation thanks Monk for solving the case. Monk tried to explain to the crowd that Murderuss was framed, but they aren't having it at a rap concert; Murderuss takes over with a smile, and soon the audience is chanting "YOU GOT SET UP!". He tells Monk he's a good detective and had his back.
210* "[[Recap/MonkS6E5MrMonkAndTheBirdsAndTheBees Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees]]": Natalie wants Monk to talk to Julie about her love life, pointing out that he is essentially a father figure to Julie:
211-->'''Monk''': Natalie, I can't, I just can't. Why don't you ask the Captain, or anybody else? When it comes to this particular issue, I am probably the least-qualified person in North America.\
212'''Natalie''': That's what makes you perfect! You waited for Trudy, you were faithful, you respected her - you're a wonderful role model!\
213'''Monk''': Huh?\
214'''Natalie''': ...in this particular case!
215** Monk reluctantly goes along, and he first attempts to have Julie play along with him to make it seem like she understands, so that Natalie will be satisfied. But when Julie breaks down crying, Monk opens up for real:
216--->'''Julie''': It's just... how did you know?\
217'''Monk''': I used to wonder the same thing. When I met Trudy, I said to myself, "now I see! Now I see why I'm here!"\
218'''Julie''': Was it wonderful?\
219'''Monk''': Yeah. I loved falling in love with her. Every day, every morning, I fell in love with her again. I think what your mother has been trying to say is, just don't worry. All your dreams will come true. But they don't have to come true ''this weekend'', right? You can take your time, you can wait...\
220'''Julie''': Until I find "Trudy"?\
221'''Monk''': Just wait for Trudy. Believe in Trudy. Trudy will come.
222* "Mr. Monk and The Man Who Shot Santa Claus":
223** Monk's description of how much Trudy loved Christmas; ''"she said Christmas made the whole world seem softer.:''
224** Stottlemeyer and Disher confront Michael Kenworthy, the man in the Santa costume that Monk shot; Kenworthy insists that the gun was Monk's, not his, and the attack was unprovoked. Stottlemeyer smiles and says, ''"here's the problem, Kris Kringle: either you're lying, or Adrian Monk is lying"'', and his smile shows exactly how likely he thinks it is that Monk is lying.
225* "Mr. Monk and The Three Julies":
226** At the beginning of the episode, Stottlemeyer is delighted about his new car, and it's made very clear that in that moment, Monk's OCD isn't an annoyance, but the best thing in the world, because it means that Monk cares just as much about keeping Stottlemeyer's new car clean as he does. He's so paranoid about keeping it clean that he won't let Randy eat chips within five feet of the thing, and yet he casually hands Monk the keys and leaves him alone with it when he goes into the nearby building to do his job, because Monk is the one person on the planet he would bet his life would never tarnish his car in any way, even by accident. Unfortunately, he neglects to account for Monk's assistant.
227** Natalie wrecks Stottlemeyer's brand-new car in her panicked rush to get to the crime scene; Stottlemeyer is clearly upset about the damage, but repeatedly acknowledges that Natalie's instinctive reaction is understandable and that she was only doing what any parent would have done.
228** And once Stottlemeyer realizes that the multiple deceased Julie Teegers is not a coincidence, he immediately takes her concerns seriously, and sets aside his annoyance with Natalie to make sure she and her daughter are protected.
229** The sole "witness" to housewife Julie Teeger's murder is her older next-door neighbor, who she had apparently befriended. When he heard her scream, he ran over to see the door open, and then went inside to help. To top it off, Monk manages more empathetic touches than usual, saying that the man should sit down and clearing a space for him to do so.
230** It seems that women with the name Julie Teeger are being hunted down and murdered. Given that this is the name of Natalie's daughter the rest of the cast is terrified for her. Then the suspect, Matthew Teeger, a mentally ill young man who is obsessed with his mother (Juliet Teeger), first tells Julie she'd better look out and then escapes custody and goes after Julie while she's taking her driving test. The police arrive while the suspect is chasing Julie but Monk prevents them from shooting him and encourages Julie to talk to the man, assuring her Matthew won't hurt her. It turns out Matthew [[WarningMistakenForThreat said she'd better watch out because of concern about the crazed killer running loose]], and he broke out to give her his lucky rabbit's foot, which the interrogation scene shows is a massive comfort object for him, because she needs protection.
