What I’m Watching: Monk

Monk: Season 8, Episode 4 “Mr. Monk is Someone Else” (B+)

I’ll admit that the setup for this episode is rather flimsy and silly, but it makes for a very amusing premise. Monk’s tried to act cool in the past, but never quite like this. It’s another instance of expert guest casting, utilizing Vincent Curatola, also known as Johnny Sack from “The Sopranos,” as the head mafioso. Monk’s traditional tics are hilariously used here as the very unorthodox methods of the hitman going about things the way he does them. Even more fun than Monk’s attempts to pose as a mafia honcho are the reactions by Natalie and Leland. Natalie seems to be enjoying herself very much as she gets the chance to play along too, and Leland’s efforts to protect Monk by trying to take care of him and keep him safe are both funny and moving. I’m a bit worried that Monk revealing himself to the mob so overtly will put him in danger in the future (or at least it might in real life), but fortunately Monk has a limited number of cases left, and I sincerely doubt that the writers would waste much time returning to an outlet they covered pretty well and fully in this installment.