Actually this isn’t so much a review as my thoughts on the episode, some more pertinent than others.
Thar be spoilers ahead!
If you haven't seen this episode don't read any further, unless you don't mind knowing what's going to happen before it happens. In which case you probably don't like surprise parties or elections either. I'm one of those kind of people.
As the premiere episode of season six, "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" had a lot of hype and fan expectations to live up to. Four months have gone by since season five wrapped up with "Hospital" and we've had all that time to imagine the perfect Monk episode that might open the season. Inevitably a few fans, who may have had something more like "Mr. Monk and the Dragon's Lair" or "Mr. Monk and the Deathly Hallows" in mind, are disappointed. Emphatically, not me. "Biggest Fan" is all I could have hoped for and then some. Of course, Monk fans come in for a little good natured teasing in this episode, but if F. Murray Abraham can take it so can I.
Monk creator Andy Breckman gets the writing credit for this one. As head writer Andy leaves his mark on every script. (If you think a joke is going to end... and it doesn't, that's probably Andy's.) When his name is on it you know it's going to be funny, extra funny. And Monk will be just a little more Monk. "Garbage Strike" and "Bumps His Head" for example, stretch the character in a way that only the creator can.
Andy does a little interview on the official site in which he explains how long this particular episode has been in the making. The dead dog idea and the return of Marci Maven ("TV Star") have both been kicked around in the writer's room for years. I could be wrong, but the maybe-not-so-famous lost/rumored episode "Mr. Monk and the Dead Dog" from season one might have been the source of the mystery plot for "Biggest Fan". Happily, the two concepts finally met and produced a delightful season premiere.
Randy Zisk, the Monk executive producer who does most of the work (according to the other executive producers), is also a brilliant director who I'm betting will get an Emmy nod for last season's "Mr. Monk and the Leper." He's the director for "Biggest Fan." He doesn't get to spread his creative wings as much with this one, but there are some very nice touches, directing-wise, throughout the episode.
Sarah Silverman reprises her role as Marci Maven. She's now a hot property and there's even talk of her being considered for an Emmy nomination this week for her series The Sarah Silverman Program. (I'm guessing it's a little too edgy for the Emmy crowd, not to mention a big chunk of the Monk audience.) That wasn't so much the case when she first tackled the role in 2004 for "Mr. Monk and the TV Star." However, I don't think her current popularity was a factor in asking her back. She may have lured in a slightly younger demographic, something the network always likes to see, but a first run Monk routinely pulls in more than double the ratings of any comedy central show, including Sarah's. The writers just had their hearts set on another Marci Maven appearance and when the opportunity came her way Sarah was eager to do it. They obviously stored up a slew of nice little Marci bits that finally get a chance to shine.
I'm just going to have to bite the bullet here and acknowledge all the similarities between Marci Maven and Monk fans in general.... Well, maybe not in general, but on message boards in particular.... Well, maybe even more particularly, me. So when the episode opened with Marci updating her Monk website, something I spend a good deal of time on myself, I squirmed just a bit. When Marci wins a day with Monk at a charity auction, something Spinner and I did very recently, I squirmed a little more. When Marci brings Monk his favorite bottled water (which is apparently now Summit Creek; Sierra Springs is soooo last year), something I picked up a case of just because it was Monk's favorite, I was starting to feel pretty darn creepy. When Marci knows all Monk's cases by name, something I also know by heart, I figured I was about ready for my own restraining order.... until they got to the "Three Pies" diorama. "Oh, my Gawd!" and the um... tribute song. That was just insane. Sure I'm obsessed... but, you know, in a good way. Marci is five cans short of a six pack.
"Dear Fellow Monk-ophiles"
So, Marci has a website, which she first told us about at the end of "Mr. Monk and the TV Star." We don't know who her fellow Monk-ophiles are, or if they're imaginary or not, but we do know she's no fan of Natalie's. A little inept cutting and pasting and Natalie's out of the picture. Just in case you thought the writers didn't notice all the Natalie haters, whose ranks have thinned to almost nothing these days, Marci is here to represent.
The murder of the neighbor is so not a part of Marci's crazy make believe world. The juxtaposition is jarring and she barely seems to react. It's all topped off by the whimsical lettering on the dead dog Otto's grave. It's a classically bizarre murder, just right for Monk. As a matter of fact, I don't want to spoil anything, but just read the new Monk novel Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants. That's all I'm going to say.
Bachelor Auction
That's right, it's another classic concept in comedy: the bachelor auction. You saw it on Seinfeld, you saw it on Frasier, you saw it on Night Court (well, I did anyway), now Monk's got one. And boy do they milk it. It's got everything romance, suspense, a shirtless Randy and a producer cameo.
The prelude to the auction is notable for another quintessentially selfish Monk moment when he learns where the auction money will go to: "It's always the widows. Why can't they just move on?" Natalie's reaction to that is yet another reason why I consider Traylor Howard such a good actress. When you convey that much with just a look, you're good. The interaction between the two of them is just so smooth now. It's a joy to watch. There's a wealth of talent too when Marci comes to the front door. The subtext of the conversation is great and I particularly like the prickly relationship of the two women who barely tolerate each other.
The auctioneer was a very nice surprise for me. Anne De Salvo, who plays her, is a terrific character actress. She gives memorable performances in two of my all time favorite films, Arthur and My Favorite Year. She's got nice delivery (Wrap this boy up. He's sold!) and timing as she bangs the gavel down during Monk's "beefcake" display.
This episode also marks the return of Sharon Lawrence as Stottlemeyer's girlfriend, real estate agent Linda Fusco. Linda hasn't lost much of her edge. She puts in the winning bid for "her man" and brashly reaches for his tush as they leave the stage.
Enter Randy Disher, who seems to be channeling Officer Feelgood Hondo, from the fourth season's "Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding." More power to him. Now that's a bachelor auction. Randy is quite the exhibitionist. He was ready and willing to drop his pants in "Hospital" and he whips off his shirt in this episode with very little encouragement. No, I'm not complaining. His enthusiasm goes unrewarded when the winner just needs a babysitter. Her name is Cameron Meyer. That's a little gift, which Andy says the writers enjoy giving out. In this case, it's producer/writer David Breckman's gift to his bride-to-be Cameron Meyer, who appeared in the Monk episode "TV Star" as the script supervisor.
The producer cameo I mentioned above is Anthony Santa Croce. If you've read Teresa and Spinner's Excellent Monk Adventure than you'll know that I sat in Mr. Santa Croce's chair for a few hours during our set visit. I didn't actually get to meet him, but somehow I feel I know him. He's in the background behind Marci Maven as she bids on Monk. He's practically the only guy in the crowd so he's hard to miss. He's listed as "Heckler" in the credits, but if he did do any heckling it's been cut out.
All of the Marci-Natalie bidding war and Monk's desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable (including the "beefcake") were very funny. I also particularly liked the little move where he shines his shoe on the back of his pant leg and looks like an awkward boy, while waiting for someone to bid on him. Marci's reactions are also extremely well done. After she's won, she looks at him like she's starving and he's her next meal. It's during this sequence we learn "there was a restraining order" and it's not hard to believe.
"Don't worry: I'm not crazy, just a fan."
Welcome to stalker-land: the hideous portrait, his glass, his rug, his lamp, his pants. "His pants?" Monk showed great courage in continuing the visit from that point on, but I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to miss the "Three Pies" diorama or the song. Of course, it was Sharona not Natalie who was assisting Monk during that case, but the episode would only have been half as funny without the Natalie-troll joke. It's also great that in the Monk universe Marci is the only one who knows what the cases are called and that she has absolutely no bobblehead boundaries. The song is also a hoot.
Lucky for Monk there is a case to solve. "So, to recap, dog dies on Monday and then three days later kills your neighbor." That's the gist of it. It's the kind of impossible mystery which makes for classic Monk.
Meanwhile back at the station Randy learns that contrary to his mother's belief, young Sam does not want to be a police officer. "Who'd want to be a cop: you don't make any money and everybody hates you." I think Randy sucked it up and handled that blow to his self esteem rather well. (For the record, I’d like to play with Randy’s handcuffs.) He does seem to have a nice rapport with the kid as the scene goes on. They look like they’re having fun playing Timber.
By now Stottlemeyer should know if Monk says something is up, then something is up. Maybe he was just in too much of a hurry to meet his date. He does, however, take the file with him, so perhaps something about it was bugging him I did like his “You need to get the hell out of there.” His concern for Adrian is genuine and almost brotherly. I also thought his last line in the scene was interesting, the one regarding Linda: “Do not need me. She’ll kill me.” I believe they’re laying the groundwork for her upcoming appearance in the episode “Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend” formerly known as Mr. Monk and the Captain’s Girlfriend.”
“I don’t kill the things I love”
So, Marci wants Monk to work a little Monk magic and disprove the police theory of the crime like he did in “’Mr. Monk and the Astronaut’ or ‘Mr. Monk Goes Back to School’. Remember that one?”
“No. Where are you getting these names?”
