# Sharona is leaving! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 1, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544 "2004-09-01T05:49:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/1 "2004-09-01T05:49:55Z")
Who’s going to hand Monk his wipes?! > [@](#): > > Originally posted by [**TV Guide**](http://www.tvguide.com/news/entertainment/): > > \*When Monk resumes the second half of its second season in January, Tony Shalhoub’s OCD-afflicted alter ego will be without his trusty sidekick. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Bitty Schram has been let go for “creative” reasons. Although the split was said to be amicable, there’s buzz that a salary dispute may have been behind her exit. \* Damn it, USA, pay the woman! ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/2 "2004-09-01T08:10:48Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > Who’s going to hand Monk his wipes?! > > Damn it, USA, pay the woman! Oh for fuck’s sake. The show won’t work without her. We have to be privy to Monk’s thought process, so he has to have a partner to talk to. Maybe that’s why they’ve been experimenting with a couple different sidekicks for him. It just doesn’t work as well without Sharona. ---
**Author:** ![MinniePurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@MinniePurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MinniePurl)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/3 "2004-09-01T08:18:08Z")
First icky, can’t-act-her-way-outta-a-wet-kleenex NuTrudy, and now they are dumping Sharona? This doesn’t bode well. I suppose it might turn out ok in the end but… The chances are very small. I just hope they don’t write her off in some lame and stupid way, like having her reconcile with her jerkish ex and moving back east. They can at least give her an interesting send off. And what is with the casting call for a middle-aged female bartender? How would that work? Even the cleanest bar I’ve ever been in would be far too dirty for Monk. Maybe, if we’re lucky, this is just some kind of wind-up for a really cool plot twist. ---
**Author:** ![thursday\_next](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@thursday\_next](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thursday_next)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/4 "2004-09-01T09:45:04Z")
Now I know why there’s been less and less Sharona in each episode. I really like Monk; sure sometime’s I’ll be out with friends and suddenly realize that the sundress I’m wearing is allowing my back to touch the seat that millions of other germy backs have touched, and i flip out a little on the inside while searching for my sweater … but everyone does that, right? Or am I the only one who’s been doing stuff like that more often since they got into the show? The captain, the brother, the lt, they’re all super, but Monk needs Sharona. When she’s not on the show its a bit of a let down (even though Tony Shaloub is fabulous). I hope whichever of the “big three” broadcast networks passed on this is kicking itself in the bum over the whole thing. If they don’t give the girl the money that she wants, they’re :wally , unless of course she kicks puppies on the weekends or something and needs the money for her habit. 😉 ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/5 "2004-09-01T12:38:15Z")
It is MHO that the show started going down hill when Monk didn’t kill Trudy’s murderer. I think that would have been outstanding for character development. He would have ceased to be a buffoon and become either really crazy or a more realistic character. This happened to Fantasy Island, right? The little guy wanted too much money, got fired and the show went down the tubes. “Kissing Tony Shaloub from inside a bubble”??? ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/6 "2004-09-01T13:17:03Z")
I don’t see how the show can survive without Sharona. Dammit! I just discovered Monk in the early spring, and got instantly addicted. Guess it’s another set to add to the DVDs to buy. I don’t see how the bartender chick could work. :dubious: Gimme my Sharona!!! I apologize for the incoherence of this post. That’s what life is like without Sharona. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/7 "2004-09-01T14:13:40Z")
Big mistake. And if they replace her with that annoying nerd :wally again, it’s over. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/8 "2004-09-01T14:35:57Z")
:eek: :mad: One of the best teams on modern TV has been broken up. I can’t imagine another actress having the same chemistry with Shalhoub that Bitsy does. Sharona is more than just the nurse, of course–she also is the only one trusted enough by Monk to show him the truth, and she’s equally protective and critical of him. What a shame. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/9 "2004-09-01T15:23:07Z")
> [@MinniePurl](#): > > I just hope they don’t write her off in some lame and stupid way, like having her reconcile with her jerkish ex and moving back east. My guess is she’ll move back east to care for her ailing mother. ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/10 "2004-09-01T15:28:37Z")
The six-fingered man who killed Trudy will whack her. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/11 "2004-09-01T18:27:04Z")
“You’re bringing the Monk down, man…” ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/12 "2004-09-01T18:37:58Z")
Well, Tony Shalhoub produces the show - wonder if he had anything to do with her getting canned? ---
