 Detective Adrian Monk used to have a minor case of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Then, the murder of his wife and his inability to solve the case exacerbated his condition to the point where he finds it impossible to function in society without assistance. He hires Sharona Fleming, a nurse and single mother, as his personal assistant, as well as his Watson for when he investigates cases the police can t solve to pay the bills. After three seasons Sharona got tired of the frustrating job and remarried her husband. Monk s new assistant is Natalie Teeger, whose loss of her own partner allows her a deeper bond with him than Sharona could ever have.