Natalie tries to reason with Marci, but Marci has the upper hand. Framing a dog is not too far fetched for a Monk case. “It’s not totally unprecedented. What about ‘Mr. Monk and the Panic Room’? They tried to frame a monkey, didn’t they?” Technically it was an ape, but Monk has to admit she’s got a point. Since that’s not enough motivation she reminds him that she owns him for the day and he has to do what she says. (I had no idea that was a charity auction perk.) So off they go to investigate the scene of the crime, her neighbor’s garage. This is the scene we got the tantalizing sneak peek of back in March. The Marci Natalie exchange as they walk up the drive is classic and it’s all in the delivery.
“You have the best job in the world.”
“Not today I don’t.”
The garage investigation reminds me a lot of the garage scene in “Mr. Monk and the Other Woman.” In fact the two episodes share a lot of the same plot elements: a murder in a garage, a mean dog, a woman who finds him attractive. If I remember correctly, Stottlemeyer, with almost the same words, but admittedly with more urgency, advises Monk to leave the woman’s house. I don’t think there’s more meaning to it than that. It just caused a slight feeling of déjà vu.
The best part of this scene is, of course, the introduction of “clue hugs.” What an inspired bit of business that is.
We also get our first up close and personal meeting with John Ringel who narrowly beats out Darrel Cain for worst neighbor ever. (Oh, come on, you remember: “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut”… He stole the dead woman’s fruit of the month.) It’s not hard to figure out that Ringel is the guy. Besides Marci and Otto there are no other suspects. And he’s got a messy hose. Only bad guys have messy hoses. So the only real question, but it’s an intriguing one, is how.
I’ve got nothing on John Mese who plays Ringel. He’s got a long list of television guest appearances, none of which ring a bell, except for his small screen debut in Alien Nation back in 1989. He played “Lance Lott”. (All the aliens had been given slightly goofy names.) I know I saw it, because I saw all of them, but I don’t specifically remember him and he would have been wearing a lot of make-up in any case. He really doesn’t get a lot to do here. We never even find out why he killed his wife, unless Marci was right and he killed her for bragging about her Gardenia’s. More likely it was something about adultery. Monk murders usually are.
The whole scene is nicely capped off with the sublimely funny second clue hug.
“Take it like a man.”
Don’t tell me Natalie isn’t funny. That’s funny. As is the monogrammed wipe debate and Natalie’s increasing jealousy and disbelief as Monk shows his first sign of succumbing to Marci’s flattery. I’m with Natalie here, monogramming defeats the purpose of sanitary wipes. They also look sort of dried out.
I can’t blame Natalie for getting all up in Marci’s face. “Here’s a little news flash, Marci, Stalking someone and knowing someone: two different things.” The tug of war between the two of them continues at the lumber yard where Marci finds Monk’s weakness. “I’ll work for free.” I don’t think he’s flattered or flustered, I think he’s the cheapest man in the world, but I like Natalie’s counter offer: “I’m not nuts.” Nevertheless, Natalie decides to step aside. She removes the buffer between Marci and Adrian. Once she’s gone they can see each other for who they really are.
In the next scene, Stottlemeyer’s date, the writers provide another little bit of foreshadowing. “What does a girl have to do to get your attention, Captain? Kill someone?” As a matter of fact, yes, that’s what it’s gonna take. Either that or a car wreck that puts you in a coma. Paying $2000 for him may turn his head, but it won’t keep his attention for too long.
How about “Mr. Monk is Friggin’ Awesome”?
It doesn’t take long for Monk to become disenchanted with Marci when he learns she forgot her neighbor had a lumber yard. That’s probably not the sort of thing that would have slipped Natalie’s mind. I particularly liked his weary, “No, no more hugs.” Her reaction to the “he’s the guy” gives rise to a rare display of exasperation on Monk’s part: “Just shut it” And moments later, “There’s no hugging during the ‘here’s what happened.’” Natalie’s right, now they can compare notes. Marci’s over enthusiasm has alerted Ringel.
Meanwhile the Captain’s evening seems to be going well, but is his mind truly on Linda? Apparently not. The classic romantic strawberry moment turns into a much more interesting Stottlemeyer being a good detective moment and the date is cut short. After a call to Natalie to get the facts he makes another call to interrupt Disher’s game of Timber. “Are you still playing that stupid game?” I loved Randy’s long pause. The comic pause isn’t a new invention, but they’ve just about perfected it on Monk.
At the lumberyard disenchantment becomes a two way street when Marci discovers she’s been shot. “This is no fun anymore. Why did you bring me here?” Apparently knowing someone isn’t nearly as much fun for Marci as stalking them. She always has been fickle though, just ask Brad Terry. Marci proves once again that she and reality haven’t met yet she tries to “pause” the scene and walk out past Ringel. She does manage to thoroughly confuse him for a moment or two, before his killer instincts kick in and he takes her hostage. Rather then let Ringel shoot her, Monk bravely gives himself up, which fails to impress the now disillusioned Marci. “I’m not his girlfriend. I don’t even like him anymore.” Maybe if Monk had known all it would take to dissuade her was a minor gunshot wound, he could have tried it years earlier.
Of course the cavalry arrives just in time Stottlemeyer, Action NatalieTM and Randy “Mad Skilz” Disher. You’ve really got to be hardhearted or a lumber freak not to cheer when Randy saves the day with his new found “Timber” talent. Yes, strictly speaking physics weren’t on his side, but I think most of the audience was. “Stupid game, huh?”
I love it when all the plot lines come together.
I’ve gotta say that the tag scene is perhaps the funniest one they’ve ever done. Did you notice that the original theme plays during the final scene. A tribute to Marci, I guess, who has now set her sights on a new celebrity.
“F. Murray Abraham, the actor”
“May god have mercy on his soul.”
(That's quite a shout out for Tony Shalhoub's 13Ghosts co-star. I hope he was flattered or at least flustered.)
But my favorite bit, even more that Natalie’s Bobblehead-style reenactment of the episode, is Adrian pulling the troll out of the box: “Oh, hey, look it’s you”
And it was hard to beat, “Clue hug, clue hug, clue hug!”
It’s tradition now.
That’s it. That’s all I got.
Full Version: Mr. Monk And His Biggest Fan - Review
QUOTE (Teresa1643 @ Jul 19 2007, 04:45 AM) 
Actually this isn’t so much a review as my thoughts on the episode, some more pertinent than others.
Thar be spoilers ahead!
If you haven't seen this episode don't read any further, unless you don't mind knowing what's going to happen before it happens. In which case you probably don't like surprise parties or elections either. I'm one of those kind of people.
As the premiere episode of season six, "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" had a lot of hype and fan expectations to live up to. Four months have gone by since season five wrapped up with "Hospital" and we've had all that time to imagine the perfect Monk episode that might open the season. Inevitably a few fans, who may have had something more like "Mr. Monk and the Dragon's Lair" or "Mr. Monk and the Deathly Hallows" in mind, are disappointed. Emphatically, not me. "Biggest Fan" is all I could have hoped for and them some. Of course, Monk fans come in for a little good natured teasing in this episode, but if F. Murray Abraham can take it so can I.
Monk creator Andy Breckman gets the writing credit for this one. As head writer Andy leaves his mark on every script. (If you think a joke is going to end... and it doesn't, that's probably Andy's.) When his name is on it you know it's going to be funny, extra funny. And Monk will be just a little more Monk. "Garbage Strike" and "Bumps His Head" for example, stretch the character in a way that only the creator can.
Andy does a little interview on the official site in which he explains how long this particular episode has been in the making. The dead dog idea and the return of Marci Maven ("TV Star") have both been kicked around in the writer's room for years. I could be wrong, but the maybe-not-so-famous lost/rumored episode "Mr. Monk and the Dead Dog" from season one might have been the source of the mystery plot for "Biggest Fan". Happily, the two concepts finally met and produced a delightful season premiere.
Randy Zisk, the Monk executive producer who does most of the work (according to the other executive producers), is also a brilliant director who I'm betting will get an Emmy nod for last season's "Mr. Monk and the Leper." He's the director for "Biggest Fan." He doesn't get to spread his creative wings as much with this one, but there are some very nice touches, directing-wise, throughout the episode.
Sarah Silverman reprises her role as Marci Maven. She's now a hot property and there's even talk of her being considered for an Emmy nomination this week for her series The Sarah Silverman Program. (I'm guessing it's a little too edgy for the Emmy crowd, not to mention a big chunk of the Monk audience.) That wasn't so much the case when she first tackled the role in 2004 for "Mr. Monk and the TV Star." However, I don't think her current popularity was a factor in asking her back. She may have lured in a slightly younger demographic, something the network always likes to see, but a first run Monk routinely pulls in more than double the ratings of any comedy central show, including Sarah's. The writer's just had their hearts set on another Marci Maven appearance and when the opportunity came her way Sarah was eager to do it. They obviously stored up a slew of nice little Marci bits that finally get a chance to shine.
