Monk: Season Two (Blu-ray Review)

• Reviewed by: Tim Salmons
• Review Date: Nov 20, 2024
• Format: Blu-ray Disc
• 

Director

Various

Release Date(s)

2003-2004 (December 19, 2023)

Studio(s)

Mandeville Films/Touchstone Television/USA Cable Entertainment (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)

• Film/Program Grade: B+
• Video Grade: A
• Audio Grade: A-
• Extras Grade: D+

Review

Adrian Monk, the obsessive-compulsive, phobic, and lovable police detective, returns for another series of investigations while strengthening bonds with his friends and colleagues in the second season of Monk, which initially aired on the USA Network from June 2003 to March 2004. The show’s popularity only grew as the second season began to more fully explore Monk’s (Tony Shaloub) character and his history and relationship with his late wife, Trudy.

This season also delves more into the lives of Monk’s loyal assistant Sharona (Bitty Schram), Captain Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), and Lieutenant Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), while also introducing new characters and bringing back old ones, some of whom would play a part in future episodes: Monk’s estranged brother Ambrose (John Turturro), Stottlemeyer’s wife Karen (Glenne Headly), Sharona’s sister Gail (Amy Sedaris, reprising her role from the first season), Monk’s biggest fan Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman), and Dale the Whale (Tim Curry, taking over the role from Adam Arkin from the first season). There are also guest appearances by Andrew McCarthy, Lolita Davidovich, Rainn Wilson, Rosalind Chao, Leslie Jordan, Kathy Baker, Tony Plana, Rachel Dratch, Kurt Fuller, Jane Lynch, Gary Cole, and Danny Trejo.

Monk would continue its success and go on to win multiple awards, eventually becoming the “highest-rated series in cable history” at the time. Today, the show stands as one of the most popular TV series of all time and continues to garner new fans, thanks in no small part to a small but likable cast of characters, chief among them Adrian Monk, played perfectly by Tony Shaloub.

All sixteen episodes of the second season of Monk were shot by cinematographers Anthony R. Palmieri and Hugo Cortina on Super 35mm film with Panavision cameras and lenses, finished on HDCAM SR videotape, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics brings the show to Blu-ray for the first time using new 4K masters created by NBC/Universal from the original camera negatives, framed at 1.78:1, and presented on dual-layered BD-50 discs. As with the previous season, the overall look of the show is organic and much sharper than any disc-based presentations that have come before it. The second season has a more uniform look to it from top to bottom, mainly due to a lack of standard definition inserts for establishing shots, transitions, and computer-generated special effects, something that hampered the first season. There are still occasional uses of CGI, but it blends a little better now. Each disc features bitrates that range from 25 to 35Mbps, spiking occasionally. Each episode appears crisp with excellent detail and color, as well as solid levels of grain. The palette offers a nice variety of hues with deep blacks and good contrast. Everything is clean and stable throughout.

Audio is included in English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s not a mind-blowing sound experience, but it offers good separation with plenty of push for dialogue, sound effects, and score. It’s more than satisfactory.

The 4-Disc Blu-ray release of Monk: Season Two sits in a blue Amaray case with a double-sided insert, featuring the episode titles and their synopses on the opposite side. Everything is housed in a slipcover featuring the same artwork. The following episodes and extras are included on each disc:

DISC ONE

1. Mr. Monk Goes Back to School (44:40)
2. Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico (43:02)
3. Mr. Monk Goes to the Ballgame (43:00)
4. Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus (44:25)

DISC TWO

5. Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man (44:37)
6. Mr. Monk Goes to the Theater (44:22)
7. Mr. Monk and the Sleeping Suspect (44:25)
8. Mr. Monk Meets the Playboy (44:25)

DISC THREE

9. Mr. Monk and the 12th Man (43:52)
10. Mr. Monk and the Paperboy (43:24)
11. Mr. Monk and the Three Pies (43:25)
12. Mr. Monk and the T.V. Star (43:23)

DISC FOUR

13. Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny (43:36)
14. Mr. Monk and the Captain’s Wife (42:01)
15. Mr. Monk Gets Married (43:29)
16. Mr. Monk Goes to Jail (43:25)

• The Minds Behind Monk (SD – 4:35)
• Disher: Character Profile (SD – 3:06)
• Stottlemeyer: Character Profile (SD – 4:37)
• Precinct Tours (SD – 2:13)

The only extras included are standard definition featurettes from the original DVD release, offering brief interviews and behind-the-scenes clips, but nothing all that engrossing. This is a definitely a show that’s crying out for more attention in the bonus materials. Perhaps commentaries with various members of the cast and crew, but even if that isn’t a reality, Monk: Season Two on Blu-ray is still another home run for Kino Lorber. Highly recommended.

- Tim Salmons

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