Monk

When an armored car driver is shot to death outside a grocery store, Monk is called in to investigate. Witnesses saw the shooter, who used the driver's own gun for the shooting. Monk looks for clues, but before he can get too deep into the case, he gets a phone call from his brother, Ambrose. Apparently, their long-lost father called and is coming to Ambrose's house that night for a visit.

Harold Gumbal robs his own jewelry store and delivers the loot to two thugs who have taken his dog hostage. When a security guard shows up, one of the thugs panics and kills him. With Gumbal now a witness to the murder, the shooter turns to Gumbal and kills him, too, in cold blood. Monk is called in to investigate.

When a pizza deliveryman mistakenly gives Natalie $50 in extra change, Natalie decides to do a good deed. She follows him, intending to return the money, but is shocked to find his car on a deserted street, with the deliveryman beaten to death in the driver's seat. Stottlemeyer and Disher arrive to assess the situation, but they're soon called away to a bigger case.

When a masked man kills a parking garage attendant and breaks the right hand of stock analyst Warren Kemp, Monk is called in to investigate. The most baffling question: why would somebody want to break the right hand of a stock analyst? Warren Kemp wants answers, so he hires Monk to work undercover at his office.

New York mob accountant Rudy Schick is in trouble. His partner Ben Gruber has skipped town with over $3 million in mafia money, and now hitman Al Nicoletto is looking to re-collect the cash. All Schick knows is that Gruber is hiding somewhere in California.

Natalie is out running errands for Monk when she can't believe her eyes: crossing right in front of her in a restaurant is a woman who appears to be Trudy Monk! Trudy is meeting with an older man named Zach Ellinghouse, and Natalie overhears her telling Zach that she faked her own death to protect her family from a dangerous extremist group that was the subject of a newspaper story she was writ.

When Natalie needs a last-minute date to her brother Jonathan's wedding, she reluctantly agrees to let Lieutenant Disher accompany her. The wedding is being held at a posh resort, and everything seems to be going fine - until Disher gets run over by a car in the resort's parking lot. Disher suffers serious injuries and barely survives the horrible incident.

Monk and Natalie are cleaning Monk's apartment when they get an unexpected knock on the door. It's Sherry Judd, who went to junior high school with Monk. Intruders have murdered her housekeeper and defaced a painting of her grandmother, and she'd like Monk to investigate. Monk had a big crush on Sherry when they were young, and seeing her again unleashes a flood of memories and emotions.

It's the annual Christmas party at police headquarters, and everyone is full of holiday cheer. Monk, Natalie, Captain Stottlemeyer, and Lieutenant Disher are all there. When it comes time to exchange Secret Santa presents, Captain Stottlemeyer has a problem: he's unable to find the gift he bought for his friend, Detective Chasen.

When Monk starts noticing imperfections in his shirts, he seeks out the woman who inspects them to make sure nothing is wrong. When Monk meets the woman, Maria Ortiz, he learns that something is wrong. Maria's beloved son, Pedro, is in jail for the murder of a fashion model named Clea Vance, and Maria has been living under great duress ever since.

It's late, and Monk and Natalie are at a deserted highway rest area. They're there to meet a man who claims to have information about Trudy's murder. Monk has brought an envelope of reward money, and he makes Natalie hide so he can meet the man alone. When the man turns out to be a phony, Monk refuses to give him the cash. A struggle ensues.

Monk and Natalie join Captain Stottlemeyer at a junkyard to investigate the murder of a small-time drug dealer named Chicklet. While Monk looks around, a cocky young police sergeant named Ryan Sharkey implies that he's having an affair with the captain's wife, Karen. Stottlemeyer punches Sharkey in the face, and then leaves in a huff. Karen emphatically denies having the affair.

Monk and Natalie go to police headquarters to ask Captain Stottlemeyer for a raise. While they are there, Lieutenant Disher brings in Warren Landis, a security guard from a local museum, for questioning. The world-famous Alexander diamond has been stolen from the museum, and the police are interrogating all museum employees.

Civilian test pilot Steve Wagner is a national hero, but not everyone admires him. His old flame, Joanne Raphelson, is about to publish a tell-all book that details the abuse she endured during their relationship. Wagner can't let Joanne's story get out, so he pays her a visit.

After an armored car heist, Monk and Natalie arrive on the scene to join Capt. Stottlemeyer and Lt. Disher in the investigation. While Monk picks up clues, Lt. Disher complains of a horrible toothache. Capt. Stottlemeyer insists that Lt. Disher visit a dentist immediately. Disher goes to the office of Dr. Oliver Bloom, and soon finds himself under sedation while Dr. Bloom extracts a tooth.

Monk receives some bad news: he's been called for jury duty. Monk loathes the idea of being stuck in a room with 11 other people, but he has no choice when he's selected as a juror in a minor robbery trial. When time comes for the jury to deliberate, everyone votes "guilty" except for Monk. It's 11 vs. 1, but Monk is sure that the defendant is innocent.