User Reviews

The killing of a hobo sets Monk and Natalie off on an investigation that almost defeats them. Meanwhile, Captain S. is suffering from a bad back, and ends up drinking from a fountain at a monastery that is reputed to heal the sick. Before you can say Jack Daniels, the captain appears to be cured and has joined the brotherhood, and is ready to go off on a two-year mission to Spain. "That's almost three years," complains the frantic Monk. Something about that fountain... Anyhow, Monk must now race against the clock to solve the murder and keep the "reborn" captain from sailing away, possibly forever. Shalhoub has a field day as he tries to question a roomful of silent monks who keep shushing him. He even results to charades at one point. The miracle alluded to in the title is a real one, by the way, but it won't be what you think.

I have not even finished this episode and I am already going to review it. I have always like this show, specially the first few seasons but later they were running out of 'Quirks' for Monk and have just turned him into an imbicil. Making fun of the homeless is not funny its sad and the writers of this episode should have to live like that.

'Monk' has always been one of my most watched shows when needing comfort, to relax after a hard day, a good laugh or a way to spend a lazy weekend.

Season 7 was a very mixed bag up to this point, "Mr Monk and the Genius" being one of its best while also having major disappointments like "Mr Monk Falls in Love" and especially "Mr Monk Takes a Punch". "Mr Monk and the Miracle" is not classic 'Monk', but is generally one of the better Season 7 episodes. Monk's initial treatment of the homeless men was cruel and uncharacteristically rude and while it was nice to have Stottlemeyer get a subplot it has its fun moments but was pretty absurd with a lot of suspension of disbelief needed.

The episode succeeds very well in the character moments. Mostly Monk with the homeless men was nicely done and his chemistry with Natalie is witty and charming. The monastery scenes are comedic delights. The highlights are the hilarious Disher/Stottlemeyer moustache scene and the very uniquely staged and clever reveal.

In terms of mystery, it's a pretty good one. Who did it was obvious but the motive and the significance of the fountain weren't and explained neatly and cleverly. It's also one of the least simple or predictable ones of the season and the holiday feel of the episode is heart-warming.

One of the best things about 'Monk' has always been the acting of Tony Shalhoub in the title role. It was essential for him to work and be the glue of the show, and Shalhoub not only is that but also at his very best he IS the show. Have always loved the balance of the humour, which is often hilarious, and pathos, which is sincere and touching, while other episodes have done that much better when Monk was in character Shalhoub still does wonderfully with what he's given.

As Natalie, Traylor Howard gets to show more range and has the sassiness down pat as well as the charm, she is not dull or annoying here, coming from someone who likes Natalie better than most but prefers Sharona's stronger personality. Jason Gray-Stanford makes the most of his material and Ted Levine shows adept comedic chops. The supporting cast are very good, particularly for the homeless men.

Writing has the usual wry humour, sympathetically treated quirks and tender easy-to-relate-drama.

Visually, the episode is slick and stylish as ever. The music is both understated and quirky. While there is a preference for the theme music for Season 1, Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There" has grown on me overtime, found it annoying at first but appreciate its meaning and what it's trying to say much more now.

Summing up, very good. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Despite some misses, this episode really made me laugh hard. Specifically the shushing, the slapping and the singing just tickled my funny bone to no end...

When Leland is willing to try anything to get rid of his back pain, he finds himself at a notorious fountain. People are convinced that this can cure just about anything. Lo and behold, it works for him. But we know there's more to it than that. I thought the conclusion was OK but the implementation of such a plot is beyond plausibility. See if you can make a list of all the things that could have gone wrong.

Nobody could have played Jame Gumb as well and his range as a tortured soul in the Monastery is beyond belief. Why he wasn't Randall Flagg in 'The Stand' is a puzzle. Sad that he's locked into a role with a puppet like Monk. Every episode he acts the same which is the same role he had on Wings only more arrogant and demanding.

They should have produced the episodes with Randy as Mayor and Police Chief which were written after the show ended.

Just an awful episode. I've noticed in later season, Monk is really a mean, disrespectful person. He's downright abusive, first with Sharona and later with Natalie. This episode is disgusting, the way he makes fun of the homeless, with the gravy and sitting at the table to eat dinner with the homeless men and using a FAN to blow the smell of them back into their faces. I get he's supposed to be quirky but the quirk ran out awhile back. It was cute at first but not now. I was hoping someone would dump a bowl of that gravy right on to his head.

Monk has gone from quirky to sociopathic. He's just an awful person that is grating to watch. No amount of therapy will ever be able to help Monk. It's a shame the writers couldn't give him incremental improvements instead of just sinking deeper in to his compulsive awfulness. This episode really underscores how awful he is to other people.

On an episode of another show I love, the villain of the week tries to shoot the hero with a magical weapon that will split her strengths and weaknesses into two different people. I want to do that to this episode. It contains some of the best acting and writing in the entire series as main characters struggle with faith and despair in the face of unrelenting suffering. But all of that happens in the shadow of one of the most heartless, dehumanizing depictions of homelessness I have ever seen. Apparently the people who make this think homelessness is a choice and that it only affects alcoholics, who seem to enjoy it. It's not funny, and it makes the episode nearly unwatchable.