# Natalie or Sharona? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 2, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360 "2005-04-02T03:52:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/1 "2005-04-02T03:52:33Z")
The most recent season of _Monk_, which introduced Mr. Monk’s new assistant, Natalie, completed recently. Sharona, a saucy Jersey single parent, was replaced by Natalie, a spunky California single parent. This, of course, raises a couple of important questions: [ul] [li]Which assistant is a more interesting character?[/li][li]Which assistant is hotter (a la Ginger v Maryann, Jennifer v Bailey, etc)?[/li][li]Hi Opal![/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/2 "2005-04-02T04:12:17Z")
I like Natalie a little better because she does a much better job of standing up to Adrian. She doesn’t take nearly as much as Sharona did which will do him good in the long run. As far as hotness goes, Natalie wins that one too - but not by very much. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/3 "2005-04-02T04:27:33Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Which assistant is a more interesting character? Sharona if only because we know more about her. I am prejudiced because the actress was screwed when she asked for more money. > [@ShibbOleth](#): > > Which assistant is hotter (a la Ginger v Maryann, Jennifer v Bailey, etc)? “Spunky” is not hot. Sharona wins by definition. Nontheless: Check their clothes. Note that Sharona goes to bars and gets into beer drinking contests. Natalie goes to PTA meetings. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/4 "2005-04-02T04:55:18Z")
I don’t dislike Natalie, but I don’t feel she’s connected with Monk (at least not yet), except for one scene in one episode. As such, I’m not as connected to her as I was to Sharona. OTOH I think Natalie will eventually turn out to be more interesting. Traylor Howard is an attractive woman, but Natalie is definitely not hot. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/5 "2005-04-02T07:58:00Z")
> [@drm](#): > > As far as hotness goes, Natalie wins that one too - but not by very much. Agreed on both counts. ---
**Author:** ![N.Sane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@N.Sane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N.Sane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/6 "2005-04-02T08:06:30Z")
Sharona. I will say that Natalie did a better job than I originally anticipated, and I don’t dislike her. But I love Sharona. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/7 "2005-04-02T08:41:29Z")
> [@N. Sane](#): > > Sharona. > > I will say that Natalie did a better job than I originally anticipated, and I don’t dislike her. > > But I love Sharona. No. Fuck that big Italian nose and that no-bullshit Queens accent and all that stuff! Anglo-Saxon Natalie is truly, deeply, awesomely sexy! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/8 "2005-04-02T12:52:02Z")
Sharona is my favorite, but I’ve warmed up to Natalie. She’s done a much better job than I thought she would. I still think the “reason” for Sharona leaving is weak. She gets back together with her ex-husband and moves back to New Jersey. A better reason would have been that she was just too stressed out by being Adrian’s nurse. After all, she had threatened to leave numerous times before. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/9 "2005-04-02T17:49:04Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > I still think the “reason” for Sharona leaving is weak. She gets back together with her ex-husband and moves back to New Jersey. They were screwing the actress. Not only do they fire her, they don’t give her a final episode and send her back to the drunkard husband without reason. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/10 "2005-04-02T18:44:49Z")
Although I don’t have a real opinion as to which one is better, I must point out Natalie has seen more actual “action” than Sharona. After seeing what Natalie went through in that truck in _Mr. Monk Gets Stuck in Traffic_, Sharona must be glad she’s not Monk’s assistant anymore. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/11 "2005-04-02T19:06:08Z")
Natalie, so far, is a bit more interesting, in that she takes less guff from Adrian and actually forced some changes in his behavior. Adrian never would have climbed halfway out of a speeding cop car for Sharona. But, hot? Sharona. Oh, yeah. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/12 "2005-04-02T19:28:56Z")
Natalie wins on the interesting chart. In my book, neither really enters the sexyness race, both are cute though. It wasn’t asked, but I find Natalie’s child more real than Sharona’s. ---
**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:** [April 2, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/natalie-or-sharona/297360/13 "2005-04-02T22:15:34Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > Adrian never would have climbed halfway out of a speeding cop car for Sharona. Aw, come on. Remember the sewer? The Ladder? The Ferris wheel? 🙂