Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever - S3-E12
Continuity mistake: When Natalie opens the captain's smashed cake in the van it is vanilla, but when she gives it to the captain he grabs some with his fingers to eat and it's chocolate with only a bit of vanilla. (00:28:40)
Mr. Monk Takes Manhattan - S3-E1
Continuity mistake: There is a shot where Randy is trying to cross the police tape and an officer stops him, and he can be seen briefly arguing. However, when it cuts to the next shot, we see that argument happening again in the background, repeated. (00:07:20)
Mr. Monk Makes A Friend - S5-E11
Continuity mistake: Monk pushes aside a glass of milk on the table in his apartment. It is mentioned multiple times during the series that Monk is afraid of milk. He would never have any in his home, and certainly wouldn't have a neutral reaction to it. Also, the milk appears to have spilled a little as it was pushed, and yet in the next shot there is no milk on the table. (00:33:00)
Mr. Monk and the Game Show - S3-E8
Continuity mistake: When Monk visits Natalie's home, he stops in her room and the door opens left to right. At the end when he goes in her room again, the door opens right to left.
Continuity mistake: There are two noticeable continuity errors during the police investigation in Cassie Drake's house. When Stottlemeyer is squatting next to Monk, Monk's right hand instantly changes position between shots. Also notice that there is no sheet over the body at the beginning of the scene, but a few shots later, suddenly the lower part of Cassie's body is covered with a sheet despite no forensic technicians being there to place it. (00:27:00 - 00:27:30)
Mr. Monk and Little Monk - S4-E8
Continuity mistake: When Monk is doing the summation for the present-day case with Sherry's ex-husband sitting in the chair, at first you can see that the painting is directly behind him. However, shortly thereafter during the summation, the painting has somehow shifted to the viewer's left and is no longer directly behind him. While it's plausible that someone could have moved the painting, it's just not believable since less than a minute has passed. Besides, would Lt. Disher (he was closest) really take it upon himself to move evidence?
Continuity mistake: The first victim's body and the floor around her are covered with pieces of glass, but the hole in the pane of glass is only about the size of a fist, not nearly big enough to leave that much glass on the ground.
Continuity mistake: When the gunman is shooting at the Jeep, he hits and deflates the near side rear tyre. His only shot after this wounds the sheriff. Yet when Monk is walking next to the Jeep, both tyres on this side are flat. Then when Monk starts going for help, the two tyres on the other side are now flat.
Mr. Monk and the Badge - S8-E14
Continuity mistake: During Monk's therapy session with Dr. Bell, his right arm instantly changes positions - from extended to bent and resting in his lap - between takes.
Mr. Monk is Someone Else - S8-E4
Continuity mistake: After the FBI agent asks Monk to go undercover, Stottlemeyer puts his hands on Monk's and Natalie's shoulders and starts escorting them to the door. When the shot cuts to a wider angle, he does this over again. (00:06:05)
Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan - S6-E1
Continuity mistake: When Natalie is talking to Marci at Monk's door, Natalie's position in relation to the door changes between shots. (00:04:45)
Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan - S6-E1
Continuity mistake: As Marci is telling Monk about the picture she painted of him, Monk and Natalie approach her. As they approach, they change position between shots. (00:10:30)
Mr. Monk Is on the Run (2) - S6-E16
Continuity mistake: In Season 6, Episode 16, "Mr Monk Is On The Run Part 2,," Natalie is organising his funeral after Monk is announced dead in the previous episode. She is talking to Randy and says she found a picture of him smiling. You see the photo of Natalie, Adrian and Julie on Christmas Eve. This picture was taken in Season 6, Episode 10, "Mr Monk and the Man who Shot Santa Clause". In the photo you can see the three of them smiling. But when you see the picture taken on Christmas Eve, Adrian is not smiling. He has a disgusted look on his face after he ate a cookie. Also when the picture was taken, Julie was smiling with her mouth closed but in the photo she is smiling with her teeth.
Mr. Monk is Someone Else - S8-E4
Continuity mistake: When Monk shoves Harold Krenshaw, there are two ships sitting in the harbor in the background. Later, when the FBI shows Monk photos of the incident taken from the exact same angle, the ships aren't there. (00:27:30)
Mr. Monk is Someone Else - S8-E4
Continuity mistake: In the hotel, when Monk sits down next to Lola, the couch pillows change positions between shots. (00:15:10)
Mr. Monk's Favorite Show - S8-E1
Continuity mistake: Near the end when Monk is doing his usual "Here's what happened" speech, he hands an envelope to the dad. A few minutes later he walks away from the dad, who still has the envelope in his hand. Immediately, the shot changes and Monk, who is not near the dad, has the envelope.
Mr. Monk and the Magician - S7-E15
Continuity mistake: "Mr. Monk & the Magician": While Monk and Natalie talk to the magician's assistant, the white rabbits in the hutch shift positions instantly with each change of camera angle. (00:20:00)
Mr. Monk and the Three Pies - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: When Van Rankin shoots his wife, the black gym bag, which has been slung over his shoulder since he entered the kitchen, disappears between shots. (00:31:05)
Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Concert - S5-E8
Continuity mistake: The lighting and position of the sun changes constantly throughout the episode and between scenes. For example, when Monk and Natalie are at the first aid tent, it looks cloudy and the lighting suggests that it is midday. Yet in the very next scene, when Monk, Natalie and Kendra catch up to Stottlemeyer, Disher and Jared, it appears to be sunny and late afternoon/early evening. (00:19:00 - 00:25:05)
Answer: That's the thing about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It's not something rational. He just has to touch things like that. It's not something he can rationally think through. However, since part of his disorder includes an obsession with cleanliness, he also has an assistant walk around handing him wipes periodically. It's like when he gets a cold and uses both a humidifier (because that's what you use when you're congested) and a dehumidifier (to counteract the effects of the humidifier). He may spout rationalizations after he does something, but his compulsions exist outside of any rational thought whatever.
Garlonuss