#Mr. monk and the earthquake

[mr-stottlemonk]

i swear i love them so much 😭

[speedygal]

[aloeverawrites]

I can’t believe they did the dramatic explanation flashback while Monk was speaking nonsense- the writers are diabolical man

One day Sharona will find a man that isn’t a cheater, criminal, married or all three but today is not that day- nor probably is tomorrow nor probably is-

[insightmyanmarpodcast]

Donations are urgently needed. In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March 2025, we are now mobilizing direct support for monks and nuns who have lost their homes, monasteries, and places of refuge. If you wish to stand with the Sangha during this time of crisis, donations specifically earmarked for monastics affected by the disaster are deeply welcome. Your offering will go directly to those who have devoted their lives to the Dhamma—and who now face the unimaginable with only their robes and bowls. Masoyein Monastery has stood for over a century as one of Myanmar’s most vital strongholds of Buddhist scholarship, monastic discipline, and spiritual refuge. Located in the sacred city of Mandalay, this iconic site has shaped generations of monks and teachers, and its name—Masoyein, often translated as "Monastery of the Noble and Just"—has become synonymous with the pursuit of Dhamma in its most rigorous and refined form. The monastery’s origin is itself a story steeped in devotion and destiny. Around the turn of the 20th century, a devout layman named U Thet Shay, affectionately known as “Mr. Long Life,” wished to make a significant offering to his teacher in the form of a grand monastic complex. But rather than accept it for himself, the teacher advised U Thet Shay to build the monastery in Mandalay and offer it to a worthy monk. Initially, the monastery was offered to Mingalar Sayadaw, and soon thereafter to one of the towering figures in Burmese Buddhist history: Ledi Sayadaw. Ledi Sayadaw, a renowned scholar-monk, prolific writer, and meditation master, accepted the offering—but in a characteristically humble and visionary gesture, he passed it on. He appointed two young, relatively inexperienced monks—Ashin Suriya and Ashin Ñāṇa—to take charge of the newly constructed monastery. Despite their youth, Ledi Sayadaw expressed deep confidence in their abilities and commitment, declaring his trust that they would grow into the role. History would prove him right. http://dlvr.it/TJq0Ls

[devotedgossamerreader]

Mr Monk and the Earthquake

yikes this show can be gruesome

i wouldnt want to be told i dont mind something, either. like dude she clearly did mind you're just a jerk

this would be genuinely worrying if i was talking to someone I knew and they acted like everything was fine despite my not understanding a word theyre saying

i love it when characters mention that they go to church!

well the language thing was resolved quickly

stottelmeyer! i didn't realize i missed him last episode

every single guy Sharona meets is either a murderer or not single at all or both. poor gal

why wouldn't she ask Monk to vet all of her romantic interests from now on

please stop being mad at Monk for being good at games you pressured him to participate in

whyd he steal keys and whose did he take (i mean i saw the purse but it's been established they have identical purses)

ohh they're not car keys they're to Sharona's apartment?

well that was awkward and I'm not sure why that happened

"thanks for the sauce" was funny at least

"do you have any white ones?" "what's the difference?" "these are blue." duh Gail

oh good the gibberish is back

Sharona is iconic for 1. being frustrated about the cracks in her ceiling while being threatened and 2. using the ceiling cracks around the chandelier to her advantage

"bilingual sons of -"

ok Monk you've really got to pay Sharona

[capncarrot]

Mr. Monk and the Earthquake

[mr-stottlemonk]

yes! here are a few i remember off the top of my head :>!

*

S01E09 - mr. monk and the marathon man

S01E11 - mr. monk and the earthquake

S01E13 - mr. monk and the airplane

S02E01 - mr. monk goes back to school

S02E11 - mr. monk and the three pies

S02E12 - mr. monk and the tv star (this ep is kind of 50:50)

S03E04 - mr. monk gets fired

S04E14 - mr. monk and the astronaut

S0504 - mr. monk can't see a thing

S05E05 - mr. monk, private eye

S05E08 - mr. monk goes to a rock concert

S05E11 - mr. monk makes a friend

S07E02 - mr. monk and the genius

S07E13 - mr. monk makes the playoffs

*

i think that's all/most of them? anyone is free to add if i missed a couple.

this is kind of a longshot but does anyone have a list of monk episodes structures like howcatchems/inverted detective stories (where you know who the killer is at the beginning, like in s2e1) rather than whodunnits?

[data2364]

Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk 2002 in Monk "Mr. Monk and the Earthquake"

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0650634/

[cardest]

San Francisco playlist

San Francisco  - my favorite city in the world! The bands, the music, the songs are all here, in this playlist I created. I threw in a bit of Sac and went south by San Jose, Monterrey and up past Sausalito. Can we make it to 250 songs? Let me know what bands/songs I left out.

Have I left out a song or a band in this San Francisco playlist? Let me know! Cheers! 

