Mr Monk and the Earthquake

Hey friends — first, we owe you an apology. This episode is coming to you a little later than usual. We’ve both been under the weather. Fair warning: the next two episodes will likely also be running behind. Bear with us while we get back on our feet.

This week we’re covering Season 1, Episode 10 — Mr. Monk and the Earthquake. It’s a good one. A socialite uses a 6.0 earthquake as cover to murder her wealthy husband, while Monk spends much of the episode speaking full gobbledegook due to psychogenic aphasia. It's a doozy!

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:04

Hey everyone, welcome back to I Don't Give a Shalou. This is Kathy and this is Jen. We are so happy to have you back with us for Mr. Monk and the Earthquake. Yes. Shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. That was the earthquake. It was a 6.0. Careful. It was 6.0 is is pretty bad. It is. Yeah, it's really bad.

SPEAKER_02 0:27

Yeah, that'll drop things from the wall. Well, we see it in the show. So, how did you monk this week?

SPEAKER_04 0:33

Did you monk this week? You know, guys, I had an okay week. For me, it's always like an up and down with my illness. But I went out to lunch with a friend and I had a margarita, and I felt like I love it, felt human. Who did you go with? My friend Esther. She is someone that I've known since high school. So it's pretty cool that she also moved out here and we get to hang out. But I just felt very human. And yeah, I don't know how else to say it. I felt human. Good. I'm so glad. Yeah, it was great. I have an MRI tonight. And guys, there is nothing worse than just getting shoved in a tube with banging noises for an hour. So I'm gonna be monking tonight.

SPEAKER_02 1:18

I actually like an MRI, and I don't know why because I'm claustrophobic around people, but I find being shoved in a tube with loud noises very calming. Oh shit. There's nothing calming about it for me. And most normal people, I get that.

SPEAKER_04 1:34

But like I get them regularly, so I'm used to it at least. Like it doesn't upset me. But no, I will definitely be in my monk. Give me a reward, give me a treat after. Do you know what that treat will be? Um, I'll just come home and have a cookie.

SPEAKER_02 1:52

Well, I had a great week. It was my birthday week, um, which I don't no, I'm just gonna I don't do anything, but and this goes into my monking. I did get to see one of the girls that I both taught and nannied from when she was in first grade on. And now she's 21 and she's just a full adult human. But here's how I monked. I did look it up as to what was happening in my body my whole life. I'll make plans and then, especially before I got sober, I would break them. And I've worked really, really hard not to do that. However, it has not gotten easier. And I was like, I wonder if that has anything to do with my ADHD, because I've been diagnosed late in life, and getting that diagnosis has really helped me understand myself, why I struggled in school so much, why I struggle vocalizing in relationships type stuff. So I did look it up and it is related. Here we go. Turns out there's actually a name for what's happening. It's called anticipatory load. And for ADHD brains, it's a whole thing. Basically, a plan on the calendar isn't just sitting there innocently, it's like a big monster that's waiting for you, or like a crashing wave that you know is about to hit, and you're in anticipation mode, kind of bracing. And so it's exhausting just waiting for it as well. So here's what's happening in the brain, which is what I'm really interested in. The ADHD brain, especially inattentive types, has differences in how dopamine and norephrinephrine regulate the prefrontal cortex, the part that's responsible for holding future plans, managing time and regulating emotional responses. So when a plan exists in your future, your prefrontal cortex is working inefficiently to keep it active. So it's kind of like it's holding this heavy thing up for a long time. Um, other brains have that on full. Mine is like flickering, it's really struggling to hold it up. And so it costs real energy. On top of that, my amygdala, which we've talked about, the little crazy worry wart, it tends to be more reactive in ADHD brains. So the plan isn't just cognitively heavy, it registers as a low hum of threat.

SPEAKER_03 4:04

Oh no. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

And then, this is really crucial to me, there's the performance layer. And I've told you I experienced this going over to my parents, I experienced this with pretty much everybody, even with people I love. Socializing requires my brain to track conversations, read cues, and make sure everything is landing right to stay regulated. That's all executive function. And ADHD brains work so much harder at that than neurotypical brains do. So even when your heart wants to be there, your nervous system is already clocking it as work.

SPEAKER_04 4:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

So when plans get canceled and I get that wave of relief, it's real. Yes. Not to mention, I always worry that I'm gonna be a disappointment to people. It's just a lot of stress. Oh my goodness. So even with this girl who is like my heart walking outside of my body, I was stressed and I wanted the plans canceled. I looked up if I go, does it change the way the brain adapts, like with OCD, when you let the nervous system complete its cycle? It actually does help. When I follow up with my plans, it causes neural pathway reinforcement. So my amygdala is essentially learning. Oh, dinner with Kathy wasn't a threat.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

Yay!

SPEAKER_02 5:16

Yeah, it was actually good.

SPEAKER_04 5:18

To tell you that, like I never thought anything was a threat. I'm very neurotypical. Yeah. But since being sick, I have started to have some of the stuff that you're talking about. Really?

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Oh, that makes me so sick.

SPEAKER_04 5:31

But I think it's from isolation. Like, I don't interact with people. So a lot of things you're saying are resonating with me. Hanging out with people that are no longer in my immediate circle, like you, who are not threats when I got with them. Um, it's almost like I'm on a date. Like, I don't know what to say to them. I need to like make a little cheat sheet for myself of things to talk about. And some of these people are like my best friends. Yeah. And I'm like, I don't know what to say to them. But so I can relate to you now more so than ever before. I really wish you couldn't because you have enough going on. Came with the illness, yeah. Um that's really hard. I'm so glad that you were able to go out with her and have a good time.

SPEAKER_02 6:15

Lovely, and I definitely want to do it again. And every time you do these things, well, it won't ever get fixed because the brain will always, with ADHD or chronic illness, the amygdala learns. I can relax and be myself. And that's great. Yeah. So that's how I monked this week. Now we can talk about earthquakes. Oh, back to earthquakes. I like it. What's your experience with earthquakes?

SPEAKER_04 6:38

Ah, okay. So the only earthquake I've experienced is when I was in the UAE.

SPEAKER_02 6:43

No.

SPEAKER_04 6:44

Yeah. So I'm over in Dubai and I'm in an office building having work meetings, and not very luxurious, by the way.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

You think Dubai and you're a gilded beautiful pencil skirt and high, high six-inch heels and looking out.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

And there was an earthquake. And the building shook and then it stopped, and then it shook the other way. And it was quite a shake. All I could think about was the Burj Kalafa, which is the tallest building in the world, which was just like a mile away from us. And I was planning to go up in it that evening. And I was like, shit, I am not going in that building. No aftershocks for me. It was significant, more significant than any of the little ones that I have not felt here. Like there have been earthquakes since I've been in California, and I just haven't felt them. What matters where the epicenter is?

SPEAKER_02 7:42

Yeah. So I've lived here my whole life, and my mom was a stay-at-home mom. And my sister and I used to beg to go to extended care. Beg. Mm-hmm. So she decided one time that we could go, and that was the day of the 89 earthquake. Ah. Which was, what did we say? It was like 6.9 a.m. But it was very close. It was in San Francisco during the World Series, which was the A's versus the Giants, which were both Bay Area teams. We were at school and they were not prepared. I don't know what the school was thinking, but we were all shoved under two massive tables to keep us safe. No one got hurt. My dad was on the Bay Bridge commuting. Oh my God. Yeah. And our pool was almost empty. It was crazy. And we never went to extended care again.

SPEAKER_04 8:33

Your mom's like, this is not working. We are not going back.

SPEAKER_02 8:36

No. God said no. I still I kind of dig earthquakes. But do you know who doesn't like earthquakes? Who?

SPEAKER_04 8:43

Adrian Monk.