231* "Mr. Monk is On the Run, Part Two": the cops at the station wearing black armbands for Monk, even though he's been (apparently) killed as an escaped homicide suspect. And they're all wearing ''two'' armbands, one on each arm, so that they're even.
232[[/folder]]
233
234[[folder:Season Seven]]
235* "Mr. Monk Buys A House", which ended with Monk doing the fond remembrance of his therapist also does it. The show's writers had to write a new therapist into the show, as the actor (Stanley Kamel) playing Monk's therapist, Dr. Kroger, had passed away and this was a really sweet way to honor his passing.
236* In "[[Recap/MonkS7E2MrMonkAndTheGenius Mr. Monk and the Genius]]," Stottlemeyer trying to convince Monk not to plant evidence.
237-->'''Captain Leland Stottlemeyer:''' Don't do it.
238-->'''Adrian Monk:''' Don't do what?
239-->'''Captain Leland Stottlemeyer:''' Break my heart.
240* "[[Recap/MonkS7E3MrMonkGetsLottoFever Mr. Monk Gets Lotto Fever]]":
241** When Stottlemeyer wins the lottery, one of the first things he does is offer to pay off Randy's remaining student loan debt, eight years' worth.
242** After their acrimonious split, Natalie comes to Monk late at night in desperation after the lotto scandal breaks. When he sees her, Monk asks her in concern what happened. After he sees the story on the 5:00 news, [[CryIntoChest Natalie leans on him, almost in tears]] due to the threat of prison hanging over her head. Despite [[HatesBeingTouched his discomfort with being touched]], Monk doesn't push her away and promises to see what he can do.
243* In "Mr. Monk Paints His Masterpiece", Monk, after getting into painting as a hobby, gives Natalie a portrait of herself that she finds absolutely ghastly. Toward the end, the man who has been buying up all of Monk's other art offers her increasing amounts of money for the portrait. Despite how much money he's offering and how much she hates the painting, Natalie refuses, not wanting to hurt Monk's feelings.
244* "Mr. Monk's Hundredth Case": During the ''In Focus'' episode on Monk and his life, the topic turns to [[DisappearedDad Monk's father running out on the family.]] Ambrose says that their mother didn't leave her room for two years afterwards and he couldn't really go anywhere either. He credits his younger brother for stepping up to keep the family going and calls him his hero.
245* The ending of ''[[Recap/MonkS7E15MrMonkAndTheMagician Mr. Monk and the Magician]]''. Monk and Natalie are watching Kevin Dorfman's video will (Kevin had been killed earlier in the episode), and it turns out that [[MotorMouth Kevin]] is rambling on in it in his characteristic way. Natalie asks him if she should fast-forward.
246-->'''Monk:''' No. ''[smiles]'' Let it play.
247* "Mr. Monk Takes a Punch":
248** Monk figures out that boxer Ray Regis [[ThrowingTheFight took a dive]] in the previous heavyweight title fight to pay for a series of experimental operations to save his trainer Louie Flynn's daughter Rebecca. But when Monk talks to Regis in private and informs him that he's aware of it, Monk reveals that he promises not to tell anyone else about this because he believes Regis and Louie had done the right thing[[note]]Monk is aware that if word gets out that Regis threw the fight, [[RoleEndingMisdemeanor his boxing career might end prematurely]] and someone's put a contract out on Regis's life, possibly by someone who lost money on the fight[[/note]]. Regis is grateful enough to help Monk train in preparation for an upcoming fitness test.
249** Louie and Ray's warm coach/athlete/friend relationship, and Ray's NiceGuy demeanor in general, results in some pretty heartwarming moments, like when Louie gives Ray a pep talk before the big match or when Ray playfully deals with Monk trying to spar with him while giddy from passing the test.
250* "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall": while Monk is unable to save the parking garage, City Hall throws him a bone and allows the new park to be named after Trudy.
251[[/folder]]
252
253[[folder:Season Eight]]
254* "Mr. Monk and the Foreign Man":
255** Monk throws himself into helping a recently-widowed Nigerian man solve the mystery of his wife's murder for no other reason than because he understands the man's grief and frustration.
256** The fact that Samuel and Monk promise to keep in touch with each other. After so much time, Monk finally manages to make a friend outside of the main cast.
257* The episodes "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" and "Mr. Monk and the Dog".
