Mr. Monk and the Critic - Recap

A man knocks on the door of a hotel and a woman, Callie Esterhaus, is expecting him. She is preparing to get ready to go out and invites him to eat a chocolate-covered strawberry delivered by room service. Callie says that she thought the man seems as if he's ashamed to be seen with her in public. He asks her to go out on the balcony so he can tell her something important. The man hands her an engagement ring and Callie promises she'll make him happy despite all the calls she's been making to him recently. He then shoves her off the balcony to her death.

One Hour Earlier

Natalie takes Monk to the premiere performance of her daughter Julie. She notices critic John Hannigan going into his balcony box seat and worries that he's there for a community theater performance. Monk is more concerned about not sharing his arm rest with the people sitting next to him. Monk suddenly realizes he has to go home because he has to use a public restroom. Natalie refuses to leave and says he should use the men's room like everyone else. Monk insists that he doesn't use public facilities. He finally leaves for the men's restroom only to find an elaborately-decorated gentlemen's restroom. Monk is very very impressed and chats with the attendant, Gilson. Monk returns to his seat and the show starts.

Natalie nervously watches the silhouette of Hannigan up in his box seat as Julie performs her first number as herself. Afterward, she makes sure that Hannigan hears her speaking her daughter's praise. As Hannigan leaves, he throws an unopened pack of cigarettes and a lighter into the garbage. Julie, in her old age make-up from her second number, comes out and explains she's going to the cast party in her make-up.

As Monk and Natalie walk to their car, they find Stottlemeyer and Disher at the hotel investigating Callie's murder. The police believe it's a suicide but Monk investigates and soon notices that there are two champagne glasses. Natalie notices that someone is wearing cologne. She then sends Disher to get a newspaper so she can read Hannigan's review. Meanwhile, Monk concludes that Callie's date showed up earlier and then killed her. Stottlemeyer asks Monk to come out on the balcony but the detective is nervous and refuses. They determine that the killer was kneeling as if he was proposing, and Stottlemeyer orders his men to start looking for a boyfriend. Disher returns for the paper but is reluctant to let Natalie read it. She finally does and is shocked to see that Hannigan panned Julie's performance.

At the cast party, Emmy reads the review and her cast members try to reassure her.

The next day, Stottlemeyer talks to Callie's co-worker, who thought that Callie was seeing a married man. Natalie is still obsessing about Hannigan's review and Stottlemeyer finally tells her to take out her frustrations and go to see Hannigan. She goes to Hannigan's office and the critic is with his rich fiancé, whose father owns the paper. He insists that Julie gave a poor performance. A deliveryman arrives with Hannigan's daily lunch from the restaurant where Callie worked. As Hannigan tells her to leave, Natalie notices that he smells like cologne: the same cologne as at the hotel room.

At the station, Natalie tells Stottlemeyer that Hannigan is the murderer. Stottlemeyer notes that Hannigan has a perfect alibi but Natalie doesn't believe it. She calls Julie in and has her perform to demonstrate that Hannigan couldn't have possibly seen her perform and given her a poor review. Monk has to admit that Julie is very poised, but it doesn't prove Hannigan is the killer.

That night, Natalie calls Monk at home and tells him that she's at the police station. She's been arrested. The next day, Monk gets her out and she informs them she was in Hannigan's backyard. Hannigan agrees to drop the charges but Natalie warns everyone that she's not giving up. She shows him a Chinese dumpling that she found in his garbage, and the bite marks match those on the chocolate-covered strawberry from the crime scene. Hannigan insists she's delusional and tells her not to live vicariously through her daughter.

Natalie tries to pay Monk $300 to hire him, but he notes that his paycheck to her is going to bounce. She insists that it will hurt Julie and she'll never bounce back, and Monk reluctantly agrees. They go to the theater and the manager explains that Hannigan moved to the box seat for that particular performance. Monk notices that an exit light is out and someone unscrewed it. Monk remembers he saw Hannigan moving so someone was definitely there. He goes back to the restroom to wash up and asks Gilson about the box seat. The attendant confirms that there's a nearby door that leads out to a back alley. Monk explains what happened and has to admit that Natalie might be right. Gilson doesn't remember seeing anything and Monk gives him his card to call if he remembers anything.

That night, Gilson goes to see Hannigan in his parking garage. The attendant gives him a present and tells the critic abut Monk's suspicions. The critic says it's nothing to worry about and then clubs Gilson unconscious death and loads him in his trunk.

A construction crew finds the body and Monk races to the hospital to visit his prized men's room attendant. Natalie insists Hannigan is responsible while Monk finds the present, which was nicotine glove. The detective also finds Gilson's watch, which confirms that Hannigan is the killer. Monk explains that it matches the wristwatch that the man in the box seat wore that night. However, Hannigan doesn't wear a wristwatch. Monk realizes that Gilson was in the box seat. Hannigan tricked Gilson into sitting in his place, claiming he needed to smoke and didn't want anyone to know he was gone. Hannigan ran to the hotel and through Callie off the balcony. Natalie is happy to be vindicated but Stottlemeyer and Disher warn they can't prove Monk's theory. Monk thinks for a moment and then has an idea.

Monk and the others go to Hannigan's office and take Julie along. Julie says that Hannigan brought her a drink the previous night, drugged her, and tried to rape her. Hannigan insists he was at home but Disher informs him that Julie's story checks out. Stottlemeyer tells Hannigan to look carefully at Julie and confirm that he's never seen her before. Monk points out that everyone is a witness and introduces Julie to Hannigan. Stottlemeyer points out that he would have recognized Julie if he had been there. Hannigan insists that Julie wasn't in the curtain call, but Monk points out that Julie was dressed as an old woman for the last half of the show, after he returned. But if he had been there for her first song, he would have recognized her. As they take Hannigan away, Natalie gives him his review back and says he won't forget Julie again.

Later, Julie comes in with a letter from the college she applied to as an acting student. Natalie can't open it and gives it to Monk. He tries to leave to go to his home to use his letter-opening equipment, but Natalie convinces him to do it there. He very slowly and perfectly opens it while Natalie and Julie wait… and wait… and wait. Monk finally reads it. Very... very... slowly. They finally learn with the first sentence that she was admitted and want to leave, but Monk wants to stay and finish reading the letter. They agree... and slip out while he finishes reading.

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