SPEAKER_02 8:45

So this is season one, episode 10, Mr. Monk and the Earthquake. And the earthquake. The scene opens on a grand early 20th century mansion. Its red brick facade rises from vivid green ivy covering the entire first floor. There's an arched stone doorway with an iron gate. Fancy little balconies line the second floor, and tall trees fill the front yard. The whole property looks like money. Old money. Money, money, money. Inside we get an abundance of riches. Ornate gold clocks, marble statue busts, silver tea sets. And I wrote, we get it, you're rich. A young redhead sits at a table, drinking from a china mug, reading, as an older man saunters in, adjusting the suit sleeves. Ah, you're awake, the man says. The woman turns slightly. Not quite. Let's describe her here because she feels important. She has long red hair with blunt banks, fair skin, and deep set eyes that give her a quiet intensity. There's something almost European about her. Effortlessly Oh, you are just such a good writer. Okay, keep going. Effortlessly captivating, like she wandered in from a French film. She's both cool and bored. Right? Yes. The man moves to the tea set, grabbing a China mug for himself. You have your art class today? He asks. Mm-hmm, she confirms. Life in the fast lane. They both take a sip of tea, locking eyes. What? She asks. I'm just adoring you, he tells her, moving closer. They hate each other. Oh my god, the animosity. It's like palpable in reality. It really is. And I don't know if I said this anywhere, but he's much older. She looks like she's in her early 30s. Maybe even yeah, probably early 30s. And he looks like he's in mid-60s. Okay, yeah, I'd agree. The energy here is weird. It's all a bit eggshelly and slightly menacing. How did I get so lucky? He asks. The redhead gives a small smile. We both got lucky, Henry. But it really does not feel like either one of them feel that way. I'm not sensing fear here from either, nor outright disdain. It's all tremulous. Like something unspoken is shouting. I don't know what tremulous means. Tremulous means like a tremulous mouth is shaking. Oh, I'm very tremulous. Your hands are tremulous. Yeah. He turns down the stereo. I was listening to that, Christine. Her name is Christine, says annoyed. I'm just turning it down, Henry tells her. You don't mind. Her face tells us that, yeah, she minds very much. I have to go to the office for a couple hours, he tells her. Of course, Christine responds. Before heading out, Henry reminds her, We're having dinner with Father Hatchet. Dead eyed, she says, again, but he's gone. She angrily cranks the stereo up. Suddenly, the crystal chandelier rattles and the table shakes. Christine quickly gets up, just as a vase smashes to the ground. Henry rushes back in and pulls her under a door frame. Christine grabs her head as they watch priceless items crash to the floor. Just as quickly as it starts, the shaking stops. Henry closes his eyes in relief. I thought that could have been the big one, he says. Why don't you turn on the news, see how bad it was? I'll check the rest of the house. Christine looks down at a fallen bust while Henry surveys the damage. There's a crack over here, he points at a wall. Do you see it? The music intensifies menacingly as Christine picks up the bust and moves to the oblivious Henry. She raises it high above her head, then wham, she brings it down hard onto his head. Yeah. He falls to the ground unconscious. Christine, still holding the bust, pants, eyes darting. She moves to the china cabinet and using a crowbar causes Where did this crowbar come from?

SPEAKER_04 12:39

I know. I thought the same thing. Like, who has a crowbar? Just randomly sitting in your elaborately decorated dining room. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Okay, but let's go on. I don't own a crowbar. I don't know people. I don't want a crowbar either. Yeah. So she might have ordered it because she's been planning. She was just waiting for the right opportunity. And you never know when you need a crowbar to kill someone. So using the crowbar, she hoists the china cabinet away from the wall and it falls on the unconscious man. Satisfied, she looks over her handiwork. Well, Henry, hmm, it was the big one. Music. In the next scene, a frantic Sharona is screeching into her cell phone. A crowd of people mill about the street. There's smoke and alarms, a fire truck drives by. It's a mess. Oh, thank God, thank God, she yells. Stay at Kenny's, Benji. Stay there. I just gotta check on Mr. Monk. I love that she's always thinking about him, which is unhealthy, but it's really sweet. At Monk's Sherona pounds on the door, which Monk opens calmly. He's got a green apple in his mouth and Trudy's headshot under his arm. You okay? She asks. Mm-hmm, he says placidly, chewing more of the apple. He's like going to town on this apple. Yeah. I've been trying to call you for an hour, she says, moving deeper into his apartment. As she does, she and we notice the askew police are off duty. A lamp has fallen. The floor is littered with fallen books. Pictures are off center. It's also a mess. Oh my god, she breathes, taking it all in. Mouthful of apple, Monk asks about Benji. Oh, Benji's okay. Sounds like this, by the way. Yeah, exactly. But she gets his she translates very well. Oh, Benji's okay. He loved it. Thought it was like a roller coaster. Turning to her boss, she says, Adrian, I have to tell you, I'm very impressed. Monk picks up a book, unbothered. She continues, I mean, I thought you'd be a basket case. I mean, everything is broken. Where were you when it happened? Monk calmly looks up from his book and responds in Gobbledygook. Broke gobbledygook a bunch of times not thinking about how uh hard it is to say. Gobble gobbledygook what what gobbledygook gobbledygook gobbledygook gobbledygook. Yeah. Okay, gobbledygook. Gobbledygook. Gobbledygook. Gobblegg. I like it. Sharona whips to look at him. What? Monk repeats himself in gobbledygook. Are you okay, Sharona squints? Frustrated, Monk slams his book down, getting up to face her. It's better if you hear it yourself.

SPEAKER_05 15:35

Speaking English. You know that, right?

SPEAKER_02 15:44

Gobble D G. Just so much gook. Sharona calls Kroger and a complete tizzy. Yeah, yeah. Sharona, relax. He's having a disassociative episode. That's another tough word. Um, a dishes disassociative episode. This is where you have to be a little British. Disassociative episode. You know how Americans turn that C-I-A into sh in British, it's a disassociative. It's easier to say that way. Much better. Kroger explains that cleaning up his own earthquake aftermath. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. Disassociative? She repeats. Damn, girl, that was good.

SPEAKER_03 16:29

Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 16:30

Okay, so they got this a little wrong here. It is not a disassociative episode.

SPEAKER_03 16:37

Oh shit.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

What is it? Our brains have a special section just for talking. Mm-hmm. Not for thinking, just for talking. For turning our thoughts into words. Scientists call it Braca's area. Now, imagine something so scary, so sudden, so completely out of control happens, our brain has to make a split-second decision about what matters most right now. Talking is not an emergency skill, so that part of the brain can just go dark, like a fuse. Wow. This is called psychogenic aphasia. Psychogenic means it's from psychological stress, not from physical injury. No tumor, no stroke, no damage, just total overwhelm. It broke your ability to make words. Monk's not gone. He thinks he's making sense. He's not floating around in the room watching himself. He's completely present. He just literally cannot make words come out right. And that's the difference between disassociation. Very good.

SPEAKER_04 17:35

And if Kroger had gotten this right, we wouldn't have had to say disassociative so many times.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

Exactly. But now I'm kind of proud.

SPEAKER_04 17:42

Now I'm Yeah, we're good at it now.

SPEAKER_02 17:44

Yeah, disassociative. It makes me feel a little fancy. Kroger continues. The trauma of the earthquake probably shorted out the occipital lobe in the left hemisphere of the brain, which controls his ability to speak informed words. So he got that part right, they just named it wrong. Yeah, okay. Well, what should I do? Sharona asks. Look, Kroger explains. He thinks he's speaking normally. He's more confused than you are. In gobbledygook, Monk waves at her to give him the phone. She waves him away. All right, look, I can see him at four tomorrow if you like, Kroger tells her, looking at his calendar. But I gotta tell you, I wouldn't be surprised if he's fine by then. These things usually pass on their own. The most important thing is just don't leave him alone. Okay, Sharona agrees. Then Monk starts gesturing harder, demanding in gobbledygook to speak to Kroger. So Monk gets a phone and he speaks to his psychiatrist. Adrian, you're talking gibberish. I can't understand a word you're saying, Kroger tells him brutally. Monk starts to look worried. He's getting riled up, and I wrote, damn, he's a good actor. Watching Shalub go, it's really like he his nothing changes except for the words. And I can't imagine how hard that would be. Mm-hmm. Love him. Put Sharona on the phone, Croker tells him, just as a news report starts. On the TV, Henry's smiling face fills the screen. The anchor tells us, including well-known philanthropist Henry Rutherford, who's best known for his Rutherford scholarships, which enabled hundreds of inner city children from across the country. Sherona faces the screen. Oh my god. Monk sees her upset, so quickly says something along the lines with, I'll talk to you soon, to Kroger, and he hangs up. Sherona looks to Monk like she's gonna cry. Henry Rutherford, she says, but at his lack of reaction she explains further. I told you about him. I've been working with him this whole month. Her eyes continue to fill. He was a deacon at my church. He was trying to make money for the new church. Monk's face tightens as he listens. Oh my god, I know his wife. She'll be devastated. She throws her hands up. I gotta go. Monk says something like what we're all thinking. You can't go. He can't be alone right now. At his little boy face, she continues to explain, They they just moved here. I just want to see if she needs any help. But then you know what? On second thought, you better come with me. At the murder mansion, Sherona stands next to Christine while Father Hatcher sits on her other side. Christine is in a daze. He had a brother in London. They weren't close, but someone should call him. Don't worry, Christine, the father tells her soothingly. I'll take care of it. Thank you, Father, she whispers, taking his hand. I don't know what I'd do without you and Sherona. Sherona pours some tea. Looking dazedly ahead, Christine describes the events. It was terrible. The whole room started to shake, and Henry he made sure I was safe in the doorway. Monk stands under the very doorway, listening. Now you mustn't torture yourself, the father tells her, but she has to keep going. The wall unit kept tipping forward and Henry was trying to keep it from falling, and I saw it come crashing down.

SPEAKER_04 21:03

Can I jump? Okay, so the earthquake was not necessarily going that way. Remember how I said it pushes, it rattles back and forth one way, and the way that they had it rattling, it was not the it was how do I explain it?