258* Both of these just got blown out of the water by the Series Finale. Not only does Monk uncover the secret behind Trudy's murder, not only does he survive, but Randy gets promoted to police chief of Summit, New Jersey and moves there to be with Sharona. We also see Monk getting much better about his neurosis. Oh right...and his wife's daughter is totally fine, becomes a huge part of his life, and manages to make him extremely happy and even continue his work, despite having no reason to anymore, because other people out there need his help. Oh, and just in case you were looking for a moment from the other two major cast members, Natalie cries from joy because she can see Monk getting better (though she's not so happy about the idea of losing her job), and Stottlemeyer even gets a brief scene where he kisses his wife before heading out to solve yet-another case with his awesome friend Adrian Monk. This is all aside from the brief flashback sequence we have of all the best moments from the series, set to some very heartwarming music as things wrap up. So yeah...a fairly large departure from the downer ending people were expecting.
259* In "Mr. Monk and Sharona," Monk's face lights up when Sharona shows him a picture of a grown-up Benjy. He's still [[SoProudOfYou proud of him]]. His reaction when Julie is accepted into Berkeley's theatre BFA program is also so lovely, even underneath his very Monk-ish reading of the letter.
260* A smaller one that's not only heartwarming but amusing: The end of "[[Recap/MonkS8E8MrMonkGoesToGroupTherapy Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy]]", when ''Harold Freaking Krenshaw'' says "Hey! My friend was talking!" and lets Adrian finish.
261** Not to mention the end where Harold Krenshaw voluntarily goes to another psychiatrist so Monk would have the Group Therapy all to himself. To Monk that essentially getting both a Birthday and Christmas present at the same time.
262* The entire scene with Molly on the beach in "Mr. Monk and the End".
263** Another one from "Mr. Monk and the End": when Stottlemeyer tells the detectives that they won't be paid overtime for finding the guy who poisoned Monk, one of the officers replies "[[AFriendInNeed We're not doing this for the money]]." Not to mention when the one cop says he's not in it for the money, ''everyone else nods their assent.'' This especially warms the heart if one remembers the beginning of the series -- the men in the police department have developed from merely being amused by Monk's eccentricities and annoyed when he got in their way to respecting and appreciating him enough to do that for him.
264*** Relatedly, Stottlemeyer and Natalie's reactions to finding out that Monk could very well die- even though they get frustrated by him on a regular basis, it's clear just how much they both love the man.
265** When Monk gets poisoned, and he needs to take a medicine to stay alive. He gets a pill given to try to relieve the symptoms, but there's no cure and he ''will'' die. He divides the pill into ''grains of medicine'' by color. Here this guy is supposed to be about to die, and here he is being very much himself.
266** The "When I Am Gone" sequence in general, which is full of flashbacks to all the characters who have drifted in and out of Monk's life over the various seasons, from Sharona to Harold Krenshaw. It gets tearworthy when Dr. Kroger and Kevin Dorfman show up, but some of the clips are very wonderful to see - especially at the end of the sequence when we starts seeing scenes of [[WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue how much different the characters are for knowing Monk]]. Perhaps most poignantly, as we see Stottlemeyer living happily with his new wife, the lyric "I'm a better man than I was before, knowing you has made me strong" is repeated several times - remembering where Leland was in the first season - a bitter, hostile jerk frustrated with his marriage and conflicted with his relationship with Monk - it means a lot.
267** Monk and Molly's relationship. Both quickly come to care for each other greatly due to their connection to Trudy. No bitterness, no awkwardness...just a deep friendship and love.
268* When Stottlemeyer starts dating a woman named T.K., he asks her what the "T" stands for; when she reveals her first name is Trudy, he asks if he can keep calling her T.K., out of consideration for Monk's feelings/
269* "Mr. Monk is the Best Man"
270** When Monk finds out that Stottlemeyer was worried about hurting him by marrying someone named Trudy, he is a ShipperOnDeck for their relationship because "Everyone should have a Trudy in their lives." Stottlemeyer is genuinely touched.
271** Randy volunteers to play the wedding march on steel drums at the rehearsal. Even though the event goes wrong, it is really sweet. Later, he plays guitar at the proper wedding.
272** Adrian goes from simply solving a case to saving his best friend's wedding, because he knows that T.K. is Stottlemeyer's Trudy, his "answer".
273*** And then:
274--->'''Stottlemeyer''': Where'd you hear that?
