Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger

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“Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger”

Monk episode

Episode no.

Season 1
Episode 11

Written by

Andy Breckman
Tom Scharpling

Directed by

Milan Cheylov

Guest stars

Willie Nelson

Production no.

T-1110

Original airdate

October 11, 2002

Episode chronology
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"Mr. Monk and the Earthquake"	"Mr. Monk and the Airplane"

List of Monk episodes

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"Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger" is an episode of Monk. It is notable for guest-starring famous country music star Willie Nelson.

[edit] Plot synopsis

Willie Nelson has an argument with Sonny Cross, his road manager, accusing him of stealing money. In an alleyway, Sonny is shot twice. A blind woman, Jennifer Mass is the only witness and identifies Willie as the voice that threatened her and claims that no one else was in the alley. Everyone, including a sprained-arm Stottlemeyer, is irritated by the fact that Monk refuses to accept the obvious: Willie Nelson is a killer. Monk however knows that Willie was Trudy's favorite singer and can't believe bad of him. He is also suspicious because the note used to lure Sonny into the alley was addressed to J. Cross (Sonny's real first name was Jason) but Willie has forgotten because everyone called him Sonny.

Monk digs into Jennifer Mass' past. It turns out she was blinded in childhood in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, an accident that also took her parents life. Monk also learns that Jennifer Mass slipped and nearly died in a store, but amazingly didn't sue. Next Monk turns his attention to Sonny. He learns that Sonny has been fired multiple times by singers for embezzling and an alcohol problem. Sonny even spent some time in Florida for drunk driving. And that is when Monk solves the case!

Here's what happened: Sonny was the drunk driver that killed Jennifer Mass' parents and robbed her of her eyesight. When Jennifer Mass slipped in the store it reconnected one of her optic nerves allowing her to see. Knowing that Sonny toured a lot, Jennifer Mass waited for him to come to San Francisco and killed him. Unfortunately Willie showed up and she had to cover by pretending he was the killer. Monk hires a captured streaker who runs by Jennifer Mass, who turns her head in surprise. Jennifer Mass thanks Monk so that Willie didn't have to go to jail and asks for one condition: that her cell have a window. Stottlemeyer says he'll talk to the D.A. about extenuating circumstances.

The episode ends with Monk and Willie playing "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain" over the grave of Monk's late wife, Trudy.