Monk episode review — 4.10 — Mr. Monk Goes to a Fashion Show
Original air date: January 13, 2006
Director: Randall Zisk
Writer: Jonathan Collier
Rating: 8/10
This episode is a lot of fun, and it’s really what this season has been missing so far. The episode has one of the best openings of any of them. We don’t start with a murder (since Monk eventually works on what I guess we could call a cold case), but instead Monk is at his favorite store, only to find out that the only salesman he would talk to has quit, because one particular customer was driving him nuts.
He tries to buy a shirt (the same one he always has one, since he’s only down to five), but he insists that it be one inspected by number 8. When he finds one by no. 8, he’s distressed to find that it doesn’t live up to the standards he expects from his favorite inspector. He thinks something is horribly wrong with her, and it turns out he’s right.
He goes and talks to her (Anne Betancourt) and learns that her innocent son is in jail awaiting trial for the murder of a model after a fashion show. When he learns that he can’t read English, he knows he must be innocent, since the killer was able to read a “Fire alarm will sound” sign as he got away.
So Monk, Natalie, Randy, and Stottlemeyer all go to some kind of fashion studio where designer Julian Hodge (played brilliantly by Malcolm McDowell) manages to be an asshole, while also displaying certain similar characteristics as Monk. They sort of bond when Monk points out one model’s left eyebrow is higher than the right.
He also pisses off Natalie by insulting her appearance and sense of fashion, though he compliments Randy, which leads to the two of them trying to impress him for the rest of the episode.
I’ve said before how Randy is often a bit too goofy for the show, but this is utilizing him perfectly. He’s always been pretty funny, and here, he’s exaggerated, but never too stupid to be believable, and it’s great how we see his fashion get more and more out there as the episode goes along.
Stottlemeyer and Randy are initially quite dismissive of the case, but they agree to take it on when Monk needs to talk to supermodel Natasia Zorelle (Mini Anden).
When Hodge meets Natalie’s daughter Julie, he invites her to walk in his upcoming fashion show. Natalie objects, and objects even more strongly when Monk identifies Hodge as the killer. But Julie being a rebellious teen ends up going anyway.
Monk and Natalie rush to the fashion show, where Monk delivers one of my favorite lines of the series: “Natalie, don’t eat the food, I saw one of the models throwing up.” Natalie embarrasses her sister, but of course Monk and Stottlemeyer are able to prove Hodge (and his accomplice) as the killers. The ending isn’t incredibly satisfying, as the mystery is a bit ridiculous, but the episode is still a lot of fun, with plenty of very funny moments.