SPEAKER_02 21:24

It's like it was shaking the piece of furniture from side to side, not front to back. Is that right?

SPEAKER_04 21:30

Yes. So the fact that she knocked it over with the crowbar, which of course Father Hatcher doesn't know. Yeah, it was the wrong direction of the earthquake.

SPEAKER_02 21:42

One thing they don't have is a forensic team on this show, it's kind of just detection and just kind of like, mm, what do you think is gonna happen? You know. But I also noticed she said that he was trying to hold it up, which means that if it fell on him, he would fall on his back. But we know sh he was on his front. Lots of things wrong, folks. We're in the wrong career. Yeah, we should be solving crimes.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

But only if we could work with monk.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 22:08

No.

SPEAKER_02 22:11

I think you would drive me bananas. Oh, I would love it. I called for help, but there was nobody else in the house. Shrona carefully places tea in front of Christine, but Christina's like, oh no, I couldn't, which I thought was a little dramatic. You can't sip tea. But they're not asking you to eat a steak. Oh no, I couldn't. And then they say, You must have some. You need to stay strong. Since when does tea give strength? That's right. Stupid. Give her some water. Sharona offers to spend the night, but Christine's mother is on her way from Chicago. And Sharona's encouraged. Mothers are great to talk to, you know, except for mine. Monk. Sorry. Finish your laugh. Get it out.

SPEAKER_03 23:00

So you guys will notice sometimes the laughs just cut off.

SPEAKER_02 23:04

And I know that Kathy's just like, enough.

SPEAKER_04 23:07

She just will chop that off. Just I mean, how much laughter can you do? But you need to know.

SPEAKER_02 23:12

It probably went on for Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:14

I just I just have to edit it and be like, okay, no more laughter. Move on. I love that about you.

SPEAKER_02 23:20

Okay. Monk approaches the table attempting to speak. They all look at him confused. Sharona introduces Monk, and he is the face of empathetic condolence. We can't understand him, but his meaning is clear. He's very sorry for her loss. Sharona looks uncomfortable. Um, Adrian, why don't you wait in the other room? But Monk has finally noticed the gigantic bowl of pomegranates, which have rolled all over the table. Frenzied, he begins to putting it to rights.

SPEAKER_04 23:46

Is that what they are?

SPEAKER_02 23:47

Yes. I'm like, are those red onions? What are those? I was thinking about it. Something in Gilmore Girls that always drives me crazy is at least in the first season, they have a big bowl of red apples. And I'm like, these girls are not eating those apples, and you know they're rotting. Pomegranates is actually a good choice because they don't rot as quickly and they're beautiful. Oh. I couldn't tell what they were. So it's another sign of opulence in that opulent room. Oh, yeah. Yeah, but they're hard to eat. So I would say they're more decorative. Okay, okay. Anyway, he starts to fix them. And Sharona goes, Adrian, go to the other room. So he does. Uh, where is he from? The father asks, because it sounds like he's speaking a language. Yeah. Neptune, Sharona whispers, laughing. In the hallway, Monk straightens a frame showing a wedding portrait, then fixes another. He glances across the room to two paintings that are already even. He moves closer, examining them. His forehead creases and in gobbledygook asks a very familiar looking question. Maybe something like, Why would these two frames be the only ones straightened? He moves past the frames to a dark smudge on the wall. Then he looks to the fallen cabinet. Pulling out his handkerchief, he wipes a section. It's clean. Sherona joins him. Holding the handkerchief, Monk says something, one of his rhetorical observation questions, but Sherona completely misses it. Oh, she'll be alright, she tells him. What are you doing? And this is a really cool part of acting that I wanted to play for you.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

What are you doing? Baby asking. Sure saying like not right about the Sharoon.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

Sherona's jaw drops. Adrian, you can talk. Of course I can talk. What is wrong with you?

SPEAKER_04 25:32

Monk asks. And I'm thinking, thank God, he has stopped with the gibberish, because like it would have been so annoying for the whole episode.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

I know. Yeah. At the police station, it's bustling. Stadlemeyer is on the phone giving orders.

SPEAKER_04 25:47

Yay! We got some Leland Stottlemeyer in the episode.

SPEAKER_02 25:53

There is no third watch. I want everyone on active duty. Monk is bouncing around him, trying to get into his eye line. You follow me? he asks after the captain hangs up. Yes, Christine Rutherford sat around waiting for an earthquake. No, no, no, Monk corrects. She sat around waiting for her old husband to die. And when the earthquake hit, you see, but Staldemeyer is not into this. He's moving around the desk distracted. Monk tries harder. When the earthquake hit, it was her chance, a one in a million shot, and she took it. Another officer breaks in. Captain, we have reports of some looting on Petrao Hill. Alright, get ten uniforms down there. I want a man on every corner. Monk keeps trying. There was ceiling debris all over the floor, but none on the back of the fallen display case. Mmm, Stot grunts, listening. And there were marks on the wall. Somebody used a lever to knock that case over. Or a crowbar. Once again, they're interrupted. Captain, it's Cargill. Stodlmeyer takes a walkie-talkie. Those calls are false alarms, Cargold. Cargill. Cargill tells him. I don't care if they're false alarms. You gotta check them out, every one. What an epic juggler he is. Unflappable. He's a good captain. Yes, and he's so cute with his mustache. He's very cute. Look, Monk, there was an earthquake. That's what earthquakes do. They knock crap over. Monk knows that, but there were other pictures on the wall, and none of them, none of them, were even crooked. Stadlemeyer puts his arms up, surrendering. I'm trying to put out a hundred fires here, Monk. He walks past our detective. Where's our guy from emergency services? He hollers to the station, then approaching the front desk, speaks to a throng of people waiting impatiently. Look, someone will be with you shortly. Monk is still by his side, his nervous little shadow. She could be there right now cleaning up all the evidence. At least send a couple detectives over there, Monk insists. But there's really nothing the captain can do. He hasn't got an extra detective. He hasn't got a moment to spare. Then turning calmly to face him, look, Monk, the shaking you felt this morning was a six point oh earthquake. Monk knows he knows. But just send me over at least to check it out, he begs Dodelmeyer. Where's Sharona? Leland asks. She went to pick up her kid. Stot looks around, then all right, Lieutenant, I'm officially handing Monk off to you. I want you to give Monk anything the captain and the monk walk over to where a one dandy randy is standing on his desk, wearing nothing but his undershirt and pants. Arms stretched above his head, trying to do something. Quit screwing around and get back to work, Stodlemeyer orders. Disher looks away from his project indignantly, causing the sprinkler he'd been fixing to start spraying everywhere, especially in his face. In the next scene we see two beat cops standing at a completely destroyed intersection. Light poles are down and cars are caved in. It's a mess. Sorry, the streets closed, one of the cops says, approaching Benji and Sherona. What's going on? she asks from behind a gate. The gas line ruptured and all the phones are down. These two blocks are the worst ones hit. At that point, she and Benji groan. But we live just right over there, she says, trying to smile, gesturing further down the street. Not today, you don't, the cop tells her coolly. Call emergency services. He hands her a card with their number. She snaps the card from his hand, gritting her teeth. How long is this gonna be? she demands. Maybe a couple days, the cop guesses. She kind of freaks out on him and he reminds her that he just works there. Behind Sharona and Benji, a tall, very cute. Wait, wait, hold on.

SPEAKER_04 29:34

Yeah. What if they have a pet? Right. That I was really mad at that cop. I mean, maybe the cop said, call emergency services, and emergency services has a plan in place if you have a pet. Yeah. I would hope the cops would get out of the animal. I mean, that that bothered me. Yeah. It's okay because they don't have a pet. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 29:56

