TV’s most brilliant sleuth is back, and he’s ready to battle any crime…as long as it doesn’t involve germs, heights or other people! Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub returns to 16 third-season episodes of the fresh, funny, and quirky series Monk. Rejoin Adrian Monk, the defective detective, who must overcome his obsessive-compulsive disorder and investigate the death of his wife, Trudy. Still hoping to be reinstated in the San Francisco Police Department, Monk continues to use his intelligence, photographic memory, and ever-present hand wipes to take on some daunting opponents, including the Mafia, the FBI, and a possibly murderous chimpanzee. Monk’s back on the case and better than ever in this hilarious third season that features Traylor Howard as Monk’s new assistant, Natalie Teeger, along with guest stars Brooke Adams, James Brolin, Carmen Electra, Rosemary Forsyth, Philip Baker Hall, Glenne Headly, Mako, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Niecy Nash, Nick Offerman, Judge Reinhold, Mykelti Williamson, rockers Korn and many more.

Return to the scene of the crime with Emmy winner Tony Shalhoub in all 16 fourth-season episodes of the quirky and amusing series Monk. Private detective Adrian Monk has brains, instincts, a photographic memory, and more than a few obsessive-compulsive disorders. These traits, his ever-present handy wipes and his devoted assistant, Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard), help him as he solves cases involving amnesia, betrayal, first loves, true loves, and of course, murder. Along with Capt. Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lt. Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford), Monk is on the case and more germaphobic than ever in this fresh and funny fourth season of “the best detective show to come along in decades” (New York Post). Guest starring Jason Alexander, Jeffrey Donovan, Jon Favreau, Wings Hauser, Glenne Headly, Malcolm McDowell, Laurie Metcalf, and many more—including the return of John Turturro as Adrian’s (also phobic) bro, Ambrose!

Note: Seasons Three and Four of Monk are sold individually. The grouping of these releases together is only for the purposes of this review.

For thoughts on Monk: The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Monk continues its spectacular run on Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer sourced from a 4K restoration in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Kino Classics gives both of these seasons four discs to present 16 episodes, allowing plenty of room to avoid compression artifacts and other unwanted anomalies. Colors are fully saturated to give each scene a prominence not seen during its original run, and any chance of print damage has been eradicated in this master. Black levels are substantial with crush not developing as an issue.

This series is a lovely presence in HD as the source has been meticulously restored without DNR or other serious digital anomalies. The original film grain stays intact and resolves favorably without veering into noise or clumping. Each season remains perfectly stable throughout their run with episodes maintaining a high degree of consistency. Clarity and detail are notable, and skin tones are natural with subtle facial features easily observable in closeup. Elements of the production design are finely textured and defined in a way that reveals so much previously invisible nuance. This new presentation from Kino Classics is simply fetching, and it is a big step up from the ancient DVD set.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a stark audio upgrade in the form of a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that pleasantly showcases the series. The light score complements the story with a proper handling of the emotions. Dialogue comes through clearly as it plays well with competing elements. Atmospheric sounds are rendered impeccably alongside everything else. The low-end support adds some minor texture to moments that call for it. There do not seem to be any egregious instances of age-related wear and tear. The audio quality itself presents with unflappable fidelity which allows every element to come through clearly. Kino Classics has given this series a top-tier audio presentation that fans should appreciate.

Special Features

Season Three

Favorites: A five-minute piece in which the creatives discuss some of their favorite moments in the series.

Life Before Monk: A three-minute piece in which some of the cast members discuss the lives of their characters before the beginning of the series.

Quirks: A four-minute look at the some areas of eccentricities that our main character exhibits.

Monk – Character Profile: A six-minute exploration of our main character from various angles.

Natalie Teeger – Character Profile: A five-minute exploration of our favorite assistant from various angles.

Season Four

The Monk Writing Process: A 15-minute archival featurette featuring interviews with executive producer/header writer Andy Breckman; writers Tom Scharpling, Hy Conrad, David Breckman, Joe Toplyn, and Daniel Dratch; and actors Tony Shalhoub, Traylor Howard, and Ted Levine. Through this piece, you come to understand the process of how an episode of Monk is developed in a very loose but creatively fulfilling environment.

Jon Perkins Behind The Scenes: A nearly four-minute archival featurette that takes a look at the role of the detective consultant for Monk that lends some degree of authenticity to the proceedings.

Final Thoughts

Monk continues to offer up compelling mysteries and joyous character moments in its third and fourth seasons. There is a familiarity with the format, but the series always seems to find ways to keep things feeling fresh. These seasons prove to be a period of transition for Monk as we see the departure of a major character and the arrival of a replacement who takes a beat to find her own rhythm with the detective. This is truly great, binge-able entertainment. Kino Classics has delivered two Blu-Ray collections with impeccable A/V quality and fun legacy special features. If you are a fan of the series, these releases are a dream come true. Highly Recommended

Monk: The Complete Third Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Monk: The Complete Fourth Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.