Monk: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Monk: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman January 22, 2024

Kino Lorber has released the second season of the critically acclaimed and fan-favorite TV show 'Monk' to Blu-ray. This release follows hot on the heels of the excellent first season issue, and this set is very similar: excellent A/V quality, the episodes spread across four discs, and a handful of extras on disc four.

Official synopsis: Television's favorite defective detective returns to solve a new batch of baffling mysteries with his trademark wit, wisdom…and hand wipes. Join the outstanding Tony Shalhoub as the quirky obsessive-compulsive detective in all 16 brilliantly funny second-season episodes of the widely acclaimed series Monk. Accompanied by his loyal (and infinitely patient) assistant (Bitty Schram) and the San Francisco police force (Ted Levine and Jason Gray-Stanford), Adrian Monk and his unconventional methods may just be what's needed to crack some of the city's most puzzling and unusual cases. Join "TV's most original sleuth ever" (Los Angeles Times) along with guest stars Kathy Baker, Rosalind Chao, Gary Cole, Tim Curry, Lolita Davidovich, Rachel Dratch, Glenne Headly, Leslie Jordan, Jane Lynch, Andrew McCarthy, Tony Plana, Sarah Silverman, Danny Trejo, Rainn Wilson and many more—including John Turturro as Monk's estranged, agoraphobic brother!

Monk finds himself stumped on his first case this season, not because he can’t peace at least part of the mystery together, but because of the mental block of finally meeting his mental match in a sharp-minded professor. Or, it could be that he is slumping because the murder has taken place at his deceased wife’s alma matter, clouding his judgment, reason, and desire to press forward. Whatever the reason may be, the episode offers some nice insight into Monk’s psyche, beyond the quirks and peculiarities that define the character externally. That is something that season two does very well: explore Monk’s full being, and indeed the season does so by bookending with episodes that focus largely on his relationship with his deceased wife and how her passing has impacted him both inside and out.

The first few episodes are rather weak, but somehow with episode five the season suddenly shifts into a higher gear and offers a consistent string of uniformly excellent episodes that are smartly written and find excellent balance between the procedural components of solving the case, building the Monk character, exploring his relationship with others, and of course finding plenty of humor to go around. One of the best episodes is episode five, in which Captain Stottlemeyer and Monk hunker down together in Monk’s apartment where the personalities clash and where Monk’s peculiarities drive his captain crazy. But heart emerges from the episode, and their bond only tightens through this adversity, and others that the season has to offer, especially in a late season episode in which Stottlemeyer finds himself face to face with the specter of great personal tragedy. The season highlight, however, is absolutely in an episode in which Monk and his estranged, homebound brother, wonderfully played by John Turturro, work together to solve a case.

The following episodes comprise season two. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging:

Disc One:

• Mr. Monk Goes Back to School: Monk takes a job as a substitute high school teacher in order to crack the case of a teacher's death.
• Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico: When a skydiving college student dies mysteriously in Mexico, the mayor sends Monk to investigate.
• Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame: What do baseball, a nude model, pizza eating girls and a double murder have in common? Monk takes a trip to the ballpark to find the answer.
• Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus: A circus ringmaster is slain by a high-flying assassin, and all leads point to his ex-wife -- but she has a broken foot.

Disc Two:

• Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man: Captain Stottlemeyer tries to think like Monk to unravel the murder of the world's oldest man.
• Mr. Monk Goes to the Theater: Sharona's sister lands a part in a play, but when her co-star literally dies on stage, the police are convinced she has taken her role a little too far.
• Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect: Monk thinks he knows the culprit behind a recent string of mail bombings; the only problem is his primary suspect is in a coma.
• Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy: Monk is drawn into the swanky world of men's magazines when he investigates the suspicious death of a publisher.

Disc Three:

• Mr. Monk and the 12th Man: Monk tries to link the victims of a vicious serial killer before more dead bodies pile up.
• Mr. Monk and the Paperboy: When his paperboy is murdered, Monk flips through the pages of the newspaper for clues.
• Mr. Monk and the Three Pies: Monk's long-lost, phobia-stricken brother calls on him to help solve a killing.
• Mr. Monk and the T.V. Star: Monk suspects a TV star of killing his ex-wife, but the charming actor has an air-tight alibi.

Disc Four:

• Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny: A law student offers to help Monk if he will solve the mystery behind her grandmother's disappearance.
• Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife: Captain Sottlemeyer's wife becomes a victim when a union dispute goes awry.
• Mr. Monk Gets Married: Monk and Sharona pretend to be a blissfully married couple in order to catch a con man.
• Mr. Monk Goes to Jail: With Dale the Whale's involvement, Monk tries to figure out why a death-row inmate was murdered just minutes before his execution.

Monk: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As with the season one release, Monk's second season looks absolutely marvelous on Blu-ray. The 1080p image is faithfully filmic, having been lovingly restored to maintain a flattering grain structure and a perfectly healthy and filmic appearance throughout. The 1.78:1 image is crisp and naturally sharp and highly detailed, presenting wonderful definition to the basics such as faces, facial hair, and clothing, but also the extraordinary array of elements around the frame throughout the episodes, including such texture-rich locales as circuses and prisons. The image never disappoints for its textural richness and steady film-like quality. Likewise, the color grading is fantastic. Some nice, buoyant colors at a circus are some of the highlights, including bold reds and flattering yellows A red jeep in episode seven leaps off the screen. Natural greenery throughout is wonderfully full and vivid. Even the brown-ish clothing Monk wears is pleasantly accurate. Black levels are first-rate, whites are crisp, and skin tones are natural. There are no obvious print flaws or encode issues to be seen. Fans are going to be absolutely delighted with the excellent work that Kino has done for this season.

Monk: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

As with season one, season two of Monk ships with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. The presentation of course lacks surround stretch, but front side range is never stymied. This is a fantastic 2.0 track for discrete effects, definition, and detail. The new theme song is rich with wonderful spacing, clear and centered lyrics, and precision musical elements. Score is likewise well spaced and wonderfully detailed. Enviornmental fill is very good, especially in locations where it can really take advantage, such as, again, at the circus in episode four or a school cafeteria in episode one. Dialogue is clear and always images well to the center, just about to the point that one would be led to believe that the center channel is active. All is not perfect, however, especially in moments of would-be heightened audio cues. For example, there is not much depth or punch to an explosion midway through episode one or a rumbling train in episode 10. Still, this is a very effective track that handles the material wonderfully in nearly every way.

Monk: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This four-disc Blu-ray release of Monk: The Complete Second Season contains four featurettes on disc four. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does ship with a non-embossed slipcover.

• The Minds Behind Monk: Featurette (480i, 4x3, 4:35): Exploring project origins, inspirations, naming the title character, building plots for the show, and the show's broad appeal.
• Disher - Character Profile: Featurette (480i, 4x3, 3:06): A quick piece exploring Jason Gray-Stanford's character and Disher's role in the show.
• Stottlemeyer - Character Profile: Featurette (480i, 4x3, 4:37): Ditto above, except this one focuses on Ted Levine's Captain Stottlemeyer.
• Precinct Tours: Featurette (480i, 4x3, 2:13): Jason Gray-Stanford hosts a quick tour of the police station set.

Monk: The Complete Second Season Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Aside from a few weak episodes to begin, Monk's second season is a terrific journey into the world of Adrian Monk and his crime solving genius and personal quirks. The Blu-ray is wonderful, as was season one's, delivering great video and audio. The extras are brief in number and short on content, which is the only real disappointment. Still, this second season release comes highly recommended!