Dr. Neven Bell is Adrian Monk's new therapist beginning after Dr. Charles Kroger, died of a heart attack.
Personality[]
Neven shares Dr. Kroger's skill in listening, patiently hearing out Monk's concerns and offering helpful advice when needed. Unlike Kroger, who was shown to grow exasperated with Monk at times, Neven is much more tolerant and never tries to avoid him: in fact, in some cases he will go out of his way to be helpful such as when he rushed to meet Monk at the dock in "Mr. Monk Is Underwater" knowing he had just spent the last few days on a submarine, and good naturedly playing along upon realizing Monk had hallucinated his presence onboard.
History[]
At one point before setting up his practice in San Francisco, Dr. Bell was a city councilmember in Tulsa.
Following Dr. Kroger's sudden death, Monk and Natalie actively seek out a potential replacement. They are eventually directed to meet Dr. Neven Bell, who was a close friend of Dr. Kroger. Natalie points out the fact that Dr. Bell's first name "Neven" was a palindrome, though Monk at first denies this, claiming it is not a "perfect" palindrom since the first "N" is capitalized. Neven immediately makes a good first impression by welcoming Monk in at 11:00 exactly, offering him a wipe after shaking his hand, and serving Monk his favorite water brand Summit Creek. He even has a painting from Dr. Kroger's office, which Monk appreciates. Their first appointment is not a complete success, as Monk is immediately distrustful after Dr. Bell deduces Monk is bothered by his neighbor's daughter playing Chopin because it reminds him of the music in Dr. Kroger's office; Monk resolves to end the session, but they instead sit quietly for an hour when he realizes Natalie will kill him for leaving early. He later changes his mind and has another session, which goes so well he schedules another one for two hours later, and comes round to accepting Neven's first name is a palindrome.
When Harold Krenshaw, a former patient of Dr. Kroger's, learns Monk is seeing a new therapist in "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall", he schemes desperately to find out who as he knows whoever can help Monk can also help him. Monk tries to deliberately mislead him by claiming he is seeing "Dr. Door" but eventually Natalie accidentally lets slip Dr. Bell's name.
In the finale, Bell tells Monk that completion of a goal that drives one for a long time would natural leave one feeling lost and without purpose. Bell encouraged Monk to simply enjoy the freedom of goals for a time, so that the next goal would come naturally.
Bell is retired by the time of Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie but still meets with Monk out of concern and respect.
Trivia[]
- He may have been named after Dr. Joseph Bell, the real life doctor who is the basis for Sherlock Holmes.