**Author:** ![SolGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbce88/32.png) [@SolGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolGrundy)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/13 "2004-09-01T18:41:49Z")
I’ll go ahead and say it: that’s the end of this series. At least for me. The writers/creators have some occasional good ideas, and the writing is generally competent, but the whole show feels like smoke in a bottle to me. It’s a gimmicky concept with fairly predictable humor and a Columbo formula, but it just works, and I’m not sure any of them understand exactly why it works. I think that most of it is the chemistry between Monk and Sharona, and watching that relationship develop. It’s two one-note characters thrown together that end up being interesting, and you can’t just swap out sidekicks and expect it to still work. Feh. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/14 "2004-09-01T18:58:46Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Big mistake. And if they replace her with that annoying nerd :wally again, it’s over. Oh, the neighbor guy? Hell no. That didn’t work at all. It was like MASH with 2 Frank Burns’, or Abbott & Abbott or something. You can’t pair 2 neurotic guys together, it’s just too annoying. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/15 "2004-09-01T19:02:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It is MHO that the show started going down hill when Monk didn’t kill Trudy’s murderer. I think that would have been outstanding for character development. He would have ceased to be a buffoon and become either really crazy or a more realistic character. I agree, though I don’t think Monk was a total buffoon before then. His buffoonery was always mixed with moments of pathos. But during the last season, Monk’s OCD was played solely for comedy, and it wrecked the show. I loved the first two seasons, but I couldn’t stand to watch the last few episodes of the first half this last one. Now I probably won’t bother with the second half. A nitpick, but: the man Monk had a chance to kill wasn’t Trudy’s murderer, but an associate of the one who did it. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/16 "2004-09-01T19:04:52Z")
Am i the only oen who sees this, or does it seem that the actualy mysteries have been more and more obvious, and are taking a backseat to Monk’s neuroses. One he gets past them, he dispatches the plot almost instantly. I want a quirky mystery, dammit, not a half-baked character study! ---
**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:** [September 1, 2004, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/17 "2004-09-01T19:31:05Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > A nitpick, but: the man Monk had a chance to kill wasn’t Trudy’s murderer, but an associate of the one who did it. You are quite correct. I fell victim to drive by posting. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/18 "2004-09-01T21:01:32Z")
What **SolGrundy** said. On paper, there’s no way this show should work. It should be painful, stupid, repetitive, and possibly even offensive. Really, there’s no wonder the networks passed. Hell, I would have. And yet, the show is great fun to watch, for some mysterious ineffable alchemical reason. I don’t know what it is any more than **Sol** does. But it’s there. And now they’re messing with it. Boo! Plus, I gotta say, I am all about the booty, and Ms. Schram is, without question, entirely bootylicious. (That being said, I understand why the production company would do this, if the rumors about what happened are true. Actors demanding revisions on their contracts for unexpectedly successful shows has become a problem in the industry, and the producers are cracking down. Remember when George Clooney said he would stick to the terms of his contract on “E/R” through the final year even though he was on the movie-star track and nobody would blame him for asking for a raise or staging a holdout? Remember that? We heard about it because that kind of honorable behavior is the rare exception. A contract is a contract, people. Sign it or don’t, and if you do, then live up to it. Grumble grumble.) ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/19 "2004-09-01T22:09:29Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > It is MHO that the show started going down hill when Monk didn’t kill Trudy’s murderer. I think that would have been outstanding for character development. That was just the guy who planted the bomb. He gave Monk the information he needs to find the guy who had him put the bomb in her car in the first place. He did turn off his pain meds (And said, “This is me, turning off your pain relief”), but then said, “And this is Trudy turning it back on.” He was thinking of her compassion then. He knew that the guy was days away from dying, so he went ahead and let him have his pain meds. I hope it turns out like the recent _CSI_ brouhaha with Nick and Sara, and they bring her back. It just won’t be the same without Sharona. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544/20 "2004-09-01T22:31:48Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > I agree, though I don’t think Monk was a total buffoon before then. His buffoonery was always mixed with moments of pathos. But during the last season, Monk’s OCD was played solely for comedy, and it wrecked the show. I loved the first two seasons, but I couldn’t stand to watch the last few episodes of the first half this last one. Now I probably won’t bother with the second half. If you liked the moments of pathos, you should have watched the game show episode. There were some very moving scenes showing Monk attempting to enter Trudy’s room in her parents’ house. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharona-is-leaving/262544.md?page=2)