Play the songs here at this link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HLG9q5rZLsqs8EYh6bhu- San Francisco

001 The Dillinger Escape Plan w/Mike Patton -  When Good Dogs Do Bad Things 002 Night flight Orchestra - California Morning 003 Quincy Jones - Call Me Mister Tibbs OST (Main Title) 004 James Taylor Quartet - Dirty Harry theme song 005 Faith No More - Seperation anxiety 006 Streets of San Francisco TV show theme song 007 Santana -  Evil Ways 008 High on Fire -  Electric Messiah 009 Metallica - Disposable Heroes 010 Hammers Of Misfortune -  Dead Revolution 011 Buddy Guy -  Hello San Francisco 012 Faith No More - Jungle 013 Isaac Hayes - Shaft 014 Orange Peels  - Back In San Francisco 015 Idris Ackamoor and the Pyramids - Message To My People 016 Thee Oh Sees - The Dream 017 Merle Haggard - Here In Frisco 018 Audrey Horne -  California 019 Journey -  Lights 020 Death Angel -  Hatred United / United Hate 021 Mel Tor Me - Got The Date On The Golden Gate 022 Duke Ellington -  Tourist Point Of View 023 Sons of Anarchy  - This Life (Sons of Anarchy Theme Song) 024 Larry Graham's Central Station - Earthquake 025 LARD - I Wanna Be A Drug Sniffing Dog 026 Machine Head -  California Bleeding 027 Neurosis -  The Doorway 028 KING WOMAN - Utopia 029 Lalo Schifrin - Magnum Force OST  Main Title 030 Forbidden -  Adapt Or Die 031 DBUK - In San Francisco Bay 032 Jack Name - Werewolf Factory 033 John Carpenter - Theme from "The Fog" 034 Khiis - Saboor 035 Richie Havens -  San Francisco Bay Blues 036 Metallica - Battery 037 Autopsy - charred remains 038 ExTREMITY_-_Crepuscular_Crescendo 039 The Otherside -  Streetcar 040 Quincy Jones - Ironside (TV Theme) 041 Megadeth -  Back in the Day 042 Sly and the Family Stone - Stand! 043 Faith No More -  From Out of Nowhere 044 Willie Hutch-Vampin (The Mack OST 045 Orchid -  Mouths Of Madness 046 Lalo Schifrin - Bullitt OST - On The Way To San Mateo 047 Vince Guaraldi - Woodstock's Dream 048 Fantomas -  4-11-05 049 Violation Wound - Fearmonger + State of Alarm 050 Primus - Those Damned Blue-Collar Tweekers 051 The Flower Pot Men - Let's Go to San Francisco (Part.1-2) 052 Bosse-de-Nage - Crux 053 Rod McKuen - The Beat Generation 054 Dionne Warwick - Do You Know The Way To San Jose 055 The Watchers - Sabbath Highway 056 Possessed - the eyes of horror 057 Scott McKenzie – San Francisco (Be Sure to wear flowers) 058 Tower Of Power -  Oakland Stroke 059 Big Trouble In Little China OST - Pork chop express 060 Vio-lence -  Calling In The Coroner 061 Black Oak Arkansas - The Big Ones Still Coming 062 Mr. Bungle - Love Is a Fist 063 VUUR -  The Fire - San Francisco 064 Testament - The Haunting 065 Electronicat - Frisco Bay 066 Y&T - Mean Streak 067 Thee Oh Sees -  Toe Cutter/Thumb Buster 068 Sweet - California Nights - Promo Clip (OFFICIAL) 069 Sadus - Swallowed In Black 070 Chuck Berry - San Francisco Dues 071 Sammy Hagar - Keep on rockin' 072 Fuzz -  Sleigh Ride 073 Otis Redding - Sittin' on The Dock of the Bay 074 Pleasure Leftits - The Gate 075 BL'AST - Sometimes 076 Santana - Samba de Sausalito 077 Acephalix - Upon This Altar 078 Sun Ra    - Lady With The Golden Stockings 079 Chris Isaak - San Francisco Days 080 Pointer Sisters - How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side) 081 High On Fire -  Carcosa 082 Will Haven -  When The Walls Close In 083 The Coup -  Laugh/Love/Fuck 084 King Khan - Teeth Are Shite 085 Deafheaven -  Irresistible 086 Glitter Wizard -  Blood of the Serpent 087 Jefferson Airplane -  It's No Secret 088 Cannonball Adderley - This Here 089 The Warlocks -  Can't Come Down 090 Squirmy Sax Man - I Still Believe 091 Acid King - Coming Down from Outer Space 092 George Duke - Sausalito 093 The Lost Boys - Cry Little Sister (Theme From The Lost Boys OST) 094 Betty Davis - [They Say I'm Different] He Was a Big Freak 095 Fever Tree - San Francisco Girls 096 The Dillinger Escape Plan w/ Mike Patton -  Pig Latin 097 Build Them to Break - Lucky Strike 098 Montrose - Rock Candy 099 PRIMUS - THE TOYS GO WINDING DOWN 100 Joe Satriani - Big Bad Moon 101 Sleater Kinney - Jumpers 102 GRUESOME - Dimensions Of Horror 103 Sly & the Family Stone - Everday People 104 Huey Lewis and the News - Back in Time 105 Hammers Of Misfortune - 2 17th Street 106 Jerry Fielding - Prologue _ Main Title (The Enforcer OST) 107 Metal Church - The Dark 108 Deftones - Ohms 109  John Lee Hooker - Frisco Blues 110 DRI - Go Die 111 16th & Valencia Roxy Music- Devendra Banhart, What We Will Be 112 MC Hammer - Too Legit to Quit 113 Dead Kennedys-Police Truck 114 Rancid - Adina 115 San Francisco's Shiver - Up My Sleeve 116 Bernard Herrmann - Vertigo OST - The Bay 117 Faith No More - Last Cup Of Sorrow 118 Blackburn & Snow -  Stranger In a Strange Land 119 The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes 120 The Grateful Dead - Sugar Magnolia 121 Cab