So what do you think? I watched the marathon this past weekend, and I still can't believe Sharona will not be a part of the show anymore. So what does everyone think? Are you looking forward to the new replacement? I still can't bring myself to watch so I will skip the new episodes. What are your thoughts? :gossip :thought:

I'll probably watch the first new episode, but only to see if by some miracle it doesn't completely suck. The first half of season three, even with Sharona in most of the episodes, was hit and miss. Most of the time it bordered on self-parody with most of Monk's faults and idiosyncrasies being played more for cheap laughs than poignant insight into a complex mind. Now, with Sharona gone, I'm fairly certain that it can only get worse.

I will miss Sharona.... A LOT...

I'm going to give the new shows a try & see what I think

I acutally enjoyed the episode and Natalie. The only thing that upset me was their explanation for where Sharona went. She had remarried her ex-husband and moved to New Jersey. But after watching "Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect", I don't see why she would ever go back to him.

Oh well, it was a good episode. And I'm gonna stick around for the rest of the season.

I'd seen Traylor Howard in three previous series and had found her bland, shallow and far too perky in all of them, and I really wanted to like her even less in Monk. Between the loss of Sharona and the nose dive that the writing had taken in the first half of season three, I had every intention of hating last night's episode and vowing never to watch another new one.

But, damn. It was actually good. The writing was back to its first-season quality, with the notable exception of the details of the crime itself. That was horrible, but that's not the main reason why I watch Monk so it's not a big deal for me. And the character of Natalie did not annoy me, although I thought it was a little too soon to be trying to force a personal relationship between her and Monk. I thought Traylor Howard did a fine job, not at all what I'd expected from having seen her previous work. Even the kid was not annoying.

I agree with TVAdam: I don't like the way Sharona was explained away -- she never would have gone back to that jerk of a husband -- and I do miss her. But maybe change can be a good thing. I was watching the older episodes that ran last night before the new one, and I was seeing aspects of them in a new light. In Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine, when Monk is agonizing over wanting to change but not wanting to change, I felt he could have been foreshadowing the sentiments of the viewers over the departure of Sharona.

It's only been one episode, but I know I'll watch the next one. Maybe it will be all right after all.

Where's all the Monk fans? This board is dead. :eek:

I was skeptical about replacing Sharona but I must say I've enjoyed the first few episodes this season. The show is as funny as ever. Last week when it was just the 2 of them on the show was great so I think Traylor will do just fine.

A couple of my favorite lines from these recent episodes:

Natalie keeps shouting at Monk with his alias name. (I forget what it is)

Monk: Well then I should have answered. Because that is my name.

**

Monk (to Stottlemeyer about Natalie): I like her. I trust her. I--I depend on her. (Pause.) She'll probably be quitting soon.

GOODBYE MONK!

HELLO LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY! :wave: :p

GOODBYE MONK!

HELLO LAW & ORDER: TRIAL BY JURY! :wave: :p
I watched Trial by Jury and then watched Monk at midnight so I could see both shows. Well Monks done for the season. No new episodes until summer.