Former olicedetectiveAdrianMonk(TonyShalhoub),whose hotogra hicmemoryandamazingabilityto iecetogethertinycluesmadehimalocallegend,hassufferedfromintensifiedobsessive-com ulsivedisorderandavarietyof hobiassincetheunsolvedmurderofhiswife,Trudy,in1997.Nowon sychiatricleavefromtheSanFranciscoPoliceDe artmentandworkingasafreelancedetective/consultantondifficultcases,Monkho estoconvincehisformerboss,Ca tainLelandStottlemeyer(TedLevine),toallowhimtoreturntotheforce.Stottlemeyer,whowaveredbetweenadmirationforMonkandannoyanceathiseccentricitiesduringthefirstseason,isbecomingmoreofafriendtoMonkastheseriesdevelo s,frequentlycallinghimintohel ,asmuchforMonk’sbenefitasforhisown.However,heknowsMonk’slimitationsaswellashisstrengthsandmaystillharbordoubtsaboutthewisdomofallowingMonktocarryagunorsubduea er etrator.Stottlemeyer’ssecond-in-command,LieutenantRandallDisher(JasonGray-Stanford),alsoseemstobedevelo ingbothadmirationandcom assionforthemanheoncelabeled"thedefectivedetective."Des iteflawsandinadequaciesallaround,thethreearebecominganincreasinglyeffectiveteam,withadditionalhel fromMonk’s ersonalassistant.Fromthedouble-e isode ilotthroughthefirsthalfofseasonthree,Monkwasaidedbyhisnurse,SharonaFleming(BittySchram).Butinthetenthe isodeofthethirdseason,Sharonawasre lacedbyanewassistant,NatalieTeeger(TraylorHoward).LikeSharona,adivorceewithasonnamedBenjy,Natalieisasingle arent,awidowwithadaughternamedJulie(EmmyClarke).UnlikeSharona,Natalieisnotanursebutaformerbartenderwithafresh ers ectiveon"Mr.Monk,"asshestilladdresseshernewboss