▁Gill ies , ▁writing ▁for ▁Pitts burgh ▁Post - G az ette , ▁pointed ▁it ▁deb uted ▁in ▁a ▁period ▁when ▁other ▁networks ▁offer ▁less ▁competition , ▁Broadcast ing ▁& ▁C ables ▁writer ▁All ison ▁Rom ano ▁said ▁the ▁numbers ▁were ▁" im press ive ". ▁ ▁T ray lor ▁Howard , ▁who ▁replaced ▁Sch ram ▁as ▁Mon k ' s ▁assistant ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁third ▁season , ▁elected ▁it ▁as ▁her ▁favorite ▁episode ▁along ▁with ▁" Mr . ▁Mon k ▁vs . ▁the ▁Cob ra ". ▁In ▁The ▁Fut on ▁Crit ic ' s ▁Brian ▁Ford ▁S ull ivan ▁ranking ▁of ▁the ▁fifty ▁best ▁episodes ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁it ▁was ▁placed ▁ 1 7 th . ▁David ▁Bian cul li , ▁a ▁writer ▁for ▁New ▁York ▁Daily ▁News , ▁said ▁the ▁pilot ▁" not ▁only ▁establish es ▁the ▁character ▁of ▁Mon k , ▁it ▁establish es ▁the ▁perfect ▁tone ▁for ▁the ▁show , ▁a ▁del icate ▁but ▁de ft ▁bl end ▁of ▁w ry ▁humor ▁and ▁tender ▁drama ." ▁United ▁Fe ature ▁Sy nd icate ' s ▁critic ▁Kevin ▁Mc Don ough ▁pra ised ▁the ▁" wh ims ical " ▁direction , ▁and ▁added ▁" Mon k ▁is ▁not ▁easy ▁to ▁love , ▁but ▁sh ines ▁as ▁a ▁fun ny ▁and ▁fresh ▁alternative ▁to ▁summer ▁r er uns ." ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁called ▁" f resh ▁and ▁fun ny " ▁by ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly s ▁Bruce ▁Fre tt s , ▁and ▁an ▁" inv ig or