It's just my brain. Can you imagine how much I would be stressed out with Sharona constantly being gone? I'd be thinking about that animal at home. Like, go home and walk your dog, bitch. I've said bitch a lot. I'm gonna kind of love it. You're spicy today. Yeah. Behind Sharona and Benji, a tall, very cute man with a camera around his neck addresses the cop. Excuse me, sir. I'm with the Melbourne Melbourne. Melbourne. Melbourne. Melbone. Milkbone gazette. Can I get a couple of shots? He asks in a heavy Australian accent. But the I'm just doing my job cop sticks to the script. No one in or out. Not even handsome men with handsome accents. Sharona is getting shrill. She hasn't even noticed the cute guy right behind her. Look, can we just get in and get some stuff? What if he needs medicine or something? Benji doesn't need medicine. No, I know. But I do. That's that's a really good point. Exactly. Yeah. And I understand. Let me just get my glasses. I think that would be the worst part. I can't wear my contacts constantly. The poor cop is still unmoved. You gotta call the number. That's all I know. And I would think they've got emergency services to go in. You give them a list of things you need, and they go in with like gas masks or something. Right? I don't know. Now please step back. She is fuming. Arm around Benji, she moves away, but not before emitting another fiery glare. And there he is, tall and accent y. Now there's a delightful chap. He smiles. Reminds me of my ex-wife. Glowering, Sharona agrees. Yeah, he reminds me of my ex-husband. Maybe we should get them together. And I wrote, can we not besmirch our exes in front of the kid, please? Benji looks to his mom worried. Mom, what are we gonna do? She's not the most comforting. I don't know, I don't know. I guess we're gonna have to stay at a hotel. Good luck. This handsome man's name is Daryl Wright. I've been calling all morning. There's Nary a room left in the city. There's Nary. A chance Sherona doesn't see Mr. Wright now. She's got her game face on. Smiling, squinting. Nary a room? she repeats, touch mockingly. That's what I said, he flirts back. To Benji. Well, we can always stay at Aunt Gail's. Why can't we stay at Mr. Monk's, Benji whines? Because I would go crazy slower at Aunt Gail's. Mm-hmm. You think Aunt Gail has an extra bed for an out-of-town journalist? Daryl asks. And I wrote, Did he just arrive this morning without lodging plans or at his hotel on this street? Stretching out his paw, he says, I'm Daryl Wright. She does that demure little thing she does and takes his hand. Oh, I'm Sharona. And then she says, I'm sorry, but my sister has no room. And then is this your boyfriend? Daryl smiles at the boy. No, this is my son Benji, she tells him, squeezing Benji closer. Listen, my editor just called and he wants me to do a story on the quake. What do you say I interview you and Benji here? For a little bit of local color? They look at each other excitedly. Oh yeah, we'd love it. Great, let's start with a picture. Sherone and Benji smush together and smile. In the next scene, a cable car passes in front of the historic Fairmont San Francisco. It's this white, massive stone building, the front of which is draped in all these flags from around the world. It's both witnessed and hosted history. And I know you kind of don't like when I give the history of buildings, but this one is a big one.

SPEAKER_04 33:24

No, guys, I had absolutely no recognition of the building or the cable car going by. I was like, oh, there's a building. Yeah. I didn't think, what building is this? Or is this historic? Like nothing. Nothing happened in my brain. So are you ready for the Fairmont history?

SPEAKER_02 33:45

Fairmont history all over me. Okay. We have a Fairmont in San Jose, but this one is a really cool one. And Ben and I used to go up there and get drinks in the lobby and dress up. I really love this hotel. So here's a little bit of history. The Fairmont was finished on April 17th, 1906, the day before the earthquake that destroyed San Francisco. OFFS. It burned with everything else and got rebuilt from scratch. It was leveled.

SPEAKER_04 34:14

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 34:15

I know. And then it was reopened exactly one year later.

SPEAKER_04 34:18

Was it like insured, and that's how they were able to do that?

SPEAKER_02 34:21

They must have, I guess. This is during the Gilded Age time, so I'm thinking the people that built it had Gilded Age money.

SPEAKER_03 34:27

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 34:28

Yeah. 1945, the diplomats who wrote the United Nations Charter were in this city, and a lot of the back channel deals happened, they were staying at the Fairmont. So a lot of the history and laws of the United Nations Charter happened. And that's why there's the international flags in the front.

SPEAKER_00 34:47

I know.

SPEAKER_02 34:47

Tony Bennett performed I Left My Heart in San Francisco for the first time in the Fairmont Lounge in 1961.

SPEAKER_04 34:54

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

And that's where Ben and I used to go get cocktails in the lounge. And did you sing to each other? I didn't even know any of this. Oh probably. And somewhere in the basement, the Tonga Room has been serving tiki drinks inside a converted swimming pool since 1945 with a floating band stage and fake thunderstorms every 30 minutes. I had no idea. I need to see this. After the war, apparently there was a tiki craze that swept America. They all wanted to be on vacation, and tiki rooms became a big thing.

SPEAKER_04 35:27

Yeah, I mean, San Francisco has multiple tiki bars. Ugh. I had a coworker who was very tiki obsessed and it was his thing. Did he ever go to the Fairmont? Well, he lived in San Francisco and he had his regulars. That's amazing. Maybe one day we can go get mock towels at tiki bars.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

Yeah. Oh, definitely the Fairmont one. Yeah. Okay. Higher in one of the hotel rooms, we hear our Mr. Wright asking, Do you believe in love at first sight? He's wearing a hotel robe and holding a glass of champagne. He walks towards the bed, on which lies who? Who do you think? A little redhead? Yeah. A little vixen murder. A one newly widowed Christine looking much happier. Personally, I never did. He never believed in love at first sight. With her arms above her head, silk draped alluringly, she murmurs, and then you gotta look at my husband's bank account. And zing, he finishes, went the strings of my heart.

SPEAKER_04 36:30

That bastard had a hotel room.

SPEAKER_03 36:32

He lied. He lied.

SPEAKER_04 36:34

Yeah, and now we know he's an antagonist.

SPEAKER_02 36:36

Such a bummer. She giggles as he leans in to kiss her and they break apart and Christine stares off. There we were, just waiting for the right opportunity, and God dropped it right in our laps. She giggles again in disbelief. The bloody miracle, he agrees, barely contained glee. Forty two point five million, she whispers in wonder. And so accounting for inflation, I looked it up. That would be seventy-seven to seventy-eight million today. Say it again, he begs. Things are getting spicy. So she says it again. Oh, I love it when you talk dirty, he laughs. And then just one more loose end to tie up, and it's all ours. Sharona, Christine says. Sharona, Daryl confirms. She's pretty, Christine comments, watching him. Smartly. I didn't notice. Are you sure she trusts you? Christina smiles. Daryl laughs with her. Oh come on. Why wouldn't she trust me? Sharona and Benji stand in front of a large black door and she rings the bell. And who should open the door but one Amy Sederis? Do you know her? Of course I know her. So Tom's hilarious. Top credits, Strangers with Candy, Bojack Horseman, Second City, but more than that, she guest stars in everything. She's just everywhere. I think that's what you call like a great character act. She's a great character actress. But I've known her since college because she's the sister of one of my favorite authors, David Sederis, who writes short stories. And one of my favorite stories about her was in Me Talk Pretty One Day, which is one of my favorite of his books. Uh-huh. What is it? What's the story? So their father Lou was obsessed with her weight. Obsessed. He was always making comments. Her whole life. But she's underweight? No, that he she might get fat. But she's so tiny. I'm sure that's part of the reason. But he was always watching, always commenting. So Amy showed up for Christmas one year wearing just the bottom half of a fat suit. And it looked like she'd gained 80 pounds overnight. And their dad was beside himself, whispering to David that Amy was killing him. David Sederis played along. Finally, right before they left, she took it off, and their father was so relieved he kept talking about it for months, for months, eventually insisting that he'd he'd love her anyway, that she was beautiful inside and out. Except he couldn't stop talking about her weight the whole time she was wearing it. And he'd like come down and mime. We're gonna go jogging, Amy. You want to come jogging? You know, like Yeah. Amy later recalled him still slapping away Christmas cookies after the reveal. I know. This is a sad story. All of David's are sad, but the way he writes it is so funny. So that's our girl, that's the real actress. And she's beautiful. Like she really looked like a prettier version of Sharona, I think. Really? Is that offensive? No, I don't think she looks like a prettier version of Sharona. But I could say they could pass assisters. Anyway, she's beautiful, she's thin in that like early 2000s thin that everybody was. So Amy playing Gail is super nice and welcoming, brushing off Sharona's apologies, saying, This is gonna be fun. But before they even make it through the doorway, bickering ensues. I just talked to mom. She is freaking out, Gail tells the two. You should get caller ID, Sharona tells her. I have caller ID. I got it before you, Gail retorts.

SPEAKER_04 40:08

I love this moment. It is very much like a time capsule for the episode for the series. Like, how often do we talk about caller ID? I know. It's obsolete now. Well, we have it. Everybody has it. It's just built in.