Calloway - San Francisco Fan 122 The Charlatans - codine 123 Buck Owens - Want To Live In San Francisco 124 Sleep - Dragonaut 125 Death Angel - 5 Steps Of Freedom 126 Neil Young - Heart of Gold 127 Vastum -  Reveries in Autophagia 128 Dead Kennedys -  Moon Over Marin 129 EchoBrain -  Colder World 130 Riz Ortolani    - Lombard Street   131 Waylon Jennings - San Francisco Mabel Joy   132 Con Funk Shun - Confunkshunizeya 133 Chic - Hes the Greatest Dancer 134 Peace Creep - Radio Free Alcatraz   135 ABBA - Santa Rosa 136 Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks - San Fransisco 137 Together Band - California Curl California Girl 138 The Hellers - It's 74 In San Francisco 139 Pat Todd - No Place Like Home 140 Nancy Wilson - I'm Always Drunk In San Francisco (And I Don't Drink At All) 141 Anathema -  San Francisco 142 Blue Cheer -  Fool 143 Exhumed - Gravewalker 144 Darondo - Let My People Go 145 Exodus -  Blood In Blood Out 146 Lalo Schifrin Dirty Harry OST - Scorpios Theme   147 Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues 148 Wild Light - California on my mid 149 Herbie Hancock - Man-child -  Hang Up Your Hang Ups 150 Fantomas -  Spider Baby 151 The Lord Weird Slough Feg -  Headhunter 152 The Animals - San Franciscan Nights 153 Twilight - Dance with Me 154 THE POINTER SISTERS - Yes We Can Can 155 Residents - Hello Skinny 156 CCR HEADCLEANER - Eat This Riff 157 LEON WARE  - Thats Why I Came To California 158 Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put A Spell On You 159 Comorant - The First Man 160 Bosse-de-Nage  - The Trench 161 Hell Fire - Free Again   162 Riz Ortolani  - Golden Gate Bridge 163 Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun 164 Uther Pendragon - San Francisco Earthquake 165 Melvins - Zodiac 166 La Luz - California Finally 167 The Wyatt Act - Push 168 Santana - Soul Sacrifice 169 Cheap Trick - On the Radio 170 Electric Wizard -  Venus In Furs 171 Led Zeppelin -  Misty Mountain Hop 172 Tommy Castro - Callin' San Francisco 173 Viscious Rumors - Digital Dictator 174 Ghoul-Off With Their Heads 175 Diesel - Sausalito Summernight (Single Version) 176 Sheila E - A Love Bizarre 177 Starship - Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now 178 Jeffry Osboune - I Really Don't Need No Light 179 Nazareth -  Alcatraz 180 Freak of Nature - Rescue Me 181 Metallica - Crash Course In Brain Surgery 182 10000 Maniacs - Hey Jack Kerouac 183 Faith No More -  Get Out 184  URSA -  Wizard's Path 185 Jefferson Airplane - Aerie (Gang of Eagles) 186 Tower of Power - Just Enough and Too Much 187 Fred Hughes - san francisco is a lonely town 188 Mamaleek - Eating Unblessed Meat 189 Moby Grape - Naked If I Want To 190 Exodus - Metal Command 191 Pig Destroyer - Alcatraz Metaphors 192 the Donnas - You Make Me Hot 193 Hot Tuna - True Religion 194 Heathen - Opiate of the Masses 195 Fanny - Come and Hold Me 196 Sadus - Hands Of Fate 197 Negative Trend - Meathouse 198 Forbidden - Forbidden Evil 199 Spazz - Crush Kill Destroy 200 Testament - The Preacher 201 HEXX - Morbid Reality 202 Vio-Lence - Phobophobia 203 Dead Kennedys - One Way Ticket To Pluto 204 Tom Waits - Get Behind The Mule 205 CRETIN - It 206 RAMONES - Judy Is A Punk 207 Full House - Intro 208 Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band - Kerouac 209 Primus - Dirty Drowning Man 210 Wooden Shjips -  Motorbike 211 The Tony Williams Lifetime Ego - Clap City 212 Middle of the Road - Sacramento (A Wonderful Town) 213 Green Day - At the Library 214 Slayer -  Gemini 215 Tetema - Cutlass Eye 216 Defiance - Death Machine 217 Brisco County Jr theme 218 Doug McKechnie - Crazy Ray 219 Ulthar - Furnace Hibernation 220 Mr. Bungle -  ANARCHY UP YOUR ANUS 221 Dirty Ghosts  - Let It Pretend 222 They Might Be Giants - San Francisco (In Situ) 223 Metallica - The Shortest Straw 224 OM - Unitive Knowledge of the Godhead 225 Laaz Rockit - City's Gonna Burn 226 Autopsy - Skullptures 227 Mordred - Spectacle of Fear 228 Sly & the Family Stone - Luv N' Haight 229 Possessed - Seven Churches 230 Machine Head - The Rage to Overcome 231 Thelonius Monk - San Francisco Holiday 232 The Units - The Mission Is Bitchin 233 Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Mistadobalina 234 Arnocorps - Dead lift 235 The Grateful Dead - The Golden Road 236 DRI - All for nothing 237 Jim Martin - Disco dust 238 Thee Oh Sees - I come from the mountain 239 Death Angel - Discontinued 240 Starship - We Built This City 241 Captured! by Robots - Endless Circle of Bullshit 242 Pins Of Light - My revenge 243 Sun Ra - We Travel the Spaceways 244 Faith No More - caffeine 245 David Lee Roth - Just like paradise 246 San Francisco Fog Horns by Golden Gate Bridge 247 Abscess - Tormented 248 Mortuous - Bitterness 249 Dead Kennedy's - California uber alles 250 Twitch Angry - San Francisco 666 Neurosis - Water Is Not Enough