I'm just going to have to bite the bullet here and acknowledge all the similarities between Marci Maven and Monk fans in general.... Well, maybe not in general, but on message boards in particular.... Well, maybe even more particularly, me. So when the episode opened with Marci updating her Monk website, something I spend a good deal of time on myself, I squirmed just a bit. When Marci wins a day with Monk at a charity auction, something Spinner and I did very recently, I squirmed a little more. When Marci brings Monk his favorite bottled water (which is apparently now Summit Creek; Sierra Springs is soooo last year), something I picked up a case of just because it was Monk's favorite, I was starting to feel pretty darn creepy. When Marci knows all Monk's cases by name, something I also know by heart, I figured I was about ready for my own restraining order.... until they got to the "Three Pies" diorama. "Oh, my Gawd!" and the um... tribute song. That was just insane. Sure I'm obsessed... but, you know, in a good way. Marci is five cans short of a six pack.
"Dear Fellow Monk-ophiles"
So, Marci has a website, which she first told us about at the end of "Mr. Monk and the TV Star." We don't know who her fellow Monk-ophiles are, or if they're imaginary or not, but we do know she's no fan of Natalie's. A little inept cutting and pasting and Natalie's out of the picture. Just in case you thought the writers didn't notice all the Natalie haters, whose ranks have thinned to almost nothing these days, Marci is here to represent.
The murder of the neighbor is so not a part of Marci's crazy make believe world. The juxtaposition is jarring and she barely seems to react. It's all topped off by the whimsical lettering on the dead dog Otto's grave. It's a classically bizarre murder, just right for Monk. As a matter of fact, I don't want to spoil anything, but just read the new Monk novel Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants. That's all I'm going to say.
Bachelor Auction
That's right, it's another classic concept in comedy: the bachelor auction. You saw it on Seinfeld, you saw it on Frasier, you saw it on Night Court (well, I did anyway), now Monk's got one. And boy do they milk it. It's got everything romance, suspense, a shirtless Randy and a producer cameo.
The prelude to the auction is notable for another quintessentially selfish Monk moment when he learns where the auction money will go to: "It's always the widows. Why can't they just move on?" Natalie's reaction to that is yet another reason why I consider Traylor Howard such a good actress. When you convey that much with just a look, you're good. The interaction between the two of them is just so smooth now. It's a joy to watch. There's a wealth of talent too when Marci comes to the front door. The subtext of the conversation is great and I particularly like the prickly relationship of the two women who barely tolerate each other.
The auctioneer was a very nice surprise for me. Anne De Salvo, who plays her, is a terrific character actress. She gives memorable performances in two of my all time favorite films, Arthur and My Favorite Year. She's got nice delivery (Wrap this boy up. He's sold!) and timing as she bangs the gavel down during Monk's "beefcake" display.
This episode also marks the return of Sharon Lawrence as Stottlemeyer's girlfriend, real estate agent Linda Fusco. Linda hasn't lost much of her edge. She puts in the winning bid for "her man" and brashly reaches for his tush as they leave the stage.
Enter Randy Disher, who seems to be channeling Officer Feelgood Hondo, from the fourth season's "Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding." More power to him. Now that's a bachelor auction. Randy is quite the exhibitionist. He was ready and willing to drop his pants in "Hospital" and he whips off his shirt in this episode with very little encouragement. No, I'm not complaining. His enthusiasm goes unrewarded when the winner just needs a babysitter. Her name is Cameron Meyer. That's a little gift, which Andy says the writers enjoy giving out. In this case, it's producer/writer David Breckman's gift to his bride-to-be Cameron Meyer, who appeared in the Monk episode "TV Star" as the script supervisor.
The producer cameo I mentioned above is Anthony Santa Croce. If you've read Teresa and Spinner's Excellent Monk Adventure than you'll know that I sat in Mr. Santa Croce's chair for a few hours during our set visit. I didn't actually get to meet him, but somehow I feel I know him. He's in the background behind Marci Maven as she bids on Monk. He's practically the only guy in the crowd so he's hard to miss. He's listed as "Heckler" in the credits, but if he did do any heckling it's been cut out.
All of the Marci-Natalie bidding war and Monk's desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable (including the "beefcake") were very funny. I also particularly liked the little move where he shines his shoe on the back of his pant leg and looks like an awkward boy, while waiting for someone to bid on him. Marci's reactions are also extremely well done. After she's won, she looks at him like she's starving and he's her next meal. It's during this sequence we learn "there was a restraining order" and it's not hard to believe.
"Don't worry: I'm not crazy, just a fan."
Welcome to stalker-land: the hideous portrait, his glass, his rug, his lamp, his pants. "His pants?" Monk showed great courage in continuing the visit from that point on, but I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to miss the "Three Pies" diorama or the song. Of course, it was Sharona not Natalie who was assisting Monk during that case, but the episode would only have been half as funny without the Natalie-troll joke. It's also great that in the Monk universe Marci is the only one who knows what the cases are called and that she has absolutely no bobblehead boundaries. The song is also a hoot.
Lucky for Monk there is a case to solve. "So, to recap, dog dies on Monday and then three days later kills your neighbor." That's the gist of it. It's the kind of impossible mystery which makes for classic Monk.
Meanwhile back at the station Randy learns that contrary to his mother's belief, young Sam does not want to be a police officer. "Who'd want to be a cop: you don't make any money and everybody hates you." I think Randy sucked it up and handled that blow to his self esteem rather well. (For the record, I’d like to play with Randy’s handcuffs.) He does seem to have a nice rapport with the kid as the scene goes on. They look like they’re having fun playing Timber.
By now Stottlemeyer should know if Monk says something is up, then something is up. Maybe he was just in too much of a hurry to meet his date. He does, however, take the file with him, so perhaps something about it was bugging him I did like his “You need to get the hell out of there.” His concern for Adrian is genuine and almost brotherly. I also thought his last line in the scene was interesting, the one regarding Linda: “Do not need me. She’ll kill me.” I believe they’re laying the groundwork for her upcoming appearance in the episode “Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend” formerly known as Mr. Monk and the Captain’s Girlfriend.”
“I don’t kill the things I love”
So, Marci wants Monk to work a little Monk magic and disprove the police theory of the crime like he did in “’Mr. Monk and the Astronaut’ or ‘Mr. Monk Goes Back to School’. Remember that one?”
“No. Where are you getting these names?”
Natalie tries to reason with Marci, but Marci has the upper hand. Framing a dog is not too far fetched for a Monk case. “It’s not totally unprecedented. What about ‘Mr. Monk and the Panic Room’? They tried to frame a monkey, didn’t they?” Technically it was an ape, but Monk has to admit she’s got a point. Since that’s not enough motivation she reminds him that she owns him for the day and he has to do what she says. (I had no idea that was a charity auction perk.) So off they go to investigate the scene of the crime, her neighbor’s garage. This is the scene we got the tantalizing sneak peek of back in March. The Marci Natalie exchange as they walk up the drive is classic and it’s all in the delivery.
“You have the best job in the world.”
“Not today I don’t.”
The garage investigation reminds me a lot of the garage scene in “Mr. Monk and the Other Woman.” In fact the two episodes share a lot of the same plot elements: a murder in a garage, a mean dog, a woman who finds him attractive. If I remember correctly, Stottlemeyer, with almost the same words, but admittedly with more urgency, advises Monk to leave the woman’s house. I don’t think there’s more meaning to it than that. It just caused a slight feeling of déjà vu.
The best part of this scene is, of course, the introduction of “clue hugs.” What an inspired bit of business that is.
We also get our first up close and personal meeting with John Ringel who narrowly beats out Darrel Cain for worst neighbor ever. (Oh, come on, you remember: “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut”… He stole the dead woman’s fruit of the month.) It’s not hard to figure out that Ringel is the guy. Besides Marci and Otto there are no other suspects. And he’s got a messy hose. Only bad guys have messy hoses. So the only real question, but it’s an intriguing one, is how.
I’ve got nothing on John Mese who plays Ringel. He’s got a long list of television guest appearances, none of which ring a bell, except for his small screen debut in Alien Nation back in 1989. He played “Lance Lott”. (All the aliens had been given slightly goofy names.) I know I saw it, because I saw all of them, but I don’t specifically remember him and he would have been wearing a lot of make-up in any case. He really doesn’t get a lot to do here. We never even find out why he killed his wife, unless Marci was right and he killed her for bragging about her Gardenia’s. More likely it was something about adultery. Monk murders usually are.
The whole scene is nicely capped off with the sublimely funny second clue hug.
“Take it like a man.”
Don’t tell me Natalie isn’t funny. That’s funny. As is the monogrammed wipe debate and Natalie’s increasing jealousy and disbelief as Monk shows his first sign of succumbing to Marci’s flattery. I’m with Natalie here, monogramming defeats the purpose of sanitary wipes. They also look sort of dried out.
I can’t blame Natalie for getting all up in Marci’s face. “Here’s a little news flash, Marci, Stalking someone and knowing someone: two different things.” The tug of war between the two of them continues at the lumber yard where Marci finds Monk’s weakness. “I’ll work for free.” I don’t think he’s flattered or flustered, I think he’s the cheapest man in the world, but I like Natalie’s counter offer: “I’m not nuts.” Nevertheless, Natalie decides to step aside. She removes the buffer between Marci and Adrian. Once she’s gone they can see each other for who they really are.
