What I'm Watching: Monk & Psych

Monk: Season 7, Episode 7 "Mr. Monk's 100th Case" (A-)
Psych: Season 3, Episode 7 "Talk Derby to Me" (B+)

What a delightful and surprising episode. It's much more refreshing than I ever might have expected to see a fitting tribute to the fantastic character that is Adrian Monk. Eric McCormack, initially obnoxious as the TV personality who profiles Monk, makes for an adequate if altogether obvious villain. It's amusing to see all of Monk's previous cases return in the form of prison interviews. I especially loved seeing the trio of Richardo Chavira, Andy Richter, and David Koechner being interviewed together in jail. In the end, Monk really is an unbeatable detective, and that's what makes him a terrific character. You have to love Natalie, Randy, and Leland listing out Monk's fears - that's why you love him.

On "Psych", I'm happy to see Juliet take the spotlight, since she all too often gets shafted in favor of other characters. Her derby undercover op isn't as drawn-out or complex as you might think, but it's all worth it to hear Shawn make up a whole story about her fan club or take Gus' test for him. What I loved most about this episode was Shawn's not-so-subtle flirtation with Juliet, cooking her a romantic dinner when she just came over to catch up on a case, and most significantly, the ending couples-only skate/dance. His attraction has been devastatingly clear since a scorned Rachel Leigh Cook guest-starred at the beginning of the season, and I'm hoping it will now come to a nice fruition. Shawn's always acted like he doesn't care about anything, but clearly that's not the case here.