So, hop on a cable car, grab ice cream at Swenson’s or bark back at the seals down by Pier 39. Catch a Bear’s game at Berkeley and do some squirmy sax moves in the Haight after you down some beers at the Toronado and play my San Fran playlist! Here are the songs in the link: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-iHPcxymC1-HLG9q5rZLsqs8EYh6bhu-

[dannymonies]

Kaku and John Stewart Save the World would need some Reality Television Approach with this Guy! And some kernel of programming, audiophile lessons with Kurzweil, and for US to walk out of there with Lucent and Defense Subcontracts for a chill shilling with a dubloon for our friends at the Pentagon, O/C: a lucky left tiny ear muff who has a bigger Earthquake detecting thermonuclear dynamics ear muff Aka Hadron on the other side of piginablanket mountain would be much appreciated. I believe in this being a healthy promotion of what a universification of modern approaches to theory not even being similar whatsoever to speculation or inscrutability in the very first: and rather a Laws of Physics Brushup with A Constitutional Logic resistantly aware of the sound nature of its being well intended as a verymuchso necessary applicability since the late 18th Century in America! We aren't getting any younger: and that is an aging gracefully thing before a blessing in disguise goes with the well meant advice from Mr Monk on Investigations: "a blessing and a curse" be real: People are Intelligent and we work better in tandem: just like RnA needs its capacitating with DnA to be functionally conductive.

[mr-stottlemonk]

he's begging you Captain, and you're laughing. he's begging you and you're laughing.

he's such a tease my gosh.

[speedygal]

mr monk and the earthquake

oh, he dead.

oh, she toppled that enormous shelf.

He's got a blunt head trauma and the entire shelf is over his mid section. Monk is going to solve that in one minute flat.

*a couple minutes later*

oh no, language barrier comes in with a steel chair!

[bisexualstokes-archive]

MK’s WIPs

just in case anyone’s curious, since I don’t have a projects/wip page this is gonna have to do for now. Here’s a list of all my ongoing fic WIPs, and list of gifsets I want to do 

requests not included, I have those tagged as “open requests” on my blog, finished ones tagged as “requests” if you’re looking for yours!

Fics (details on each of them here)

-The Pancho Problem (Ch. 3) (nick/greg) -The Sanders Solution (Sequel, not started) (nick/greg) -Sheltered Truths (Ch. 3) (nick and grissom, nick and warrick, friendship) -CSI: San Diego (not started) (nick/greg) -Brainwashed!Jack AU (Ch. 2) (friendship) -Greg GD ficlet when they find nick  (nick/greg) -karma to burn missing scenes (nick/greg--the break-up fic) -bad blood fix it fic (nick/greg) -post meat jekyll (nick/greg) -Earthquake ficlet (nick/greg) -Nick speaking Spanish to greg (nick/greg) -meat jekyll/shock waves nick grissom -CSI Western AU (nick/greg, gsr) -Third Grave Danger Accomplice (NICK WHUMP) -some sort of nick and catherine season 7 fic (friendship fic) -nick and brass fic (friendship fic) -Hodges/Henry (Frame by Frame) -Nick/Greg grave danger hospital -In the Woods Somewhere (Nick/Greg, Hodges/Henry) -Innocence is Gone (Ch. 2) (Nick/Greg)

Misc:

-Death and the Maiden Rant -Crate n Burial vs Grave Danger Rant -Second Chance Nick Stokes music video

CSI gifsets: -comic book style (first one grave danger) -GIF SERIES: team dynamics -nick + being a nerd -csi nick 81-1 ( nick computer girls gone wilder )  -nick per season: Seasons 3-15 -csi 79-1 (this one’s grissom and sara’s first scene) -nick + rain -nick stroking his face in kitty after shaving his beard -normal'd be nice (blood drops) / back to normal (take the money and run) -nick crying in willows in the wind -Nick + Hoodies (two mrs grissoms, exile, gum drops, skin in the game) -Nick + Sam -nick purple shirt lost reindeer -Nick hair in wild flowers -nick/finn in veno veritas or however you fuckin spell it -nick/greg tressed to kill outside catherin's office -bisexual nick set -nick + references to therapy -nick/greg coldblooded maps -nick/greg what personal space -the entire shooting stars bunker scene -nick being adorable in long ball -you can't just john wayne this shock waves -"hope if everybody runs you choose to stay" (nick bravery set) -internal combustion/merchants of menace nick sassing suspects (find another one?) -nick being adorable in season 10 -nick and greg find stevie (family affair) -appendicitement (group shots?) -nick neverland evidence lockup -nick in panty sniffer -nick/greg felonious monk -nick/greg hair color take my life please -nick/greg blood moon -nick and hodges in squeegel -targets of obsession nick being pissed -targets of obsession nick shooting at camera -targets of obsession eight lives -targets of obsession nick whump -nick seeing red/good bad dominiatrix parallel -father of the bride house -don't be a smartass stokes ecklie to nick the list -greg/grissom way to go hang out convo -unleashed interrogation -nick father of the bride entering docs office with greg -nick/greg father of the bride -“We have all had our moment in the dark where we had to fight our way out, and when we did, it was up to the rest of the team to shine a light onto that darkness to see what happened.” -tell tale hearts nick and greg in family meeting -nick/greg cheerleader picspam -softball parallel csi and mac -nick and warrick in primum non nocere -way to go hospital scene -nick and grissom you kill me -nick and warrick confrontation invisible evidence -nick and warrick cockroaches -nick and warrick bull -nick and brass gifset -nick and catherine (grave danger series) -nick and sara (grave danger series) -frame by frame hodges/henry -CSI IS NOT STRAIGHT -cold blooded nick in tshirt with gun -nick tounge eleven angry jurors outside by tank -tongue moment grave shift diner -nick/greg $35K OBO -nick/sara/warrick/griss #35K OBO -nick and grissom $35K OBO -nick and warrick in high and low -nick smiling at warrick (early rollout) -nick death and the maiden -csi 124-1 (can’t remember probably something nick related) -csi 125-1 (tongue) -nick + celebrating -nick + high fives -nick + anger -nick/grissom parallel - eval day vs one to go -csi nick 169-1 (calling the therapist shock waves) -twenty gifsets of appendicitement