In the next scene, Stottlemeyer’s date, the writers provide another little bit of foreshadowing. “What does a girl have to do to get your attention, Captain? Kill someone?” As a matter of fact, yes, that’s what it’s gonna take. Either that or a car wreck that puts you in a coma. Paying $2000 for him may turn his head, but it won’t keep his attention for too long.
How about “Mr. Monk is Friggin’ Awesome”?
It doesn’t take long for Monk to become disenchanted with Marci when he learns she forgot her neighbor had a lumber yard. That’s probably not the sort of thing that would have slipped Natalie’s mind. I particularly liked his weary, “No, no more hugs.” Her reaction to the “he’s the guy” gives rise to a rare display of exasperation on Monk’s part: “Just shut it” And moments later, “There’s no hugging during the ‘here’s what happened.’” Natalie’s right, now they can compare notes. Marci’s over enthusiasm has alerted Ringel.
Meanwhile the Captain’s evening seems to be going well, but is his mind truly on Linda? Apparently not. The classic romantic strawberry moment turns into a much more interesting Stottlemeyer being a good detective moment and the date is cut short. After a call to Natalie to get the facts he makes another call to interrupt Disher’s game of Timber. “Are you still playing that stupid game?” I loved Randy’s long pause. The comic pause isn’t a new invention, but they’ve just about perfected it on Monk.
At the lumberyard disenchantment becomes a two way street when Marci discovers she’s been shot. “This is no fun anymore. Why did you bring me here?” Apparently knowing someone isn’t nearly as much fun for Marci as stalking them. She always has been fickle though, just ask Brad Terry. Marci proves once again that she and reality haven’t met yet she tries to “pause” the scene and walk out past Ringel. She does manage to thoroughly confuse him for a moment or two, before his killer instincts kick in and he takes her hostage. Rather then let Ringel shoot her, Monk bravely gives himself up, which fails to impress the now disillusioned Marci. “I’m not his girlfriend. I don’t even like him anymore.” Maybe if Monk had known all it would take to dissuade her was a minor gunshot wound, he could have tried it years earlier.
Of course the cavalry arrives just in time Stottlemeyer, Action NatalieTM and Randy “Mad Skilz” Disher. You’ve really got to be hardhearted or a lumber freak not to cheer when Randy saves the day with his new found “Timber” talent. Yes, strictly speaking physics weren’t on his side, but I think most of the audience was. “Stupid game, huh?”
I love it when all the plot lines come together.
I’ve gotta say that the tag scene is perhaps the funniest one they’ve ever done. Did you notice that the original theme plays during the final scene. A tribute to Marci, I guess, who has now set her sights on a new celebrity.
“F. Murray Abraham, the actor”
“May god have mercy on his soul.”
(That's quite a shout out for Tony Shalhoub's 13Ghosts co-star. I hope he was flattered or at least flustered.)
But my favorite bit, even more that Natalie’s Bobblehead-style reenactment of the episode, is Adrian pulling the troll out of the box: “Oh, hey, look it’s you”
And it was hard to beat, “Clue hug, clue hug, clue hug!”
It’s tradition now.
That’s it. That’s all I got.
Thar be spoilers ahead!
If you haven't seen this episode don't read any further, unless you don't mind knowing what's going to happen before it happens. In which case you probably don't like surprise parties or elections either. I'm one of those kind of people.
As the premiere episode of season six, "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" had a lot of hype and fan expectations to live up to. Four months have gone by since season five wrapped up with "Hospital" and we've had all that time to imagine the perfect Monk episode that might open the season. Inevitably a few fans, who may have had something more like "Mr. Monk and the Dragon's Lair" or "Mr. Monk and the Deathly Hallows" in mind, are disappointed. Emphatically, not me. "Biggest Fan" is all I could have hoped for and them some. Of course, Monk fans come in for a little good natured teasing in this episode, but if F. Murray Abraham can take it so can I.
Monk creator Andy Breckman gets the writing credit for this one. As head writer Andy leaves his mark on every script. (If you think a joke is going to end... and it doesn't, that's probably Andy's.) When his name is on it you know it's going to be funny, extra funny. And Monk will be just a little more Monk. "Garbage Strike" and "Bumps His Head" for example, stretch the character in a way that only the creator can.
Andy does a little interview on the official site in which he explains how long this particular episode has been in the making. The dead dog idea and the return of Marci Maven ("TV Star") have both been kicked around in the writer's room for years. I could be wrong, but the maybe-not-so-famous lost/rumored episode "Mr. Monk and the Dead Dog" from season one might have been the source of the mystery plot for "Biggest Fan". Happily, the two concepts finally met and produced a delightful season premiere.
Randy Zisk, the Monk executive producer who does most of the work (according to the other executive producers), is also a brilliant director who I'm betting will get an Emmy nod for last season's "Mr. Monk and the Leper." He's the director for "Biggest Fan." He doesn't get to spread his creative wings as much with this one, but there are some very nice touches, directing-wise, throughout the episode.
Sarah Silverman reprises her role as Marci Maven. She's now a hot property and there's even talk of her being considered for an Emmy nomination this week for her series The Sarah Silverman Program. (I'm guessing it's a little too edgy for the Emmy crowd, not to mention a big chunk of the Monk audience.) That wasn't so much the case when she first tackled the role in 2004 for "Mr. Monk and the TV Star." However, I don't think her current popularity was a factor in asking her back. She may have lured in a slightly younger demographic, something the network always likes to see, but a first run Monk routinely pulls in more than double the ratings of any comedy central show, including Sarah's. The writer's just had their hearts set on another Marci Maven appearance and when the opportunity came her way Sarah was eager to do it. They obviously stored up a slew of nice little Marci bits that finally get a chance to shine.
I'm just going to have to bite the bullet here and acknowledge all the similarities between Marci Maven and Monk fans in general.... Well, maybe not in general, but on message boards in particular.... Well, maybe even more particularly, me. So when the episode opened with Marci updating her Monk website, something I spend a good deal of time on myself, I squirmed just a bit. When Marci wins a day with Monk at a charity auction, something Spinner and I did very recently, I squirmed a little more. When Marci brings Monk his favorite bottled water (which is apparently now Summit Creek; Sierra Springs is soooo last year), something I picked up a case of just because it was Monk's favorite, I was starting to feel pretty darn creepy. When Marci knows all Monk's cases by name, something I also know by heart, I figured I was about ready for my own restraining order.... until they got to the "Three Pies" diorama. "Oh, my Gawd!" and the um... tribute song. That was just insane. Sure I'm obsessed... but, you know, in a good way. Marci is five cans short of a six pack.
"Dear Fellow Monk-ophiles"
So, Marci has a website, which she first told us about at the end of "Mr. Monk and the TV Star." We don't know who her fellow Monk-ophiles are, or if they're imaginary or not, but we do know she's no fan of Natalie's. A little inept cutting and pasting and Natalie's out of the picture. Just in case you thought the writers didn't notice all the Natalie haters, whose ranks have thinned to almost nothing these days, Marci is here to represent.
The murder of the neighbor is so not a part of Marci's crazy make believe world. The juxtaposition is jarring and she barely seems to react. It's all topped off by the whimsical lettering on the dead dog Otto's grave. It's a classically bizarre murder, just right for Monk. As a matter of fact, I don't want to spoil anything, but just read the new Monk novel Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants. That's all I'm going to say.
Bachelor Auction
That's right, it's another classic concept in comedy: the bachelor auction. You saw it on Seinfeld, you saw it on Frasier, you saw it on Night Court (well, I did anyway), now Monk's got one. And boy do they milk it. It's got everything romance, suspense, a shirtless Randy and a producer cameo.
The prelude to the auction is notable for another quintessentially selfish Monk moment when he learns where the auction money will go to: "It's always the widows. Why can't they just move on?" Natalie's reaction to that is yet another reason why I consider Traylor Howard such a good actress. When you convey that much with just a look, you're good. The interaction between the two of them is just so smooth now. It's a joy to watch. There's a wealth of talent too when Marci comes to the front door. The subtext of the conversation is great and I particularly like the prickly relationship of the two women who barely tolerate each other.
The auctioneer was a very nice surprise for me. Anne De Salvo, who plays her, is a terrific character actress. She gives memorable performances in two of my all time favorite films, Arthur and My Favorite Year. She's got nice delivery (Wrap this boy up. He's sold!) and timing as she bangs the gavel down during Monk's "beefcake" display.
This episode also marks the return of Sharon Lawrence as Stottlemeyer's girlfriend, real estate agent Linda Fusco. Linda hasn't lost much of her edge. She puts in the winning bid for "her man" and brashly reaches for his tush as they leave the stage.
Enter Randy Disher, who seems to be channeling Officer Feelgood Hondo, from the fourth season's "Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding." More power to him. Now that's a bachelor auction. Randy is quite the exhibitionist. He was ready and willing to drop his pants in "Hospital" and he whips off his shirt in this episode with very little encouragement. No, I'm not complaining. His enthusiasm goes unrewarded when the winner just needs a babysitter. Her name is Cameron Meyer. That's a little gift, which Andy says the writers enjoy giving out. In this case, it's producer/writer David Breckman's gift to his bride-to-be Cameron Meyer, who appeared in the Monk episode "TV Star" as the script supervisor.
