REVIEW: Mr. Monk learns to have tailgate fun in the series' not so unnecessary SuperBowl 43 plug

Though it fumbles a couple of story details, the 13th, season seven episode of "Monk" written to fit into the SuperBowl weekend atmosphere actually serves to make the obsessive compulsive detective less of a stiff.

Likable about this episode is that it places Tony Shalhoub's Monk outside of his element and into one more suitable for Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine), whose thick moustache always hinted that he was a real man's man who might be a hardcore football fan outside of police work. Monk and Stottlemeyer are thus able to play well off each other to show that the former exhibits the characteristics of a humorously uptight mother's boy who would be more willing to watch the game with Natalie (Traylor Howard).

Given that Monk's father was absent during his childhood, it makes sense that the defective detective never learned to appreciate sports, only really embracing the compassionate influence Trudy must have provided in his life. Natalie, it could be argued, is another version of Trudy.

"Mr. Monk Makes the Playoffs" allows Stottlemeyer to provide him with a sort of father-son relationship that the character desperately needs in order to learn how to flip his off switch. They even get to throw around a type of skin, but not a ball.

Not losing sight of what makes Monk a tragically compelling character is the interim reminder that he is not happy unless living his life the only way he knows how, that is, by solving a murder.

A bit too out of character is the passing joke that Monk considers everything better than sex, which makes his relationship with Trudy and one grade school crush unfeasible if girls presumably have cooties in his eyes.

Novel about this episode is that the writers took the time to explore a character other than Monk for a change.

Stottlemeyer, although strongly wanting to abandon his friend in misery to watch the big game in a press box, eventually shows his true colors to help Monk solve a murder.

Making a lot of sense about the rough-around-the-edges police captain is the revelation that he lived in Los Angeles for 30 years before coming to the relatively tranquil San Francisco.

Completely pointless is Bob Costas' obsession with demented cats that is probably meant to be awkwardly humorous but to which too much time is devoted. Costas' story is hopefully not meant to be a highfalutin analogy about Monk because it simply does not work and is out of place in a comedy-drama.

Playful comedy complements the overall character-driven drama in "Mr. Monk Makes the Playoffs," with the murder case being watered down to something anyone would be able to deduce in an obvious plug by its parent company NBC for SuperBowl 43. But it is all in good fun.

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