275--->'''Monk''': Trudy used to say it all the time. My Trudy.
276** Stottlemeyer gives his wedding ring to Adrian, knowing that he'll protect it with his life. Adrian's fist doesn't open until the actual ceremony; it has to be pried open.
277** Stottlemeyer shows up to a crime scene ''singing'' because he is so overjoyed to finally be marrying T.K. Quickly turns into MoodWhiplash when the horrendously-burned body comes into view, but then he starts singing again--not even the horrific sight of a corpse can distract him from his joy.
278* "Mr. Monk is Someone Else":
279** Most of the FBI agents in the show have come off as jerks, pushing aside or using Monk and the others without a care. Agent Stone seems much more ethical, and he ultimately gets Monk onto the case not by attempting to bribe or intimidate him, but by reminding him someone's life is in danger.
280** When Monk says he's not a tough guy like the hitman he had to impersonate, Stottlemeyer corrects him, saying that Monk is one of the toughest guys he knows; he just doesn't flaunt it.
281[[/folder]]
282
283!!The Novels
284[[foldercontrol]]
285[[folder:Mr. Monk Goes to the Firehouse]]
286[[/folder]]
287[[folder: Mr. Monk Goes to Hawaii]]
288* The story greatly builds on Monk and Natalie's chemistry. In addition to highlighting how Natalie finds her job both amusing and exasperating at times, it also highlights how Monk cares when someone tries to take advantage of Natalie's emotional feelings for Mitch.
289* When Monk and Natalie are in Natalie's hotel room and talking about her meeting with Dylan Swift. Monk explains the cold reader's M.O. and explains an incident they saw in a taping the previous day:
290-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' That's not what happened with me, Mr. Monk. The first thing he said to me was that my husband missed me. He already knew stuff-
291-->'''Adrian Monk:''' I'm sure he did. But think about what you gave him. A standard ploy a medium uses is to say your dead loved one has some unresolved issues to deal with, that he was cheated or wronged. Did he say that? ''[Natalie nods and sniffles]'' And what did you say?
292-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' ''[as herself]'' "Mitch was killed two days before his twenty-seventh birthday. I'd say that was wrong." ''[as Dylan Swift]'' "It was an accident that took him from you." ''[as herself]'' "He was shot out of the sky by enemy fire! It was hardly an accident!"
293-->''[Natalie begins crying]''
294-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' ''[sobbing]'' Oh my God, I'm such a fool!
295-->'''Adrian Monk:''' ''[takes her hand]'' No you're not! You just miss your husband very much. Tissue? ''[Natalie grabs a tissue from her purse and hands it to him]'' It's for you.
296-->''[Natalie blows her nose, puts her tissue in a Ziploc bag, and puts it in the trash]''
297-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' Everything you're saying makes sense, Mr. Monk, except for one thing: you remember that bikini I was wearing? ''[Monk looks down at his feet as if she is wearing it right now]''
298-->'''Adrian Monk:''' Vaguely....
299-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' I've had it for years. I bought it in Puerto Vallarta, where Mitch and I went to a weekend of romance, sun, and tequila, much to my parents' horror.
300-->'''Adrian Monk:''' I don't need to know this.
301-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' I lost my top making out in the water with Mitch. He had to get an emergency bikini from a beachside vendor while I stayed in the water. That was the one he picked out for me. After that, every time he saw me in that bikini, he'd remember how I lost the last one. He loved to see me in it.
302-->'''Adrian Monk:''' [[TooMuchInformation I don't]] ''[[TooMuchInformation want]]'' [[TooMuchInformation to know this]]....
303-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' Swift said that Mitch still loved my bikini. There's no way he could have known whether Mitch had ever seen me in it. For all Swift knew, I bought it last week.
304-->'''Adrian Monk:''' You still want to believe in him.
305-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' I want to understand how I was fooled.
306-->'''Adrian Monk:''' These con men are very smart. They study up on fashion, songs, hairstyles, everything that is or was in vogue. He must have known the bathing suit was an older style, cut, or pattern and made a lucky guess.
307-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' But what if he'd been wrong?
308-->'''Adrian Monk:''' He'd have said, "What Mitch is saying is that he still thinks you're beautiful and will always love you."
309-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' ''[tearing up]'' You'd better go, Mr. Monk, or I may cry all night.
310-->'''Adrian Monk:''' That's okay. I don't mind as long as you've got plenty of tissue.
