Mr. Monk and the Candidate (2) - Recap

Deacon informs Stottlemeyer that the officers found Jake's hat lodged beneath the seat in his wrecked car, and it has the volunteer list that Monk said would be there. Nicole Vasques' name is on it, and she didn't come up initially because she was a part-time volunteer who quit two months earlier. A depressed Stottlemeyer wonders how he can miss the things that Monk sees, but Deacon tells him that he's a better officer, and a better man, than Monk is. Stottlemeyer thanks him, but tells him they need to bring Monk back in on the case. Deacon informs him that Sharona quit and Monk has gone missing.

Deputy Mayor Sheldon Burger goes to see Sharona and tries to convince her to go back to work for Monk. He insists that Monk can't function without her, and the city needs her help. Sharona finally tells him that she'll settle for one favor, no matter how unreasonable, and Sheldon reluctantly agrees. She then goes to where she knows Monk is: Trudy's grave, where he's playing clarinet. She tells him he was right about the connection between the two victims and they go back to his apartment. Sharona informs him that Nicole handled some of the bookkeeping and quit after seven weeks. She's also learned that Gavin was accused of embezzling funds during a Senate race. Although nothing was ever proven, the major parties won't touch him now. Monk wonders why he set up the rally in the financial district in the middle of the day, and keeps watching the tape of the assassination.

As Monk is out walking later, someone tries to run him down. When Monk forgets to touch a lamp post, he turns and the car just misses him. The driver comes back after him and Monk is forced to run down an alleyway, counting posts and ducking garbage. He manages to evade the driver and get away.

Monk figures he's getting close. He goes to see Gavin and asks why he held the rally in the financial district. While Gavin explains, Monk goes through the strips in the man's shredder and put them together. He realizes it's a billing statement showing Miranda St. Clair flew to Chicago. Gavin takes them away and get Monk and Sharona out.

Next, Monk goes to see Jesse. Jesse claims he went to his family cabin, but Monk realizes he's lying when he notices that the man's watch is set to Chicago time. Jesse reluctantly admits that he had an affair with Miranda to hurt Warren, but denies doing anything to have Warren killed. He tells them to get out and they get a call from Stottlemeyer. They meet him at an apartment building where he informs them that the FBI has matched the murder weapon to Ian Sykes, ex-Special Forces, who bought a scope for the same rifle. He is the same height as the killer Monk described. However, when they break in they discover that Sykes is in a wheelchair. Stottlemeyer hastily apologizes, but outside Monk realizes that Sykes' shoes were scuffed. The captain calls for a SWAT team and has Monk and Sharona wait to the side. When Sharona goes to call Benjy, Monk spots Sykes escaping across the roofs. He climbs up a ladder to get him but freezes halfway up and Sykes easily escapes by climbing past him.

Afterward, an angry Stottlemeyer blames Monk for letting Sykes escape. Monk notes that Sykes could have easily killed him, but didn't even recognize him. He figures that there's a second man involved, the one who tried to run him over. Stottlemeyer doesn’t care, and tells Monk that he's in no condition to come back to the force. He insists it isn't personal but informs Monk that he's talked to the mayor, and nobody will let Monk handle the case.

That night, Sykes meets with his employer on the pier. The man shoots him and Sykes falls into the water.

Later, Monk is at the garage where Trudy was murdered. Sharona and Benjy come to find him and Benjy goes skateboarding. Monk tries to figure out who killed Trudy and why, and Sharona suggests that he might be too close. When Benjy falls, he's unharmed. However, Monk hears the echo and realizes who shot at Warren and killed Jason. However, he realizes that no one will listen to him after he filed to capture Sykes.

Sharona calls in her favor with Sheldon and gets him to put Monk on the case. Monk has them recreate the scene of the shooting in the financial district, and brings everyone in. He then accuses Gavin of hiring Sykes.

Here's what happened: Nicole discovered that Gavin was embezzling again. She went to him and he promised to look into it. He then tried to hire Jason to kill her, but Jason refused. Gavin finally hired Sykes to dispose of Nicole and then kill Jason. The publicity was good for Warren, Gavin's client.

When Gavin asks for proof, Monk says he made one mistake. The balloons were blocking his line of sight. When Gavin claims he heard the shot, Monk calls Sharona on the radio and has her fire a starter pistol. She shoots twice but Gavin is unable to locate the shot because of the echo caused by the surrounding buildings. A desperate Gavin finally confesses and another shot rings out. Gavin is shot and they duck for cover. Sharona spots Sykes and tells them what's going on, and they realize that Sykes is trying to get rid of the man who betrayed him.

Sharona follows Sykes into the basement where he has an escape route planned through the sewers. Monk realizes that Sykes must have planned a way out and goes into the building with Deacon, and secretly manages to take the lieutenant's gun. Meanwhile, Sharona goes into the basement after Sykes and loses radio contact. She goes into the sewer tunnel but Sykes quickly captures her and plans to use her as a hostage. Monk hears her scream and very reluctantly climbs down into the sewer.

Stottlemeyer and Deacon realize that Monk has Deacon's gun. Meanwhile, Monk follows Sharona's screams and screams himself when he finds a rat. Sharona manages to pull free and runs off and Sykes grabs her. Monk threatens to shoot him but a burst of sewage hits his hand, knocking the gun into the water. He finally steels himself to grab the gun out of the sewage, but Sykes grabs Sharona and knocks out the lights. Monk braces and then fires one shot.

A few hours later, Monk and Sharona crawl out of the sewers. Sharona is fine: Monk aimed high and hit the much taller Sykes. They return to the plaza and Warren thanks Monk in front of the press.

Later, Monk meets with Dr. Kroger, who assures him that he might finally be ready for reinstatement. Monk agrees to give it a try, but realizes he has a long road ahead when he realizes that he'll have to deal with a woman with a cold in an elevator. Monk then goes to see Sharona and she assures him he'll make it next time. She goes to make him dinner and jokingly suggests they try something different for Chicken Pot Pie Night. The two of them walk off, Monk counting posts as he goes.

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