Monk: 7.1 ‘Mr. Monk Buys a House’ Advance Review

Following the unexpected passing of actor Stanley Kamel earlier this year, Monk fans knew the dreaded day would come when the series would have to deal with the aftermath of losing both the talented actor and his roundly loved character on the show, Dr. Charles Kroger. The July 18 seventh-season premiere, “Mr. Monk Buys a House,” wastes no time addressing the situation with a plot that deftly and directly acknowledges Kamel’s departure while opening the season on a very high and promising note. Oh, and the funny’s still there, too, in a big way.

The title says it all when it comes to the main premise of the episode. In a familiar agitated state, this time because of Chopin music only he can hear his young neighbor playing incessantly, ace detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) decides to buy a house that seems perfect in all but one respect — it was the site of a recent murder. However, not even a tragedy that terrible is capable of lessening Monk’s attraction to the home’s spotless interiors and soundproofing.

Since Monk is Monk, perfect is never perfect enough, though, right? So, off he heads to the hardware store one day to buy what’s needed to make the house even more perfect. That’s where he bumps into handyman Honest Jake, played by effective guest star Brad Garrett (‘Til Death), whom he later calls when another aspect of the house inevitably starts bothering him. Bad idea, to say the least.

Although Monk’s house woes are at the core of the episode’s mystery, it’s his introduction and reaction to his new therapist, Dr. Kroger’s friend and former colleague Dr. Neven Bell, played by accomplished character actor Hector Elizondo, that anchor “Mr. Monk Buys a House” and make the installment immensely satisfying.

The new doctor accurately points out that Monk’s annoyance at his Chopin-loving neighbor is probably a reflection of his despair over losing Dr. Kroger, also a huge fan of the composer, to a sudden event. Monk has issues with that assessment, of course, but the final scene drives home just how close he still feels to Dr. Kamel, even if he must now move on.

I enjoyed this episode for many reasons, including the excellent contributions of Garrett and Elizondo, both of whom are really funny in their different ways, as well as the touching yet subtle farewell it gives to a former regular cast member. It’s no surprise, then, that the emphasis isn’t on the mystery, a fairly obvious whodunit with a twist or two, but rather one of the most significant relationships in Monk’s life.

“Mr. Monk Buys a House” allows the show and viewers to pay respect to Stanley Kamel in a fitting manner even as we prepare for the next phase in the evolution of Monk. Given the premiere’s success accomplishing both goals, I predict lots of fun adventures in crime ahead this season.

Monk airs Fridays on USA at 9pm EST.