The producer cameo I mentioned above is Anthony Santa Croce. If you've read Teresa and Spinner's Excellent Monk Adventure than you'll know that I sat in Mr. Santa Croce's chair for a few hours during our set visit. I didn't actually get to meet him, but somehow I feel I know him. He's in the background behind Marci Maven as she bids on Monk. He's practically the only guy in the crowd so he's hard to miss. He's listed as "Heckler" in the credits, but if he did do any heckling it's been cut out.
All of the Marci-Natalie bidding war and Monk's desperate attempt to avoid the inevitable (including the "beefcake") were very funny. I also particularly liked the little move where he shines his shoe on the back of his pant leg and looks like an awkward boy, while waiting for someone to bid on him. Marci's reactions are also extremely well done. After she's won, she looks at him like she's starving and he's her next meal. It's during this sequence we learn "there was a restraining order" and it's not hard to believe.
"Don't worry: I'm not crazy, just a fan."
Welcome to stalker-land: the hideous portrait, his glass, his rug, his lamp, his pants. "His pants?" Monk showed great courage in continuing the visit from that point on, but I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to miss the "Three Pies" diorama or the song. Of course, it was Sharona not Natalie who was assisting Monk during that case, but the episode would only have been half as funny without the Natalie-troll joke. It's also great that in the Monk universe Marci is the only one who knows what the cases are called and that she has absolutely no bobblehead boundaries. The song is also a hoot.
Lucky for Monk there is a case to solve. "So, to recap, dog dies on Monday and then three days later kills your neighbor." That's the gist of it. It's the kind of impossible mystery which makes for classic Monk.
Meanwhile back at the station Randy learns that contrary to his mother's belief, young Sam does not want to be a police officer. "Who'd want to be a cop: you don't make any money and everybody hates you." I think Randy sucked it up and handled that blow to his self esteem rather well. (For the record, I’d like to play with Randy’s handcuffs.) He does seem to have a nice rapport with the kid as the scene goes on. They look like they’re having fun playing Timber.
By now Stottlemeyer should know if Monk says something is up, then something is up. Maybe he was just in too much of a hurry to meet his date. He does, however, take the file with him, so perhaps something about it was bugging him I did like his “You need to get the hell out of there.” His concern for Adrian is genuine and almost brotherly. I also thought his last line in the scene was interesting, the one regarding Linda: “Do not need me. She’ll kill me.” I believe they’re laying the groundwork for her upcoming appearance in the episode “Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend” formerly known as Mr. Monk and the Captain’s Girlfriend.”
“I don’t kill the things I love”
So, Marci wants Monk to work a little Monk magic and disprove the police theory of the crime like he did in “’Mr. Monk and the Astronaut’ or ‘Mr. Monk Goes Back to School’. Remember that one?”
“No. Where are you getting these names?”
Natalie tries to reason with Marci, but Marci has the upper hand. Framing a dog is not too far fetched for a Monk case. “It’s not totally unprecedented. What about ‘Mr. Monk and the Panic Room’? They tried to frame a monkey, didn’t they?” Technically it was an ape, but Monk has to admit she’s got a point. Since that’s not enough motivation she reminds him that she owns him for the day and he has to do what she says. (I had no idea that was a charity auction perk.) So off they go to investigate the scene of the crime, her neighbor’s garage. This is the scene we got the tantalizing sneak peek of back in March. The Marci Natalie exchange as they walk up the drive is classic and it’s all in the delivery.
“You have the best job in the world.”
“Not today I don’t.”
The garage investigation reminds me a lot of the garage scene in “Mr. Monk and the Other Woman.” In fact the two episodes share a lot of the same plot elements: a murder in a garage, a mean dog, a woman who finds him attractive. If I remember correctly, Stottlemeyer, with almost the same words, but admittedly with more urgency, advises Monk to leave the woman’s house. I don’t think there’s more meaning to it than that. It just caused a slight feeling of déjà vu.
The best part of this scene is, of course, the introduction of “clue hugs.” What an inspired bit of business that is.
We also get our first up close and personal meeting with John Ringel who narrowly beats out Darrel Cain for worst neighbor ever. (Oh, come on, you remember: “Mr. Monk and the Astronaut”… He stole the dead woman’s fruit of the month.) It’s not hard to figure out that Ringel is the guy. Besides Marci and Otto there are no other suspects. And he’s got a messy hose. Only bad guys have messy hoses. So the only real question, but it’s an intriguing one, is how.
I’ve got nothing on John Mese who plays Ringel. He’s got a long list of television guest appearances, none of which ring a bell, except for his small screen debut in Alien Nation back in 1989. He played “Lance Lott”. (All the aliens had been given slightly goofy names.) I know I saw it, because I saw all of them, but I don’t specifically remember him and he would have been wearing a lot of make-up in any case. He really doesn’t get a lot to do here. We never even find out why he killed his wife, unless Marci was right and he killed her for bragging about her Gardenia’s. More likely it was something about adultery. Monk murders usually are.
The whole scene is nicely capped off with the sublimely funny second clue hug.
“Take it like a man.”
Don’t tell me Natalie isn’t funny. That’s funny. As is the monogrammed wipe debate and Natalie’s increasing jealousy and disbelief as Monk shows his first sign of succumbing to Marci’s flattery. I’m with Natalie here, monogramming defeats the purpose of sanitary wipes. They also look sort of dried out.
I can’t blame Natalie for getting all up in Marci’s face. “Here’s a little news flash, Marci, Stalking someone and knowing someone: two different things.” The tug of war between the two of them continues at the lumber yard where Marci finds Monk’s weakness. “I’ll work for free.” I don’t think he’s flattered or flustered, I think he’s the cheapest man in the world, but I like Natalie’s counter offer: “I’m not nuts.” Nevertheless, Natalie decides to step aside. She removes the buffer between Marci and Adrian. Once she’s gone they can see each other for who they really are.
In the next scene, Stottlemeyer’s date, the writers provide another little bit of foreshadowing. “What does a girl have to do to get your attention, Captain? Kill someone?” As a matter of fact, yes, that’s what it’s gonna take. Either that or a car wreck that puts you in a coma. Paying $2000 for him may turn his head, but it won’t keep his attention for too long.
How about “Mr. Monk is Friggin’ Awesome”?
It doesn’t take long for Monk to become disenchanted with Marci when he learns she forgot her neighbor had a lumber yard. That’s probably not the sort of thing that would have slipped Natalie’s mind. I particularly liked his weary, “No, no more hugs.” Her reaction to the “he’s the guy” gives rise to a rare display of exasperation on Monk’s part: “Just shut it” And moments later, “There’s no hugging during the ‘here’s what happened.’” Natalie’s right, now they can compare notes. Marci’s over enthusiasm has alerted Ringel.
Meanwhile the Captain’s evening seems to be going well, but is his mind truly on Linda? Apparently not. The classic romantic strawberry moment turns into a much more interesting Stottlemeyer being a good detective moment and the date is cut short. After a call to Natalie to get the facts he makes another call to interrupt Disher’s game of Timber. “Are you still playing that stupid game?” I loved Randy’s long pause. The comic pause isn’t a new invention, but they’ve just about perfected it on Monk.
At the lumberyard disenchantment becomes a two way street when Marci discovers she’s been shot. “This is no fun anymore. Why did you bring me here?” Apparently knowing someone isn’t nearly as much fun for Marci as stalking them. She always has been fickle though, just ask Brad Terry. Marci proves once again that she and reality haven’t met yet she tries to “pause” the scene and walk out past Ringel. She does manage to thoroughly confuse him for a moment or two, before his killer instincts kick in and he takes her hostage. Rather then let Ringel shoot her, Monk bravely gives himself up, which fails to impress the now disillusioned Marci. “I’m not his girlfriend. I don’t even like him anymore.” Maybe if Monk had known all it would take to dissuade her was a minor gunshot wound, he could have tried it years earlier.
Of course the cavalry arrives just in time Stottlemeyer, Action NatalieTM and Randy “Mad Skilz” Disher. You’ve really got to be hardhearted or a lumber freak not to cheer when Randy saves the day with his new found “Timber” talent. Yes, strictly speaking physics weren’t on his side, but I think most of the audience was. “Stupid game, huh?”
I love it when all the plot lines come together.
I’ve gotta say that the tag scene is perhaps the funniest one they’ve ever done. Did you notice that the original theme plays during the final scene. A tribute to Marci, I guess, who has now set her sights on a new celebrity.
“F. Murray Abraham, the actor”
“May god have mercy on his soul.”
(That's quite a shout out for Tony Shalhoub's 13Ghosts co-star. I hope he was flattered or at least flustered.)
But my favorite bit, even more that Natalie’s Bobblehead-style reenactment of the episode, is Adrian pulling the troll out of the box: “Oh, hey, look it’s you”
And it was hard to beat, “Clue hug, clue hug, clue hug!”
It’s tradition now.
That’s it. That’s all I got.
Well written! Next week I'll not watch the show and just read your review, so I'll like it.
QUOTE (Teresa1643 @ Jul 19 2007, 04:45 AM)
Natalie's reaction to that is yet another reason why I consider Traylor Howard such a good actress. When you convey that much with just a look, you're good.
