Stottlemeyer brings Monk in when a young woman turns up murdered on a beach. Unfortunately, the beach serves as a popular hangout for nudists, and Monk's issues with nakedness cause him to mishandle the case.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- The Alibi: Chance Singer is quickly cleared of Vickie's murder when he reveals that he was in jail on the night of the murder. Due to his own lack of comfort with nudity, Monk refuses to believe it despite it actually being true.
- Dramatically Missing the Point: When Vickie came to Peter Magneri's home pleading she let her in as it was a "matter of life or death", he denied her entry because he thought she was trying to "get a piece of [him]". As it turns out, she was talking about his life or death.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Upon being confronted, Arlene says she can't understand why Vickie didn't just keep quiet about the test results, as she would have shared the money she made.
- Exact Words: Vickie's last words were, according to Magneri, "It's a matter of life or death!". Monk figures out that she was trying to save his life, not hers, and that's why she was trying to get his attention.
- File Mixup: Invoked by Arlene Boras, who saw that Mr. Magneri's results indicated a medical emergency. She kept quiet about it so she could sell off stock from his company before his death made it plummet and switched his x-ray with someone else's so that even Magneri's doctor didn't know.
- Foil: Between Peter Magneri and Chance Singer. Vickie died trying to tell Magneri that "it's a matter of life or death". He ignored it, unaware she was talking about his life or death. At the climax, Monk contacts Chance asking him to listen as it's a "matter of life or death". In comparison, Chance takes it to heart and listens to Monk's warning, saving a life in the process.
- Heroic Bystander: Why Vickie was killed; her roommate confessed that she was orchestrating Magneri's death to earn a lot of money on the stock market. Vickie grabbed the X-Ray and ran to Magneri's house, screaming that he needed to see him because it was a matter of life or death. Unfortunately, Arlene caught up to her and murdered her before Magneri could come out in time. Monk and the cops fortunately do find the evidence and save his life in time, so Vickie's death wasn't in vain.
- I Want You to Meet an Old Friend of Mine: Alfred Molina (Magneri) and Traylor Howard (Natalie) previously appeared on the short-lived sitcom Bram and Alice, as father and daughter.
- Insane Troll Logic: Monk's bigotry against nudists sometimes veers into this territory. When he’s examining the cell Chance Singer was in, he comes up with the most ridiculous logic of how the guy might have been able to escape his cell. This ranges from making a key from an apple core to saying nudists secrete some kind of liquid to easily slip through prison bars.Monk: We gotta ship them back.
Stottlemeyer: Ship them back where, Monk?!
Monk: Exactly! - Karmic Jackpot: Chance Singer is a nice guy who handles Monk's accusations with grace. He later withdraws the petition despite his side winning because Monk tells him that Magneri has an aneurysm that could explode at any time, and tries to calm him down as the paramedics come with a wheelchair. As thanks for saving his life, Magneri buys the nudists an entire island where they can parade in peace.
- Naked People Are Funny: Monk has a meltdown about there being naked people on the beach, trying to accuse the nudist he met of being the villain, despite his airtight alibi. Said nudist was a new-age hippie, of course. Monk's fear of nudists turns out to come from a memory he had when he was young in which he was seen naked and then being hit by someone and being held upside down. He gets over it when he realizes he was just remembering his birth. On the subject of a Noodle Incident, Natalie mentions having been on nude beaches in Europe when she was in college.
- Nice Guy: Chance Singer, the titular nudist, behaves in a pretty friendly manner, not pressing charges against Monk for invading his house and hoping he gets help for his problems. When Monk tells him Magneri has a medical condition and any stress could kill him, Chance immediately withdraws the nudists' petition to keep control of the beach and even tries to help Magneri calm down while the paramedics arrive. Finally, even after all the harassment Monk has inflicted on him throughout the episode, he gracefully accepts his apology and gives him a hug (not realizing Monk has a thing about being touched).
- No Infantile Amnesia: The reason Monk hates naked people is because his first memory was being naked and being hit by a man. The twist is, that first memory was the day he was born, and the man who 'hit' him was a Doctor trying to stimulate the newly-born Adrian's breathing. Dr. Kroger lampshades that while it would be impossible for other people to remember that far back, he wouldn't put it past Adrian.
- Pet the Dog: Magneri absolutely despised the nudists and wanted to get rid of them. After Chance withdraws his case despite winning and tried to calm him down to save his life, Magneri buys them an island.
- Radiograph of Doom: An x-ray tech looking at Magneri's results realizes that the guy has an aortic aneurysm that could burst at any moment and decides to use it to play the stock market.
- Running Gag: Randy's issues with his MagnaPod repeatedly intrude on the investigation.
- Scenery Censor: Several times during this episode, naked people are shown with objects (including, in one case, the police fence around the scene of the murder) blocking the genitalia.
- Screw the Money, I Have Rules!: Arlene was perfectly willing to let Magneri die, since it would make her a mint on the stock market. She says she would have been willing to split the take with Vickie, but Vickie had more morals than that and tried to warn Magneri.
- Shout-Out: Magneri's medical condition is an aortic aneurysm, the same condition that ultimately killed the murderer in A Study in Scarlet.
- Sweet and Sour Grapes: Chance gives up the petition to keep the beach public, having been informed Magneri could suffer a fatal aneurysm if he's excited or enraged. Later, he mentions Magneri bought the nudists their own island, meaning they ultimately lost practically nothing for taking the high road.
- What the Hell, Hero?:
- Stottelmeyer is the one to finally call out Monk on his prejudice against naked people. It's one thing when Monk is nervous around germs and heights and round things, but it's something serious when he lets his hatred towards naked people cloud his judgement. That's why he tells Monk he's off the case until he works through his personal issues with nudists.
- Chance from the other nudists when he withdraws his case despite winning, unaware he was just informed that Magneri could have a heart attack from stress.
- Would Rather Suffer:
- Upon seeing all the nudity, Monk purposely stares into the sun, trying to make himself go blind.
- After Chance hugs him goodbye, Monk begins walking towards the ocean in a daze, seemingly attempting to commit Suicide by Sea rather than deal with all the issues the hug brought up.
