# MONK: New Season Starts Tonight 1/21/05 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 21, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982 "2005-01-21T21:48:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/21 "2005-01-23T00:35:38Z")
Why make up an “orange marble fish”? He was a double tail Rhiunkin goldfish. Make Mr. Henry a killifish. The Nothos are large and pretty and live only a year. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/22 "2005-01-23T01:09:32Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Why make up an “orange marble fish”? He was a double tail Rhiunkin goldfish. Actually, I have heard orange-and-white-and sometimes black goldfish referred to as marble fish (because their scales are mixed up in color). I don’t think that’s the proper species name, but it is an informal name. I agree that the writing was super-weak (how did those problems **bluethree** pointed out ever get past first edit?), but I did like the new character, way better than Sharona. She was a total enabler. Maybe with the new assistant Monk will be able to finally get past his problems and get back on the force. He could have never done it with a nurse following around after him. Also, last night’s episode was more dramatic than comedic, which I liked, because I don’t like when Monk’s OCD is played as slapstick. I hope they continue in that vein. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/23 "2005-01-23T01:30:31Z")
Did they say the employees were being searched for a missing moon rock? I thought the searching was just part of normal operation. Hmm. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/24 "2005-01-23T01:42:02Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > Did they say the employees were being searched for a missing moon rock? I thought the searching was just part of normal operation. Hmm. That’s what my g/f thought, but since when is it normal to frisk people at a museum? They don’t search you when you leave the courthouse or get off the plane—the only reason to do it at a museum would be to find a stolen item, which logically no one in the story could’ve known had been stolen. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/25 "2005-01-23T01:57:38Z")
> [@continuity eror](#): > > Maybe with the new assistant Monk will be able to finally get past his problems and get back on the force. Then the series will be over. Voyager will have come home, Dr. whois will have found the one armed man. [QUOTE=Nonsuch] but since when is it normal to frisk people at a museum?[Nonsuch] Since you have moon rocks on display? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/26 "2005-01-23T02:28:54Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Then the series will be over. Not necessarily; I think it will be over when Monk solves his wife’s murder. Though I guess both those endings could happen simultaneously. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/27 "2005-01-23T02:35:43Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Then the series will be over. Not necessarily, even “normal” Monk would have a whole bunch of quirks. Didn’t he go through three partners in the space of a week or something? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/28 "2005-01-23T02:36:44Z")
For a second there, I thought I made a double post! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/29 "2005-01-23T02:48:27Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > For a second there, I thought I made a double post! Nah, they’re just picking on me. 🙂 Monk’s family was nuts. Remember the brother and his MOther numbering the mugs? “What happened if one broke?” He was OC in high school, retying his shoelaces in track. So I don’t think he’ll be cured, but the “normal” Monk would be as Luke said, but I don’t know if that theme would support a TV series. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/30 "2005-01-23T03:20:34Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > That’s what my g/f thought, but since when is it normal to frisk people at a museum? They don’t search you when you leave the courthouse or get off the plane—the only reason to do it at a museum would be to find a stolen item, which logically no one in the story could’ve known had been stolen. No, they don’t do it when you leave a plane. What are you going to take, the headsets? Neither would they frisk people going to a museum, because that’s what the security is for: to make sure people don’t take things in the first place. It seemed logical to me that personnel who could have had access to the museum’s goods would be routinely searched. But, what do I know about museums? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/31 "2005-01-23T05:05:44Z")
> [@erislover](#): > > It seemed logical to me that personnel who could have had access to the museum’s goods would be routinely searched. But, what do I know about museums? 😃 Ah, but who frisks the friskers? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/32 "2005-01-23T05:56:23Z")
We, too, felt that the writing sucked. Mr. Bad Guy didn’t know they were searching people on the way out? Why not??? The “mystery” was so transparent, as was the “who will be the new assistant” “sub”-plot that we both hated it. We’re hoping that better writers will be forthcoming. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/33 "2005-01-23T09:32:20Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > I was pretty turned off by the whole thing. Maybe I was being oversensitive, but the fact that the producers had Sharona > > move back to Jersey and _re-marry_ her jerk of an ex-husband > > combined with the new assistant’s extreme resemblance to Sharona in attitude, looks, and family circumstance, seemed almost to smack of contempt. “Not only will we completely sell out that bitch’s character, we’ll serve you up a near carbon copy. Enjoy, suckers!” Totally. That bugged me a lot. I guess I should continue the spoiler boxes: They went to the trouble of portraying him as an utterly contemptible person, then just casually announce that she re-married him. That makes no sense in light of the previous episode that featured him. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2005, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/34 "2005-01-23T15:46:02Z")
I think it was a so-so episode, which I neither hated nor loved. I realize its main purpose was the introduction of the new assistant, so maybe once this hurdle is cleared, the writing will improve. Last season, they were clearly trying out some other characters (maybe with focus groups) to see if they would fly as the new assistant. I’m extremely thankful that that obnoxious nurse friend of Sharona’s didn’t make it, nor did Monk’s geeky upstairs neighbor. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/35 "2005-01-24T17:24:12Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > So I don’t think he’ll be cured, but the “normal” Monk would be as Luke said, but I don’t know if that theme would support a TV series. I think a “Nash Bridges” meets Sherlock Holmes sort of think would work if they get the right writers. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/36 "2005-01-24T17:25:46Z")
Pretend that second “think” is a “thing”. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/37 "2005-01-24T17:34:33Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > They went to the trouble of portraying him as an utterly contemptible person, then just casually announce that she re-married him. That makes no sense in light of the previous episode that featured him. Addressing Sharona’s write-out… It’s possible that they did that to slight Bitty, as an act of petty vengence. Ruining a character due to an actor dispute isn’t done very often (in fact I can’t think of any other example) but its possible. Was her ex really that bad a guy? I’m only a casual viewer, but it seemed like he was portrayed as an average divorcee, not a creep. I was completely taken aback by the moon rock revelation. Apparently my weak mental capacity makes me a fabulous target audience. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/38 "2005-01-24T17:41:20Z")
> [@Rysler](#): > > Addressing Sharona’s write-out… > > It’s possible that they did that to slight Bitty, as an act of petty vengence. Ruining a character due to an actor dispute isn’t done very often (in fact I can’t think of any other example) but its possible. Was her ex really that bad a guy? I’m only a casual viewer, but it seemed like he was portrayed as an average divorcee, not a creep. A divorcee whose first attempt at reconciliation was motivated by greed - he wanted to make sure he was in a will, don’t remember whose. > [@](#): > > _I was completely taken aback by the moon rock revelation._ As was I. Then again, I just enjoy the ride and not try to figure out the mysteries before Monk does. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/39 "2005-01-24T19:30:47Z")
I recall two actors playing the husband, one a creep one neutral. ---
**Author:** ![BigDummy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@BigDummy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigDummy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982/40 "2005-01-24T22:56:45Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > A divorcee whose first attempt at reconciliation was motivated by greed - he wanted to make sure he was in a will, don’t remember whose. On the other hand considering some of the guys she dated on the show, the ex may have started to look a lot better. I mean, how many times did she wind up dating the killer? And the mafia jerk towards the end there. Her poor judgment in that area was kind of a running joke, as I recall. I have no problem with the new girl and I liked her introduction. I almost didn’t recognize her, but maybe it was just the lighting in that opening scene. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/monk-new-season-starts-tonight-1-21-05/285982.md?page=3)