Continuity mistake: The exterior of Monk's apartment building looks completely different in various episodes.
Continuity mistake: The location of Trudy's grave changes throughout the series. In "Mr. Monk and the Candidate," it's in a spot in the graveyard by a paved intersection. In "Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger," it's in the midst of a copse of trees. In "Mr. Monk and the Three Pies," it's just off the cemetery's main drive.
Mr. Monk and the Candidate (1) - S1-E1
Continuity mistake: When Mrs. St. Claire refers Mr. Monk as "Rain man", her glass is about an inch and a half full. Next time we see her the level of liquid has dropped. (00:16:45)
Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival - S1-E5
Continuity mistake: When Monk is in the review board hearing, in long shots, the wastebasket by the board members' table is empty. When one of the reviewers throws away a paper that misses the basket and lands right next to it, there are several papers already in it. In the next long shot and for the rest of the scene, the basket is empty again and the missed paper is at least two feet away. (00:06:15 - 00:07:40)
Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival - S1-E5
Continuity mistake: When Kitty runs up to Gitomer, she is not wearing gloves. Later, when Monk gives his summation, careful viewing will show Kitty wearing a glove that's used to hold the knife.
Mr. Monk Goes to the Asylum - S1-E6
Continuity mistake: The doctor says that Mr. Monk is allergic to tomatoes. In another episode Mr. Monk makes a sandwich with tomato. There is another episode in which Mr Monk is excited about square tomatoes.
Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger - S1-E7
Continuity mistake: When Sharon asks Sydney's old flame about the mugging 20 years ago, the glasses in front of them are full when they are being filmed from behind Sydney's ex, then are half empty being shown from behind Sharon, and in the next shot they are full again. (00:32:00)
Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger - S1-E7
Continuity mistake: It's spring in San Francisco in this episode: warm with light rain and people outside in shirtsleeves. That is, until Monk goes to visit Kelly, when it suddenly becomes winter. Everyone's bundled in heavy coats and it's sleeting. After Monk leaves Kelly's house, it becomes spring again. [The Kelly Street sequence was originally meant to be used in "Mr. Monk and the Candidate, " where everyone is dressed appropriately for cold weather. For whatever reason, it instead got used in this episode.]
Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger - S1-E7
Continuity mistake: In the opening scene, Archie Modine pulls the revolver on Sidney Teal with his right hand and fires one shot. The camera angle changes as the remaining shots are fired and Modine now has the gun in his left hand and is standing in a completely different stance. During the recap of the crime at the end of the episode, Modine fires every shot with his right hand.
Mr. Monk and the Billionaire Mugger - S1-E7
Continuity mistake: When Stottlemeyer pulls his gun on Mr. Modine, the safety is off and the gun is cocked, but in the next shot it's not cocked and the safety is on. Then we see the safety off, but not cocked.
Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation - S1-E10
Continuity mistake: When Sharona is having dinner at the restaurant and asks her date, "Have you ever been married?", she puts down her drink and lets go of it. When the shot changes she is putting the glass down again and holding on. In the third shot her arms are folded.
Mr. Monk Takes a Vacation - S1-E10
Continuity mistake: When Monk is talking to Benjy, he buttons up the top two buttons on his shirt, but in the next shot of him they're undone, and he's re-buttoning them.
Mr. Monk and the Earthquake - S1-E11
Continuity mistake: After the quake, all but one of the art pieces have fallen out of the Rutherford's display case and lie shattered on the floor. But seconds later, when Christine pushes the cabinet over, most of the broken items have vanished from the floor. (00:02:30)
Mr. Monk and the Earthquake - S1-E11
Continuity mistake: Sharona tells her sister that Monk needs the guest room because he "doesn't sleep on couches," but in "Mr. Monk and the Marathon Man," she had to stop him from taking a nap on the victim's couch. (00:15:15)
Mr. Monk and the Earthquake - S1-E11
Continuity mistake: When Sharona and her sister are talking on the couch, her sister is playing with her hair when she asks "Are you in love with anybody?" The shot changes to Sharona answering from over her sister's shoulder and her sister's hand is in a fist and pressed against her head. (00:16:00)
Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger - S1-E12
Continuity mistake: In the closing scene with Willie Nelson, there are a few times when the clarinet music changes notes, yet Monk's fingers do not move. There is also one point where Monk takes a breath mid-note.
Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger - S1-E12
Continuity mistake: In the scene where Willie Nelson is rehearsing, his pigtails change position depending on the shot.
Mr. Monk and the Red-Headed Stranger - S1-E12
Continuity mistake: Before meeting Willie Nelson on his tour bus, Monk is outside the radio station. When a car comes past the shot shows from inside the car and we see Monk putting his right hand up to his forehead and touching it. In the next shot his hand is now further down his face and is not touching it anymore.
Mr. Monk and the Airplane - S1-E13
Continuity mistake: "Nationwide Airways" is the name of the fictional carrier used in the episode, and it even has its own logo and livery. Yet in the exterior shot of the plane pushing back from the gate, it has suddenly transformed itself into a Delta Air Lines plane. It also looks like a 1990s Delta plane while it is taking off. (00:13:05 - 00:15:00)
Mr. Monk Goes Back to School - S2-E1
Continuity mistake: When Monk is leaving Derek Philby's classroom, he is quite content to just pick up a piece of chalk (with his bare hands) to write on the blackboard, but earlier, he makes sure to use a chalk holder to do this and nearly has a panic attack when he gets chalk dust on himself.
Answer: The two men are trying to work out a secret deal between them without involving the union, which means the workers' interests aren't being represented and defeats the whole purpose of a union. The mayor would lose labor's support and Cusack's union troubles would just be starting.
Captain Defenestrator