Many of the best moments in Monk would never have happened if the show had stuck to its original plan for Captain Leland Stottlemeyer. Stottlemeyer is in charge of the San Francisco Police Department’s Homicide Division and works with Adrian Monk on numerous cases. He and Monk have a long history of working together, going back to when they were both starting in the police force, and before Monk’s wife, Trudy, was killed.
Trudy’s death made it more difficult for Monk to manage his obsessive-compulsive disorder and many phobias, which led to him being suspended from his position as a homicide investigator for the San Francisco Police Department. When the show begins, he is instead brought on as a consultant to help solve particularly confounding cases. Many of Monk‘s best episodes feature the тιтular detective and Stottlemeyer working closely together as their distinct personalities clash, yet they still go on to have one of the show’s most rewarding relationships.
Monk Retconned Stottlemeyer Into Being Adrian’s Best Friend After Season 1
Their Relationship Looked Very Different In Season 1
Monk‘s original Stottlemeyer plan sees the police captain reluctantly working with the eccentric detective and even claiming that they are only working together because the mayor of San Francisco says they have to do so. In season 1, Stottlemeyer is not just frustrated with Monk, but seems to actively resent his presence and having to work with him. He is hostile towards Monk on more than one occasion and their relationship seems to be more antagonistic than anything else.
The show later changes course by having Monk and Stottlemeyer become best friends. Their personalities and their approach to solving cases are still incredibly different, but there is now a level of understanding between them, and Stottlemeyer begins treating Monk like an old friend. He still gets exasperated by Monk, but he is more tolerant towards his old friend. Stottlemeyer is more supportive, they joke around, there are even instances when he confides in Monk, and they only grow closer as the show continues.
Adrian And Leland’s Friendship Gave Us Some Of Monk’s Best Scenes
They Provide Some Of The Show’s Best Humor And Heart
Many of the show’s funniest and most heartfelt scenes are rooted in Monk and Stottlemeyer’s friendship. This includes season 2, episode 14, “Mr. Monk and the Captain’s Wife” when the germaphobic Monk jumps into the back of a garbage truck and begins touching and throwing out garbage bags containing evidence connected to the person who hurt Stottlemeyer’s wife, Karen. Shortly after this, Stottlemeyer nearly attacks the man responsible, and afterward, Monk touches his friend’s hand to comfort him, as he understands what Stottlemeyer is going through.
None of these scenes would have been possible if Monk had stayed with its original Stottlemeyer plan, and the show was better off abandoning it.
In season 4, episode 11, “Mr. Monk Bumps His Head,” where Tony Shalhoub plays a very different Monk, Stottlemeyer is fiercely determined to find his missing friend, which is a stark contrast from their dynamic in season 1. When Karen kicks Stottlemeyer out of the house in season 2, episode 5, “Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man,” Stottlemeyer even stays at Monk’s house, which leads to many amusing scenes between them. None of these scenes would have been possible if Monk had stayed with its original Stottlemeyer plan, and the show was better off abandoning it.