SPEAKER_02 40:21

No, you didn't, Sharona snaps. It's a very sisterly spat that finally stops when Benji pipes in like a parent. Mom, Aunt Gail, can we please go inside? Gail lets the boy move under her arm, but Sharona stays on the porch. Looking serious now, she says, Gail, remember when I went out to visit mom when she broke her wrist? Yeah, Gail says, a little confused. And remember when you said you owed me big time? Remember? Sharona says forcefully. Gail nods, and something in her tells her to scan outside, where she finds a one monk carrying two bags hiding behind a pole. Two big overnight bags, like I actually for a week at least. Yeah. Oh no, Gail moans. Sharona whispers, I swear, I swear he's gonna be good. Then louder to Monk, come on over. Mm-hmm. At Gail's continued moans, she says, I swear, I swear he's not as bad as he was. He's just so freaked out about the earthquake. I can't leave him alone. Sharona is the best. Monk and his two huge bags make their way across the street. Okay, Gail relents. I guess he can sleep on the couch. Well, actually, he's gonna need the guest room. He doesn't sleep on couches, Sharona says apologetically. At this, Gail splutters, but Sharona interrupts again. Gail, I spent two weeks with mom. Monk approaches. Now we're even, Gail says grimly. Hi, Gail, Monk says, sliding past. Then, hey, don't worry about Sharona, she won't get in the way. Sharona shrugs. Even, Gail snaps again and hauls her inside. Inside, Monk is on the phone while the two sisters chat about their love lives. I actually met somebody this morning, Sharona tells her. He's a journalist. Really? Gail says, interested. Yeah, from Australia. Mmm, complete with accent? Oh yeah, the full package, Sharona smiles. He's to die for. Benji is trying to ignore all this, reading a Spider-Man comic. Ooh, I'd love to meet him, Gail says. I'm sure you would, Sharona side eyes. Meanwhile, Monk is on the phone, counting bricks. He's on the phone while facing the wall, counting bricks. Adrian, don't tie up Gail's line, Sharona says. Monk covers the mouthpiece. I'm on hold, I'm waiting for Disher. Both the sisters nod, nod understanding. Sharona picks up her bag. It's medium-sized black with large sunflowers embroidered on the front. Is that new? Gail asks. Yeah, I got it a couple weeks ago. My other one was just too big. Gail reaches down and pulls up the exact same purse. Face falling, Sharona asks, When did you get that? Two months ago, Gail answers accusingly, like you didn't know. And Shrona's all, really? You think I'd buy the same handbag on purpose? Gail goes quiet, but she's wearing her loudest judgmental face.

SPEAKER_04 43:08

You know, if my sister and I got the same bag, we would be delighted. You and my mom and my aunt.

SPEAKER_02 43:14

We'd be like twins. My mom and my aunt, they love to match. They take pictures in the same shirts together.

SPEAKER_04 43:21

Oh, yeah. My sister and I don't go that far.

SPEAKER_02 43:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 43:24

Maybe when you're older.

SPEAKER_02 43:26

Yep, yep, give it time. When you're all marinated. Benji is all of us annoyed to high heaven. He looks up from his comics, rolling his eyes. But Gail is not dropping it. Who moved to San Francisco first? She demands. Oh my god, Sharona shrieks. You begged me to move here. Benji cuts her off. Hey, do I have to separate you two? Gail puts on her headphones in an obvious, I'm not talking to you move. Mug continues to pace the room, but this time he's talking. I need her phone records, every call from her house and her cell phone for the last two weeks. He listens to something Disher is saying. Right, right. Uh, what about the background check? At this he hears something he likes. Lowering his head a touch, really, really, he says, thinking. Back at the hotel, we see a fully clothed Daryl sitting on an empty bed making a phone call. Wait, who's Daryl? Daryl Wright. He's the Australian guy.

SPEAKER_04 44:18

I forgot his name.

SPEAKER_02 44:20

It's okay, because he's not a Daryl. Daryl does not, he's like a Ben or a um Dean. He doesn't fit Daryl.

SPEAKER_04 44:28

Dean would be good. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

Daryl just kind of dorky. It does. It feels clunky for this guy. Unless you say it on Australian. Daryl. Daryl. Daryl. Still. No. We hear a familiar voice say, Hello? Sharona, he purrs. But oh no, this is her younger sister, Gail. Gail announces through a mouth of cereal. Really? He looks surprised. Hmm, you two sound so much alike. Do you look alike? No, she smirks. I'm the sexy one. Really? Mm-hmm. She confirms. Then, hey, are you the Australian guy she met on the street? She takes another huge bite of cereal. That would be me, Daryl confirms, unless she met somebody else. She shovels another huge bite in her mouth. Which, think about it, she's an actress. She's had to do this scene over and over. And she is shoving it. Like this is a huge thing. What are you eating? He asks. Rice cakes. She says cheeks stuffed. And then I wrote, I wonder if she did this just to piss her dad off. I wonder anytime she was on camera, she ate humongously just because she knew it would drive her dad crazy. Yeah. God, I hate this diet. Being the sexy sister's hard yakker. It's a full-time job.

SPEAKER_00 45:45

Listener?

SPEAKER_02 45:46

That's what he said. It's Australian, I think. Mm, okay. Listen, he says, getting serious. Is Sharonic there? You just missed her, Gail Smacks. She and her boss had some business at St. Clair's Church. St. Clair's, he repeats. Yeah, you know, the one on Fulton Street. He gets real quiet thinking. The next scene we're at is St. Clair's. But actually, this isn't a church in San Francisco. Since most of the filming for season one was done in Toronto, this is likely just a cool old Canadian church. But it's still pretty spectacular. It's massive with pale stone grand columns and tall arched windows. Did you have something to say?

SPEAKER_04 46:23

Um, I was thinking maybe it's a set.

SPEAKER_02 46:27

I'm talking about the front of the church.

SPEAKER_04 46:29

Oh, the front of it.

SPEAKER_02 46:31

I think the inside is definitely a set.

SPEAKER_04 46:33

Yeah. Okay, I'm with you.

SPEAKER_02 46:35

Inside it's kind of a mess. Christine dressed all in black with a huge black bow, walks past the pews and construction men. There's fallen concrete and scaffolding. She walks towards the altar and she genuflects. I had to learn how to genuflect when I worked for a Catholic school. Define? Genuflect. It's like a bow, but you've got to you bow with one knee and then your right leg kind of goes behind like a massive curtsy and you bow down. So it's like a Christian thing. It's a Catholic thing, not Christian. Oh, okay. We did not do that at our church.

SPEAKER_04 47:08

Oh, okay. Is it like a way of saying hi to God? Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:12

Okay. That's quite a performance. Mmm. But Sherona's quick to defend. You don't know her. She practically saved this church. They're like saints. Your saint didn't pay for a candle, Monk counters, because she's over there lighting candles. As Monk approaches the widow. Christine crosses herself, then turns to Monk. Mrs. Rutherford, he says. Mr. Monk, Sherona, Christine says quietly, would you light a candle for my husband? Hand over heart, Sherona nods. I'd love to. She and Monk share a defiant look. Which husband? Monk asks. Then I understand that Henry was your third. Christine's face tightens ever so slightly. Excuse me, she says quietly walking away. But Monk decides to follow her. Mrs. Rutherford, in nineteen ninety seven you and your second husband were indicted for mail fraud in Nevada. Unflapped. An indictment is not a conviction, mister Monk. A stirring defense, Monk retorts. But Henry didn't know about your other marriages, did he? Of course he did, Christine chirps immediately, again unfazed. But Monk is determined to phase her. I saw the photographs in your house. You were married in Sacred Cross Chapel in Chicago. Henry was a deacon there, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't have knowingly married a divorce. Monk smiles. He likes playing with his food. Okay, you got me, Christine admits defiantly. I kept a secret from my husband, and she moves to the door. Just as she's walking out, Daryl is plunging in. They share a look. It's over as quickly as it began. He looks forward, eyes lighting up. Sherona, he says warmly. She is delighted. What are you doing here? I called the number you gave me. Your sister told me where you were, and I was just a couple blocks away, so as you do, he smiles charmingly, so non-threatening or creepy, just a guy excited about a girl. Well, it's great to see you. Sherona is all schoolgirlish, excited and blushy. They share goofy grins until Sherona suddenly remembers Monk, who's watching all of this a little confused. Oh, I'm sorry, she stutters. Daryl Wright, this is my boss, Adrian Monk. Had you do? Daryl shakes Monk's hand, then watches as Shrona hands over the obligatory wipe. Daryl is a journalist from Australia, she tells Monk. He's doing a story on the earthquake. Speaking of earthquake, you back in your apartment yet? Daryl asks. Oh no, not yet. They said maybe Monday. Monday, right, Daryl repeats. Then so uh who was the widow? Christine Rutherford, Sharona tells him seriously. Now why does that name ring a bell? Daryl asks, to which Monk tells him not blinkingly. Her husband was worth about forty million dollars, and I think she killed him. Then walking past, excuse me. Sharona tries to explain away the bizarre behavior. Oh, he's a former detective and he gets a little paranoid, so Daryl just chuckles with her. Well, it sounds like a much more interesting story than this earthquake I'm doing. Why don't you tell me about it over dinner? We're having dinner, Sharona arches an eyebrow. Your sister invited me. At this, the flirting stops. Gail, she asks. Yeah, is that a problem? Oh no, no. Sharona shakes her head, suddenly total cool girl again. It's it's that's great. It's fine, yeah. But we know it's far from great. And I just was wondering, did you and your sister ever like or flip fight over the same guy? Not at all.

SPEAKER_04 50:42

Yeah. Oh my god. When we were younger, the three years between us felt like it might as well be ten years or something. We never ever were interested in the same guy.

SPEAKER_02 50:54

See, our two years of separation felt like we were almost in the same grade. But we did most of our socializing in church, so we had all the same friends. Okay. You know what I mean? Like it wasn't school, wasn't that big a chance?

SPEAKER_04 51:08

We were four years apart in school. Oh. So it made our three years even more apart. Yeah. And she was much older than me. Okay. In our minds. Yeah. She still is much older than me, even though she's only three years older than me. And I have friends who are much older than her. I think she still feels like she's quite older than me.