Macgyver Gifsets: -jack “ayyyyyyy” -mac 133-1 (mac trying to stop jack in 2.02) -jack + shirt appreciation -jack + episode 2s (1.02, 2.02, 3.02) -mac/bozer 2.22 lab scene

Hawaii Five 0 Gifsets: -Shirtless Steve 1.10 -Steve/Danno bickering about door in 1.11 -oh god just do all of steve/danno in 1.11 -steve 1.11 in mountains/forest after shooting suspect -steve/danny 1.14 present -1.14 i don't think so baby -1.18 mcdanno dinner -1.19 old american proverb -1.20 whump -1.20 all the fish in the box -1.21 kono and danny "you've been hanging out with garrett too long" -1.23 one near death experience hug -2.1 STEVE AND DANNY IN PRISON OPENING -2.1 STEVE STABBED -2.8 mcdanno watching movie -2.10 STEVE WHUMP -season 6 finale danny going apeshit

[xannnina]

TV Show: Monk Song: Hot&Cold Band: Katy Perry

Episodes used: Monk 1x01 - Mr. Monk and the candidate Monk 1x02 - Mr. Monk and the psychic Monk 1x04 - Mr. Monk goes to the carnival Monk 1x08 - Mr. Monk and the marathon man Monk 1x09 - Mr. Monk takes a vacation Monk 1x10 - Mr. Monk and the earthquake Monk 1x12 - Mr. Monk and the airplane Monk 2x02 - Mr. Monk goes to Mexico Monk 2x03 - Mr. Monk goes to the ballgame Monk 2x04 - Mr. Monk goes to the circus Monk 2x05 - Mr. Monk and the very very old man Monk 2x06 - Mr. Monk goes to the theatre Monk 2x07 - Mr. Monk and the sleeping suspect Monk 2x08 - Mr. Monk meets the Playboy Monk 2x10 - Mr. Monk and the paperboy Monk 2x11 - Mr. Monk and.the captain's wife Monk 2x12 - Mr. Monk and the three pies Monk 2x15 - Mr. Monk gets married Monk 3x02 - Mr. Monk and the panic room Monk 3x04 - Mr. Monk gets fired Monk 3x09 - Mr. Monk takes his medicine Monk 6x04 - Mr. Monk and the bad girlfriend

[imjustthemechanic]

Natalie Jones and the Golden Ship

Part 1/? - A Meeting at the Palace Part 2/? - Curry Talk Part 3/? - Princess Sitamun Part 4/? - Not At Rest Part 5/? - Dead Men Tell no Tales Part 6/? - Sitamun Rises Again Part 7/? - The Curse of Madame Desrosiers Part 8/? - Sabotage at Guedelon Part 9/? - A Miracle Part 10/? - Desrosiers’ Elixir Part 11/? - Athens in October Part 12/? - The Man in Black Part 13/? - Mr. Neustadt Part 14/? - The Other Side of the Story Part 15/? - A Favour Part 16/? - A Knock on the Window Part 17/? - Sir Stephen and Buckeye Part 18/? - Books of Alchemy Part 19/? - The Answers Part 20/? - A Gift Left Behind Part 21/? - Santorini Part 22/? - What the Doves Found Part 23/? - A Thief in the Night Part 24/? - Healing Part 25/? - Newton’s Code Part 26/? - Montenegro

Look who’s back!

The town of Kotor in Montenegro didn’t have many claims to fame.  It had been reasonably important under the Venetian empire, but those days were long gone, and it was only just starting to find new life as a tourist attraction.  In many ways it was the exact opposite of Santorini, which had been whitewashed villages clinging precariously to the edges of cliffs, with no trees.  Kotor was dark stone and brick clustered at the bottom of a deep, fjord-like valley full of foliage.  It was much more sheltered and cool than Santorini, and Natasha decided she would rather have spent a weekend here than on that barren volcanic island.

When they arrived, there was a cruise ship anchored in the bay.

“Wouldn’t it be funny if that were the same boat we saw at Santorini?” asked Clint.

Nat shielded her eyes from the low morning sun and squinted to see the image on the ship’s superstructure.  “I think it is,” she said.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”  As the sun went behind a cloud for a moment, the light changed and Nat was able to make out the circular logo.  “There it is – Zodiac Cruise Lines, the Scorpio II.  Same as in Santorini.”

“That’s… actually not funny at all,” Clint decided.  “Think how much more fun we’d be having on our little tour of the Balkans if we were on a cruise ship!

“You’d have a way better selection of wines,” said Nat.

“Air conditioning,” Sam agreed.

“Lobsters to race,” said Jim.