311* In one scene, Natalie gets a cut on her knee while snorkeling and nasty sunburn on her back. When Monk sees her, his instinct is to immediately start applying medical treatment. He sets aside his own anxieties to treat her injury. Monk doesn't just sterilize and bandage her cut. He also applies ointment to Natalie's sunburned back.
312* Monk telling a moving story to Natalie about Trudy's security blanket. Though it turns out to be a story he used as a trap to incriminate Dylan Swift (who is listening in), he says with enough emotion that it sounds genuine. Of course, he's actually talking about his mother's security blanket.
313[[/folder]]
314
315[[folder:Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu]]
316* Natalie describes the efforts of Monk's crew of eccentric detectives and their assistants to straighten up the squad room into a very orderly room. It brings tears to her eyes to see how much those guys respect Monk.
317* Frank Porter's assistant is his granddaughter Sparrow; like Sharona, she shrugs and says following him around is a more interesting job than flipping burgers at [=McDonald's=], but there are also several moments which show that she genuinely loves and worries about her grandfather.
318* The experience of working together under Monk's command turns a RagtagBunchOfMisfits into a working team who leave the SFPD to start their own detective agency. They each tell Monk ItHasBeenAnHonor, and Jack Wyatt, of all people, brings Monk out of his HeroicBSOD by reminding him that being reinstated to the police department would have meant a big change, and Monk hates change.
319[[/folder]]
320[[folder:Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants]]
321* Trevor's CharacterDevelopment is pretty touching and makes it more understandable why Sharona took him back. He's remorseful about his behavior in "Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect" and was inspired to turn his life around as a result. After being WrongfullyAccused of murder and then exonerated by Monk, he passes up any opportunity to make easy money by suing the city, preferring to focus on being there for Sharona and Benji.
322* Julie and Benji's friendship sounds pleasant and mutually supportive during such a trying time for Benji, even though their interactions are primarily off-screen.
323
324[[/folder]]
325[[folder:Mr. Monk In Outer Space]]
326* In the opening chapter, Natalie can't stop obsessing about what her latest boyfriend said before dumping her: ''"you're too needy."'' In the final chapter, Monk and Natalie are confronting a cornered hit man; Monk tells Natalie he's going to run inside and delay him, while Natalie calls the police. He points out that she has a daughter, while Monk himself has no one alive who needs him. Natalie says and realizes it at the same time: ''she'' needs him, and delays the hit man by ramming her car into the side of a building. Afterwards Monk tells her how touched he was to hear that from her, and she decides that being needy - caring enough about someone that you're afraid of being without them - is a strength, not a weakness.
327[[/folder]]
328[[folder:Mr. Monk Goes to Germany]]
329* Monk and Natalie see Dr. Kroger talking to a man with six fingers, a characteristic Monk knows about the man who killed Trudy. Monk, going into HeroicBSOD mode, cuts and runs. Natalie is furious on her boss/friend's behalf. (Luckily, it turns out the guy wasn't Trudy's killer and Dr. Kroger hadn't even noticed the offending extra finger, returning things to normal once he can explain to Natalie.)
330[[/folder]]
331[[folder:Mr. Monk is Miserable]]
332* Natalie has mentioned that she honeymooned with Mitch in [[GayParee Paris]]. When Monk and Natalie are at the Arc d'Triomphe, Natalie suddenly, without any reason, breaks into a run. When she stops against an advertising column, she's practically in tears. Out of sensitivity, Monk is already giving her some privacy (and blocking her from the view of passersby), leading to this particularly heartwarming moment:
333-->'''Adrian Monk:''' Would you like a disinfectant wipe?
334-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' No, thank you. There are some things a wipe can't cure.
335-->'''Adrian Monk:''' I'm sorry.
336-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' It's not your fault, Mr. Monk.
337-->'''Adrian Monk:''' I know. It's Mitch. ''[Natalie is caught off guard by this comment]''
338-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' Then why did you apologize?
339-->'''Adrian Monk:''' I'd forgotten until now what this place must mean to you. I suppose that it's changed since you were here with him.
340-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' It's a stupid thing to cry about. Everything changes.
341-->'''Adrian Monk:''' My life has changed a lot since Trudy was killed, and so has the world around me, but my feelings about her will always be the same.
342-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' So what do you do about it?
343-->'''Adrian Monk:''' I see things the same way I always have.
