8. Mr. Monk and the Game Show

Trudy's father, a game show producer, invites Monk to Hollywood to determine if the host is helping a contestant cheat. Monk has to become a contestant himself in order to clinch the case, as well as to confirm his suspicions about the death of the host's assistant.

Plot summary and ending

Spoilers ahead. Coverage follows the scope labeled below.

Complete story — includes the ending

While Sharona is out of town, Trudy's father Dwight ( Bob Gunton ) invites Monk and Kevin Dorfman ( Jarrad Paul ) to Los Angeles to look into his suspicions of cheating on a game show that he produces. The trip revives Monk's bittersweet memories of Trudy as he ponders the apparently accidental death of the assistant to the show's host ( John Michael Higgins ) and unearths evidence of blackmail and murder. Also guest stars Larry Brandenburg. Tony Shalhoub is the only main cast member to appear in this episode, as the others were involved in contract disputes at the time.

Sources and content license

Source and revision history · Adapted from Wikipedia contributors, Monk season 3. HTML formatting and reference markers removed. · Content license