Monk and his colleagues travel to New York City to interview someone connected to Trudy's murder. While they are waiting, Monk helps solve the murder of the Latvian ambassador.
Monk is called to a crime scene where a pet seems to be the killer: Ian Blackburn is found in his the panic room, shot four times and his pet chimp holding the weapon. Did the chimp do it?
A blackout puts half of San Francisco in the dark for a few minutes. When the police discover it wasn't an accident, Monk gets involved to try and figure out why.
Karen Stottlemeyer films a documentary of Captain Stottlemeyer's division. Despite the Commissioner's objections, Monk helps solve the case of a headless corpse, a fatal fire at a wig factory, and a hat thief all in one fell swoop.
A mob boss needs Monk's help to figure out who murdered some members of the family. Monk reluctantly takes the case when the FBI offers to help get him reinstated in exchange for the information he gathers.
Monk investigates the brutal murder of a late kung-fu star's biographer, whose scandalous book has left the icon's fans kicking and screaming; Natalie wages a battle on Monk.
The FBI coop Monk up in a remote cabin with Stottlemeyer and Natalie after the jittery gumshoe witnesses a murder; meanwhile, Disher tries to get cozy with a new flame.