Monk Season 5

Right now you can watch Monk Season 5 on and — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. The 1-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. 1,274 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Tony Shalhoub sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Monk Season 5 arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Monk Season 5 gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Gumshoe Adrian Monk would never actually have gum on his well-polished shoes: in addition to intellect and instinct, he also has obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though his eccentric traits bewilder his colleagues Natalie Teeger, Captain Stottlemeyer and Lieutenant Disher, Monk’s attention to detail keeps crime—and grime—off the streets. Tony Shalhoub and Ted Levine lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was aired in 2006. What keeps Monk Season 5 from feeling disposable is a cast that clearly understands the material better than the format usually demands. The consistency throughout is what elevates it — not every moment is the best, but none of them are a reason to stop watching.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, Monk Season 5 is a strong candidate. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. Short enough to finish in a weekend, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Tony Shalhoub anchors an ensemble with real chemistry. Genuinely funny, consistently, across the whole run.