“We’d have a way more expensive selection of wines,” Clint corrected.  “Santorini was expensive enough.  Speaking of which…”  He checked his phone.  “Laura says if I’m in Kotor I need to find her some smoked ham.  Apparently that’s a thing.”

“All right,” said Nat.  “We’ll save the world.  You can shop for souvenirs.”

“I’m glad you guys trust me with the important stuff,” said Clint.

Before they did anything out, they found a room at the Hotel Vadar, just a moment’s walk from the gate in the old Venetian city walls.  The hotel only had one available, due to a last-minute cancellation, and it only had one bed, but they would make do.  It would definitely be better than camping out in a construction site on Santorini, or rock-hard mattresses on the creaking cargo boat.

If Neustadt had told them to go to Kotor as part of a trap, then it probably wouldn’t have mattered if they’d all stopped to take a nap first – a mousetrap wouldn’t spring until something touched the cheese.  After their encounter with the thief on Santorini, however, they were worried that the alchemist might have decided to take matters into their own hands.  On that assumption, they ate a quick lunch and set out for the monastery at once.

The Church and Monastery of the Holy Dove were outside the northwest corner of the town, a short but arduous hike up a very steep path on the mountainside.  There were Catholic churches in Montenegro, but this one was Eastern Orthodox, identified by its domed roof and a steeple with three bells, one each for Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  The Square of the Holy Dove outside was thronged with tourists and with vendors selling trinkets to them.  On the left side of the church steps was a man selling books of local history in several languages, and on the right were a pair of sisters busking, one with a guitar and the other singing English pop songs.  Stray cats and dark-coloured pigeons ran around underfoot.

Trailing behind a tour group from the cruise ship, they climbed the steps to the church and went inside.  The interior was unusually bare by Orthodox standards, which had inherited the Byzantine preference for colourful murals with lots of gold.  The Holy Dove had once been decorated that way, but the plaster had fallen off the walls in an earthquake in the 1960’s, and since there was little hope of recreating the paintings in their former splendor, the walls had simply been left as bare red limestone.  Only a few fragments of the paintings remained, and a corkboard displaying carefully colourized old photographs to suggest what it had once looked like.  The austerity had the effect of making the wall of icons at the far end stand out all the more, their gilded surfaces glittering in the shafts of light from the high windows.

A monk was busy re-lighting candles in front of these holy pictures, murmuring a prayer as he did each one.  Tourists were taking flash pictures of this, despite posted signs warning that the light might damage the remaining murals.  The group respectfully waited until he was finished before approaching him.

“Excuse me,” said Nat.  “Do you speak English?”

“Some,” the monk replied.  “Do you have questions about the church?”  He must be used to being approached by strangers.

“No,” said Natasha.  “We’re here to see Brother Luka.”

The young monk went a little pale.  “What do you want with Brother Luka?” he asked.

This was not going to go well, Nat could already tell.  “He has something a man named Neustadt needs,” she said.  “He was supposed to send it to him?”

“Wait here,” said the young monk.

He vanished through the back door of the church, leaving them to wait there a while and contemplate the crumbling paintings that remained on the insides of some of the supporting arches.  These were mainly the faces of saints, with their names in Greek lettering next to them.  By one was a man on a ladder, using some sort of glue to stabilize a bit that was about to fall apart.

The young monk returned, accompanied by the Abbot.  This man was also younger than Nat would have pictured a monk, which she tended to think of as a bunch of old men clinging to a dying institution.  He was no older than fifty, and clean-shaved, with a jowly face and a strong Eastern European nose.  His expression was worried.

“Good morning,” he said to them.  “I am Father Slavko of the Brothers of the Holy Dove.”

“Good morning,” Nat replied, and for the sake of looking legitimate, she pulled out her badge.  “I’m Dr. Natalie Jones, of the Committee for the Appraisal of Archaeological Peril.  We were told to come here and see Brother Luka.  The man we spoke to didn’t give us much information.”

“You are the second group of people in as many days who have come for Brother Luka,” said the Abbot, and Nat’s heart sank – Neustadt must have already been here.  “A man in a hat came yesterday morning and the two argued.  The visitor left angry, and Brother Luka took ill shortly afterwards.  He’s now in the hospital in Meljine.  The doctors said it was a stroke.”

Something Neustadt had done on purpose, Nat wondered, or just an old man who’d gotten too angry for his own good?  “What did they talk about?” she asked.

“I did not hear,” said the Abbot.  “It was not my business.”

“Excuse me,” the younger monk said, “I did hear.  They spoke about Aleksio the Heretic.”

Aleksio.  That was the name from Newton’s notebooks, the one who said The Principle was in the monastery.  “Who is Aleksio the Heretic?” she asked.

The Abbot looked over his shoulder at the crowded church and the tourists with their cameras, then moved closer to the group.  “Come with me,” he said.

He led them out of the church by the back door, an ornately carved wooden one with big iron hinges that must have been centuries old, and into the area where the monks lived.  Outside of the parts open to the public, the monastery was sparingly decorated and without electric lights.  The Abbot stopped by a small table and took a flashlight out of a drawer, then produced an immense iron key and unlocked another door, which looked like it might lead to a medieval torture chamber – although the taller members of the CAAP had to duck to go through it, it was made of planks six inches thick, reinforced with heavy iron bands and nails like railroad spikes.  When the Abbot opened the door, Nat could see that the nails were so long they went all the way through and protruded a few inches from the back, where they’d been hammered to the side to lie flat.

A very narrow flight of stone steps spiraled down into the darkness.

“Be careful,” said the Abbot.  “They are often wet.”

