Mr. Monk Takes A Punch - Recap

At a boxing gym, a man breaks in and cuts open a punching bag. He puts a plastic explosive charge inside. The next morning, trainer Louie Flynn comes in with his fighter, Ray Regis. They’re preparing for a comeback championship fight after the one they lost five years ago. A drunk, Eddie, staggers out from where he was sleeping and Ray leans on his punching bag before going over to give Eddie some money. Eddie demonstrates how Ray should throw a punch and hits the bag… which explodes, killing him.

Monk and Natalie visit Stottlemeyer who is working on a stolen art case. He then asks Monk about his athletic abilities, and passes on that all civilian crime scene consultants must now pass a physical test under California law. Monk goes to the track to start training for a four-mile run with Natalie. Monk quickly gets a cramp and collapses, but Stottlemeyer calls them to the crime scene where they determine the bomb had a motion-sensitive trigger. Stottlemeyer notices that the killer licked a thread when he stitched up the bomb. They’re waiting for Monk to arrive and he limps in, and admits this will be his last case as he can’t pass the test.

Monk, still in pain, meets with Dr. Bell and admits he’s giving up. He considers becoming welfare buddies with Natalie, as long as he doesn’t have to run. Monk then goes with Stottlemeyer and Disher to talk to Louie, who admits that he had a daughter but she died five years ago. The DNA matches up with the Iceman, a professional hitman, and someone is paying a lot to kill Ray. Louie refuses to identify anyone who might hate Ray that much, but the Iceman is connected to the Marino crime family. They figure the Iceman will go after Ray in the ring when they can’t protect him, but Louie refuses to give up their chance. Monk is preoccupied filling out his welfare application. Stottlemeyer is angry that Monk would give up and wonders what Trudy would say. He leaves and Monk notices a photo on the wall of Ray and Louie that catches his attention.

Ray is doing voice dubbing a deodorant ad in a study with artwork, when Monk pays him a visit. The studio engineer shows a clip of the owner of the house where they filmed the commercial finding them and becoming angry because his wife okayed the shoot without his permission. The crew needs to get the commercial out by September 1st but Monk acts for a few private moments with Ray. Monk then confronts Ray with the fact that he knows Ray threw the fight five years ago, and that Louie had a cross that he always kept tucked under his shirt when he was lying. To confirm his theory, Monk produces an article showing that Louie’s daughter had an expensive series of operations after the championship. Louie and Ray bet against Ray, and then Ray threw the fight. The Mob lost the money and figured out what happened, and now they’re trying to kill Ray. However, Monk hasn’t told anyone, even Natalie, and figures Ray has suffered enough. He does ask for a favor from Ray.

The next day, an enthusiastic Ray shows up at Monk’s apartment at 5 a.m. to help him pass the physical. After giving him a protein drink, they start training. Meanwhile Stottlemeyer and Disher go to see Frankie Marino to track down the Iceman. After Randy demonstrates he isn’t wearing a wire by removing his clothing, Frankie claims that the Iceman hasn’t worked for him in three years and that he actually made money off of Ray’s loss. Frankie does say that he heard rumors that someone wanted Ray dead by the end of the month, even though the fight is on the 25th.

Monk is showing improvement as he completes the run… after 27 minutes. He starts to become depressed but Ray insists that Monk will do it when he has to.

On the day of the fight, the Iceman slips in to the sporting arena disguised as a food delivery man. Monk and Natalie are there while Stottlemeyer and Disher put their men in position, and Monk hears him mention the fact someone wants Ray dead by the end of the month. Louie visits Ray and thanks him for the sacrifice he made for his daughter, but this time it’s Ray’s turn. An officer is assigned to Ray, who calls Monk to insist that Monk give him police protection in the ring by acting as his cornerman. While the fight begins, the Iceman takes a smuggled rifle out of his delivery case and goes up to a first-class booth.

Monk is busy adjusting Ray’s shoes and socks, but Ray manages to stay on top despite his “help.” Ray is sweating and Monk asks Natalie for some deodorant. He overhears a cocktail waitress saying the booth owners didn’t get their food and sees the rifle barrel. Monk tells Natalie to keep the fight going so the assassin doesn’t have a stationary target, then runs upstairs through a veritable obstacle course of physical challenges to get to the booth. Ray drops his opponent and Monk gets the drop on the Iceman just in time. The killer throws Monk off, but Stottlemeyer and Disher bust in and are forced to shoot the Iceman.

Monk considers Ray’s deodorant and realizes who hired the Iceman: MacGraw, who was buying stolen art. He had it in his study and when they filmed it without his permission, he realized the commercial would go out and incriminate him. He hired the Iceman to kill Ray so that the commercial wouldn’t be aired. They go to MacGraw’s house and arrest him.

Later at the gym, Louie keeps Ray on track when Monk and Natalie arrive to announce that Monk passed all of his tests. He offers to spar a couple of rounds with Ray who would rather buy the detective a drink… and ends up punching him.

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