SPEAKER_02 51:31

Poor thing.

SPEAKER_04 51:32

Older and wiser.

SPEAKER_02 51:34

My sister has always liked alpha males like Dude Bros. Like The Rock or Vin Diesel. Vin Diesel. Yeah. Whereas I've always liked the alpha beta men like Chuck. You know, the tall, yeah, funny guys. Chandler was one of my first loves. Uh-huh. We never really liked the same guys, which is good. But that is not the case with Gail and Sharona, I'm guessing. Oh no.

SPEAKER_04 52:04

Apparently we are set up for a little bit of a fight.

SPEAKER_02 52:08

Later at dinner, Daryl is regaling the group with stories. Four months in the Outback, 110 degrees in the shade, if you can find it. And I got a break in here, and I thought Monk was gonna do this. Australians don't measure temperature in Fahrenheit. They use Celsius. So it was either 240 degrees and everything living died, or he's really not Australian. Yeah. Back to his story. 110 degrees in the shade if you can find it, sleeping on the ground. That must have been tough, Benji says. What would you eat though? Well, we ate grubs, bugs, snakes. Then in a faux menacing voice to Benji, danger, danger, danger. Everyone is smiling, charmed. Anyway, he continues, I finally got back, got my messages. It's my editor. He's changed his mind. Monk not listening, or at least appearing not to, is painstakingly trying to get bits off of a snow pea. And I wrote, This is me. Anytime there's an onion on anything, I'm like, let me just do some surgery to try to get it to not touch my food. Daryl is still talking. He doesn't want me to go. Sharona changes the subject. Kinda. You know, Daryl was nominated for a Pulitzer. Monk looks up at that. Really? Daryl nods. It was a story I wrote a while back for the Sydney Morning Herald. Ooh, Gail says. Do you have a copy of it? No, no. What was it about? Monk asks. It was about a bridge collapse. Five people died. Oh my god, Sherona murmurs, hanging on as every word. Yeah, five people from all walks of life. A wealthy old woman, an orphan, a maid. I wrote about each of them, who they were, how they touched the different people in their lives. Gail can't stand it. She is buzzing. You gotta send it to me. I can't wait to read it. You can't forget. They share a smile. This is fun, Benji exclaims. I wish there was an earthquake every week. Oh, Benji. I know. Don't say that, sugar bee, Gail says. The earthquake killed three people. Benji's like, no, it didn't, not according to Mr. Monk. He thinks one of them was a murder. I'm like, Monk needs to stop telling this little boy that there's murders everywhere. Yeah, Benji is pretty accustomed to murder at this point. Ugh Daryl looks up here. Yes, I've been meaning to ask you about that. How's the investigation going? Well, so far it's just a hunch. Daryl gives him a small smile, then a lingering look to Sharona. Hey, Benji asks, can we can't play a game after? The answer must have been yes because we next seen Sharona miming singing into a microphone. Song, it's a song, the rest of the party shouts. A few more mimes and Daryl shouts, stop in the name of love. Gail hops up running over to Daryl. How did you know that? I want you to be on my team. She drapes herself over him. Sherona and I are grossed out and annoyed. I'm gonna sit over here. Monk enters, drying a plate. Excuse me, where does this go? Above the sink with all the others, Gail tells him.

SPEAKER_01 55:07

Well this one all the others are square. Should I just throw it away?

SPEAKER_02 55:11

No, no, it's the way he did it was so funny and so like ah no, Sharona tells him quietly, just put it down, I'll I'll take care of it later. So he does. Adrian, Sharona encourages, why don't you join us? Yeah, Daryl agrees, we're playing charades, it's fun. Yeah, it'll be fun. Sharona pats Monk on the back and he takes a seat. Benji's up next. He starts making the camera motion. It's a movie, they shout. Spider-Man, Monk says quickly. Everyone pauses, looking at him, pissed. He's right, Benji mumbles despondent. Monk quietly rushes to explain. He's seen the movie twenty times and he was just reading the comic book, so I figured he's eleven years old, Sharona snaps. Let him have fun. Gail hops off the couch. Okay, I got one. She mimes camera. It's a movie, they all shout. She holds up six fingers, six words. The man who came to dinner, Monk says quietly. Everyone is once again deflated. How'd you know that? Gail asks. It's a movie about a house guest who wouldn't leave, Monk tells her in a small voice, fidgeting with his towel. You were looking right at me. Sharona tries to keep the fun going. Alright, Daryl, why don't you go next? Alright, I got one. Okay, instead of playing charades, we're playing Let's Stump Monk. Sharona says, rubbing Monk's back. And I wrote, This is lovely. I love that she's including him. It's you know Daryl puts his hands together flat. Book, they all yell. A Bible, someone yells. Then the bridge of San Luis Ray, Monk says, less hesitant this time. Daryl just stares, freaked out. Is he right? Gil asks. Of course he's right, Sharona confirms, annoyed. Why don't we just watch TV? But Benji's all, you said I'm not allowed to watch TV. Well, I changed my mind, Sharona says quickly. Benji grabs a remote and Monk moves back to the kitchen to clean. As he's wiping the cupboards, Sherona asks, How'd you know the name of the book? Monk turns, lowered voice. The little story he told at dinner about the bridge collapsing, it was a novel from the twenties called The Bridge of St. Louis Ray. She turns to him, holding a coffee tray. Don't do this. Every time I like someone, you ruin it. He watches her walk out. In the living room, Gail is all snuggled up to Daryl on the couch. Shrona wedges herself on the other side of Daryl.

SPEAKER_04 57:37

I love this scene. They are seriously the three of them are like squished together at one side on one couch. Yeah, it's pretty funny looking.

SPEAKER_02 57:46

There's no room, but she makes Daryl's phone rings. On the other line we hear Christine. I thought you were going to call me. Yeah, I know, I know. He places the receiver to his chest. It's my editor, he says to both women. Did you get into her place yet? Christine asks, pacing. I'm working on it, he says. I'm aware of the deadline and I know it's important. You said you'd have it by tonight, Christine whispers. And as soon as I'm off this phone, the quicker I can get back to work, he tells her, then hangs up. Shrona hands him pale coffee and Gail scoffs at them. Shrona heads back into the kitchen where Monk is waiting to continue the conversation. Anne, there's no way he's one of Pulitzer, he angry whispers. Maybe he's a good writer, she angry whispers back. It's not that. The Pulitzer is only for American journalists. He said the story was published in Australia. So what? she strikes back. Maybe he's trying to impress me. Maybe he likes me. If he liked you, he'd make a bigger effort to push off your crazy sister, Sharona. She continues, God, you're scaring him away. Gail's trying to seduce him, and I'm stuck in the middle as usual. We switch back to the living room where Gail and Benji are watching some old fashioned robot movie. Uh, Gail, where's the bathroom? Daryl asks. First door on the left, she hollers, eyes glued to the screen. He snatches a set of keys from the sunflower bag. You just know it's gonna be the wrong bag. You just know it. Yes. Back in the kitchen, all I'm saying, Monk says seriously, is there's something about that guy. Be careful. Sharona doesn't want to hear it, nor do any of us when we really like a guy.

SPEAKER_04 59:23

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_02 59:23

Let us live in that exciting what if for just a little longer.

SPEAKER_04 59:27

Although I have to say I have never liked a guy who turned out to be a murderer.

SPEAKER_02 59:32

Right, and Sharona has.

SPEAKER_00 59:34

Most times.

SPEAKER_02 59:38

No, no, you be careful, she hisses. I'm sick and tired of being careful. At night we get a beautiful shot of the Golden Gate, which I think they reuse quite a bit. Mm-hmm. And then headlights on street debris. Back at the closed intersection near Sharona's house, Daryl takes in the wreckage. A couple cops watch the area from their car. Daryl walks casually behind the car to Sharona's backyard. Then he pulls the keys from his pocket and tries a bunch of them, but he can't get in. Just as he's about to break the door down with his shoulder, like he goes shoulder first, a construction worker comes out of nowhere. Hey, this building's off limits, he says. Daryl whips around, but composes. Yeah, I I know, I'm uh with the phone company. The worker is suspicious. I was told we had this block to ourselves. You have a work order? Yeah, yeah, of course I do. Daryl pats his pocket, moving towards the worker. You know what? I must have left it in my truck. He flashes a wide, trust me, smile. But his moves don't work on this guy. I don't see any truck, he tells Daryl. Wait here, I gotta call this in. Daryl quickly turns, grabbing a box cutter from a toolbox. Placing his hand over the worker's mouth, Daryl ramps him up against a tree, then shoves the blade into the poor man's heart enough times to stop it for good. What a putts, like why did you have to murder him? I hate this.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:03

It's unnecessary, it's also unrealistic. Have you ever seen a box cutter? I thought he grabbed like a tool. I didn't know it was a box cutter. Yeah. And some tools are really pointy and pointy enough to like really just plunge into a body. You're right. Maybe I just assumed it was a box cutter. I mean, my toolbox is out right now, and some of my tools are heavy. Which pointy tool would you use?

