Monk (TV Series) Mr. Monk Goes to a Wedding (2005) User Reviews

Levine Shines in Physical Comedy

[ZillyPutty · 8/10 · 23 March 2024]

I am probably very biased, as I am quite fond of this series, but I wanted to highlight this episode for a reason that is perhaps overlooked in the Monk universe.

In this episode, Natalie must attend a wedding and needs a last-minute replacement for her date, whose appendix has burst. Randy offers to attend the wedding with her. There is an important subplot that involves spoilers, but let's just say that Monk and the Captain end up at the resort in order to assist Randy and then later solve a murder and catch a serial killer of sorts.

Towards the end of the episode, Ted Levine is allowed another opportunity (similar to the episode with the chimpanzee) to demonstrate his talent for physical comedy. It's a minor part of the episode, but it is quite amusing and I urge you to revisit it if you missed it.

Poor Randy

[Hitchcoc · 8/10 · 27 March 2020]

Monk may be a comic character and a subject of ridicule. But Randy Discher is certainly a close second. This whole episode revolves around a posh wedding for Natalie's brother. But there is evil in the air and poor Randy ends up being run down in the parking lot of the big chalet. He looks like a World War II victim with casts on his arms and legs. While the whole thing is utterly unbelievable, it is still quite entertaining.

A homecoming for Natalie

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 27 July 2024]

There is a big wedding event going on at a posh resort. At one of the spa buildings of the resort, a man is blackmailing somebody who is at the wedding. But the joke is on him as he is murdered and dragged into one of the mudbaths in the spa building. Nobody should find the body for awhile.

Back in San Francisco Natalie is looking for somebody to accompany her to her brother's wedding - it was that wedding rehearsal event where the murder just occurred. She settles on Discher with the understanding that this is not a date, just a friend helping her out since she doesn't like facing her family alone. It turns out Natalie's family is very rich, and they also never accepted Mitch, her late husband, as part of the family. So there is tension between them.

Once at the resort, while Discher is out in the parking lot getting their bags, somebody intentionally runs down Discher with their car, breaking several bones. This brings Stottlemeyer and Monk up to the resort to try and figure why somebody would do this. Shortly thereafter the body is found in the spa, and so now this is a murder case.

This was not one of Monk's better mysteries, but it was interesting meeting Natalie's rich family. And there is nothing better than a wedding with Monk going around trying to make everything even and matching.

The Wildest Wedding Ever

[ccthemovieman-1 · 10/10 · 29 November 2006]

This is a wild story that begins with an obnoxious cameraman assigned to photograph a wedding threatening someone on the phone. Minutes later, he is clubbed over the head with a rock and dumped into a mud bath.

It's the same wedding that Natalie has to go to the next day as it is her brother being married. It seems Natalie comes from very rich parents, ones who have alienated her and ones whom she doesn't associated much with. Nevertheless, she's there and with Randy as her date because he's the only guy she can get after her real date canceled out at the last minute with an appendicitis. Anyway, not long after they are there, Randy gets run over by a car. The act was deliberate. Then, the corpse pops up after a woman goes in for mud-bath. Wow - what next?

Obviously, this was a very entertaining episode full of interesting scenes. Ashley Williams was fascinating as Teresa, the woman marrying Natalie's brother.

A long way from marital bliss

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 5 August 2017]

'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.

After an atypical, but mostly excellent, previous episode in "Mr Monk and Mrs Monk", "Mr Monk Goes to a Wedding" was not just on the same level it was even better. Sure, Monk does have a few instances where he is a little cruel which is out of character for him but it wasn't enough for it to bring the episode down. After the events of the previous episode, which took a big emotional toll on him, it is difficult to be to be too hard on him.

"Mr Monk Goes to a Wedding" is indeed a very wild episode but in the best of ways. It has a great wedding atmosphere, a fun and cleverly plotted mystery with enough to keep one guessing and while it is not too hard to figure out who the criminal is the deductions, observations and how everything is figured out are cleverly done and entertaining.

Character moments are everywhere and a huge part of the charm and enjoyment. Monk has a lot of funny moments and the spittle shield part is a delight on the humour front. It's not just Monk, Disher's moustache in the newspaper photo and some of Stottlemeyer's lines are hilarious (like a man not being cute enough to make bail) are every bit as good. The ending was very touching too.

Natalie is more settled than in previous appearances. She has a down-to-earth-ness, sensitivity and sass that makes one warm to her as well as being more sympathetic to Monk's issues. Traylor Howard also does some of her better acting yet as the character.

As said many times, 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.

Jason Gray-Stanford and Ted Levine are amusing and sympathetic, especially Levine. Ashley Williams has fun too.

It's not just the cast or story 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 wry humour, lovable quirkiness and tender easy-to-relate-to drama is delicately done, particularly the last one. The quirks are sympathetically done and never exploited or overdone.

Visually, the episode is shot in a slick and stylish way, and the music is both understated and quirky. While there is a preference for the theme music for Season 1, Randy Newman's "It's a Jungle Out There" has grown on me overtime, found it annoying at first but appreciate its meaning and what it's trying to say much more now. Oh and a good job is done with the different opening credits sequence to accommodate the changes made.

Overall, brilliant and one of Season 4's best. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Another blunder...

[avimc-18719 · 9/10 · 12 September 2024]

I notice once again that there is at least one blunder per episode. In this episode when the photojournalist enters the mud bath and finds the paper envelope it can be seen that the sleeves of his jacket cover his arms completely as he opens the envelope his hands are bare. On the next frame , when when he throws the envelope and starts talking on the phone his hands are again covered by the sleeves of his jacket. I have seen this thing with many episodes and now I wonder if the writers, directors, cameramen allow it on purpose?! If it's on purpose, they probably expect us to approach the viewers like Monk, noticing the smallest details, possibly commenting on them like I'm doing now.

Great scenery

[safenoe · 7/10 · 26 March 2020]

I love the swaying palm trees in this episode of Monk, although someone has to pick up the fronds when they fall. I can imagine the cast and crew had a lot of fun filming this episode at the resort, sort of like the wedding scenes in The Godfather. I must admit, I still haven't gotten used to Randy Newman theme (whenever I hear the theme I think of the MAD TV parody of the legendary singer). Still, this episode is worth watching for the interaction between Monk and Natalie. But I still miss Sharona.