User reviews

First funny moment is when Monk acts strangely when talking to the flight attendant who wants his ticket. The flight attendant is played by Maud Adams, who happens to be Tony Shalhoub's real-life wife.

Second one was when they go on the plane and meet actor Tim Daly, playing himself. Sharona tells Monk he's a famous actor. Monk doesn't recognize him. Sharona tells Monk, "He was on 'Wings.'" Monk says, "I never saw it." Of course, Tony Shalhoub was in the cast of "Wings" with Tim Daly.

And Tony Shalhoub continues to exasperate his wife Maud Adams for the rest of the flight. Quite amusing.

Robin Duke, an SNL alumnus, has a cameo in this episode as Sharona's aunty. Legendary TV personality Garry Marshall plays a passenger, and Tony Shalhoub's real-life wife Brooke Adams plays a flight attendant who is very irritated by Monk! This episode has Mr Monk taking his first flight, and was broadcast just one year after 9/11. Thankfully Monk, who is Arab-American, didn't draw any racial profiling from TSA or the flight attendants in this episode. A very thoughtful episode.

THIS EPISODE OF MONK FLYING ON THE AIRPLANE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES IT IS ENJOYABLE FROM BEGINNING TO END I WILL NOT SPOIL IT FOR YOU;YOU WILL HAVE TO WATCH AND LIKE FOR HIS SILLINESS, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, THE GUY NEXT TO HIM, SHARONA AND THE ONE WHOM HE IS SUSPICIOUS OF-THE PILOT!!

I used to have to fly every week about 8 months a year and did it for about 10 years. I definitely have flown with a Monk and when I was younger I would have gone nuts, but as older I'd be just like the guy who sells the extension cords. The flight attendant reminded me of the few FAs that would just make up rules and say it was a FAA regulation to wield power but then break the rules by drinking. The acting was spot on by all. I was never a Tim Daly fan so his cameo didn't move me. And Monk is Monk which is great.

This was quite enjoyable. In order to keep Sharona nearby, Monk has to fly to Newark with her to see her aunt. It just happens that a man and woman (who killed the man's wife) are on their way to Paris. Monk suspects them almost immediately. There are several other interesting characters, including a flight attendant who has never experienced anything like Monk before. There is also an extension cord salesman. And Tim Daley (from Madame Secretary). It's quite a hoot, and, of course, utterly unbelievable. But one must accept the premise--a showplace for Tony Shalhoub.

Monk thinks Sharona is picking her aunt up at the airport, but instead she is going to New Jersey to see her aunt. She has waited until the last possible moment to tell Monk so that he cannot spend days obsessing over the situation and must make the decision to either go with her or stay on the spot. He decides to go with her, even though this will be his first (successful) ride on a plane. Of course his obsessions about clean bathrooms, people being too close, and people coughing play into all of this.

But on top of that, Monk becomes convinced that a man on the plane and his wife are in fact the man and an imposter, mainly based on him seeing in the airport that the wife had to stand on her toes to hug her husband, and the woman on the plane does not. Thus Monk thinks there is a murder mystery afoot, and he drives everyone crazy trying to solve the case, or even convince the flight crew that a murder has been committed in the first place, since the body is on the airport grounds somewhere.

Tim Daly, a costar of Shaloub's when they were both on Wings, has a guest appearance involving a matter separate from the murder mystery. And Brooke Adams, Shaloub's actual wife, plays a flight attendant who is driven off the wagon and to drink by Monk's annoying behavior.

Monk goes to the airport with Sharona, and out of the blue she discloses to him that she will travel to New Jersey to visit her Aunt Minn. Sharona has bought a ticket and packed Monk's clothes and he accepts to fly with her. He disturbs the flight attendant Leigh with his paranoia while Sharona meets the star Tim Daly in the flight. Monk notes that the passenger Stefan Chabrol and his wife Barbara are not the same in the airport concourse, and he believes the man has killed her to flee to France with her fortune. He calls Randall Disher from the plane to help him in the investigation in the airport.

"Mr. Monk and the Airplane" is another funny episode of "Monk". The paranoid Monk in the airplane is hilarious, driving the flight attendant mad along the trip. Sharona's advice to Tim Daly is probably the funniest moment of the show, when he tells her that George Clooney accepted his role he had just declined, and Martin Scorsese would be the director. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Sr. Monk e o Avião" ("Mr. Monk and the Airplane")

'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.

"Mr Monk and the Airplane" is a great end to a solid first season, and one of the better episodes of Season 1. Yes, even with knowing who's responsible for the crime right from the start, which does dilute the mystery/suspense levels a little. As said, Season 1 has been really impressive (a season where even the weakest episode "Mr Monk and the Earthquake" is still pretty good), especially for a period where many shows are still settling whereas 'Monk' is one of those exceptions where everything feels well-established early on.

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. It is remarkable here that right from the first episode to when the show ended that one likes him straight away, even with his quirks and deficiencies that could easily have been overplayed, and also that he is better developed than most titular characters of other shows at this particular stage. Who can't help love Monk's brilliant mind too?

He is very well supported by a sharp and no-nonsense but also sympathetic Bitty Schram, whose Sharona makes for a worthy and entertaining partner for Monk's sleuthing and somebody with a maternal side. There is always a debate at who's better between Sharona and Natalie, personally like both in their own way and consider them both attractive though as of now leaning towards Natalie as the better acted and more attentive of the two. The two are so enjoyable together and the best detective duo of any show in recent years from personal opinion.

Jason Gray-Stanford is growing in confidence and comic timing with each episode. Maud Adams is delightful as the flight attendant, and it was fun seeing 'Wings' Tim Daly. Ted Levine's Stottlemeyer is somewhat missed however.

It's not just the cast though. Another star is the writing, which is also essential to whether the show would be successful or not and succeed it does here. The mix of hilarious wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done but extremely deft. The character moments are such a joy with the principal cast as always, and the inside joke with Daly was clever. It is the chemistry and scenes between Shalhoub and Adams where "Mr Monk and the Airplane" is the most fun, Shalhoub is just hilarious, though it is also easy to relate to and feel sorry for Monk if also scared of flying, and one really has to feel sorry for the poor flight attendant.

The story, despite the obviousness of those responsible (not the first time on the show and not the last), is compelling, both as a comedy and a mystery with very enjoyable deductions and how Monk came to the solution, which has always been part of the charm of the show.

Visually, the episode is shot in a slick and stylish way, and the music is both understated and quirky. Much prefer the jazzy Season 1 theme tune to the later "It's a Jungle Out There", which always struck me before as one of my least favourite assets of 'Monk' but has since grown on me, which should have been kept. It's all very capably directed.

Overall, great episode and one of the better ones of the season. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Why pull up an actor like Tim Daly who is so nothing he's not even a has-been other than the fact his claim to fame (still) is a show called Wings and this is about an airplane. Weak.

But not a bad episode. Kind of lightweight and fun but a little too much. The main stewardess is Brooke Adams, Tony Shahloub's real life wife.

Monk's quirky behaviour in this episode reached the zenith of tolerance. The mixture of his frequent and stupid behaviour and flashes of regular brilliance is preposterous. How long can the viewer tolerate such utter nonsense. The mysteries are not the best but it is not terrible either. He doesn't seem to get cured of his ailment despite taking extensive therapy sessions with a doctor. How long can the producers pull of this quirky behaviour without irritating the viewer? Beats me. This is certainly one of the worst episodes in the series because the actual investigation takes place remotely.