unknown 1:01:26

I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:29

I was gonna answer, but I won't.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:37

It's just a tiny little repeater.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:42

I think they probably do it for people like your mom who can't stand any murder.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:46

There's no gore in this TV show.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:49

It's just the tiniest little leaked marker. What murder? Yeah. Daryl, who is completely blood-free as well, pants over him with a genuine smile. I'm afraid I can't let you do that. The next day, our order of Stademeyer with a side of dish finally arrives. Ha ha, that was good. They stand over the dead construction worker detecting. You got a name, Stot asks? Yep, David Bushner, age forty-four. He's a gas company tech stabbed once in the chest. He went missing late last night. Phone company crew just found him. Where's his truck? Studemeyer asks, looking around. It's parked up at Downey Street where he left it. Furrowed brow, Disher looks around. We don't know if this was the murder scene or if he was dumped here. The captain knows, though. He was killed somewhere else. Are you sure? Disher asks. Yeah, body's on an incline, head down. Look at the bloodstain on his chest. Blood doesn't flow uphill, he says coolly. At least not in my experience. And I wrote, Well, well, well, look at the stot. He continues walking deeper in the alley. When was he last seen upright? Disher looks at his notes. According to his log, the last gas line he inspected was uh 304 Downey Street, 10 o'clock last night. Stadelmeyer thinks, 304 Downey? That's two sh houses down from Sharona's. Jen, I don't know your address by heart. I wrote the same thing. I know your address, but I still wouldn't be like, oh, that's two houses down from Kathy's. I might be like, oh, that's on Kathy Street, I think. Yeah, I I know your street. Yeah. Makes me think he's been watching her house just a couple nights a week. Otherwise, how do you have that sound? Yeah, that was pretty pretty good. Yeah. Yeah. Back at Gail's, Benji turns on the kitchen faucet and red water runs out. Shutting it off with a grimace, he says, Oh, the water's all rusty. Gail is behind him chopping veggies. Oh, it gets like that after every earthquake. But I always keep some mineral water on hand. Just for emergencies. She bends down and opens the cabinet under the sink, which are empty. Hmm, she murmurs. Where's all my water? Upstairs, Gail knocks outside a bathroom. Inside said bathroom is box after box and bottle after bottle of mineral water. Mr. Monk, are you in there? Don't come in, he says weakly. I'm taking a bath. Are you taking a bath in mineral water? Uh yeah, the tap was a little rusty. Outside the door, Benji is cracking up, but Gail not so much. Well, I hope you enjoy it. That bath is costing me$95. Okay, thank you.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:29

It would have been room temperature. I don't I don't understand why he'd want a room temperature bath. Freezing bath. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:37

At a bar, Sharona and Daryl are having drinks. She, of course, is talking about Monk. He can tell what you're thinking just by how you're sitting in the chair. Daryl is impressed. Wow, I should write about him. Sherona's eyes light up. You should. Nobody would believe it. She laughs a little to herself. You'd have to put it in the science fiction section. Sherona sips her cocktail as Daryl signals to the bar for to bring another. So, he asks, what about you? She sucks on an olive. What about me? Meanwhile, Disher rings Gail's doorbell, and she's right there and she quickly pulls it open. Oh, hi, she says, fluffing her hair, smiling wide. Can I uh help you? Disher's huge eyes look her up and down. Good afternoon, I'm Lieutenant Disher of San Francisco Police. I need to speak to Adrian Monk. Oh, she whips behind her. He's in the bathroom right now, washing up. That would be Monk, Disher sighs. They make deep eye contact. Warm brown into cornflower blue. I need to make sure that he gets these. It's very important. He holds up a manila envelope. Uh sure, Gail says. Are you really a cop? Yeah, I am. Disher pulls out a badge and an ID, and Gail grabs the arm holding the badge to get a closer look. Oh wow, look at that. Nice picture. She's holding the hand holding the badge now. Why'd you get rid of the muscle? Mustache. In the picture, it's the bushiest little caterpillar. It's humongous. My captain has a mustache, Disher explains. I shaved mine off so that people could tell us apart. Oh, Gail nods. Sharona never told me she has a sister. Younger, Gail adds quickly. Then how long have you known her for? Four years now. Really? Gail asks. Say copper, you like Italian food? Yeah. She waves him inside, removing a layer as she walks. Wearing just a little tank, Gail marches to a red sauce simmering on her stove. You know, I dated a cop once, she tells him. I still have his handcuffs on my bedpost. Well then, Disher quips back. I should inform you that you are in possession of stolen property. I may have to take you downtown. I might not mind that, Gail flirts, bending deep to take a taste of her sauce. Disher is completely delighted and in over his head. I wrote, run little dish, go find your spoon. Like the dish ran away with the spoon.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:06

I was so proud of that. You guys should see Jen's face. I was so delighted with herself. Run, little dish, go find your spoon.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:17

Well, it's funny too, because she fed him the she's or she's about to feed him with the spoon. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:24

Here, Gail says, approaching with a spoon of sauce. Try this. She shoves that spoon into his mouth hard. Too spicy, she asks. Dish swallows fast. No, it's perfect. Then for lack of anything else to talk about, so what's it like to have Adrian Monk as a house guest?

SPEAKER_05 1:07:42

Well, a few years ago a squirrel got into the house, and I could hear it running through the attic and the walls. Took me two months to get rid of it. Drove me crazy. It's like that.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:55

