Monk fans are well aware that fear is no obstacle to becoming an established genius.  Adrian Monk might not know it, but there are others who are vying for the same title of genius as well.  Airing tonight on the USA Network is the second episode of Monk's seventh season, entitled “Mr. Monk and the Genius.” 

In tongith's installment, the brilliant detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) is set to go up against a chess genius, a character fashioned after Bobby Fisher.  This man seems to be trying Monk's patience, even being two steps ahead of our gifted protagonist.  However, what this chess master doesn't know is that Monk suspects him of killing Trudy, his wife.  The two also match wits against one another in a dirty game of chess.

Guest-starring on the episode is Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn, who has also acquired guest spots on other acclaimed television series.  He has been in The Sopranos, Spenser: For Hire and Miami Vice.  Strathairn will be playing Patrick Kloster, the chess master and the episode's antagonist.

Tonight's installment of Monk was preceded by the season premiere “Mr. Monk Buys a House.”  We followed Monk as he decided to move away because his new neighbor plays music too loudly.  He tried to distract himself by looking for a case to solve at headquarters, just to be rid of the noise.  His huge step of leaving his home didn't come without a price, as the house he moves in turns into a money pit.  Worse is that a handyman he hired becomes determined to rip up the place to earn more cash. 

The seventh season of the Emmy Award-winning series Monk has been set to have sixteen episodes.  Audiences might just get to see the intelligence of Adrian Monk tested, when he gets outsmarted in “Mr. Monk and the Genius” premiering tonight, 9pm on the USA Network, with a replay at midnight. 


-Maria Gonzalez, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: USA Network
(Image Courtesy of USA Network)