While following up on a lead about Trudy's murderer, Monk gets knocked on the head and accidentally driven all the way to a small town in Wyoming. He wakes up with no memory of who he is.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Amnesiac Resonance: Monk is knocked out at a truck stop, then wakes up on the back of a semi truck in a little Wyoming town. He is unaware of who he is, but is baffled when he experiences his old phobias. He then goes on to solve a murder in the town. It's also discussed by Dr. Kroger when he tells our heroes that Monk's amnesia will allow him to discover himself for the first time.
- Blatant Lies: The guy who gave Monk the picture of the six-fingered man claims the man just randomly talked about killing a woman named Trudy with a car bomb while drunk at a bar. Monk soon spots the fact the picture is a fake.
- Carpet-Rolled Corpse: Monk finds the rug missing and other evidence that suggests Debbie was murdered. In the summation, the murderer is shown rolling the rug around the victim.
- Character Tics: Before departing for Wyoming, Natalie asks if the witness is sure the man he found was Monk, since they believe he is amnesiac and couldn't identify himself.Randy: The trucker gave the guy a five dollar bill, the guy kept smoothing it out.
Natalie: (overjoyed) He's alive! - Cop Hater: Monk talks to Cora about a job offer the local sheriff made. She immediately dismisses it, saying she hates cops.
- A Deadly Affair: Debbie and Roger were having an affair and he killed her after she threatened to tell his wife when Debbie got pregnant.
- Death by Falling Over: Roger killed Debbie by smashing her head into her table, then throwing her headfirst into a door frame.
- Dope Slap: Cora smacks Monk upside the back of the head when ordering him to quit messing around with the case.
- Double Standard: Rape, Female on Female: Cora was guilty not only of kidnapping, but of attempted rape, as Monk was in no condition to give consent. Nevertheless, after Monk regains his memory he declines to press charges.
- Easy Amnesia: Monk gets hit on the head and loses his memory, but not his quirks. Dr. Kroger points out that this kind of amnesia is quite rare.
- Easily Forgiven: Monk holds no hard feelings against Cora, even though she essentially kidnapped him and attempted to take advantage of him sexually, as he was in no condition to give consent.
- Establishing Character Moment: When Roger finds Adrian adjusting the mirror of his expensive car, he yells at him "My wife bought me this car, and I don't let her touch it!"
- GPS Evidence: Of a sort. Roger dumped Debbie's body down a hill at a make out point. Her body disturbed the bees that had been nesting there, and they stung the hell out of Roger. Roger figured it was only a matter of time until Debbie's body was found in that spot since there were plans to get rid of the hives, and he figured people would connect it with him being covered in bee stings the day after she vanished.
- Henpecked Husband: Cora Little claims Monk is her husband and does her best to push him into doing everything her way.
- Infraction Distraction: Roger Zisk crashes into a bee farm while supposedly drunk to cover up the bee stings he received while dumping Debbie's body.
- It's All My Fault: Natalie blames herself for Monk's disappearance given that she left him even after having concerns about it. Even after Stottlemeyer (on her orders) tells her it isn't her fault, she doesn't believe him.
- Karma Houdini: Monk doesn't press charges against Cora for falsely claiming they're married.
- The Killer Was Left-Handed: Monk realizes the note "Debbie" left saying she moved was written by a left-handed person, while Debbie was right-handed. Sure enough, when Monk goes with the Sheriff to talk to Roger Zisk, they see him signing something with his left hand.
- Pipe Pain: Teddy Mulligan knocks Monk out cold with a piece of pipe.
- Refuge in Audacity: Zisk knew he'd have to hide the wasp stings he received while dumping Debbie's body in the gorge, so he deliberately crashed his car into a bee farm, and took his punishment.
- There's No Place Like Home: Sheriff Bates offers Monk a job with his office, having seen what a great detective he is. Although Monk is aching for reinstatement with the police force, he declines, saying his heart is in San Francisco.
- Tuckerization: The name "Roger Zisk" comes from one of the show's directors, Randy Zisk.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Played with and Inverted. Granted, Monk is not Cora's husband. Regardless, Cora upholds the charade that they're married. Comparing the two, Cora isn't exactly what you would call "pretty".
- Wistful Amnesia: Despite Cora's claims that Monk is her husband and they're madly in love, it doesn't stop Monk from dreaming about Trudy.