I agree. Harrison Ford is like that, too. They have such a wide range of facial expression, each of them could do an entire movie shot just from the neck up.
Nicely done, Teresa. I loled out loud when I read
I think it must be the world's best kept secret, probably for good reason!
Actually, though, I think that was meant in part to illustrate something about Marci and her way of seeing the world around her and the objects of her dubious affection. The idea that she thinks she can 'own' Adrian, particularly for the paltry price of $800 is a sign of how she sees the world as being there for her benfit and amusment and how she sees other people, even someone she claims to love deeply like Adrian, as less human than her. The idea that you can own another person is hugley dehumanizing and even if she doesn't realize it, disrespectful. It's one of the many things that sets Marci and stalkers apart from fans like you and I.
My post is very long, too.
I came up with quite a few others that I hope will set some minds at ease, it was therapeutic for me just writing it
.
1. Marci was disenchanted with Adrian when she realised that he wasn't quite the ideal of him she had in her head, so she immediately became bitter and unforgiving of that. Until that point, she had this little box in her head that her idea of him fit into very neatly and there was no room for anyone else's ideas or even for a reality check. When she spent enough time with Adrian that she couldn't continue to ignore the fact that he didn't fit into her box and even refused to go there, she felt betrayed and discarded him. Teresa, you and I have room to allow other people's ideas about the characters, and other possibilities without throwing a hissy fit, we know we don't own these characters, that the show isn't written specifically for us, and we know that the actors are real, and separate people from the fictional characters they play and we can deal with that.
2. Marci refuses to see any boundaries, as you said, and she isn't content to just follow Adrian's cases through reports on the evening news and in the paper, it's not enough to admire him from a distance, she seems to want to be a part of his personal life and willing to try to force her way into it. While you may have made a point to go looking for the locations where they were filming last year and followed the cast and crew around, and won a day on the set at a charity auction, she has been digging through his trash to take personal items and feel closer to him, she's shown up at his house uninvited and tried to muscle her way in, she tried to kidnap him, and she wouldn't have been content to just sit on the sidelines and watch the filming unobtrusively, she would have tried to crash it.
3. I think Marci referring to the cases by their correct episode titles might have been the writers poking a little bit of fun at themselves and idetifying themselves as fans, too, because after all, they were the ones who came up with the titles, and she did use, mostly, the exact same titles that they gave rather than giving the cases different, but exaggerated titles. And you and I may have websites about the show and have a lot of information, trivia and so on about the show memorized, we are very much aware of the fact that it is a TV show, it's not reality and it's certainly not our reality. We are promoting a show we like and want to stay on TV so there is a benefit for the show, the actors and the network in our sites and promotion. We are advertising and helping. There is absolutely no benefit in Marci's attention, website or obsession for Adrian, in this context and his world, he's a real, private person who's orivacy is being infringed on for no good purpose at all by someone who thinks that she owns and and should be able to control him.
4. Your memorizing the various actors, writers, producers, directors and episodes and my drawings are different because you are a fan of the television industry as shown by your vast knowledge of how it works, what the behind the scenes people do and what they and the guest actors have done besides Monk, your knowledge and expertise encompasses things outside of this one show and it isn't quite as focused, which isn't something a person could gain just from being the fan of a single person or series. And although the quality of my drawings as compared to Marci's doesn't do much to set us apart, the fact that I can draw better than she can paint attests to the fact that I have spent a *lot* of my life practicing and a person doesn't become even a half decent artist overnight from trying to draw a single person or a small group of people. So even though we are big fans of 'Monk' you are a bigger fan of the entertainment industry in general and I am a much bigger fan of drawing people in general. 'Monk' just happens to be where our interests intersect. But we do have other, outside interests.
5. Mostly though, I think that anyone who watched this episode and squirmed a bit is okay, they are aware enough to see a little of themselves in Marci and become concerned that they might have the potential to be like her, which in itself is a huge difference because Marci obviously couldn't see how her own behavior wasn't just a little fannish, it was downright freaky!
Also, I wanted to point out what I thought to be a very neat, subtle bit of writing that I just thought about this morning. Otto and what happened to him, Marci's reactions to it and the way he apparently was before he got sick all say a whole lot about Marci and really back up the way she was written.
Otto was an adult dog, but he chewed on that chair in the office. Otto had a history of aggression and snapping and everyone knew he was 'a little wild'. The neighbor was able to walk into Marci's yard while Otto was barking and just take him off his tie out. Otto was poisoned that day and died a week and a half later from kidney failure and Marci said he went really quickly, but she didn't seem too upset by it or at all concerned about how a dog with no prior kidney trouble could die from kidney failure and wasn't very curious about where he'd been all day.
Well adjusted adult dogs don't usually chew on wood, most of the time, chewing on wood in an adult dog is a sign of anxiety and/or boredom. Aggressive behavior and snapping also can occasionally be attributed to something else, but again, is more often a sign that a dog has been isolated, denied socialization and the security of being a member of a family or a 'pack', and this isolation is also a major contributer to stress and anxiety in an adult dog.
When a dog is poisoned by something that leads to kidney failure, there are some pretty big signs, like an ammonia smell, especially in the dogs breath, and most likely the dog would be weak, mopey, and probably be having seizures. The only way an owner could miss that is if the owner was lost in her own world and was never around the dog, not even enough to notice if he's not acting like himself, yet Marci said Otto went very quickly. A week and a half isn't very quick and apparently she didn't take him to a vet because a vet would have been able to confirm for her without the police having to dig him up that Otto had been sick and had definitely died three days earlier. And if my dog was barking in the yard, I would go out and see what he was barking at, especially if he stopped suddenly, but Marci had no idea that Otto had been stolen.
Mostly though, I kept thinking she didn't seem very upset about Otto, it was almost like she was just excited to have a legitimate reason to have Adrian pay attention. When my dog died in September, she was very old and I knew that it would happen eventually, but I was still devastated for weeks after. So all of this backs up the way Marci acted at the end when she had her about face concerning her adoration of Adrian. She probably got Otto because he was an adorable puppy and she wanted something to love, but once the harsh reality of dog ownership hit her (probably the first time she stepped in a puddle) she probably became very disenchanted with Otto and he was exiled to the yard, isolated and bored and denied the security of a pack. Kind of the way she was when she became disenchanted with Adrian. They kind of established that this is pattern of behavior is the Marci norm, whether they actually intended to or not. If they did intend to, then they did a great job, but if they didn't it's still kind of cool
.
QUOTE
I had no idea that was a charity auction perk.
I think it must be the world's best kept secret, probably for good reason!
Actually, though, I think that was meant in part to illustrate something about Marci and her way of seeing the world around her and the objects of her dubious affection. The idea that she thinks she can 'own' Adrian, particularly for the paltry price of $800 is a sign of how she sees the world as being there for her benfit and amusment and how she sees other people, even someone she claims to love deeply like Adrian, as less human than her. The idea that you can own another person is hugley dehumanizing and even if she doesn't realize it, disrespectful. It's one of the many things that sets Marci and stalkers apart from fans like you and I.
My post is very long, too.
I came up with quite a few others that I hope will set some minds at ease, it was therapeutic for me just writing it
.1. Marci was disenchanted with Adrian when she realised that he wasn't quite the ideal of him she had in her head, so she immediately became bitter and unforgiving of that. Until that point, she had this little box in her head that her idea of him fit into very neatly and there was no room for anyone else's ideas or even for a reality check. When she spent enough time with Adrian that she couldn't continue to ignore the fact that he didn't fit into her box and even refused to go there, she felt betrayed and discarded him. Teresa, you and I have room to allow other people's ideas about the characters, and other possibilities without throwing a hissy fit, we know we don't own these characters, that the show isn't written specifically for us, and we know that the actors are real, and separate people from the fictional characters they play and we can deal with that.
2. Marci refuses to see any boundaries, as you said, and she isn't content to just follow Adrian's cases through reports on the evening news and in the paper, it's not enough to admire him from a distance, she seems to want to be a part of his personal life and willing to try to force her way into it. While you may have made a point to go looking for the locations where they were filming last year and followed the cast and crew around, and won a day on the set at a charity auction, she has been digging through his trash to take personal items and feel closer to him, she's shown up at his house uninvited and tried to muscle her way in, she tried to kidnap him, and she wouldn't have been content to just sit on the sidelines and watch the filming unobtrusively, she would have tried to crash it.
3. I think Marci referring to the cases by their correct episode titles might have been the writers poking a little bit of fun at themselves and idetifying themselves as fans, too, because after all, they were the ones who came up with the titles, and she did use, mostly, the exact same titles that they gave rather than giving the cases different, but exaggerated titles. And you and I may have websites about the show and have a lot of information, trivia and so on about the show memorized, we are very much aware of the fact that it is a TV show, it's not reality and it's certainly not our reality. We are promoting a show we like and want to stay on TV so there is a benefit for the show, the actors and the network in our sites and promotion. We are advertising and helping. There is absolutely no benefit in Marci's attention, website or obsession for Adrian, in this context and his world, he's a real, private person who's orivacy is being infringed on for no good purpose at all by someone who thinks that she owns and and should be able to control him.
