Mr. Monk Is At Your Service - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: During the brunch scene with Natalie's parents, the rolls in the bread bowl change position several times. In some shots, there are four, in others, there are five. They also go from being piled on top of each other to being arranged in the bowl and back several times. They're out of Monk's reach, so he's not just "making them even" either. (00:04:50 - 00:06:35)
Mr. Monk Is At Your Service - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: When Monk is inspecting the table ahead of the luncheon, he reaches out to straighten a crystal on the chandelier. The shot cuts to two people in the corner of the room, and the woman in this shot puts her hand on her forehead. At the right edge of the shot, you can see Monk in front of them straightening a plate on the table; however, he was inspecting the chandelier from the side of the table opposite these two individuals. (00:18:25)
Mr. Monk Is At Your Service - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: Monk finds the magazine from which the butler cut out words for his blackmail note, and matches a scrap with the word "Police" on it to the article it was cut from - only the left and bottom edges of the scrap don't conform at all to the hole cut in the page. They haven't been trimmed more. In fact, the whole piece is much too large to fit into the space. (00:36:30)
Mr. Monk Is At Your Service - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: At the end, the crime is reconstructed and in flashback, we see and hear the murderer makes his fake 911 call. But his words do not match the 911 tape played earlier in the episode. (00:40:00)
Mr. Monk Is At Your Service - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: When Paul shoots his butler, you see him raise his arm up straight out, but in the next shot, his arm is lowered with his elbow bent.
Mr. Monk Is At Your Service - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: When Natalie drops Monk off at the mansion, there is a bush in the background. Suddenly a gardener appears.
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