Down they went, in single file.  Sir Stephen and Sam, who were both very tall men, had to stoop.  Jim bent at the knees, walking like the Missing Link, and Allen hugged his own shoulders, trying to keep from filling the entire space.  Only Nat, the shortest, was able to stand up straight.  Anybody wishing to go back up would probably have had to go backwards, and anybody behind him or her would have had to turn back, also.

At the bottom was an equally narrow corridor.  It went a short way to another door, which the Abbot opened with a different key.  The rusted hinges squealed as they moved, thunderously loud in the tiny, quiet space.  Beyond was an underground chamber.  A little bit of light and a slight draft came in through a set of tiny grates in the floor of the church overhead.  Shadows passed by as the tourists wandered around.  At the far end of the room was a table, with a little sandbox in which several candles had been set upright to burn, and an ornamental reliquary.  In front of the table another monk was kneeling.  He’d looked up at the sound of the hinges moving, but saw it was the Abbot, and returned to his silent praying.

“Have you heard of the Cathars?” asked the Abbot.

“They were a heretical group during the Middle Ages,” Natasha replied.  “They believed that God and the Devil were equal in power, and the Earth was their battleground.  Was Aleksio the Heretic a Cathar?”

“No,” said the Abbot.  “His was a much more poisonous idea.  He believed that the Devil could not truly be evil, because all the evil he does is in the service of God’s plan.  He reasoned that evil would not exist unless God allowed it, and therefore evil can serve good purposes – he thought that Judas would go to Heaven for making Christ’s sacrifice possible, and that the Anti-Christ would be as divine as Christ himself.”

Nat had been hoping for something a little more alchemical.  As far as she could tell, this was just theological semantics, and seemed irrelevant.  “Neustadt said he had something called the Principle.”

The Abbot nodded.  “That is in here.  It’s our most holy relic.”

“So why is it hidden away, and not in a place where souls may benefit by it?” asked Sir Stephen.

“For a long time it was because of the Crusaders,” the Abbot said.  “It was the sort of treasure they would stop at nothing to possess, and so we pretended it was only a myth.  After centuries of that it was almost forgotten.  Then we had to hide it away from the heathen Turks, who would have destroyed it if they’d found it – and then there was Aleksio, who said that the Antichrist would come for it on the day of judgment.”  He looked up at the ceiling as another tourist’s shadow passed over it.  “And don’t think I haven’t wondered if the man in the hat were he.”

“He’s not the Antichrist, he’s an alchemist,” said Natasha.  Although she supposed it was possible that Aleksio had thought Newton was the Antichrist… in which case, in a mind that believed everything served God’s plan, Newton might actually be the good guy.  “Is it gold?”

“No,” said the Abbot.  “It is something infinitely more valuable than that.”

He touched the praying monk’s shoulder, and the man got up and stood aside.  The Abbot took a chain from around his own neck and removed a small, tarnished key from it, and unlocked the reliquary on the table.

[susanwardmegsunsetbeachfans]

SOD Editors' Choice

The Editor's of Soap Opera Digest Magazine salute the best in daytime!

Last Updated: December 1, 1999

Sizzling Storylines, SUNSET BEACH

Soap Opera Digest, August 24, 1998

When it debuted in 1997, SUNSET BEACH knew it had to do something to stand out from the pack and to attract those 18-39 year-olds that TV advertisers covet. It laid on the camp and played up pop culture references (the Scream-esque Terror Island storyline, Sara's FRIENDS fantasy, a guest stint by Jerry Springer).

BEACH set itself apart from other shows, all right. Almost too much so - the strategy drew younger viewers, but turned off soap fans who like their stories told the old-fashioned way. But the episodes that aired during the week of July 19 showed that if you like your soaps straight up, BEACH can serve 'em that way, too - with or without a twist.

There were no fewer than three storylines peaking that week. Ricardo was set to marry Gabi, when he saw a video of his intended making passionate love to his brother … a priest. Ricardo was rushed to the hospital with a stroke; during that week, he lay helpless in a hospital bed, haunted by visions of the horrifying videotape. To make matters worse, a clueless Antonio and Gabi (who don't know that Ricardo saw the tape), stayed faithfully by the patient's bedside, sending a seething Ricardo's vital signs through the roof. Then Gabi proposed that Antonio marry her and Ricardo right there in the hospital room! A weak and mute Ricardo could do nothing.

For those who prefer their drama over-the-top, there was the memorial service for a very-much-alive Gregory. A conniving Annie pondered revealing the truth that Gregory's son-in-law, Cole, is Trey's father (not Gregory), so that as Gregory's "widow" she would inherit his fortune. "You realize that would destroy a whole family," her lawyer warned. "That would be just a bonus," she replied a gleeful Annie. "It would also make me a very, very rich widow!" At the funeral, Gregory - disguised as a monk - watched in wonder as people genuinely grieved for him. "He was my life," sobbed Olivia, Gregory's ex. Caitlin cried "I loved my father, and I always will."

Then there was Ben and Meg's falling-out. "I don't have anything to say to you!" wailed Meg when she stumbled upon Ben and his ex, Maria, having sex. Who did she run to for sympathy? Casey - the man who Ben spotted Meg kissing, just before he fell into bed with Maria. Though Casey was Sara's boyfriend, he realized that her sister, Meg, is the one he loves.

A soap risks alienating fans if it strays too far outside the genre's traditional boundaries. Attention-grabbing gimmicks can backfire if viewers aren't also grabbed by the story. These days, BEACH is showing that you can be fresh, even cheeky, if you respect the audience enough to never lose sight of what makes people keep coming back for more.

