| “ | I'm on it. I promise. But you, you need to step back, buddy. Okay, I was there 12 years ago. It ate you up. You were crippled. You could not leave your room. I won't allow that to happen again. | „ |
| ~ Leland Stottlemeyer to Adrian Monk in "Mr. Monk and the Foreign Man" |
The relationship between Adrian Monk and Leland Stottlemeyer from the USA Network drama Monk.
They are portrayed by Tony Shalhoub and Ted Levine.
History[]
Adrian Monk and Leland Stottlemeyer have been best friends for decades since there former's rookie days on the police force.
It is revealed in "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine," that after going through with three partners, Monk and Stottlemeyer became partners and were the first to immediately connect. It also appeared they were good friends with each other's families, as they were each familiar with their respective wives, Trudy and Karen (who was married to Leland at the time).
Stottlemeyer may still experience frustration with Monk's idiosyncrasies, yet he remains steadfast in his support for him. He now initiates contact with Adrian without needing a prompt, demonstrating a deep sense of protectiveness whenever Monk faces danger. Additionally, Stottlemeyer ensures that Monk remains focused during investigations, often adapting the environment to suit Monk's needs and serving as his rational counterpart. Their mutual respect is evident, as they exhibit a protective and nurturing demeanor towards each other. In grave situations, they occasionally address one another by their first names (''Mr. Monk and the Other Woman'', ''Mr. Monk Bumps His Head'', etc.)
History[]
Since their partnership, the two became very close, even as brothers. However, after Trudy's death, Stottlemeyer saw Monk had fallen into sadness and the two grew distant. Season 1's episode "Mr. Monk and the Candidate" further implies Stottlemeyer and Monk have grown distant and it was the first time the two saw each other in three years. Throughout most of the first and a half seasons, Leland would get frustrated with having to contact Adrian to come to a crime scene, feeling he just wasn't ready to come back to work and feeling somewhat jealous of Monk'd talents. However, during Season 2, the bond between the two men seemed to improve, as Stottlemeyer became less irritated with Adrian.
A turning point in Stottlemeyer and Monk's friendship was in the episode "Mr Monk and the Captain's Wife." Stottlemeyer's wife, Karen was in a car accident courtesy of her crashing into a repo truck after the driver had been shot dead by Evan Coker shooting a repo truck driver. Throughout this episode, Monk becomes increasingly protective of Stottlemeyer, worrying about his emotional state right now, which is where Adrian has been in his life since Trudy died. Later, Stottlemeyer tells Monk he finally understands why he can never move on from Trudy and that he should never let go of the watch she gave him. Afterwards, Monk and Stottlemeyer become closer again.
In Season 3, "Mr. Monk Takes his Medicine," Adrian was very concerned when Stottlemeyer was shot and quickly ran to the scene with Sharona even ending his therapy session with Dr. Kroger. After failing to stop the suspect who shot Stottlemeyer from getting away, Adrian felt guilty so he decided to take the medication that Dr Kroger recommended he take to help with his OCD. However, the drugs turned Adrian from a mild-mannered, observant, into a carefree, self-absorbed narcissist. After he stopped taking the meds, Adrian apologized to Sharona at the victim's apartment, where they learned through the victim's suicide note about a robbery. On the drive there, Stottlemeyer (over the phone), asked if Monk was back. When Sharona turned the phone over so Leland could hear Adrian complain about driving through a red light, Stottlemeyer realized Monk was not under the meds and "welcomed" him back.
Trivia[]
- Despite the small fandom, people who are fans of Monk have stated, years later on rewatch, stated Adrian and Leland's friendship is underrated. However, the chemistry between their actors is unforgettable as well as small but dedicated "Stottlemonk" fan base.
- In "Mr. Monk and the Employee of the Month," it is stated that Joe Christie was Monk's partner and that he was there when Adrian got the call that Trudy was killed.
- However, "Mr. Monk and the End, Part 1" reconned this and that it was actually Stottlemeyer who answered the call and delivered Trudy's death to Adrian.
- Adrian called Stottlemeyer "Leland" in some episodes such as "Mr. Monk and the Candidate," "Mr. Monk and the End," "Mr. Monk at Your Service."
- Stottlemeyer called Monk by his first name in fewer episodes ("Mr. Monk Goes to the Carnival," "Mr. Monk and the Other Woman" and "Mr. Monk and the Circus") and one novel.
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