344-->'''Natalie Teeger:''' But they aren't the same.
345-->'''Adrian Monk:''' It's not what you see that's important. It's ''how'' you perceive it. Julie changes every day, but [[AlwaysAChildToParent she will always be your little girl]].
346[[/folder]]
347[[folder:Mr. Monk and the Dirty Cop]]
348* When the summation is being given. Monk actually lets Natalie deliver parts of the summation. Her narration says, "Somehow he knew I was capable of solving this murder on my own and that was what he was making me do. He was guiding me the way a good, understanding teacher would with a promising student. It may have been the kindest, most sensitive thing he had ever done for me."
349* Natalie actually getting tearfully berated by Julie for almost getting herself shot in the final confrontation.
350[[/folder]]
351[[folder:Mr. Monk in Trouble]]
352* The chapter "Mr Monk Needs a Hand":
353** Natalie saves Monk from falling to his death in an old mine shaft, not letting go even when her shoulder is pulled from its socket during Monk's climb up.
354** Monk is extremely touched by this and even helps Natalie put her pants (which she used as a rope) back on, despite his extreme discomfort with seeing her bloody and half naked.
355** While Monk is putting Natalie's pants on her again, [[WouldRatherSuffer he says he should just have let himself fall or get bitten by the spider he saw in the shaft]]. When Natalie asks if having to re-dress her is that bad, Monk says it's that and seeing her get hurt saving him.
356* Monk's ancestor, Artemis, rescues a young widow named Abigail Guthrie from a potential career as a streetwalker, hiring her on as his personal assistant. They become very close, just like the modern day Monk and Natalie, and legend has it that they eventually got married.
357[[/folder]]
358[[folder:Mr. Monk Is Cleaned Out]]
359* Natalie tells Monk, who's utterly miserable with everything that's been happening lately[[note]]his favorite water company went out of business, he got laid off, and all his money was stolen in a scam[[/note]] that he doesn't have a child to take care of. Monk answers that it's worse; he has her and Julie to take care of and can't do it unemployed.
360* Stottlemeyer tells Natalie he'll go look for legal aid for Monk while Natalie tries to get some of his belongings back from his landlord. When Natalie asks if he'd really do that for Monk, the captain responds [[TakingTheBullet that he'd take a bullet for him.]]
361* Natalie keeps getting fired from positions not because the employers have any complaints about her, but because she insists that she and Monk are a package deal.
362[[/folder]]
363
364[[folder: Mr. Monk Gets on Board]]
365* Monk refuses to tell Natalie something he's figured out about the current mystery. During the second time this is brought up, he gives the reason -- he thinks Natalie is smart enough to figure it out on her own.
366[[/folder]]
367
368[[folder:Mr. Monk on the Road]]
369* The whole RoadTripPlot where Monk wants his brother to experience life is moving. He rents a mobile home so Ambrose can travel the country without his agoraphobia kicking in too much. Over the trip, they see places like the Grand Canyon and the medieval-style village of Solvang, watch a 3D movie with some fellow travelers, and even meet a woman who becomes Ambrose's girlfriend for the rest of the book series.
370[[/folder]]
371[[folder:Mr. Monk on the Couch]]
372* Natalie has been trying to solve a case involving a cancer patient who died in a hotel room in order to figure out whether being a detective is part of her identity. Monk's been dismissive of the case. Then, as they're going home, Monk, out of the blue, tells Natalie she isn't useless. She tells him she needs to do this on her own, asking him what she would end up doing if he were hit by a car. His answer? She would be a great detective, and he'd be willing to give her a letter of recommendation to place on file.
373[[/folder]]
374[[folder:Mr. Monk on Patrol]]
375[[/folder]]
376[[folder:Mr. Monk is a Mess]]
377* When Monk swallows a bottle of pills, Stottlemeyer, thinking he's suicidal, chastises Lt. Devlin for a thoughtless remark she made just beforehand and tries to talk him down, even [[YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious calling him by his first name.]]
378* Monk sets things up so that Natalie gets the credit for the case, as a "going-away present."
379* Ambrose and Yuki's reunion. When she, Monk, Natalie, and Lt. Devlin pull up to the house, the agoraphobic Ambrose [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness runs outside to meet her.]] Then he proposes to her with an extremely rare Captain Crunch ring he's been saving for years, and Yuki accepts. To top it off, Monk finally accepts their relationship.

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