4. Your memorizing the various actors, writers, producers, directors and episodes and my drawings are different because you are a fan of the television industry as shown by your vast knowledge of how it works, what the behind the scenes people do and what they and the guest actors have done besides Monk, your knowledge and expertise encompasses things outside of this one show and it isn't quite as focused, which isn't something a person could gain just from being the fan of a single person or series. And although the quality of my drawings as compared to Marci's doesn't do much to set us apart, the fact that I can draw better than she can paint attests to the fact that I have spent a *lot* of my life practicing and a person doesn't become even a half decent artist overnight from trying to draw a single person or a small group of people. So even though we are big fans of 'Monk' you are a bigger fan of the entertainment industry in general and I am a much bigger fan of drawing people in general. 'Monk' just happens to be where our interests intersect. But we do have other, outside interests.
5. Mostly though, I think that anyone who watched this episode and squirmed a bit is okay, they are aware enough to see a little of themselves in Marci and become concerned that they might have the potential to be like her, which in itself is a huge difference because Marci obviously couldn't see how her own behavior wasn't just a little fannish, it was downright freaky!
Also, I wanted to point out what I thought to be a very neat, subtle bit of writing that I just thought about this morning. Otto and what happened to him, Marci's reactions to it and the way he apparently was before he got sick all say a whole lot about Marci and really back up the way she was written.
Otto was an adult dog, but he chewed on that chair in the office. Otto had a history of aggression and snapping and everyone knew he was 'a little wild'. The neighbor was able to walk into Marci's yard while Otto was barking and just take him off his tie out. Otto was poisoned that day and died a week and a half later from kidney failure and Marci said he went really quickly, but she didn't seem too upset by it or at all concerned about how a dog with no prior kidney trouble could die from kidney failure and wasn't very curious about where he'd been all day.
Well adjusted adult dogs don't usually chew on wood, most of the time, chewing on wood in an adult dog is a sign of anxiety and/or boredom. Aggressive behavior and snapping also can occasionally be attributed to something else, but again, is more often a sign that a dog has been isolated, denied socialization and the security of being a member of a family or a 'pack', and this isolation is also a major contributer to stress and anxiety in an adult dog.
When a dog is poisoned by something that leads to kidney failure, there are some pretty big signs, like an ammonia smell, especially in the dogs breath, and most likely the dog would be weak, mopey, and probably be having seizures. The only way an owner could miss that is if the owner was lost in her own world and was never around the dog, not even enough to notice if he's not acting like himself, yet Marci said Otto went very quickly. A week and a half isn't very quick and apparently she didn't take him to a vet because a vet would have been able to confirm for her without the police having to dig him up that Otto had been sick and had definitely died three days earlier. And if my dog was barking in the yard, I would go out and see what he was barking at, especially if he stopped suddenly, but Marci had no idea that Otto had been stolen.
Mostly though, I kept thinking she didn't seem very upset about Otto, it was almost like she was just excited to have a legitimate reason to have Adrian pay attention. When my dog died in September, she was very old and I knew that it would happen eventually, but I was still devastated for weeks after. So all of this backs up the way Marci acted at the end when she had her about face concerning her adoration of Adrian. She probably got Otto because he was an adorable puppy and she wanted something to love, but once the harsh reality of dog ownership hit her (probably the first time she stepped in a puddle) she probably became very disenchanted with Otto and he was exiled to the yard, isolated and bored and denied the security of a pack. Kind of the way she was when she became disenchanted with Adrian. They kind of established that this is pattern of behavior is the Marci norm, whether they actually intended to or not. If they did intend to, then they did a great job, but if they didn't it's still kind of cool
.
X-ellent review, T. I've been missin' da reviews, yo. Sorry, I just watched the preview for Rapper on Yahoo.
QUOTE (Liv @ Jul 19 2007, 11:22 AM)
Nicely done, Teresa. I loled out loud when I read
I think it must be the world's best kept secret, probably for good reason!
Actually, though, I think that was meant in part to illustrate something about Marci and her way of seeing the world around her and the objects of her dubious affection. The idea that she thinks she can 'own' Adrian, particularly for the paltry price of $800 is a sign of how she sees the world as being there for her benfit and amusment and how she sees other people, even someone she claims to love deeply like Adrian, as less human than her. The idea that you can own another person is hugley dehumanizing and even if she doesn't realize it, disrespectful. It's one of the many things that sets Marci and stalkers apart from fans like you and I.
My post is very long, too.
I came up with quite a few others that I hope will set some minds at ease, it was therapeutic for me just writing it.
1. Marci was disenchanted with Adrian when she realised that he wasn't quite the ideal of him she had in her head, so she immediately became bitter and unforgiving of that. Until that point, she had this little box in her head that her idea of him fit into very neatly and there was no room for anyone else's ideas or even for a reality check. When she spent enough time with Adrian that she couldn't continue to ignore the fact that he didn't fit into her box and even refused to go there, she felt betrayed and discarded him. Teresa, you and I have room to allow other people's ideas about the characters, and other possibilities without throwing a hissy fit, we know we don't own these characters, that the show isn't written specifically for us, and we know that the actors are real, and separate people from the fictional characters they play and we can deal with that.
2. Marci refuses to see any boundaries, as you said, and she isn't content to just follow Adrian's cases through reports on the evening news and in the paper, it's not enough to admire him from a distance, she seems to want to be a part of his personal life and willing to try to force her way into it. While you may have made a point to go looking for the locations where they were filming last year and followed the cast and crew around, and won a day on the set at a charity auction, she has been digging through his trash to take personal items and feel closer to him, she's shown up at his house uninvited and tried to muscle her way in, she tried to kidnap him, and she wouldn't have been content to just sit on the sidelines and watch the filming unobtrusively, she would have tried to crash it.
3. I think Marci referring to the cases by their correct episode titles might have been the writers poking a little bit of fun at themselves and idetifying themselves as fans, too, because after all, they were the ones who came up with the titles, and she did use, mostly, the exact same titles that they gave rather than giving the cases different, but exaggerated titles. And you and I may have websites about the show and have a lot of information, trivia and so on about the show memorized, we are very much aware of the fact that it is a TV show, it's not reality and it's certainly not our reality. We are promoting a show we like and want to stay on TV so there is a benefit for the show, the actors and the network in our sites and promotion. We are advertising and helping. There is absolutely no benefit in Marci's attention, website or obsession for Adrian, in this context and his world, he's a real, private person who's orivacy is being infringed on for no good purpose at all by someone who thinks that she owns and and should be able to control him.
4. Your memorizing the various actors, writers, producers, directors and episodes and my drawings are different because you are a fan of the television industry as shown by your vast knowledge of how it works, what the behind the scenes people do and what they and the guest actors have done besides Monk, your knowledge and expertise encompasses things outside of this one show and it isn't quite as focused, which isn't something a person could gain just from being the fan of a single person or series. And although the quality of my drawings as compared to Marci's doesn't do much to set us apart, the fact that I can draw better than she can paint attests to the fact that I have spent a *lot* of my life practicing and a person doesn't become even a half decent artist overnight from trying to draw a single person or a small group of people. So even though we are big fans of 'Monk' you are a bigger fan of the entertainment industry in general and I am a much bigger fan of drawing people in general. 'Monk' just happens to be where our interests intersect. But we do have other, outside interests.
5. Mostly though, I think that anyone who watched this episode and squirmed a bit is okay, they are aware enough to see a little of themselves in Marci and become concerned that they might have the potential to be like her, which in itself is a huge difference because Marci obviously couldn't see how her own behavior wasn't just a little fannish, it was downright freaky!
Also, I wanted to point out what I thought to be a very neat, subtle bit of writing that I just thought about this morning. Otto and what happened to him, Marci's reactions to it and the way he apparently was before he got sick all say a whole lot about Marci and really back up the way she was written.
Otto was an adult dog, but he chewed on that chair in the office. Otto had a history of aggression and snapping and everyone knew he was 'a little wild'. The neighbor was able to walk into Marci's yard while Otto was barking and just take him off his tie out. Otto was poisoned that day and died a week and a half later from kidney failure and Marci said he went really quickly, but she didn't seem too upset by it or at all concerned about how a dog with no prior kidney trouble could die from kidney failure and wasn't very curious about where he'd been all day.
Well adjusted adult dogs don't usually chew on wood, most of the time, chewing on wood in an adult dog is a sign of anxiety and/or boredom. Aggressive behavior and snapping also can occasionally be attributed to something else, but again, is more often a sign that a dog has been isolated, denied socialization and the security of being a member of a family or a 'pack', and this isolation is also a major contributer to stress and anxiety in an adult dog.
When a dog is poisoned by something that leads to kidney failure, there are some pretty big signs, like an ammonia smell, especially in the dogs breath, and most likely the dog would be weak, mopey, and probably be having seizures. The only way an owner could miss that is if the owner was lost in her own world and was never around the dog, not even enough to notice if he's not acting like himself, yet Marci said Otto went very quickly. A week and a half isn't very quick and apparently she didn't take him to a vet because a vet would have been able to confirm for her without the police having to dig him up that Otto had been sick and had definitely died three days earlier. And if my dog was barking in the yard, I would go out and see what he was barking at, especially if he stopped suddenly, but Marci had no idea that Otto had been stolen.