Wedded Bliss-ters, SUNSET BEACH

Soap Opera Digest, 1998

It was the event that SUNSET BEACH had been building to almost since its premiere nearly two years ago: The wedding of country mouse Meg Cummings and city mouse Ben Evans - but this was no day as Disneyland. Mousetraps aplenty had been carefully laid, months in advance - all set to snap as the lovers journeyed down the aisle.

Except for a thunderstorm, the obstacles were not BEACH's usual fare. Instead of earthquakes and tidal waves, human relationships threatened the star-crossed lovers' bliss.

As the wedding approached, Carmen played by the deliciously hilarious Margarita Cordova, began to wig out. Plagued by the belief that her daughter, Maria (Ben'' drowned wife), was alive, she saw Ben and Meg's wedding as the apocalypse. As it turned out, the loony lady was dead on.

Things began to crumble the moment Carmen stormed into the Cummings house and pleaded with Meg to cancel the nuptials. This provoked an inspired performance from Susan Ward (Meg). "Why are you doing this to me?" the bride-to-be sobbed. Ward's ability to convey the compassion for and understanding of a mother's grief succeeded in gaining sympathy for both women.

When the action moved to the chapel, several subplots gained steam - all threatening to climax in a simultaneous eruption of licentious lava. A desperate Carmen slithered inside, as her son, Antonio, officiated the nuptials.

The padre was a little hot under the collar himself, unable to take his eyes off bridesmaid Gabi. Maid-of-honor Sara fantasized about marrying best man Casey. With all those lustful looks darting back and forth, we were caught off guard when Carmen rose from her pew, thrust her gun in the air and screamed, "You're going to listen to me - all of you!" And we did, as the eccentric psychic pushed Meg to the breaking point. "I am through listening to anything you have to say ever again!" the bride spat.

Carmen was promptly escorted out by her sons, who demonstrated just the right blend of shame and support for their hysterical mama. Another interruption arrived in the form of Annie and Tim, but they were quickly removed.

While all this was going down, the biggest bombshell was lurking in the wings, err, vestibule. Fans were pulling out their hair as amnesiac Maria's entry was delayed by one mishap after another. First, a broken heel forced her into the bathroom. Then, the doorknob fell off, trapping her inside. When Maria tried to escape through a window, she fell and was knocked unconscious. By the time she came to, Meg and Ben were married.

The newlyweds celebrated at the reception until Meg tossed her bouquet - rotating in super slow-mo - and it landed in wife No. 1's arms. Newcomer Christina Chambers skillfully conveyed the heartbreaking fear and confusion that Maria was feeling. When she fainted, we nearly did too.

Ben stared with disbelief and horror at his resurrected spouse as Meg realized the shocking identity of her new pal, Dana. It was a thrilling roller coaster ride for all three passengers - and it's far from over.

Sunset Beach's Kansas Connection

Soap Opera Digest, November 11, 1997

In any great fairy-tale romance, the man in white rides off with his lady love, promising to make all her dreams come true. Sunset Beach fans got their storybook ending when the dashing Ben Evans, dressed uncharacteristically in white, drove up to Meg's door in a convertible and swept her off her feet with a kiss.

The innocent far girl and the enigmatic businessman first found love on the Internet. Meg ditched her philandering fiancé in Kansas and cased her dream man all the way to California -- only to find that he was more Mr. Rochester than Prince Charming, haunted and glowering and ill-equipped for romance.

Meg finally did crake Ben's tough shell, only to face Annie and Tim's trickery. Courtesy of Annie's hypnosis, Ben called Meg by his late wife, Maria's, name once too often, sending her scampering home to Kansas with Tim. When Ben found out what Annie had done, he headed to Ludlow, Kansas, to reclaim his love.

Almost as sweet as the couple's reunion was their revenge. As Ben explained to Meg how Annie had manipulated them, the two realized that Tim must have been Annie's accomplice. Tim walked in on their conversation and our hero's fist sent Tim to the floor.

Of course, where Ben goes, Annie is sure to follow. After changing planes three times, Annie was carted to Ludlow in the back of a chicken truck. Stung by Ben's rejection of her apology, Annie shared a romp in the hay - quite literally - with Tim.

Meg has always been something of a misfit in the sophisticated, salty world of Sunset Beach, and it was fitting that Ben met her on her home turf to win her back. Beach took advantage of scenic middle America with exterior shots of Meg showing Ben around her hometown, including a romantic walk through the corn fields, Meg telling a touching tale of how she broke her arm as a child in the apple orchard by the bar, and a visit to the local country-and-western bar.

And what took place at that bar was as memorable a dance you'll ever see on daytime. Ben and Meg "battled" on the dance floor with Tim and a decked out Annie [shades of Cha Cha from Grease]. It was hilarious, refreshing and entirely within the context of the story.

Carol Potter returned as Meg's mom for the compelling heart-to-heart with her daughter. When Meg expressed her fears about giving herself to Ben, her mom pointed out, "you gave your heart to Ben a long time ago."

Meanwhile, Ben had his hands full with Meg's protective dad, Hank, played charmingly by daytime vet John Martin. Hank grilled Ben, questioning why he really came to Kansas. "Because I love your daughter," Ben replied, and Hank's wistful reaction betrayed regret as well as relief - he was no longer the most important man in his little girl's life, be he was leaving her in the hands of someone else who loved her.

Come to think of it, it was less a happy ending than a new beginning.