I just watched the Monk episode where at the end Lelands wife gives him the divorce papers. Earlier in the episode I felt so bad for him when he was talking to Karen about how she use to tie his ties for him etc. She seemed to just have this "Oh, well" attitude . Does anyone else think she could have tried a little harder to make the marriage work. Leland seemed to be trying and then got shot down.
I recently have had to ( and am now ) go through difficult times and that is just how I am feeling now.... When God closes a door sometimes he breaks your heart

I really didn't like Karen. I never did. She just might be my least favorite character.

Ditto, I felt the same way.

I would really like to see him remain single for awhile

Hate hate hate hate Karen with a triple HHH. She could get hit by a bus, run over by a Mack truck, crushed by a train, walk into helicopter blades, fall off a tall building. Words cannot describe how much I detest this character.

I guess I'm the oddball here because I don't completely hate Karen.

Don't get me wrong..I think she did Leland wrong but I can kind of see her side too. They really didn't have anything in common and let's admit it, he seems to work all the time. That's going to really get to a wife at some point. And this wasn't the first sign of trouble. In the first episode they were having real problems and were, at least for one night, sleeping apart from each other. I don't think she was ever meant to be around long.

Just my thoughts

I hope that if they were not ment to be together long, Leland has to find a new and good girlfriend, good enough for him and his kids. I really hope the writers mean happy life for him!
Along with a happy life for Adrian&Natalie! Sorry, couldn´t help, non-shippers.......

Hugs
Michele

I may be in the minority here, but i'm on Karen's side. Sure Leland tried but it was too late by then. Karen most likely stood by him while his career was blossoming and through the process they began to drift apart and develop different interest. There are always two sides to every story and I know most of the people on the board adore Leland that they tend to look over his many faults and see him through rosey colored glasses, like how he treated monk in the beginning of the series, his sarcasm, gruff demanor and stuff.

if only the capt, could find true love but you know what? all mine have just like his CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!
i can relate to him in the fact that nothing in that part of life goes his way.i just hope i find true love before the capt.lol!!!!!!!!

I like Karen too. A lot. I love Glen Headly, who portrayed Karen. I did feel bad for Leland, especially when he is "forced" to stay at Natalie's (or Adrian's, I can't remember which one.) I haven't seen it in ages, but wasn't the last straw the fact that he thought she was having an affair and it turned out not to be true? If that's the case, I understand why she was so hurt, but I still felt sorry for Leland.
I'll have to go watch it again to refresh my memory!

Andrea

Nah, Karen had the divorce in the works long before Leland thought she was having an affair.

DIE DIE DIE KAREN DIE!!!

I have to say I agree with you. I actually used to like Karen. I thought she and Stot were cute in Old Man and Captain's Wife.

As far as their not having anything in common, you'd think she'd know that when she married him. I mean, I'd assume he was already a cop when they married, or at least she would have known he was leaning in that direction. And people don't have to have a whole lot in common to have a successful marraige -- they only need to appreciate the differences.

His obvious care for her followed by her cold comment, "Because you have to ask why," made me instantly loathe her. The only way I'd want to see this character return to "Monk" is in the prologue -- as the victim.

I agree with the "Because you have to ask why " remark Karen made . I thought you [email="B#@$"]B#@$[/email]&* My husband has had to work so much he is only home at night, you have some rough times and I am alone a lot but you have to work it out and make time for each other when you can. I dont think Karen cared any more. Poor Stot , he is better off with out her !!!

Karen's major fault is never being willing to admit she might be wrong in any given situation. She seems to believe steadfastly in the bad trend in today's society--made far worse by the fact films and TV jump all over it--that the husband HAS to be the single faulter behind any problems the family has. Therefore as far as she seems to see it, the captain and only the captain failed, and his feelings on anything don't count for anything because as the wife she's automatically right. A truly healthy relationship should involve give and take from both sides, with both spouses have an equal say in everything. So how can she expect that he should lie down for her at her every demand, particularly when he's not the type of person to do that anyway?

It would be interesting to know exactly how close Monk was personally with her and whether he might have any sway over her at all that Stottlemeyer may or may not know about. Perhaps off camera he called her up at that point and tried a last ditch effort to get her to reconsider, for their sons' sake (likely given that he on the contrary believes marriage should be forever), but for the reasons I described in the first paragraph proved unsuccessful. But if so, perhaps he instilled some seeds of doubt in her that may or may not come into play down the line.

And I do think the seeds of doubt are in her. They may take time to manifest, and really shouldn't come to much, since truthfully she and the captain just don't belong together and shouldn't be forced back into it, but the circumstances are ripe for her world to be rocked by the cumulative effect of her choices; after all, if she thinks her sons are going to hold only their father responsible for everything collapsing, especially with the overt fact that she made the final decision to break it, then she's delusional as well as stubborn. In the worst case scenario, one we'd never want to see happen, suppose either of them turn out to be the killer of the week, and when cornered and exposed by Monk explicitly point out that the divorce drove them to it. Words could probably not express the expression of pure horror that would be on her face at the iris out as she finally realizes that all actions have consequences. But I do sincerely hope they never take that particular route. A more fitting way would simply be to show that for all her bravado and all her independence and with the belief that she finally got the best of her husband, it got her nothing but loneliness and, likely, the loss of her children's respect once they come of age. That would then open the door for Stottlemeyer to show he is stronger and better and extend, if not reconcilliation, then at least the hand of friendship and forgiveness. Whether she takes it or not in her hour of need would decide whether she's worthy of redemption or not. We'll all just have to wait and see. We've got all the time in the world...

The Nard says ...

When doors close,
look for windows of opportunity ...

Okay, I watched this episode again last night, so I wanted to comment (again!). I did like Karen a lot in the earlier episodes (and I still really like Glen Headly, the actress who plays her), but I didn't like her in this one.

I could understand Leland being concerned that Karen was seeing someone. He was angry, and forced to go to Anger Management and I could tell that he hated feeling that he didn't trust his wife. They were having problems though. That was obvious by the way he would talk about her in this episode.

I felt bad for Natalie and Adrian having to follow Karen, but they did it because they care for Leland. I'm sure it broke their heart seeing Karen with "another man".

The final confrontation in Leland's office broke my heart. Leland realized that Karen wasn't having an affair. He was being completely honest with his feelings in telling her that he had her followed and that he suspected her of being with another man. Although I could understand how she would he hurt by his allegations, my heart was breaking for him as he tried so hard to apologize, to tell her how much he cared for her, how much he still loved her. She totally lashed out at him, and then threw those divorce papers in his face (although not literally).

The ending scenes are what really got me, when he's standing in his house with Natalie and Monk with the two suitcases and she asks him about the boys. I didn't realize that the title for this topic was also the last line in the show. So appropriate for so many things.

Andrea

That only part that did not ring true for me was when Leland said that even if she had played footsie with another guy, that he was willing to forgive and forget. This is not the Leland we know and love. He might have said it in a desperate attempt to keep her, but I don't think he truly meant it. Loyalty and trust is very important to Leland. He might forgive a fleeting indiscretion only for the sake of the family, but he would never forget it. Big difference.

That's a good point. He is very loyal to his family.

Andrea