Mostly though, I kept thinking she didn't seem very upset about Otto, it was almost like she was just excited to have a legitimate reason to have Adrian pay attention. When my dog died in September, she was very old and I knew that it would happen eventually, but I was still devastated for weeks after. So all of this backs up the way Marci acted at the end when she had her about face concerning her adoration of Adrian. She probably got Otto because he was an adorable puppy and she wanted something to love, but once the harsh reality of dog ownership hit her (probably the first time she stepped in a puddle) she probably became very disenchanted with Otto and he was exiled to the yard, isolated and bored and denied the security of a pack. Kind of the way she was when she became disenchanted with Adrian. They kind of established that this is pattern of behavior is the Marci norm, whether they actually intended to or not. If they did intend to, then they did a great job, but if they didn't it's still kind of cool.
I think it must be the world's best kept secret, probably for good reason!
Actually, though, I think that was meant in part to illustrate something about Marci and her way of seeing the world around her and the objects of her dubious affection. The idea that she thinks she can 'own' Adrian, particularly for the paltry price of $800 is a sign of how she sees the world as being there for her benfit and amusment and how she sees other people, even someone she claims to love deeply like Adrian, as less human than her. The idea that you can own another person is hugley dehumanizing and even if she doesn't realize it, disrespectful. It's one of the many things that sets Marci and stalkers apart from fans like you and I.
My post is very long, too.
I came up with quite a few others that I hope will set some minds at ease, it was therapeutic for me just writing it
.1. Marci was disenchanted with Adrian when she realised that he wasn't quite the ideal of him she had in her head, so she immediately became bitter and unforgiving of that. Until that point, she had this little box in her head that her idea of him fit into very neatly and there was no room for anyone else's ideas or even for a reality check. When she spent enough time with Adrian that she couldn't continue to ignore the fact that he didn't fit into her box and even refused to go there, she felt betrayed and discarded him. Teresa, you and I have room to allow other people's ideas about the characters, and other possibilities without throwing a hissy fit, we know we don't own these characters, that the show isn't written specifically for us, and we know that the actors are real, and separate people from the fictional characters they play and we can deal with that.
2. Marci refuses to see any boundaries, as you said, and she isn't content to just follow Adrian's cases through reports on the evening news and in the paper, it's not enough to admire him from a distance, she seems to want to be a part of his personal life and willing to try to force her way into it. While you may have made a point to go looking for the locations where they were filming last year and followed the cast and crew around, and won a day on the set at a charity auction, she has been digging through his trash to take personal items and feel closer to him, she's shown up at his house uninvited and tried to muscle her way in, she tried to kidnap him, and she wouldn't have been content to just sit on the sidelines and watch the filming unobtrusively, she would have tried to crash it.
3. I think Marci referring to the cases by their correct episode titles might have been the writers poking a little bit of fun at themselves and idetifying themselves as fans, too, because after all, they were the ones who came up with the titles, and she did use, mostly, the exact same titles that they gave rather than giving the cases different, but exaggerated titles. And you and I may have websites about the show and have a lot of information, trivia and so on about the show memorized, we are very much aware of the fact that it is a TV show, it's not reality and it's certainly not our reality. We are promoting a show we like and want to stay on TV so there is a benefit for the show, the actors and the network in our sites and promotion. We are advertising and helping. There is absolutely no benefit in Marci's attention, website or obsession for Adrian, in this context and his world, he's a real, private person who's orivacy is being infringed on for no good purpose at all by someone who thinks that she owns and and should be able to control him.
4. Your memorizing the various actors, writers, producers, directors and episodes and my drawings are different because you are a fan of the television industry as shown by your vast knowledge of how it works, what the behind the scenes people do and what they and the guest actors have done besides Monk, your knowledge and expertise encompasses things outside of this one show and it isn't quite as focused, which isn't something a person could gain just from being the fan of a single person or series. And although the quality of my drawings as compared to Marci's doesn't do much to set us apart, the fact that I can draw better than she can paint attests to the fact that I have spent a *lot* of my life practicing and a person doesn't become even a half decent artist overnight from trying to draw a single person or a small group of people. So even though we are big fans of 'Monk' you are a bigger fan of the entertainment industry in general and I am a much bigger fan of drawing people in general. 'Monk' just happens to be where our interests intersect. But we do have other, outside interests.
5. Mostly though, I think that anyone who watched this episode and squirmed a bit is okay, they are aware enough to see a little of themselves in Marci and become concerned that they might have the potential to be like her, which in itself is a huge difference because Marci obviously couldn't see how her own behavior wasn't just a little fannish, it was downright freaky!
Also, I wanted to point out what I thought to be a very neat, subtle bit of writing that I just thought about this morning. Otto and what happened to him, Marci's reactions to it and the way he apparently was before he got sick all say a whole lot about Marci and really back up the way she was written.
Otto was an adult dog, but he chewed on that chair in the office. Otto had a history of aggression and snapping and everyone knew he was 'a little wild'. The neighbor was able to walk into Marci's yard while Otto was barking and just take him off his tie out. Otto was poisoned that day and died a week and a half later from kidney failure and Marci said he went really quickly, but she didn't seem too upset by it or at all concerned about how a dog with no prior kidney trouble could die from kidney failure and wasn't very curious about where he'd been all day.
Well adjusted adult dogs don't usually chew on wood, most of the time, chewing on wood in an adult dog is a sign of anxiety and/or boredom. Aggressive behavior and snapping also can occasionally be attributed to something else, but again, is more often a sign that a dog has been isolated, denied socialization and the security of being a member of a family or a 'pack', and this isolation is also a major contributer to stress and anxiety in an adult dog.
When a dog is poisoned by something that leads to kidney failure, there are some pretty big signs, like an ammonia smell, especially in the dogs breath, and most likely the dog would be weak, mopey, and probably be having seizures. The only way an owner could miss that is if the owner was lost in her own world and was never around the dog, not even enough to notice if he's not acting like himself, yet Marci said Otto went very quickly. A week and a half isn't very quick and apparently she didn't take him to a vet because a vet would have been able to confirm for her without the police having to dig him up that Otto had been sick and had definitely died three days earlier. And if my dog was barking in the yard, I would go out and see what he was barking at, especially if he stopped suddenly, but Marci had no idea that Otto had been stolen.
Mostly though, I kept thinking she didn't seem very upset about Otto, it was almost like she was just excited to have a legitimate reason to have Adrian pay attention. When my dog died in September, she was very old and I knew that it would happen eventually, but I was still devastated for weeks after. So all of this backs up the way Marci acted at the end when she had her about face concerning her adoration of Adrian. She probably got Otto because he was an adorable puppy and she wanted something to love, but once the harsh reality of dog ownership hit her (probably the first time she stepped in a puddle) she probably became very disenchanted with Otto and he was exiled to the yard, isolated and bored and denied the security of a pack. Kind of the way she was when she became disenchanted with Adrian. They kind of established that this is pattern of behavior is the Marci norm, whether they actually intended to or not. If they did intend to, then they did a great job, but if they didn't it's still kind of cool
.
I hope you'll be writing reviews for all of this season Teresa, because I missed them last season and I always look forward to reading them.
I also saw some of myself in Marci and I did squirm, too!
I also saw some of myself in Marci and I did squirm, too!
Hi Bubba here, very well done review Teresa. 
Here's to better times ahead...we hope.
QUOTE (Bubba_Bridges @ Jul 20 2007, 12:15 AM)
Hi Bubba here, very well done review Teresa.
I loved reading the reviews and hadn't realized how much I had missed them until now. Teresa I hope you keep it up. This was great.
I really loved this episode - I loved the way it poked a little fun at all of us fans in one way or another and having Natalie battle with Marci over rights to Adrian made it even better. Natalie, a troll, well guess you don't have to wonder who I thought about when Marci just tossed the troll aside.
This is now right up there among my 5 fav episodes. I hope the rest of the year is as good as this one episode was.
Teresa, I enjoyed reading you review!
It just goes to show us that someone on Monk has their finger on the pulse of their audience.
I think it is their way of letting us know that they know we are out here.
So I thought it was quite amusing seeing us portrayed in an episode. We may or may not be to Marci's extreme but it sure was comical.
They did it before in an earlier season (Three Pies) I think when they mentioned someone (I can't remember for sure but I think it was Mike Gordon) was a hack.
I have to say that Traylor is wonderful, her and Tony just go together so well. You can just see the ease and chemistry between them.
I think her character has developed perfectly. I couldn't have asked for better.
It just goes to show us that someone on Monk has their finger on the pulse of their audience.
I think it is their way of letting us know that they know we are out here.
So I thought it was quite amusing seeing us portrayed in an episode. We may or may not be to Marci's extreme but it sure was comical.
They did it before in an earlier season (Three Pies) I think when they mentioned someone (I can't remember for sure but I think it was Mike Gordon) was a hack.
I have to say that Traylor is wonderful, her and Tony just go together so well. You can just see the ease and chemistry between them.
I think her character has developed perfectly. I couldn't have asked for better.
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