So are you gonna wait for him? she asks the lieutenant. Disher looks conflicted. No, I can't. He looks at his watch. If he's washing up, he could still be another two or three hours. Gail looks disappointed. Could you make sure he gets this? Disher asks, handing her the envelope. Oh sure, Gail says, bouncing her hair and boobs towards him. They have chemistry, and I don't hate this combo. Back to the bar. What do you do when you're not working, Daryl? Asks Rona. I don't know, she says, as a waitress hands her another cocktail. Just one more, she says with a wobbly little smile. It never comes up. I'm on call twenty four seven. Daryl's being a good date here. His eyes widen in horror. That's terrible. I mean, don't you ever feel the need to cut loose, do something crazy? She smiles seductively over her cocktail glass. Like what? Like dance with me here in the afternoon. I wish this was real for her and he wasn't a murderer. I like the way he looks at Sharona. I am a good dancer, she tells him. I bet you are. Daryl offers her a hand and they both rise to dance. Well, he does. She does a perfect little drunk stumble, giggling, I'm fine, I'm fine. They move to the end of the bar and slow dance, and they fit well together. I have an idea, Daryl says softly. Your apartment's two blocks from here. He says it way too quickly. I know, they haven't even kissed yet. Yeah. Oh, Sharona moans. We can't get in. It's blocked off. Then, smiling up at him, you know what they say? Good things come to those who wait. Well, I can't wait, he pushes. We could uh just sneak in. It's too dangerous, Sharona says, but he pushes harder. That's what makes it so exciting. She giggles again and she's real drunk and she really likes him. What's a girl to do? Back at Gail's, Monk finally emerges from his lukewarm bath. Do you have any cue tips? he asks her. She hops up to get them. Lieutenant Disher dropped by. He did, Monk says. Yeah, you know, he's kind of cute. I have a thing for cops. Yes, I know, Monk says, putting on his coat. That's why you and I get along so swimmingly. She offers him the cue tips. Do you have any white ones? he asks. What's the difference? She counters. These are blue. I'll just wait for Sharona, he tells her. Annoyed, Gail shifts back. And knee hoozle. He dropped this off. Some phone records you wanted. She hands him the envelope. Monk pulls papers from the envelope while Gail fills him in on the other stuff. Get this. They found a body near Hobart Park, a gas company repairman. Lieutenant Disher said they think he was killed near Sharona's house. Monk looks at her. What? He said it probably wasn't a big deal, but the captain wanted you to know. Monk looks back at the phone records. This is strange. At the bar, Daryl, Sharona calls. The phone lines are working. Really? Yeah, I can check my messages, she tells him, staggering through the bar, punching numbers on her cell. Daryl pockets a steak knife on his way out. I think it's like a butter knife, to be honest. No, it had a point, but it's not a big it's not an impressive knife. They could have damage with it, though. Sure, but it's gonna take a while. But look what he did with his tool. Yeah. At Gail's, Monk is talking through his findings. There was a call from the Rutherford house to Sharona's at 841 yesterday morning, just before the earthquake hit. They were probably talking about the fundraiser, Gail tells him, rifling through her purse. Monk continues. Then there was another call to Sherona's, again at 845, right after the quake. He sits down thinking. She called Sherona's before hitting 911, he wonders aloud. Maybe she panicked and hit redial, Gail says, continuing to fish. Then, damn, where are my keys? I could have sworn they were in my bag. Your bag looks just like Sherona's, Monk says, jumping up. So? Monk steps to the hallway and stops looking around. He said, Who's the widow? Who did? Gail asks. Daryl. When he saw Christine Rutherford at the church, he said, Who's the widow? How did he know she was a widow? She was dressed all in black, Monk, but he can't hear me. That's what I said to the screen. But Monk says she could have been mourning a father or a child. And I said, That's a great point, Monk. Can you hear me? Maybe he recognized her from TV, Gail posits. But no, no, no, Monk thinks, he said, who's the widow? He knows her. Monk thinks, staring off, oh my god, Sherona. Back at the bar, Daryl is watching Sherona listen to her messages. Oh my god, she mutters. What is it? Daryl approaches kind of menacingly. It's Henry Rutherford. Listen. She hands him the phone. We hear the message. Sherona, it's Henry Rutherford. I just spoke to the caterer. Oh my god, it's an earthquake. Sherona looks down. Daryl continues to listen, and Henry says, Christine, what are you No, no? I gotta call Adrian, Sherona tells him, but Daryl is quick with that knife. Pressing it to her chest, he says, I think we're gonna go to your apartment after all. Then move. Sherona drives as Daryl holds the knife to her chest. We're driving to her place now, he says into a phone. He scrapes the knife against her face. We've been trying to get that idiotic tape out of your machine for two days. Sherona's face is both. I'm an idiot, and I will kill you, Mpfer. That's right. A police car passes in front of them. Don't park here, Daryl orders. Go around the block. So she does. Back at Gail's, Monk is desperate on the phone. Captain Staldemeyer, please, it's Adrian Monk. Tell him it's very important. Just then, the floor gives them both a big shove. Monk and Gail brace themselves on the table. This one is both shorter and tamer than the first. Gail looks at Monk, who is still on the phone. Are you okay? And he nods. I thought my mother was right. An aftershock, can you believe it? Stodlmeyer is once again watching Disher trying to fix a ceiling sprinkler. Lieutenant, fix that piper. Buy everyone an umbrella, he says, arms crossed. Another cop passes Disher a note. Can you take line two, sir? It's Monk. So Stodelmeyer walks to the phone. Better be good, he mutters. Once he has the captain on the line, Monk begins to explain. In gobbledygook. Uh-oh, the aftershock. What? Stadelmeyer asks. So he tries again, faster and louder. In gobbledygook. Hold on, Monk, slow down. So Monk does. Slower in gobbledygook, he starts his explanation. The screen fades to black and white. We once again see Christine using the crowbar, shoving the huge cabinet onto Henry. Monk continues gooking. But then Christine sees her husband drop the phone and it was still recording. She picks it up horrified and presses the call back button, which we know went straight to Sherone's machine. In the hotel room, Christine writes Sherone's full name on a piece of paper, handing it to Daryl. Back in color, still speaking and in gobbledygook, Gail interrupts Monk and tells him, Why don't you write it down? So he does, and she tries to read it to the captain, but it's as illegible as our mushmouthed monk. Look, Studelmeyer interrupts him. Just tell him I'm sending a squad car, but it's too late, Gail tells him, he's already gone. Then, Captain, I think Sharona's in trouble. Studelmeyer slowly lowers the phone, then hollers to Randy. Lieutenant, get the car. In front of Gail's monk hails a cab. He hops in touching nothing. I love this. He is monkey. He really is. At Sharona's, Daryl is still manhandling her. They're at her door. I was trying to avoid all this, he tells her. I was trying to get the answer machine before you heard the message. Before the door opens, who should show up but a one Christine? Honey, what are you doing here? Stupid redheaded bitch. I told you I'd take care of it. You heartless bitch, Sharona spits. Open the bloody door, Daryl growls. In the taxi, Monk is still trying, which makes sense. Last time his language abilities came back randomly, but the taxi driver is flummoxed. Luckily, Monk is an expert gesturer. He forcefully instructs the driver to turn when and where. Daryl shoves Sharona inside her home where she sees a humongous crack running along the wall and ceiling. Oh my god, she whispers. Daryl grabs the answer machine. Where's the tape? But Sharona is still taking in the cracks and breaks. Where's the tape? he yells. I love this. It's digital, you idiot!

SPEAKER_03 1:16:48

She screams. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:16:50

Just take the whole thing, Christine tells him. So he does. Then the two killers face our girl, Christine pointing her gun. Now what are we going to do with you? Daryl asks. But Christine really is a heartless bitch. Handing Daryl her gun. We've got no choice. Do it. Come on. We've come this far. We've come too far to start.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:10

They were like killing people willy-nilly. Why didn't they just kill Henry willy-nelly?

SPEAKER_02 1:17:16

Right, because they always look at the wife, especially the young new wife who wants that money. That would have been Stadlemar would have been like, we've got motive. They need motive to even investigate. It's ridiculous. Here, he asks. Yes, here. Why? Because blood is going to go everywhere. As they're fighting, Shrona is looking up at her ceiling. All the cracks have spidered into the center where an iron chandelier hangs precariously. They're still fighting. Christine asks, Who's gonna notice some blood in this wreck? But Daryl's like, Monk will, he notices everything. He's a damn freak. As they fight, staring at each other, Shrona hops onto the coffee table and pulls the chandelier down, bringing the whole ceiling with it. Very impressive. Plaster crashes on all three. I'm so proud of her. Outside, the cab pulls up and Monk jumps out. Hey, hey, hey, the cabbie yells. Monk flies back, tossing Bills into the car. Keep the change, Monk tells him in perfectly clear English. Shrona crawls out of the rubble, coughing, but Daryl catches, backhanding her heart into a doorframe. Monk rushes in and rips Daryl away, monking like a munker funker.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:33

This is where I thought he monked the most. Yes, very. I like it.

SPEAKER_02 1:18:39

But Daryl is stronger and bigger. He elbows monk in the gut and then socks him in the face. Oh. I know. He grabs Sharona again and throws her onto a bed. Then he pulls out that tiny little steak knife. Ridiculous, yeah. Outside, Disher and Stotelmeyer pull up to the front of the building, then race to the door. Stot Daddy pulls Daryl off Sharona with very little exertion because he is Stot Daddy. Son of a bitch, Daryl grunts. I'm surprised you can talk with a broken jaw, Stotemeyer says. I don't have a broken jaw, Daryl tells him, just to be flipped around and wham, square in the jaw. Sherona rushes off the bed to Monk. Adrian, are you okay? Monk is on the floor using his hands to brush together all the dust and detritus into a small pile. I'm gonna need a broom, he says. In the next scene, we see more of those weird headshots of Trudy, which we've never talked about, but they're everywhere in there. Headshots. Like they couldn't get any of Monk and Trudy smiling together or I don't know, her looking. Just Trudy. They're right up close to her face. They're black and white. They are headshots.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:48

Well, that's what I like.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:50

It's so funny. It's good. Monk happily shows Sharona his office fully restored. Oh my god, it looks great, she tells him delightedly. It's back to normal. I had a cleaning crew take care of it, he tells her. The insurance company paid for most of it. Oh, oh, Sharona bursts out. I almost forgot. She grabs a folded note from her pants. Here's the note you wrote. She hands it to him. Now do you believe me? Monk reads the note, which is straight gobbledygook. He shakes his head. Did I really write this? At her nod, unbelievable. Sherona looks down. Uh, Adrian, listen, now that you're home, there's something we have to talk about. Monk looks around uncomfortably. Uh-oh. I haven't been paid since the earthquake. You sure? he asks. Yeah, it's been three weeks. She opens a drawer. Here's your checkbook, she says, handing it to him. Eyes wide he looks at her, shrugging.

SPEAKER_05 1:20:52

Here's your checkbook.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:55

Ding Bag Waggy Shaga. That's not funny. Brago Wag Chaga. Wagishog.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:04

Okay, will you stop it? You owe me money.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:06

Shug your wager.

SPEAKER_05 1:21:10

I know you're faking it. You just spoke English.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:21

Oh my. I thought that was funny. He will not pay this woman who is the most important person in his life. He is just money-challenged. Waggashaga, Waggashaga. Anyway, I thought it was a fun episode. I thought the end was very exciting. I thought when she pulled down the chandeliers, she was so good. And I did enjoy Amy Sederis. So overall, I liked it. Okay, good. Oh, I also thought Shaloub's acting with the gobbledygook was incredible. Good. He is an incredible actor.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:54

Yeah, I do love him. So my favorite show.

SPEAKER_02 1:21:58

Thank you for doing this with me. I know you were tired.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:02

I really appreciate it. I just sometimes get the tired, the sleepies, but I absolutely enjoyed. And hopefully I didn't say bitch too much. I hope so. Sorry, guys.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:13

Thank you guys so much for joining us. Uh oh, next week will be Mr. Monk versus the Redhead. And it has Willie Nelson, and I already have that song stuck in my head. So yeah, we're very grateful for you guys joining us. Remember to adopt and don't shop and write and review if you feel like it. Yeah, A plus reviews only. We love you guys.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:37

I love you. Have a great week. Have a great week. Bye. Bye.