A man plants a time bomb at the power station and when it blows up, puts San Francisco in a blackout. Sharona, Benjy and Monk are ready to watch a Willie Nelson's concert on TV when the bomb explodes. Captain Stottlemeyer invites Monk to help the investigation at the crime scene and when he arrives with Sharona, the beautiful PR Michelle Rivas tells him that she is her big fan. She gives her phone number to Sharona to give to Monk. She explains Stottlemeyer that the bombing looks like an inside job since the bomber knew the location of the security cameras. Randy brings a letter the police has found with environmental demands from the bomber and Monk sees sentences identical to the ones used by the terrorist Winston Brenner about ten years ago, when Trudy wrote an article about him. Stottlemeyer and Randy compare the letters and the handwritings are the same. However, the FBI informs that Brenner committed suicide with a bomb in 1995. Meanwhile, Monk calls Michelle and dates her, going to a restaurant, but his phobia spoils the date. The investigation proceeds and Stottlemeyer, Randy, Sharona and Monk meet Brenner's former partner, Alby Drake, who is protesting in the top of a tree, to know whether Brenner is alive. However, Drake is killed by a bulldozer that puts the tree down during the night. When Sharona and Benjy are ready to see the reprise of Willie Nelson's concert on TV, another bomb explodes and puts San Francisco in blackout again. When Monk is informed by Sharona, he solves the case.
"Mr. Monk and the Blackout" is an entertaining episode of "Monk", with a good case and mostly, his date with the gorgeous Michelle Rivas is hilarious. His dinner at the rooftop restaurant, when he refuses to use the elevator and forces Michelle to climb fifty-two floors of stairs to reach the restaurant is indeed very funny. The scene where Monk wears night vision goggles is silly. His usual OCD and phobias are sometimes exaggerated and silly but is part of this character. The terrible title song is the awfullest part of the show. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil): "Monk e o Apagão" ("Monk and the Blackout")