MONK: MR. MONK'S OTHER BROTHER (TV)
Summary
One in this series about Sherlockian detective Adrian Monk, a man who develops an obsessive-compulsive disorder after his wife's murder.
While making breakfast, Monk hears a news report about a prisoner who killed a woman in the prison parking lot while escaping. When the man subsequently breaks into Monk’s apartment, Monk scrambles to fight off the intruder. However the man turns out to be Jack Monk Jr., born after Monk’s father remarried. Jack swears to his innocence and asks Monk to clear him of having murdered Lindsey Bishop, a popular social worker at the prison.
Jack showers and shaves to aid his disguise before relating the story of how he dug a tunnel over a period of two months, then crawled through the sewer to escape. Jack says that when he emerged in the prison parking lot at 3 a.m., he found Lindsey’s corpse. But after being fired upon by the tower guard, Jack ran away. Following his story's conclusion, Jack calls his mother, Darlene, who begs Monk to help. Monk finally agrees to help if Jack promises to return to prison and serve his original sentence when cleared of murder.
At the crime scene, Monk introduces Jack to Captain Stottlemeyer as his “pen pal.” Monk speaks to the prison warden Tom Bennett, and the guard on duty, Dan Reese, who did not actually witness the murder. Dan tells how Lindsey was killed with a knife made out of a sterling silver spoon. Monk notices that the spoon in question has letters engraved on it, and was not standard-issue for prisoners. Monk is suddenly forced to leave with Jack as search dogs arrive.
As the two eat at a nearby diner, Monk discovers that Jack is obsessed with going to Paraguay. Monk then admits that, based on the evidence, Jack may be telling the truth. The only other person who knew of Jack’s escape was his cellmate, nicknamed “Shiv.” Though Monk recalls that Jack claimed earlier that he had no cellmate, Jack continues his story: Shiv obtained a chisel and dug the tunnel, but Jack knocked him unconscious so that he could use it to escape. Monk then says he’ll have the police question Shiv.
Next, Monk and Jack head to Lindsey’s house, where Jack poses as her bereaved brother to gain access. Once inside, they notice something suspicious about her wall photos; Monk determines that they are discarded photos that were hastily tacked up to replace the originals. That night, Monk is awoken by Jack watching “The Incredible Shrinking Man” on television, their father’s favorite movie. While talking about their father, Jack accidentally reveals that his mother is dead, after which Monk realizes that Jack’s buddy pretended to be Darlene. Furious, Monk calls Stottlemeyer to arrest Jack. When Stottlemeyer arrives, Monk can’t bring himself to follow through and sends the captain away. Before he leaves, Stottlemeyer reveals that Shiv has been murdered.
The next morning, Monk talks to Dr. Bell about the case, and his relationship to Jack. When Monk mentions Jack’s obsession with Paraguay, Dr. Bell reveals the reason: under Paraguay’s legal system, no one is extradited except under charges of murder. Monk then goes to his office and finds Jack in the process of conning Natalie. As Monk reveals Jack’s true identity to Natalie, Monk notices that Jack is wearing a watch stolen from Lindsey’s house. When Monk snatches the watch, he notices an engraving on the back that reveals a significant clue to the case.
Monk, Natalie, and Jack then drive to Dan's house, where Monk tells Dan that Lindsey had a “fornication partner.” He shows him the engraving on the watch, which reads “L.B. to D.R.” Monk tells Natalie and Jack that he’s certain Dan is the culprit, as the engraving on the watch matches the engraved letters on the spoon used to kill her. While walking away, they are fired upon by Dan from his roof. As Jack shoots back with a pistol stolen from Monk, Monk explains what happened: Dan and Lindsey were having an affair, but Dan wanted to break it off. He gave Shiv his chisel, knowing the exact time at which he would escape. Dan killed Lindsey in the parking lot and took his post while Jack knocked Shiv unconscious. Then, Jack arrived in the parking lot and was framed.
Jack offers to make a run for Natalie’s car, supposedly to get her cell phone, but instead drives off. Dan descends to kill Monk and Natalie, but Jack drives the car through Dan’s yard and runs him over, saving Monk and Natalie. Later, Stottlemeyer informs Monk that the police got a full confession from Dan after he regained consciousness. Jack is sent back to prison with a lengthened sentence, but not before saying goodbye to Monk. As the police take Jack away, Monk finally accepts his half-brother and gives him a hug. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: USA
- DATE: January 9, 2009 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:42:25
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 101457
- GENRE: Comedy; Drama, private detective
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy; Drama; Private Detective
- SERIES RUN: USA - TV series, 2002-2009
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Hoberman … Executive Producer, Director
- Andy Breckman … Executive Producer, Created by, Writer
- Tony Shalhoub … Executive Producer
- Tom Scharpling … Executive Producer
- Randy Zisk … Executive Producer
- David Breckman … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Hy Conrad … Co-Executive Producer
- Jack Bernstein … Co-Executive Producer
- Joe Toplyn … Co-Executive Producer
- Anthony Santa Croce … Producer
- Scott Collins … Producer
- Dylan Morgan … Co-Producer
- Doug Nabors … Co-Producer
- Josh Siegal … Co-Producer
- Nathan Perkins … Associate Producer
- Sal Savo … Associate Producer
- Jeff Beal … Music by
- Randy Newman … Theme Music by
- Tony Shalhoub … Cast, Adrian Monk
- Traylor Howard … Cast, Natalie Teeger
- Jason Gray-Stanford … Cast, Lt. Randall Disher
- Ted Levine … Cast, Capt. Leland Stottlemeyer
- Steve Zahn … Cast, Jack Monk, Jr.
- Titus Welliver … Cast, Daniel Reese
- Jude Ciccolella … Cast, Warden Tom Bennett
- Hector Elizondo … Cast, Dr. Neven Bell
- Jimmy Palombi … Cast, Superintendent
- Sandra Luesse … Cast, Waitress
- Sandra Mitchell … Cast, News Reporter
- Eileen Grubba … Voice, Jack Jr.'s Mother